Table of Contents
Borrowing Workflow
Below you will find an overview of the ILLiad borrowing workflow. For each step you will find links to corresponding workflow tools, as well as ILLiad documentation and video tutorials from Atlas Systems.
Borrowing Checklist
Essentials for every ILLiad library
These are the essential tips that every ILLiad library needs to implement for an optimized workflow. These are quick to implement and save tons of time.
- Copyright Warning (Video Tutorial) - Disable this time wasting pop-up
- Direct Request - Process fewer loan requests manually
- Generate holdings-specific lender strings - Not to be taken for granted
- ILL Fee Management (IFM) - Reduce the manual processing of lender invoices
- OdysseyAutoElecDel (aka Trusted Sender) - Deliver Odyssey articles without staff mediation
- OpenURL - Get requests that are more complete and accurate, while also saving your users time
- PrintDocumentsPath - If accurate, ILLiad will open your Word templates automatically
- (Not for everyone) Importing Loansome Doc requests - For those Loansome Doc users in the audience
Time-saving customizations
These take a little longer to implement, but will save you lots of time (and sometimes money) in the long run.
- AutoBackgroundSearchOrder (Video Tutorial) - Set ILLiad's default search order when you search OCLC
- Cancellation Reasons - Stop hand typing commonly used cancellation messages
- Constant data - Eliminate hand typing on your OCLC work forms
- Custom holdings & EMST - Save time and money with smart requesting
- Custom searches - Tricks for finding requests when the basic searches aren't enough
- Email routing - True time savers: contact patrons with custom messages, while updating the status of requests at the same time
- Email Templates - Jazz up your correspondence with users
- Routing rules - Let ILLiad automate parts of your workflow
- Word templates - Use your (hopefully post-consumer content) paper more effectively
Helpful tips to consider
Unessential, but these cool tips can do wonders for your workflow.
- Clearing up stale requests - Tidy up your queues by getting rid of old requests
- Data analysis using Microsoft Access (includes a sample database) - For all you number crunchers
- Dual monitors - The best thing since sliced bread
- LDAP or other system authentication - This eliminates the need to clear customers
- Purchasing workflow (includes Amazon Price Grabber) - Buy when its cheaper than borrowing
- Web Circ module - Empower your circ desk or branch libraries
