Searching for ILLs in Horizon

Effective April 12, 2010, all interlibrary loans (ILL) that are filled will utilize Horizon’s patron request and notification system to make the process easier for patrons and staff. You can search for an ILL using the following methods:

Customer's Request List

• The ILL will appear on the patron’s request list as soon as a copy has been located at another library. It can be viewed by staff from Horizon or by the patron through My Account access in ValleyCat. The date of the request is the date the item was requested from the owning library - not the date the patron completed their original ILL request form.

Horizon Search

• All ILL titles begin with “I L L/” followed by the title as one long word (i.e. I L L/10MinuteToughness).
• Seach by Title Browse: enter I L L/ to browse the list of all ILL titles in Horizon. If you know the title of the ILL, enter I L L/ followed by the title as a single word. For example, to find the ILL titled 10 Minute Toughness, do a Title Browse search for "I L L/10minute".
• The requested item is first given a barcode beginning with FILL followed by the OCLC request number (i.e. FILL61289480). This tells you it has been requested and we are waiting for the item to arrive. When the item actually arrives, it is given a standard item barcode.
• Search by barcode: To locate all of the ILLs that have been requested, but have not yet arrived, enter FILL********. After the item arrives, the ILL is given a standard item barcode.

ValleyCat Search

• ILL items will be difficult for customers to find in ValleyCat because both the bib record and the item record have been marked “staff only”. Customer cannot find ILL titles using any keyword search option. They might discover ILL titles by using Title Browse and enter ILL. If they do happen to discover an ILL title, there's a note included in the record that says: "This title is not available for general circulation". They could still place a request on the item. However, if this happens, staff should ignore any holds on the ILL to anyone else besides the original customer. The ILL should always be returned to Central Circulation's ILL Department when it's returned.

Interlibrary Loan Hold Notification via Horizon

Effective April 12, 2010, all interlibrary loans (ILL) that are filled will utilize Horizon’s patron request and notification system to make the process easier for patrons and staff.

New ILL Notification Procedure

• As soon as ILL staff finds a library willing to fill the ILL, the title is entered into Horizon and a hold is placed on the customer’s account.
• All ILL titles begin with “I L L/” followed by the title as one long word(i.e. I L L/10MinuteToughness).
• The requested item is given a barcode beginning with FILL followed by the OCLC request number (i.e. FILL61289480). This tells you it has been requested and we are waiting for the item to arrive.
• When the item is received at Central Circ, the FILL barcode will be replaced with a standard barcode. The item will be checked in through Horizon and the normal routing procedure for holds will begin. All ILLs are processed using the same wrapper format as before.
• When the ILL arrives at the branch, check it in via Horizon. A hold shelf slip is printed and a hold notification is sent to the customer using the method specified in their account. Store the ILL behind the behind the desk for pickup. Note: It is recommended that ILL customers have their notification set to email or phone so they are notified in a timely manner.
• When the customer picks up the ILL, check it out to them with the stated due date. Self check will block check out of these items. They cannot be renewed.
• When the item is returned, check it in. A return routing slip to FRSN is printed. If someone else has placed a hold on the item, ignore the request and return the ILL to FRSN.
• When Central Circ receives the returned ILL, they will delete the item record. The bib record will disappear automatically within one month.

Other Things to Remember

• If we cannot fill the ILL (not available at all or no library will lend it), ILL staff will put a “message to the borrower” on the customer’s account that includes the title of the ILL and the reason it cannot be filled.
• An ILL request will now count towards the maximum of 30 requests allowed per borrower in Horizon. They are limited to maximum of 5 ILL requests per month.
• The FIL Itype will allow holds. No renewals are allowed.
• Never place a hold on an ILL title via Horizon or ValleyCat. If another patron wants that item, a completely new ILL request should be initiated.
• It will be difficult for customers to discover ILL titles in ValleyCat, however it's not impossible. They could place a request on an ILL title. Just remember, the ILL should always be routed to FRSN when it is returned by the original customer. It should never be placed in the shipment to fill another hold at another location.
• If the ILL appears on the expired holds list, ignore it. It will be easy to spot since the title will begin with “I L L”. Follow your usual procedure for holding these items.
• ILLs will still have the white wrapper and should still be placed on the top of crates in the shipment so they are easy to spot for check in.