OWLSnet Resource Sharing Policy
Recommended by AAC
11/13/98
Adopted by OWLS Board 11/19/98
Revised by AAC 1/18/02
Revision adopted by OWLS Board 2/21/02
Revised by AAC 1/21/05
Revision adopted by OWLS Board 2/20/05
Background
According to the shared automation network Bylaws, OWLSnet has been established to provide a shared, integrated library automation system to member libraries of the Outagamie Waupaca Library System and the Nicolet Federated Library System "for the purposes of 1) facilitating resource sharing among network participants and 2) increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of participant library operations and services." Furthermore, OWLSnet members have agreed "to lend circulating materials listed in the OWLSnet database to other participants in OWLSnet."
Goals
OWLSnet encourages member libraries to develop strong collections and make them readily available to all residents of the OWLS and NFLS system areas. OWLSnet embraces the following goals aimed at facilitating the development and sharing of strong materials collections:
- To encourage OWLSnet member libraries to develop collections that directly serve local clientele with materials that meets their demand for particular subjects, titles, authors, and formats in a timely manner.
- To have all holdings of all member libraries included in the OWLSnet database.
- To have all member libraries lend all circulating materials listed in the database to other OWLSnet libraries without restriction.
- To provide all residents of the OWLSnet area with the same opportunity to access the resources of member libraries, e.g., view holdings or place holds. Therefore, it is recommended that all OWLSnet libraries allow patrons to place holds within their libraries and over the Internet.
- To increase standardization of policies, procedures, and practices among member libraries reducing the need for patrons and library staff to learn and remember variations.
Standard Practice
In order to provide the best service to all residents of the OWLSnet area and to share resources equitably, member libraries agree to lend all circulating materials to other OWLSnet libraries without restriction. Freely sharing circulating materials with other OWLSnet libraries is considered standard practice for OWLSnet members. The standard practice for resource sharing is described in the policy below:
- OWLSnet libraries shall
share circulating materials freely with other network libraries.
- a. Item hold indicators on all circulating materials shall be set to accept systemwide holds.
- b. Staff members shall place only systemwide holds, except that item holds may be placed to recall a specific copy, e.g., for repair. Local holds will not be used.
- c. The online catalog shall be configured so that all patron placed holds are systemwide holds.
- The Administrative Advisory Committee may allow exceptions for specific types of materials or for specific formats (e.g., art prints). Exceptions must be formally agreed upon at a meeting of the AAC.
- OWLSnet libraries shall process the online picklist (i.e., holds messaging) as quickly as possible. It is recommended that holds messages be processed at least twice each day, e.g., once in the morning and once in the afternoon.
- Materials with open holds shall not be renewed.
- Any item where a hold was trapped on checkin shall be routed to the pickup point on the next available delivery.
- All OWLSnet libraries
shall use a standardized short loan period of 14 days or 7 days plus 7 days grace,
if grace is used.
- a. Short loan stickers shall be placed on items near the barcode label.
- b. Short loan stickers shall be removed from items by the owning library when they are no longer needed, i.e., when holds are no longer trapped on checkin.
- c. It is optional to code short loan materials for loan period 4 in item records.
Deviation from the Standard Practice
Libraries that choose
to deviate from the standard practice, i.e., restrict the access of other libraries
to their materials, will be assessed a 15% surcharge on their annual membership
fee. Assessing a surcharge will help to address equity in resource sharing among
the libraries by providing a negative consequence to libraries that restrict
their materials. It would be inequitable for a library to be able to borrow freely
from other libraries, without consequences, when it does not make all of its
materials available to those other libraries.
OWLSnet libraries are not required to lend materials to any library that violates
its own circulation policies when lending another library's materials. OWLS will
confirm whether a library is violating its own policies.
Supporting public libraries in Outagamie and Waupaca counties