SMU Items Returned at Other Libraries (BARA)
Our items that are returned to other Novanet Libraries will be processed as usual – checked in with its status changing automatically to ‘In Transit, SMU’ and then shipped back to us by either the Inter-University Book truck or Purolator. The Item Status is automatically changed by Aleph to ‘SMU General Loan’, when the item gets checked in here at SMU.
Returns become more interesting when items need to be returned between library systems.
A Saint Mary’s book returned to a Public Library in Nova Scotia should have been processed through the BARA web page (Return tab), just as we would do for outgoing books. (See ‘BARA Items Returned in SMU Book Drop’ previously in this chapter.) A BARA Return slip should have been placed in the book and then packaged and shipped back to us.
In doing so, an email message is sent to us, through the Access email account, reporting that one of our books has been returned. This email account is monitored daily by a designated staff member.
To view the Access Email Account through Outlook Web Access, go to:
Returns become more interesting when items need to be returned between library systems.
A Saint Mary’s book returned to a Public Library in Nova Scotia should have been processed through the BARA web page (Return tab), just as we would do for outgoing books. (See ‘BARA Items Returned in SMU Book Drop’ previously in this chapter.) A BARA Return slip should have been placed in the book and then packaged and shipped back to us.
In doing so, an email message is sent to us, through the Access email account, reporting that one of our books has been returned. This email account is monitored daily by a designated staff member.
To view the Access Email Account through Outlook Web Access, go to:
- Login to the Access account: User Name: access1 and Password: Ssecca01
The Access Email account is used for other communications, but in this section we will just discuss BARA issues.
This is what the BARA emails will look like:
This is what the BARA emails will look like:
- Messages will have the subject line – ‘BARA book return notification’.
- Move any new BARA emails to the BARA folder, so as to keep the ‘Inbox’ cleared out.
- Deal with one notification at a time, to avoid mistakes.
- Perform the necessary steps in both Aleph and the BARA Notification web page (see following section).
- Once you have dealt with and email, move it to the ‘Processed’ folder.
- Close the Access OWA account and log out of the BARA Notification page.
In Aleph:
- Under the Item tab, enter the barcode.
- If the item is not on loan to a patron, this could be an ILL item. Pass on to the ILL staff member and do nothing in Aleph.
- Change the ‘Item Process Status’ to ‘BARA In Transit’. This will tell anyone looking at the record that the item is on its way back home from a Non-Novanet institution.
- To do this, go to Items along the top menu and then Change Item Process Status. In the window that pops up, type BI in the ‘Item Process Status’ field. Scan or enter the item’s barcode and click OK.
- If it is signed out to a patron, (as it should be) you will need to check the book in to remove it from his account.
- In the Return tab, to insure the patron does not incur unwarranted fines, you will need to use the ‘Override Date’ button and change the return date to match the date of return indicated in the email.
- Once checked in, you should receive a message stating its Process Status as BARA In Transit. This confirms that you changed the status. Click OK.
- Clear the ‘Override Date’ function.
In the BARA Notification Web Page:
- Login to the BARA Notification web page: http://bsod.library.ns.ca/bara/ : User Name: smu and Password: smu
- Click on the ‘Check In’ tab.
- You should see a list of any SMU book in the process of being shipped back to us.
- Click on the box in front of the record of the item you want to check in.
- Verify the Title and barcode. (There could be two books with the same title.)
- Click ‘Change Status of marked Records to Checked In’ button.
- This moves the item to the ‘Receive’ tab, to be processed when it physically arrives at SMU.
- When you have processed all emails, logout of the BARA Notification page.
When finished all notification/emails: Remember to logout of the BARA web page, move all processed BARA emails to the BARA folder and sign out of the Access email account.
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