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These FAQ are drawn from RSWG Q&As held February 28th and March 4th.

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titleHow much staff time is required to manage resource sharing requests day-to-day with each model?

P2P Workflow (Example of tasks with time requirements example) 

  1. Borrowing institution automatically locates best potential supplier though configured rota in Alma.​ 

  • Patron puts in a request from Primo VE. 

  1. A request is sent to the lending institution from the borrowing institution in Alma.  

  • ​Request arrives to Tasks Widget. 0.5 seconds 

  • Staff can reject or fill requests.  

To fulfill request: 

  • Print out request slips. 1 minute 

  • Locate and pull the item. It will take 1-10 minutes, depending on the number of items and the size of the library/where the item is located. 

  • Scan in item. 1-3 minutes, depending on the number of items. 

  • Print transit slip. 1 minute 

NOTE: The finding and pulling of items are the most time-consuming part in this step.  

As an example, we ran a regular hold from start to finish to see how long the process would take a staff member. The results came back as needing 5 minutes from the moment the hold comes into Alma to the staff member placing it on the hold shelf/moving onto step 3.  

  1. The lending institution ships the item to the borrowing institution.  

  • ​Staff need to package items for shipping. 5-10 minutes 

    • Example: print labels, find box/envelope, safely package item, bring to shipping & receiving department. 

 NOTE: Depending on each institution, this may be a daily prosses or multiple times a day, etc. 

  1. The borrowing institution receives the item from the lending institution. ​ 

  • Staff receive items from the lending institution. (roughly 3 – 5 days for shipping but can be shorter/longer depending on location and delivery method) 

  1. The borrowing institution manages a standard loan lifecycle with the patron.​ 

  • Staff scan items in.  10 seconds per item 

  • Fulfillment -> Resource Sharing -> Receiving Items 

  • Print out hold slip and place on hold shelf. 2-5 minutes, depending on where the hold shelf is located 

  1. The lending institution holds the borrowing institution responsible for the loaned resource. ​ 

  • Item is signed out. 1 minute 

  • Item is requested to be renewed by patron. Patron can renew in Primo or the borrowing library can contact the lending library for a possible renewal. 5-7 minutes/email 

  1. When the patron returns item, home institution sends it back to lending institution. ​ 

  • Item is returned to home institution and scanned in. 10 seconds per item 

    • Fulfillment -> Checkout/Checkin -> Return Items 

To return the item to lending institution: 

  • Print out transit slips. 1 minute 

  • Staff need to package items for shipping. 5-10 minutes 

    • Example: print labels, find box/envelope, safely package item, bring to shipping & receiving department. 

NOTE: Depending on each institution, this may be a daily prosses or multiple times a day, etc. 

Fulfillment Network Workflow (Example of tasks with time requirements example) 

The RSWG expects the same amount of staff time will be needed to complete an individual resource sharing request using the P2P model in Alma as is needed to fulfill a traditional ILL request now. It is expected that less staff time will be required to complete resource sharing requests using a Fulfillment Network model.

There may be added demand on staff time if the frequency of requests increases do to the ease of access. Note that every institution has the option to deny any request or opt out of resource sharing at any point. This is true with both the P2P and FN model.

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titleWill requests work similar to holds?

In a P2P model, requests go to a borrowing and lending requests list, rather than holds.

In an FN, requests will work similarly to internal Patron hold requests. They will be pulled for a hold from a “pick from shelf” procedure, and routed to the ILL dept for processing. Both local and fulfillment network holds will be included in the Active Hold Shelf in Alma. However, a local hold will have more options than a fulfillment network hold (in addition to "Update Expiry" and "View Audit Trail," you may see "Cancel Request" and "Mark as Missing”). When it arrives at the borrowing library, the item will be scanned in and routed to the requested “campus” or “Library” as with regular physical patron requests. A receipt can be printed for in transit process. An email is sent to the patron when an item is ready for pickup.

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