Circulation Services Subcommittee Minutes
November 12, 2024, at 9:30 am
Zoom session
Action Items:
The CSS recommends adding the Patron Category “RB” for reciprocal borrowers.
Present: Zach Ott (BAR), Jeff Kauffeld (MAD), Ronda Evenson (VER), Margie Navarre-Saaf (MAD), Emily Harkins (WAU), Kelly Heasty (MCF), Erica Kersten (PIN), Eddie Glade (STP), Tanya Bolchen (MID), Autumn Baumann (POR), Jennifer Foster (FCH), Robin Behringer (STO), Alyssa Diaz de Leon (REE), Andrew Branstad (MTH), Jeff Pond (MRO)
Absent: Steev Baker (SUN), Claire Parrish (MCM)
Excused: Alice Johnson (MOO)
Recorder: Michelle Karls (SCLS)
SCLS Staff Present: Heidi Oliversen, Cindy Weber, Vicki Teal Lovely
1. Call to Order at 9:30 am
a. Introduction of guests/visitors
i. None.
b. Changes/Additions to the Agenda
i. None.
c. Requests to address the Committee
i. None.
2. Approval of previous meeting minutes: July 9, 2024
a. Motion: M. Navarre Saaf moved approval of the July meeting minutes. J. Kauffeld seconded.
b. Discussion: none.
c. Vote: motion carried.
3. Action Items
a. None.
4. Discussion
a. WID requests to add newly released DVDs, with a 7 day loan period, to the list of materials eligible for Local Hold Rules.
i. This would require a new item type DVDLH7. DVD, Local Hold, 7 days loan and an additional Default Circulation Rule for the 7 day loan period: LH 0.00 fine, 7 day, 0 renew, home hold. Libraries that charge overdue fines would have to submit a Circulation Rule Change Request form to include a library-specific Circ Rule for their library.
1. Discussion: MID doesn’t see the point given how quickly DVDs tend to fill holds and that they end up going back to the owning libraries faster. Perhaps because more people are streaming these days. Small libraries in rural areas have more demand for these items because they don’t have the same kind of access to WiFi and their patrons aren’t streaming as much. Small libraries still have the issue that their DVDs are leaving their libraries to fill holds elsewhere and are not available for their local holds or walk-in patrons. Adding DVDs to the list of format eligible for Local Holds would be optional for libraries and shouldn’t impact libraries who don’t participate. VER understands this would be beneficial to smaller libraries. J. Kauffeld asked if this is fair to larger libraries. V. Teal Lovely explained that Reduced Transportation Holds tend to benefit larger libraries rather than smaller ones, as items returned to other libraries remain at those libraries to fill active holds. K. Heasty asked how many DVDs go out to other libraries? Before and during the LH pilot project, Tim Drexler created a dashboard where he used book titles that were listed on the Purchase Alert report and started tracking the checkout locations of individual items. That dashboard is a snapshot of what happened before and after titles were marked as Local Hold. After some discussion, the group decided they need more information. The discussion seems anecdotal at this point without any data. Perhaps the discussion of formats to be considered for Local Holds should not be decided by this group. This will need to go to ILS Committee so members can take this discussion back to their cluster. The CSS does not have members from every cluster for input so this makes sense. The CSS approves tabling the review of this request and sending it to the ILS Committee. The ILS Committee can review the requests and vote on the additional formats. Any additions would come back to this group for logistical discussions. Can Tim create a dashboard for currently popular DVDs to see if there is any way to provide data? Can this be evaluated on library size and/or geographical location?
b. Review existing recommendation that libraries change their ILS passwords when staff leave and discuss making this a policy that libraries have to follow.
i. Discussion: SCLS currently recommends that libraries change their staff BV password after an employee leaves (who has access to this information – Added by MNS). We have not had a mandated policy. We have seen increasing cybersecurity issues lately. A. Branstad reported that MTH does this currently and is in favor of this becoming a policy. A. Diaz de Leon reported that REE staff change the password when people leave and/or annually. MRO changes them anytime anyone leaves (pages, etc.). It usually ends up being annually for them, but sometimes it is more frequent. STP updates their passwords every three months but they have staff turnover more than that. MAD has a way to program passwords in for staff to use it without them needing to know it. However, libraries reported there is still a way to see passwords while logged in (Firefox settings). H. Oliversen will ask Tech staff to look into a way to block the ability to see the passwords in Firefox.
c. Request for new Patron Category for Reciprocal Borrowers: These are patrons that live outside of SCLS Counties that are not eligible to use locally subscribed databases.
i. Discussion: M. Navarre Saaf that MAD would like to select a different patron category for patrons that get a card at an MPL location but who live outside the SCLS system. They had been giving these patrons a normal library card and a concern was raised about how home library does allow access to most locally subscribed databases. The MAD database person pointed out that many of the contracts we sign with these vendors are based on a user population, which is SCLS. Giving these patron access to databases is technically violating their contracts. This patron category would, in conjunction with the Home library, allow checkout of materials but not access to the subscribed databases. Overdrive is the only vendor using PSTATs for authentication. Libraries don’t need to use this patron category, it’s optional. This still needs to be tested. REE reported they are near county lines and they do get patrons from Juneau that try to get a card online to get access to their Hoopla database subscription. They would be in favor of using it. Reciprocal borrower for juveniles would also be helpful. MAD checked and they had under 100 people this would affect. The number is low enough that they thought they could do a search by birthdate to determine if the patron is a juvenile.
ii. Motion: M. Navarre Saaf moved to add the Patron Category “RB” for reciprocal borrowers. The parameters of the new Patron Category are attached to these minutes. A. Diaz De Leon seconded.
iii. Vote: motion carried.
d. Topics for 2025 Circulation and Report refresher sessions (Feb-June).
i. Discussion: H. Oliversen and C. Weber are planning for 2025 circulation refreshers for February – June. We are not sure what the results of the ILS Evaluation will be, so they aren’t planning for the whole year. Please let them know if you have any ideas. MCF suggested account management/screen and adding new patrons. PIN mentioned data entry formatting for patron cards and differentiating between Defect Reported and Damaged items. They did cover the Defect Reports versus Damaged items this year. (Problem Items form and statuses). WAU suggested Batch editing. This is more of a Cataloging topic. J. Kauffeld suggested batch editing patrons.
e. QUESTION: Transit Return option on Problem Item form – is this only used if/when the owning library uses the form? Is it ever used when sending an item to the owning library? https://www.scls.info/sites/www.scls.info/files/2023-09_Problem%20item%20Payment%20form%20full%20sheet.pdf
i. Discussion: This came up during a Circulation Refresher. On the problem items form, there is a section that includes items returned via Transit Return. H. Oliversen reviewed the section on the form. Libraries confirmed this is never selected when sending an item to owning library.
f. Review TV series bookmark: https://help.linkcat.info/sites/help.linkcat.info/files/TVSeries.pdf
i. Do we still need it? If yes, a suggestion is to modify it to make it more about "how to find TV series" (both full sets and individual discs) with a brief note as to why both types appear in the catalog. DIS is also reviewing the need for this bookmark.
1. Discussion: The majority of libraries here said that Circulation staff are not providing these bookmarks to their patrons. It is available online. We will allow the Discovery Interface Subcommittee to make a decision on whether or not to keep/update this bookmark. If they decided to keep this bookmark, the CSS recommends striking the first paragraph.
5. Plan for the Next meeting: January 14, 2025, at 9:30 am via Zoom session
6. Adjournment at 10:56 am.
For more information about the Circulation Services Subcommittee, contact Heidi Oliversen.
SCLS staff are available to attend cluster meetings to share information and answer questions pertaining to this committee meeting and other departmental projects.
Circulation Services Subcommittee/Minutes/11-2024
Request for new Patron Category for Reciprocal borrower patrons. These patrons have been provided a LINKcat library card but have a legal place of residence outside of SCLS Counties. These patrons are not eligible to use locally subscribed databases. Using this code is optional per local library policy.
Category code: RB
Description: Reciprocal Borrower
Enrollment period: 12 months
Age required: n/a
Upperage limit: n/a
Enrollment fee: n/a
Overdue notice required: YES
Max holds: 75
Hold fee: n/a
Holds block fine threshold: 20.00
Circ block fine threshold: 20.00
Outstanding fines messaging threshold: 50.00
Family Group max issues: n/a
Family Group max holds: n/a
Family Group fines block threshold: n/a
Category type: Adult
Default Role: PATRON