Access Services Message - Holds, Renewals, and the Road to WMS

Hi all,

This is the longer explanation that Access Services posted in Behind the Stacks today.

Access Services continues to take big steps toward our final transition to WMS! On May 17, Terry will be sending OCLC a list of all the items we currently have checked out. We’d like that list to be as small as possible, hence our current fines amnesty program encouraging patrons to return materials soon.

OCLC will take two weeks to process our circulation files. During this OCLC processing period, that means that Access Services staff will have to check our items in and out a little differently. We will need to account for items in “real time” using Symphony, but we will also need to keep track of all those check-ins and -outs, so that we can update our OCLC records once they’ve been processed and made live.

To make this transition period – when we are accounting for items in both Symphony and WMS – as easy as possible, we will be suspending a few services temporarily. Beginning this week, patrons will temporarily be unable to place Holds on items. Again, this will be stated in the catalog and on our website. Patrons will be given the choice of either ordering the item through ILL, or waiting until June 6 to place Holds in WMS.  Beginning May 17, patrons will not be able to renew items online. Instead, they will need to either call or stop by the Checkout Desk to renew materials. To simplify things even further, patrons will not have to physically bring in items for renewal. All of this information will be posted in the catalog and our website.

Below is the timeline Access Services will be following for the next several weeks. Please let Cathy G. or Joe know if you have any questions or concerns!

 

May 1

• Placing Holds temporarily unavailable. Order through ILL instead, or place Holds after June 6 in WMS.

May 17

• Online renewals temporarily unavailable. Patrons can renew by phone or in person instead. 
•  UNCG sends our circulation transaction files to OCLC.
• OCLC processes these files for two weeks.
• UNCG manages check-ins and -outs in both Symphony and WMS.

 June 3

• OCLC finishes processing UNCG transaction files. 
• Terry enters all UNCG circulation policies into WMS by hand (!). 
• Access Services updates WMS circulation records with Symphony transactions recorded between May 17-June 3.

June (4-6)

• UNCG goes live with WMS

Thanks,
Lea