[Michlib-l] [Melcat] MeLCat Request Drops

[Deahl, Jonathan]

We occasionally receive an item that has no matching request in the patron record as well, but I haven't noticed it happen recently.  Usually, when I investigate materials coming in that have no hold record, it looks as though the item had already been received and returned by the patron and somehow made its way back to us after it was returned.  I've had no complaints from patrons that they've requested an item that dropped off of their account before it arrived.  We're a DCB 2 library if that helps. 


Jonathan Deahl
Circulation Services Coordinator
Waterford Township 
Public Library
5168 Civic Center Dr
Waterford MI 48329
p. 248.618.1618
jdeahl at twp.waterford.mi.us



-----Original Message-----
From: melcat-bounces at mcls.org [mailto:melcat-bounces at mcls.org] On Behalf Of Judy Dyki
Sent: Thursday, October 02, 2014 2:50 PM
To: melcat at mcls.org; michlib-l at mcls.org
Subject: Re: [Melcat] [Michlib-l] MeLCat Request Drops

In our case, we ARE receiving books for our students that have no matching request in the patron record.  The lending libraries ship the books, and by the time we receive them, the requests have dropped off the patron records.

Judy


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Judy Dyki
Library Director
Cranbrook Academy of Art and Art Museum
39221 Woodward Avenue, Box 801
Bloomfield Hills, MI  48303-0801
248-645-3364 voice
248-645-3464 fax
jdyki at cranbrook.edu



-----Original Message-----
From: melcat-bounces at mcls.org [mailto:melcat-bounces at mcls.org] On Behalf Of Graff, Susan
Sent: Thursday, October 02, 2014 2:45 PM
To: melcat at mcls.org; michlib-l at mcls.org
Subject: Re: [Melcat] [Michlib-l] MeLCat Request Drops

Good Afternoon,
  I'm wondering about those  cases of the Melcat InTransit request, aside from whether the patron gets an email or not.  If it is InTransit status that means the lending library intended to send, did indeed check it out. 
If the book doesn't arrive at the borrowing library (if you aren't getting a bunch of books that have no matching request in the patron record) then this might be a symptom of books turning around in shipment.
Book is InTransit, gets turned around and sent back to lender, lender checks it in and the request is gone from the Borrowing patron record.
Could that be part of the problem?

Susan Graff
InterLibrary Services/Stacks Maintenance Michigan State University Libraries,
517-884-6459








-----Original Message-----
From: michlib-l-bounces at mcls.org [mailto:michlib-l-bounces at mcls.org] On Behalf Of Barbara Dinan
Sent: Thursday, October 02, 2014 1:54 PM
To: Goupil,Heather
Cc: melcat at mcls.org; michlib-l at mcls.org
Subject: Re: [Michlib-l] MeLCat Request Drops

My apologies if you have already considered this ... Have the patrons in question updated their emails on their MeL accounts? (MeL issues a default email and patrons need to change them to their personal emails.)

If the lending library can not fulfill the request, an email is sent to the patron to let them know that the request will be canceled. If MeL doesn't have the patrons' email, then it could look like what you have described -- the request would "disappear" and the receiving library would have no notice because there was nothing for them to receive.

Every time I have had a patron complaint about dropped or missing MeL requests, this has turned out to be the case.

I hope this helps.
Barb Dinan
Plymouth Library

> I have had complaints from patrons on In Transit MeLCat items dropping 
> from accounts, but have not been able to verify these reports at this 
> time, so no help ticket has been submitted.  These reports have 
> happened in the last two weeks.  We are an Innovative library, just 
> FYI if that’s a factor in any system issues.
>
> I am copying this to the melcat listserv as well for wider responses.
>
> Thanks for starting this discussion, in case there is a larger system 
> problem!
>
> Heather Goupil, MeLCat Coordinator
> Capital Area District Libraries - Administration
> 401 S. Capitol Avenue, Lansing, MI 48933
> 517-334-1531 | goupilh at cadl.org<mailto:goupilh at cadl.org>
> www.cadl.org<http://www.cadl.org/> | zv194
>
>
>
> From: michlib-l-bounces at mcls.org [mailto:michlib-l-bounces at mcls.org]
> On Behalf Of Thomas Moore
> Sent: Thursday, October 02, 2014 11:25 AM
> To: michlib-l at mcls.org
> Subject: [Michlib-l] MeLCat Request Drops
>
> Are any other libraries having trouble with MeLCat requests being 
> dropped from patron accounts?
>
> We have been getting more and more complaints from patrons over the 
> past several weeks about their requests disappearing from their MeLCat 
> accounts. It seems to be happening before items are in transit, but we 
> are not receiving any notice that the holds have been cancelled. We 
> are hearing about it so often and it has been happening so much more 
> lately that it is clear that it is not just patron error. Has anyone 
> else been having the same issue?
>
> Thanks for your input,
>
> Thomas Moore
> Adult Services Librarian
> Delta Township District Library
> 5130 Davenport Dr.
> Lansing, MI 48917
> 517-321-4014 x603
> tmoore at dtdl.org<mailto:tmoore at dtdl.org>
> _______________________________________________
> Michlib-l mailing list
> Michlib-l at mcls.org
> http://lists.mlcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/michlib-l
>


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