Can we change where my library appears on the System-Wide Lender List or Preferred Lender List?

[Lender Lists & ERTI Smart-build] The ERTI Smart-build within the SHAREit software uses a library's primary Preferred and secondary System-wide Lender Lists to organize lender codes based on recommendations from BC ELN, InterLINK and Public Libraries Branch (more info).

In general, Lender Lists are organized to prioritize lending by library-type from smallest-to-largest library (by Community Size or FTE) in order to disperse requests across all libraries within the BCUC consortia. Requests are first always sent to any available libraries with the same library-type (eg. Public-to-Public). Libraries with smaller collections are also given the opportunity to lend items first; allowing libraries serving larger communities to continue to receive significant request numbers (due to larger collections) without being overwhelmed.

Libraries should not make changes to their current Preferred Lender List which is located under your Staff Dashboard > ILL Admin > Configuration > Configure Lender Lists > Preferred settings unless recommended. And libraries cannot make changes to the secondary System-wide lender list which can be viewed under Staff Dashboard > ILL Admin > Configuration > Configure Lender Lists > System Wide.

Please contact us if you have any questions, concerns or feedback about your current placement on the lender lists!

More Information:

Lender Lists are designed to apply equitable load-leveling to best ensure that ILL requests are evenly distributed to lenders across the entire Illume system. So how does it do this?

• Preferred Lender Lists: The Preferred or primary lender list is used by the software to organize lender codes for your same library-type (Public or Post-secondary) only. Additionally Preferred Lender Lists are optimized by library-type as follows:
  • Post-secondary Libraries: Post-secondary preferred lender lists are optimized for Non-returnable (copy) materials (eg. Journal Articles) as this is the majority of their requesting.
    
    As of November 2024, all Post-secondary libraries have been updated with optimized separate custom "Non-Returnable" lender lists for Copy requests [guide here]. Copy requests created by post-secondary libraries will first try all other available academic libraries from smallest-to-largest library by BC ELN FTE, regardless of geographic location or institution-type (eg. College or University). 
    
    If desired, Post-secondary libraries can also optimize their "Preferred" lender list with geographic factors for physical Returnable (Loan) requests only. Please contact us for assistance or check-out our guide here to start: https://illumebc.ca/guides/ps-preferred-lender-lists
     
  • Public Libraries: Public preferred lender lists are optimized geographically for physical Returnable (loan) materials (eg. Print Books) as this is the majority of their requesting. Requests created by public libraries will first try all other available public libraries from smallest-to-largest library within your geographic community. More information available here: https://illumebc.ca/guides/public-preferred-lender-lists
     
• System-wide Lender List: The secondary "back-up" System-wide Lender List is only used to organize lending for libraries that aren't the same library type.
  • Post-secondary Libraries: Any available Public library lenders will be added after post-secondary lenders based on the system-wide lender list. This is because public libraries are not included in your primary academic Preferred Lender List. This means that only the back-up System-wide lender list will be used to pull in any Public library lender codes, from smallest-to-largest library after any academic lender codes are found.
  • Public Libraries: Any available Post-secondary library lenders will be added after public lenders based on the system-wide lender list. This is because post-secondary libraries are not included in your primary public Preferred Lender List. This means that only the back-up System-wide lender list will be used to pull in any Post-secondary library lender codes, from smallest-to-largest library after any public lender codes are found. *By request, exceptions have been made for unique collection libraries (eg. Yukon University) to be considered Lenders of Last Resort for public libraries and may be located at the end of public library lender lists instead of by FTE.
  • Your recommended primary Preferred Lender List always over-rides the back-up consortial System-Wide Lender List!

Secondary System-wide Lender List order for Post-secondary & Public Libraries

** Reminder that for libraries of the same library-type (eg. Public-to-Public) you will always use your primary Preferred Lender List first which prioritizes requests to go to your same library-type first! **

Have any questions/concerns? Please contact us for assistance!