Incoming mail
Packages
When opening packages, be careful not to damage materials. Be certain that the wrapper is empty before it is thrown away. With the material, you will find the Kesler Slip with the name of the patron to whom the material was loaned. This slip says plainly, DO NOT REMOVE. Nevertheless, often materials will come back without it. (You may want to make a mental note of this and try to bring it to the attention of people who chronically do not return the slip.) The slip is a safety mechanism in case the wrapper of the package is lost or damaged. It also contains a partial bar code number of the patron, this helps to speed up the check-out procedure. Therefore, it is important to have the slip returned with the material. The number on these slips is the last four digits of the patron’s bar code. This is a minor safety feature, in that the ACORN system will not acknowledge the patron bar code number without the preceding numbers two and zero (20).Retrieve all enclosures from the material. Paper clip the slips to the enclosures so that they do no become separated.
Discharge all items, noting overdue fines (in general, do not mail new requests until fines are paid) or other problems. (Especially with recall fines, you may find it necessary to backdate the computer or ask that the fine be forgiven, IF the patron was not negligent.)
Shelve books on holding shelves in Circ. Area, and retrieve cassette cases from the Kesler Office before returning cassettes to their cabinet.
Using the book slips, mark returned items off the request list filed in the Working Lists folder. If a given list is complete, date and file it; also file the book slips in the membership file. If the list is not finished, clip the slips to it, and process it with other requests.
Letters/Requests
This component of the incoming mail falls into several categories.
1. Requests for information about or membership in Kesler. For information on handling these, see the section on MEMBERSHIP.
2. Requests to receive circulating material.
Retrieve the patron’s book slips from the membership file and circle the current year on the back of their permanent membership card. If you do not find their cards in the file, determine why not. Perhaps they currently have other materials out; check the Working Lists folder and clip the new request to the old request. Perhaps they are an old Kesler patron who has been purged; check the inactive file, and if there were no problems leading to their purging, reinstate them (see the MEMBERSHIP section) and type new book slips. If you find no record of the person ever being a Kesler member, send them information about enrolling.
Get all needed call numbers, noting which items are checked out or otherwise unavailable.
Retrieve books from the stacks and cassettes from the Cassette Holdings located in the Circulation Work Area. A maximum of two items may be sent per any one period. Choose any item from the person’s list and search for it. Using ACORN will shorten search time considerably by noting whether the material is checked out, on hold, recalled, etc. Some lists are ranked by preference, but search for all the requested items until less than two items are found before placing a HOLD, SEARCH or Recall on a higher-ranked item not found. For those lists which do not yield two items, a recall or hold is appropriate.
Occasionally, a patron will request an item which is in the circulating collection, bit which is too old and/or too fragile to survive mailing. In these cases, write the patron, explain the situation and offer to photocopy sections of the items for them at our cost (instead of the usual $.20 per page).
RECALLS and HOLDS
See Circulation Documentation for information on placing Recalls and Holds
Recalls and Holds are done using the ACORN system. (Circulation Staff will be able to help with this part). Use the Kesler Circulating Library Pseudo Patron number (204051). When the recalled or hold item is returned to the Library, a form letter is sent to the recalling patron stating that the item is available, this name needs to be the "Kesler Office" so the Kesler Assistant will receive the notice. Again, Holds and recalls should not be placed in the name of the patron, because then s/he will receive an Available notice, which will only confuse them, since it asks that the materials be picked up from the hold shelf, and no Kesler patrons are very close to the library. Once the letter is received, the recalled item can be found in the recall/hold shelf in the Circulation Work Area if it has not been placed in the Kesler Basket. Be sure to charge the item to the Kesler number before taking it to the Kesler Office.
As to which (recall or hold) should be used in which situation, a recall should be used when a non-Kesler Patron has the item; a hold should be used when a Kesler Patron has the item checked out. If is best to use a hold when dealing with two Kesler Patrons, otherwise a recall notice could be sent to the patron even before the patron has received the material. Recalls take preference over holds, therefore you will want to check on any hold and change it to a recall if the book or cassette is recalled before the "hold" patron has a chance of receiving the material or if the material has not been returned after a considerable length of time.
For items not charged out and not found on the shelves, use the form located at the Circulation Desk for searches to ask that a routine search be made for the items. If the material is not located, consider requesting that a replacement copy be ordered.
Charge items to the patron's barcode.
To Prepare items for mailing:
Sending Out Books
Set the due date stamp to correspond with the due date of the ACORN system minus five (5) days. This five day change allows for mail time as most patrons will put the material in the mail on the day it is due back at the library. Stamp the due date on the date slip sent with each item.
Type or write in the patron’s name on the mailing label for each shipment.
Place inside the item, paper clipped to the first page, the return mailing label, and the Kesler Slip containing the patron’s name, address, and the abbreviated barcode number. If necessary, type or print out a new one.
If no item is found for a request, write a note to that effect to the patron and what is being done (i.e. Recalled, searched, held, etc.) to find the material.
Stamp the due date on the request sheet next to the item being sent and retain the request sheet.
Replace cassette cases with the binders used for mailing.
Place the mailing label in the book or cassette binder so that it is easily visible to the shipping personnel.
If there are two items, rubber band them together (only one mailing label and one return label are needed per shipment.)
File request letters in the Working Lists folder, and add to the running count of materials mailed.
Place items in outgoing mail basket in Circ area.
Requests for Copies
Occasionally patrons request copies of journal or periodical articles. This copying service is provided to Kesler Patrons at a cost of twenty cents ($.20) per printed page. The material available includes all of the Divinity serial holdings. Copyright regulations are adhered to. The regulations are added to each of the Selected Acquisitions Lists and are spelled out as follows:
The copyright law of the United Stated (Title 17, U.S. Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted materials. This material includes books, periodicals, and cassettes. Photocopies or other reproductions are permitted for use in private study, scholarship and research. If a use requests or later uses materials for purposes in excess of "fair use", the use is liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order, and/or mail cassettes, in it its judgment , fulfillment of the request would involve violation of the copyright law.
After making the requested copies, be certain to write in the documentation if necessary . (Sometimes it is appropriate to photocopy a title page for this information.)
Mail the copies along with a brief note stating the amount due and requesting that the check be made payable to "Vanderbilt University -- Divinity Library".
Requests for Academic/Bibliographic Information
Often patrons request material by giving a subject heading. They simply request any kind of information about a particular topic or any books or cassettes written by a particular author. Use of ACORN, or perhaps consultation with other knowledgeable staff, will speed up this information gathering. After a list has been gathered, send up to two items to the member with a complete -- or selected -- list of all materials available. This will allow the patron to make educated choices for future requests.
Address Changes. See the MEMBERSHIP section of this manual.
Money. Money will be sent to the Kesler Office for one of three reasons:
Record all money received through the Kesler Office in the Divinity Library Income Log at the Circulation Desk.
1. In payment of a bill for a lost item or overdue fines.
2. Donation. If the money is received unsolicited (not a fine, bill, or charge), the money is considered a gift or donation to the Kesler Circulating Library. This money is deposited into the Kesler Endowment. It is important to note that if the money is in the form of a check, the envelop must accompany the money when making a deposit, due to the University’s policy and tax procedures. Sometimes patrons will enclose a dollar or two with the book they expect to be overdue. If the book is overdue, apply this money to the fine. They may need to be billed for the remainder (work with the Circulation Supervisor on this), or the Kesler Office may receive change, which should be treated as a gift. If no fine was due, treat the money as a small gift to the Kesler Endowment. Substantial gifts should be acknowledged by a thank you note; the Director (Bill) should be informed of large gifts in case he wants to send a thank you as well .
3. Payment for photocopying. This money will be deposited into the Divinity Library Account. Checks are payable to the Divinity Library.
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Documentation by Julie Owen
Last Updated: March 29, 2002