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Multi-Copy ILL Requesting

In Illume, it is possible to submit a single ILL request for multiple copies of the same title. Check-out the sections below for workflow, statistics and book club set requesting!

Multi-Copy Requesting Workflow

The Illume workflow steps for multi-copy requests are:

  1. Log on to the Illume (SHAREit) system.
  2. Look for the item that you wish to request, and then click on the full details of the record to view the additional staff functions box/section.
  3. Once you are in the item’s record, look for the Staff Functions box on the right-hand side.


     
  4. In the Staff Functions box, click on the “Multi-Copy” link and the SHAREit software will use the ERTI Smart-build to actively live build all the available lenders with your Preferred & System-wide load-leveling.

    Tip: If you have an existing request that doesn't have the "Rebuild Lender List" button available you can instead highlight and copy an updated Lender List build from a Multi-Copy request. The Multi-Copy request will live build the latest list of lender codes and re-order them appropriately. Just paste the entire updated Lender List into your other request to refresh the lender list build!

    a) You can even stop the lender list build if you have enough lenders already! Some Z39.50 targets may be slow to respond - click the "Stop" button if you wish to proceed without that target/lender.



    b) If desired, you can edit your Lender List field to remove lender codes before submitting your Multi-Copy request.

    Important Notes: You can remove codes if desired but it's not recommended to re-organize the order of the codes as they're load-leveled based on important factors such as your library type (eg. Public), consortia (eg. InterLINK), and in some cases geography. You are also required to have enough lenders to create your desired number of copies (eg. if you want 3 multi-copy requests you need a minimum of 3 lenders and it's recommended at least 2-3 times your required lenders be included). You can only edit the Lender List field once the build has completed or you have clicked the Stop button.



    c. Enter in any number of copies you'd like to request in the "*Number of Copies Needed: (over 1 creates multiple requests):" field. For example 3 or 10.



    d. When you submit your Multi-Copy request, the system will create separate requests for each copy you need with different Lenders. Different lenders attached to each request means your requests won't overlap and be rejected because the request has already been filled from a particular library! Then fill out the ILL request form to submit your request!

    For example, three (3) requests/copies were requested below and the system automatically creates each new copy request with a separate Request #.


    e. If you deleted Lenders from the original Multi-Copy request they should not show up again in any of the individual requests the system creates for you found in Awaiting Approval.


    For example a request for "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" builds a Lender List of 77 lenders from everyone available. Then if you only needed 3 copies and deleted all available lenders but 9 of them, the system would create 3 new original requests with 3 different Lenders each (screenshot below):



    f. If you have "Automatic Approval" turned-off, you can edit each separate request created in the "Awaiting Approval" section, found under Staff Dashboard > ILL Admin > Request Manager, to update the Lender Lists again or add personal patron information. For example if you entered 6 copies needed, the system would automatically create 6 separate requests for the same title and you could find the requests in "Awaiting Approval" to add individual Patron identifiers before you "Approved - Send" the requests.

Searching Outside Illume for Book Club Sets

If you require multi-copies for a book club, you can also try looking for book club sets in a library's web catalogue. For example, the Vancouver Public Library has hundreds of book club sets, a full list of which are available here: https://www.vpl.ca/guide/book-clubs/list-book-club-sets

  1. Once you have located the desired book set in a library's web catalogue, you can then request the set in Illume via the Blank ILL Request form.
  2. Manually enter the owning library into the Lender List using the library's SHAREit code, followed by a comma and the number 4 (EG. BVA,4).
  3. Add a borrower's note indicating that you're interested in the book set, with the number of copies needed.

Statistics

There are two ways for libraries to fill ILL requests for book clubs and they are shown differently in your ILL lending and borrowing statistics. 

  1. Multi-Copy Request Form: Once a request is created using the multi-copy form directly in Illume, it is submitted and treated the same as any other request for the purposes of statistical counting. It creates as many Illume requests as you have indicated in the "number of copies" field and these are then individually processed and counted in Ilume.

    You can check-out the number of times the Multi-Copy feature was used to create individual requests within the new Multi Copy Statistics found under Staff Dashboard > Statistics > ILL Statistics > Activity and Request Reports > Select Report Type: Borrower Activity for a specific date range. At the top under the first "Grand Totals" section, you'll see the Multi Created and Multi Requests sections last.

    When you use the Multi-Copy Request form to create multiple requests - both the number of times a multi-copy request form was used to create requests (Multi Created) and how many actual requests/copies were created using this method (Multi Requests) are counted. For example if you use the Multi-Copy Request form 1 time to request 6 copies of your item your report would show as below:



    If your multi-copy created request statistics show zero (0) items please check-out our  FAQ: Why does my Multi Copy Statistics report say that multi-copy requests were created zero times when we know we used it? for more info.
     
  2. Book Sets - Lender: If you create your request for a book set, instead of using the multi-copy form, you would  need to count exception statistics for the extra copies. When the lending library receives a request for a book set in Illume, the book set may have to be split into more than one shipment (depending on the physical number of copies and the total weight).

    The additional shipments qualify as exceptions. For example, a book set may require 3 packages: one is counted in the Illume statistics and the additional two may be submitted as exceptions lent, BC Other (enter the library name as "Book set").
     
  3. Book Sets - Borrower: When the borrowing library receives a book set in Illume. Some libraries have one person pick up the set of books for a book club - this would be counted using Illume and not as an exception borrowed.

    Other libraries process each book in a set to individual book club members. Only one of the books is counted; the remaining number of copies needed/received for individual book club members qualify as exceptions. For example, a book set may have 10 copies: one is counted in Illume and the additional 9 may be submitted as exceptions borrowed, BC Other (enter the library name as "Book set").

Shipping

A book club set may require more than one package as the Library Book Rate allows up to a 5 kg maximum package. Additional packages/processing may be submitted as exception statistics - see the Statistics section above.