Resource Sharing Standards

Knowledge Base > Resource Sharing Standards

Each library is responsible for any loss incurred when it does not follow Resource Sharing policies.

Patron Records & Registration

Each library is responsible for any loss incurred when it does not follow Resource Sharing policies.

Policy:

  1. System residents: A patron account, for use in all Mid-Hudson Library System member libraries, shall be created free of charge at all Mid-Hudson libraries for anyone meeting the following criteria:
    1.  A resident* of any city, town, or municipality within the Mid-Hudson Library System Service area**
      and
    2. does not already have a Patron Record in the Sierra system.
  2. Non-resident patrons: Anyone not eligible for a patron account as a System Resident may be issued a non-resident patron account by any MHLS library based on local policies, including fees and borrowing.  The decision to honor non-resident patron accounts is at the discretion of the circulating library.
    ~DA Approved 2/19/2020
  3. Institution accounts:
    Institution accounts may be issued by any MHLS library based on local policies, including fees and borrowing. The decision to honor institution accounts is at the discretion of the circulating library.
    ~DA Approved 6/9/2021
  4. Temporary accounts: The decision to honor a temporary account is up to the circulating library within local policies.
    1. Circulation Periods
    2. Limits in materials
    3. The Issuing library will determine the required length of residency within their local polices.
    4. A local and permanent address are both required in the record.
    5. If registration fee is charged or deposit taken it will included in the notes.
    6. Expiration should align with the end of temporary residency.
    7. A Temporary Account message (m-message) Is required. Example: Temporary, Temporary Paid
  5. The Circulating Library will be responsible for the checked out items, including replacement cost if the items borrowed are damaged or not returned after a Bill has been issued.
  6. The issuing library shall require proof of name and address when creating or verifying a patron record.
  7. The following fields must be accurately completed in all patron records:
    1. Fixed Length Fields: p type, town code, home library, zip, expiration date, birth date.
    2. Variable Length Fields: barcode, name, mailing address, (street address if different from mailing), phone or email, APATID, entered by.

*Resident as defined by Commissioner’s Regulations 90.3 (5) Resident borrower means an individual who resides within the boundaries of the chartered service area of a public or association or “Indian library” as defined in section 253 of the Education law and who is a library account holder at that library.

**link to service area map (DLD)

Procedures:

Before creating an account, first make sure that the patron does not have an existing record. The surest way of determining this is by checking for a duplicate APATID. In the Sierra checkout function, enter “u” then the APATID into the search field and press enter.

If a patron record already exists, verify that the record is up-to-date, complete and accurate.

If the patron does not have a record, create a new patron record.

In the Sierra Check Out (Circulation Desk) function, click on the New icon. Accurately fill in all the required fields.

If the patron resides in another library’s service area, enter the Sierra record with the correct P Type, Home Library, and Town Code, as described below. The registration form or a screen capture of the Sierra record shall be sent to the Home Library by email or through the MHLS delivery.

Patron record fields:

Required fields appear in bold below.

EXP DATE: Check the library’s policy. At most libraries choose a date 3 years from today’s date.

GENDER: m for Male, or f for Female, or n for Not-specified.

BIRTHDECADE: The decade in which the patron was born.

BIRTH DATE: Actual birth date. Format: DD-MM-YYYY. For institutional accounts, use 01-09-1919.

TOWN CODE: The municipality where the patron resides.

HOME LIBR (This is a 3-letter code – do not use the 4-letter location codes!): The library in whose area of service the patron resides is the home library. For non-residents, the issuing library is the home library. When creating library accounts for residents of unserved areas of the Mid-Hudson Library System, home library is the issuing library. For Institutional accounts, use issuing library.  While the home library is also set in the account creation to match the value of the ptype, patrons and staff may edit the patron’s home library to a preferred location in order to set display preference to the home library.

P TYPE: The patron’s P Type defines which library the patron belongs to based on residency.  If you are unfamiliar with the patrons township or street address, use an online map to make your best guess of the patrons closest library within the MHLS Service area  for this field.  When issuing a non-resident account, the P-type is 3 (non-resident). Note: For non-residents, the issuing library shall designate themselves as the home library when creating patron records for individuals who do not reside within the Mid-Hudson Library System’s service area. The issuing library will include a Message field in the patron record that includes the date and a statement of the amount paid for the non-resident membership and the library location collected. Example: Issued 12/12/2017, Non-resident membership fee of $25 collected at KHK. For Institutional accounts, use issuing library.

NOTICE PREFERENCE: To establish the desired way of ILS contact for patron. Note: Notice preference is used for ILS notifications. Unless specified, the system will follow the default order of preference for email, then phone, then print. See the notification flow chart for more details.

PATRON NAME: Format: Last Name, First Name Middle Initial.*
Example: Smith, Jane E. Do not use other titles like Dr., Junior, etc. A note field is used to capture this information, if required by the library. For institutions, use the name of the institution without punctuation. Example: Bliss Nursing Home. 
*When used in conjunction with the Legal Name field, the field can contain an alternative name that the patron prefers. 

LEGAL NAME:  This field can be added to the patron record to act as a container for the patron’s legal name, when they prefer to have an alternate name used.  The legal name is an indexed name and shall be formatted in the same way as the Patron Name field

MAILING ADDRESS (a address): When typing addresses, please use the proper postal abbreviations. Example: 103 Market ST, Poughkeepsie NY 12601.

STREET ADDRESS (h address): Required if different from the mailing address.

TELEPHONE: Use the area code and type as shown: 555-555-5555

EMAIL: A single and properly constructed email address, including an “@” and a “.”

STAT CLASS: This statistical field is unused and can be defined separately by each library.

APATID: The APATID is created from the patron’s legal name. It is made from the first 4 letters of the patron’s last name (if last name does not have 4 letters, insert a “*” for each missing letter), followed by the first letter of their first name, and then the single digit of their birth month followed by the two digits to indicate the day of their birth. For October, use the Letter O; for November, use the letter N; and for December, use the letter D. The APATID IS TYPED IN UPPER CASE. This field is necessary to check for duplicate records.

  • Example: Smith, John, born 7/04/1976. APATID = SMITJ704.
    NOTE: To search by APATID, type the letter “u” before the APATID in the search box type, such as “uSMITJ704” , and press enter.
  • For institutions, use the first four letters of institution name followed by *INS. Example: BLIS*INS.
  • The APATID is created from the patron’s legal first and last name no matter if the data resides in the Patron Name field or the Legal Name field.

BARCODE: Type or scan the patron barcode number. Do not add spaces.

MESSAGE (Required only for Non-Residents): a message that pops up each time the record is accessed. Used to alert staff of immediate circumstances. When entering a non-resident account, the Message field must be edited to include the date the account was created, any membership fee that was collected, and the library’s 3 letter location code. Example: Issued 12/12/2017, Non-resident membership fee of $25 collected at KHK.

ENTERED BY: Three-letter library code followed by a hyphen and staff initials and the date. This field is also added and completed when verifying a record that has been created using Online Patron Registration. Example: adr-ls 01/22/2019

NOTE: Use this field to put in any information that is necessary to capture in the patron record that is not appropriate in other fields.

PIN: When entered, it is displayed in an encrypted format that cannot be read. A PIN (Personal Identification Number) must be between 4 and 8 characters long, contain both letters and numbers if possible, and not have any repeating patterns of characters. To reset a PIN, delete characters in the field.

INTERNET: Used for local internet policy. Can be used to instruct public computing management software or parental permission has been signed for youth accounts.

E-CONTACT: Permission for the library to contact the patron via email in addition to ILS notices. Enter either “y”, “yes”, “n”, or “no.” If the patron did NOT check the box on the library account application opting out of email contact, then enter Y in this field. If the patron DID check the box opting out of email contact, then enter N in this field. This field indicates whether a patron has agreed to be contacted for library promotions.

GUARDIAN: An optional field that can be used to indicate a guardian in the case of a minor. The name is entered in the same format as the name (Last name, First name) Example: Smith, John. Required for Institutions – Enter the name of the contact person for the institution. Example: Doe, John.

ALIAS: An alternate name that can be used for patrons who prefer to use something other than their legal name. This field is free text and will be treated as a single phrase. The Alias can be used in custom notices at the library’s discretion. Examples: Madonna, Joey Ramone, Snoop Dog.
~DA Approved 11/12/2020, updates approve 6/9/2021

Note for Non-Residents: The issuing library shall designate itself as the home library when creating patron records for individuals who do not reside within the Mid-Hudson Library System’s service area. The issuing library will include a Message field in the patron record that includes the date and a statement of the amount paid for the non-resident membership and the library location collected. Example: Issued 12/12/2017, Non-Resident membership fee of $25 collected at KHK

Discover Catalog

Preferred Pickup Location (Not visible in Sierra Staff Application)
A patron can identify their preferred location for picking up requested items.  This field determines the default location for picking up requested items, but alternative locations can always be selected at the time of placement.

Home Library (Patrons may update – changes written to, and visisble in the Sierra Staff Application).  A patron can designate a home library that is different from the library where they reside.  This will be reflected in the Sierra Patron record in the home library field.  When logged in, the patrons selected home library will be used to prioritize certain display fields to that library’s collection.  The Home Library can be different, therefore, than the ptype, which defines which library the patron belongs to based on residency.

Remote/Patron Self-Registration 

Policy:

  1. Record review: staff shall review records that have been created online within 30 days for accuracy and duplicate records. The record will be considered temporary until verified by staff. Records that have not been verified to meet previously stated registration policy or merged with an existing record within 30 days will be expired.
  2. A verified record must include the library code and initials of who verified it and the date of verification.

Procedure:

Libraries with online registration will review all patron records created through their form within 30 days to determine that someone is eligible according to the Patron Records & Registration Policy. Staff completely and accurately fills in all required fields and checks Sierra to determine if a record already exists. Staff verifies the P Type field is within their service area, and if the patron does not staff notifies the correct library by email including a reference to the Patron number (Pnumber) or barcode.  Follow local procedure to issue a 14–digit barcode.

Global Patron Record Deletion Policy

MHLS staff will annually delete patron records that have expired for more than 3 years, and have fines less than $10, or fines $10 or more that are older than than 7 years. ~Approved by Directors Association 9/16/22 to begin in 2023 deletion cycle 

Circulation

  1. Verified Account Required

Policy:

    1. Circulation requires a Verified library account, the only exception being a photo ID with an address that matches the one in ILS ~ Approved by Directors Association 10/3/2011
    2. This language requires the identification to be presented on checkout of materials. ~Clarifying language added by Resource Sharing Committee 11/17/2016
    3. Verified Library Account – Borrowing physical materials requires a verified library account.  Libraries assume the financial responsibility of all transactions completed at their libraries when in violation of Resource Sharing Standards.~ Approved by Directors Association 11/6/19
  2. Claims Returned

Policy:

    1. The decision to apply the “claims return” process is determined by the owning location.
    2. A library may not place a “claims returned” on any item that they do not own.
    3. The number in the “claims returned” field in the patron record may be reduced by MHLS if a “claims returned” is located. The request for the reduction must come from the owning location and be submitted through the ticket system to MHLS. ~DA Approved 6/9/2021
  2. Lost Materials

Policy:

    1. The Replacement cost of an item will be the cost listed in the item record. If the library wishes to recover processing fees, those fees must be included in the item’s price. Replacement fees are forwarded to the owning library.
    2. If a patron offers to replace the missing or damaged item with a replacement copy at a library other than the owning library, that library must contact the owning library to see if they will accept a replacement copy. It must not be assumed that this is acceptable. Replacement copies must be forwarded to the owning agency.
    3. Material was lost, paid for, and then found:
      This situation is a local issue on whether the policy of the library is to accept the return of the lost item or not, or refund the money paid back to the patron or not. This also includes items paid for through e-commerce. ~Approved by Directors Association 1/7/09
  2. Fines & Fees
    A. Fines

Policy:

      1. If $10 or more in Overdue Fines, Overdue Renewals or Manual Charges is collected on behalf of any one library in a single payment transaction per patron record, payment must be sent to the library owed. -Approved by Directors Association 9/15/22
      2. Libraries may not waive fines on items checked out at other libraries except during the formally declared period of the amnesty. In that period, overdue and overdue renewal fines may be waived on returned items. -Approved by the Directors Association 9/15/22

Procedure:

      1. The library director will email techsupport@midhudson.org, and the amnesty will be published in the MHLS notices.  ~Approved by Directors Association 9/15/22
        1. All libraries in the Mid-Hudson Library System, including fine free libraries, may collect fines that have accrued from transactions that have taken place in other member libraries. ~Approved by Directors Association 6/14/22

Fees / Manual Charges

        1. Replacement, Adjustment, and Lost items payments collected must be sent to the owning library, regardless of the amount collected.
        2. Manual charges shall be forwarded to the originating library regardless of the amount. (Some examples include: fax fees, copy fees, fees for missing barcodes, and fees for a missing case.)
        3. Collection Agency Fees must be paid in full – no partial payments. -Approved by Directors Association 3/5/2011
        4. Checkout
    2. Libraries are responsible for checking out items to patron accounts that are valid and in good standing according to the Verified Account Policy ~Approved by Directors Association 11/06/2019
    3. Libraries checking out items are responsible for verifying that the materials being checked out match the information displayed in Sierra and are in acceptable circulating condition. ~Approved by Directors Association 2/18/2021
  2. Renewing An Item
    1. The library determines the loan rules for items checked out at their location, allowing up to two renewals per item.
    2. A library may override the renewal limit on their items only.
    3. Items can be renewed if the number of available copies in the system exceeds the number of open holds.  DA Approved 11/16/1
  3. Check in
    1.  An item checked in is considered accepted by the library that checks it in; at which point the library assumes responsibility for the condition. Financial responsibility does not extend to items whose damage cannot be determined visually, upon a cursory inspection.
    2. The check-in library must comply with all of the item’s pop-up messages entered by the owning library.  ~DA Approved 11/16/19
  4. Checking In Items With Damaged Part(s)
    1. Owning library must indicate the number of parts in the item – in M-message field of the item record. Without this indication, missing pieces will be the responsibility of the owning library. An item checked in is considered accepted by the library that checks it in, and the library assumes responsibility for the condition. ~Amendment approved by Directors Association 11/11/06
    2. Do a visual check before check-in. If books are damaged, AV components are broken, or if the item is missing pieces or damaged beyond normal wear and tear, do NOT check the item in. See Missing Components Procedure.  ~Update Approved by Directors Association 2/18/2021.
    3. It is the financial responsibility of the library, at check in and check out, to make sure all pieces are included. This does not require removing components.
    4. The library that is checking in the item needs to make the first attempt to recover the missing parts by a phone call to the patron within 48 hours. The library that is checking in the item over their desk from the delivery box will call the last patron, regardless of whose patron it is, within 48 hours. ~Amendment approved by Directors Association 11/1/06
  5. Indicating damage to an item
    1. Permanently attached notes (including tape and stickers) may only be placed on an item by the owning library.
    2. Post-its and small notes may no longer be used to indicate damage to an item. ~Amendment approved by Directors Association 9/10/21.
    3. Replace the use of post-it notes with an m- message in the item record to indicate damage to an item. The message must be added by the library that notices the damage.
      The recommended form of the message is:
      Damage noted at Adriance: page 32 torn top right corner adr-LS 08/05/2021
      ~Amendment approved by Directors Association 9/10/2021
  6. Damage beyond circulation
    1. No items shall fill holds or continue to circulate if any of the following conditions exist:
        • Incomplete or damaged beyond use of primary content
        • Loss of original structural integrity
        • Contamination (e.g. mold, bugs, etc.)
        • Note: Items with reasonable wear or minimal damage can be used to fill holds and circulate.
          Procedure: For items received in delivery that are too damaged to circulate:
                1. Do not check the item in
                2. Change the itype to “no holds”
                3. In Search/Holds search by the item barcode retrieve the record
                4. Select the Item Hold Tab
                5. Select the hold from the list and click the Transfer Holds button
                6. Transfer the 1 hold from i######## to b########, which will be the first record listed in the dropdown selection.
                7. Add m-Message to the item record describing the location and extent of the damage. Must initial and include date.
                8. Check in to return to the owning library
                9. If the owning library chooses to circulate the damaged item after review, it must add an “M-Message” into the item record, noting the damage (see example).

      Example Message
      m-Message format example: Damage noted at Pawling; DO NOT CIRCULATE! – pages missing PAWFR 10/25/21
      ~Amendment Approved by Directors Association 11/16/2020 

  7. Overrides / Stops / Change Of Due Date
    Only directors or their designated representative(s) can override messages, to prevent abuse. The director is responsible for all overriding done at the library. ~Amendment approved by Directors Association 12/7/07.
      1. Loans can be extended on a library’s own materials. For materials that the library does not own, loans can be renewed for up to two loan periods as long as there is no demand for the item. ~Approved by Directors Association 12/2/2016
      2. An override of a hold is required when a patron presents an item for checkout where a hold exists. Staff must choose “proceed with checkout” when presented with an item that attempts to trap for a hold, regardless of whom the hold is for.< ~Approved by Directors Association 2/6/13.
  8. Book Club Request Form
      1. When contacting libraries to process holds intended for a book club, the Book Club Request Form shall be used. (Currently Located Here)~Approved by Directors Association 3/5/15.
  9.  Special Collections
      1. Special collections, such as equipment, exclusive subscription services, and museum passes, may be excluded from the holds system, and checkout and checkin in of such items may only be done at the owning library or by the library’s residents. Pilot or experimental collections may be non-requestable during a defined test period.
  10. Loan Rules
      1. No system loan rule may allow more than 2 renewals.~Approved by Directors Association 12/2/16.
      2. A library may not place a claims returned on any items that they do not own.  A patron account with three items marked as claims returned will automatically be permanently blocked from circulation system wide

Printing Notices

  1. Title level pages and item level pages must be printed and filled at least once daily.
  2. Holds pick up notices must be printed at least once daily.
  3. Overdue and Billed Notices must be printed at least once a week, but it is recommended to print them daily to maintain consistency for patrons.

Holds

  1. Bibliographic and Item Level Holds
    1. Libraries must use bibliographic level holds (hold copy returned soonest) and not item level holds for faster service, except where serials volumes exist. ~Approved by Directors Association 3/26/06.
  2. Limits on System Hold
    1. In the OPAC, the patron is limited to placing 50 holds. A library staff member can override this on a case-by-case basis. ~Approved by Directors Association 1/5/2012.
  3. Awaiting pickup
    1. Items remain in “awaiting pickup” status for no longer than 7 business days (open days for individual libraries).
  4. Rerouting Holds after put In Transit
    1. Items that are in transit to fill a hold cannot be rerouted. Only exception is when patron has made an error in choosing their pickup agency.
  5. Multiple Holds on Bib Record: 
    1. Only one hold can be placed by or for a patron on any single Bibliographic record unless that patron is administering a book discussion. For book discussions the override option can be used.

Copies/Holds & Local Copies

  1.  Copies to Holds
    1. Libraries should own 1 system-wide-holdable copy for each 4-7 holds; 2 copies for 8-14 holds; and 3 copies for 15-23 holds to be picked up at their location or downloaded. ~Approved by Directors Association 2/9/2023.
  2. Local Holds
    1. Local Hold items and Local Browse copies can be added only after a first system-wide holdable copy is purchased. All physical items for which there is not already an exception in the MHLS Direct Access Plan, regardless of hold status, must be made available to any MHLS member library account holder on site. ~Approved by Directors Association 1/8/13 & updated 2/9/2023, updated 6/13/2023, updated 4/17/2024
    2. Items added to the catalog as Local Holds need to be identified in the call number field. Items will use system-defined item types. ~Approved by Directors Association 1/5/2012.P

OverDrive Spending

Policies:

  1. OverDrive Spending for each library must be in line with the recommendations of the OverDrive Ad Hoc committee.
  2. The OverDrive Ad Hoc committee establishes the timing and process to report to and review member library spending levels.
    • The schedule for reporting = April and November, using the previous 6 months spending data, which will be reviewed at each Ad Hoc committee meeting
    • The criteria for spending level requirements are:library spending/system spending >= library circ/system circ as described in the Ad Hoc OverDrive Committee’s Final Report

Notes:

      • Cost Per Circ purchasing is used once the library has demonstrated that it is purchasing in line with recommended spending requirements (OverDrive Ad hoc committee recommendation) or has met requirements of section 1 A.

Exceptions:

        1. Local only demand
        2. Book club
        3. Local author
        4. Low/no system wide demand title to create available copy at low cost)
          Approved by Directors Association 6/13/2023, ammended 9/22/2023
      • Cost Per Circ spending on any platform is not credited to spending requirements set forth by the Ad Hoc committee and approved by the DA~last revision 9/22/2023

Inter Library Loan (ILL)

Policies: 

  1. OCLC ILLs
    1. Any hold for ‘Mid-Hudson Library System ILL-OCLC’ is an out of area request and will have an extended loan period in accordance with regional ILL lending procedures.
    2. Be aware that any hold being sent to ‘PATRN NAME: Mid-Hudson Library System-ILL-OCLC/ILL’ is an out of area request, which will have an extended loan period in accordance with regionalILL lending procedures.
    3. When an item that has been filled via OCLC by MHLS Ill Department becomes overdue, it is the prerogative of the owning/loaning library to determine whether or not to grant a renewal. It is the responsibility of the requesting library to notify MHLS ILL Department that a renewal is
      needed, before the due date. Items that become overdue may affect the ability of other MHLS libraries to borrow through OCLC.
    4. MHLS will bill each library for each OCLC loan filled for their patrons where cost is incurred. It is acceptable that libraries who are not passing the fee on to their own patrons, charge patrons from other libraries for the service. As of September 1, 2007 this fee was suspended.
    5. Mid-Hudson ILL department will not place OCLC requests for the following material.
      1. A circulating copy can be borrowed from either of those collections.
      2. 2. A comparable new edition can be purchased on Amazon for less than $25.
        ~Approved by Directors Association 6/11/24
  2. Processing ALA form ILL requests for agencies outside of the MHLS or SEAL membership
    1. If the library receives an ALA request form from a library outside of the MHLS or Seal Membership the library can either ship the item at its  own expense or contact the requesting agency and ask that the request be placed as an OCLC request, which will be processed by the MHLS ILL Department.  ~Approved section by Directors Association 2/5/09

Procedures:

  1. Requesting material in SEAL should only be done when there are no circulating copies in the MHLS collection.
  2. Requesting items from OCLC through Mid-Hudson ILL (also updated in MHLS Policies)
    1. Before submitting an OCLC ILL request to MHLS:
      • Member library staff must check the Mid-Hudson Library System and SEAL catalogs. If a circulating copy can be borrowed from either of those collections, MHLS will not place an OCLC request.
      • Member library staff must check Amazon to see if a new comparable item is available for under $25. MHLS will not place an OCLC request if an item can be purchased for less than $25, the average cost of an ILL transaction at book rates for shipping. ~Approved by Directors Association 6/11/24

Delivery

Policies

  1. The Directors Association has approved Delivery Procedures & Packaging Standards . Libraries are expected to follow the delivery procedures that are described in the document. Items damaged in delivery using other, non-standard packaging will be the responsibility of the owning
    library. ~Approved by Directors Association 2/5/09, revised 6/11/24
  2. Routing
    1. Libraries must use the MHLS default transit template in ILS, whenever possible.
    2. When a non-ILS routing slip is used, the delivery location must be printed in a large format at the top of the delivery slip and secured in the item.
    3. A library’s 3 letter code may not be used on a routing slip.~Amendment approved by Directors Association 2/7/07, revised 6/11/24
    4. When using two-sided ILL routing slips, make sure the library name is crossed-off on the used side.
    5. A routing slip may not include patron personal information (ex: phone number).
      ~Amendment approved by Directors Association 6/11/24

Offline Circulation – OCIRC

Offline client may be used for checkout only, including items from other libraries.  Materials from other libraries are checked out at the financial risk of the check-out library. ~Amendment approved by Directors Association 10/4/13

  1. Offline Circulation Client Software
    1. All libraries must have an up-to-date copy of the offline circulation client installed.
    2. Offline circ is used only for offline checkout (not check-in or patron entry).

Acquisitions & Collection Development

1.     Copies to Holds recommended purchasing

A. Libraries should own 1 system wide holdable copy for each 4-7 holds; 2 copies for 8-14; 3 copies for 15- 23 holds to be picked up at their location or downloaded. Approved by the February 2023

2.     Circulation of items missing parts

A.Items missing parts must not be used to fill holds, but may be retained in a library’s circulating collection. The item’s itype must be set to -no holds and the call number must include “Missing Parts-No Requests”. An item with an integral part, or something that would change the borrowers core experience, must be considered to be missing parts. ~Approved by Directors Association 3/5/11

3.     Order Records

A. Members must delete order records of items that have been canceled, so as to not create bib records, or transfer carts for items that will never be brought into the system.

B. Order records will be removed and holds deleted if the order date is more than one year old, and funds are not encumbered.

Data Entry

1.     Circulation of Multi-part items (books-on-tape, videos, etc.)

A. Owning library must indicate the number of parts in the item in a pop-up item message or with a label by the barcode, such as “check for 6 tapes” or “check for 1 book and 1 tape”.~ Approved by Directors Association 3/26/06

B. Owning library must indicate the number of parts in the item in message or with a label by the barcode, such as “check for 6 tapes” or “check for 1 book and 1 tape.”

C. Multi-part items owned by the library must be labeled with the library name. ~Approved Directors Association 5/2/06

2.     Guidelines for multi-volume records

A. items that come in seasons must stay together.

B. Motion pictures and other boxed releases with separate original release dates and separate titles can have separate bib records. Exception: If it comes as a boxed set, the library has the option to catalog as a set with a separate bib record for the set or break it up with a separate bib record for each item.

C. All multi-disk DVD series shall be cataloged with the itype of Long Loan DVD with the exception of high-demand items with greater than a 5-1 hold ratio. Approved by DA 6/2/2016

3.     Inaccuracies in the catalog

A. Innaccuracies must be reported to MHLS Cataloging & Database Maintenance Department by e-mail (cataloging@midhudson.org) or phone (845-471-6060 x221).

4.     Wording for Items that are No-Holds

A. Items that will not be made available for holds outside of the owning library must have  “LOCAL HOLDS ” in the call number ~ Wording updated by Directors Association 1/5/12

5.     Barcode Placement

A. Barcodes may not be placed over a title, and must be in a visible place (i.e. not underneath the item)

B. A scanable Barcode must be affixed to all circulating materials. ~Amendment approved by Directors Association 9/3/08

6.     Identifying Label

A. All circulating library materials must be marked on the exterior identifying the items as a library material (spine label, stamp, etc.). Approved by Directors Association 10/3/11

7.    Uncorrected Proofs, Bootleg, Unauthorized Materials, or restricted use materials

A. Uncorrected proofs and screening copies are not permitted in the shared catalog because they are not in their release form, are not intended to be distributed to the public, and carry the same ISBN as their trade counterparts. Updated 6/13/2023.
B. Bootleg and unauthorized material are not permitted in the shared catalog.must

Collection Agencies

1.  Collection Agency Notices

Libraries interested in sending accounts to collection need to create their own notice to send to patrons to warn them before collection. Note that any patron in the system could get a collection notice from one of the few libraries that would initiate this for the fees/fines owed to those libraries working with collection agencies. Clarifying reorganization made 1/27/2016 by Resource Sharing Committee

 Management & Reports

  1. Managing ILS user access
    1. Directors or their designees are the only people who can request new user accounts or edits to current user accounts in the shared ILS and related platforms. A designee may be identified by the Director in writing to the Technology Operations Manager of MHLS.
    2. Sierra passwords need to be changed regularly, at least every six months
    3. Logins shall be removed when a staff member leaves the library’s employment.
    4. Logins will begin with the library 3 letter code.
    5. Each library will maintain at least 3 sets of initials and passwords for ILS. The logins will have staggered levels of authority.  A higher level will include the ability to override renewals and claim items returned. Only directors or those designated by the director may have access to this level. ~Amendment approved by Directors Association 12/7/07
    6. Each Sierra usermust have an individual username and password to access Sierra, unless using a linited group account. ~Amendment approved by Directors Association 8/7/12.
    7. Group Logins may only have such permissions as designated and periodically reviewed by the Resource Sharing Committee and viewed in Appendix A.  ~Amendment approved by Directors Association 9/10/14. Reviewed 1/27/22
    8. Group login passwords are changed upon the departure of any individual with access to the login.  ~Amendment approved by Directors Association 9/10/14.
    9. Any change to the ILS that facilitates rapid and effective switching of users shall prompt the immediate discontinuation of group logins.  ~Amendment approved by Directors Association 9/10/14.
    10. Any loss, damage or issue arising from access to the ILS  and related platforms, shall be the liability of the library.  ~Amendment approved by Directors Association 9/10/14.
      Section revised Directors Association 02/3/2022

2.     Create Lists

A. Clearing out review files

1. All review files must be cleared out when finished.  When the review file use is completed it must be emptied to return to available status.
2. Any Review Files and Web Management reports that are older than 30 days will be deleted.

Approved policy for violation of Resource Sharing Standards.
~Approved by Directors Association 2/5/09. Approved Revisions 12/2014.

 

Leave a Comment