FAQs: How do I book an item that is to be shipped?
In this scenario, the Pikeville school system permits faculty to book audio-visual materials such as videocassettes, which are then shipped to the faculty member’s school for use. Media services are housed in the Main library, and equipment and materials are delivered as needed by a commercial package carrier. A teacher requests the videocassette titled Othello to be shown to his class on October 9 and October 10, 2002. His classroom is already equipped with a television and videocassette recorder, so no other equipment is needed. Library staff take the following steps to create, charge, and complete the booking.
| 1 | Set up policies for shipping an item. |
| 2 | Collect item and user information. |
Pikeville teachers may request media materials by telephone, paper form, or by the SirsiDynix Symphony Request module. In all three cases, the teacher’s name, the author or title of the needed item, the call number and the copy number of the requested item, the dates and times needed, and whether any audio-visual equipment is needed is asked of the teacher. In this scenario, the teacher is booking a videocassette to use in class over a two-day period. No equipment is needed.
| 3 | Check item availability. |
Media Services staff search the catalog for the requested videocassette using the Display Item Bookings wizard. The requested dates for the videocassette are October 9 and October 10, 2002. The Display Item Bookings wizard shows October 10 in red, meaning that one or more bookings for the item are already scheduled for that date. The Media Services staff member selects October 10 to examine the existing booking record. To be available for its October 12 booking, the item would have to be shipped on October 10. Since the item requested in the proposed booking cannot be shipped back by then, the booking of October 9 and October 10 would not be permitted.
Since the item is not available on the dates requested, the Media Services staff should perform the following actions.
Verify that there is not another copy of the videocassette that is available for booking. If the Booking Profile associated with the Item Type being booked allows copies to be rotated, SirsiDynix Symphony automatically searches for another available copy. Attempt to locate another copy of the videocassette by Interlibrary Loan. If another copy cannot be located, the staff should notify the teacher that the item is not available for the requested dates.
If the teacher submitted the original booking request from the Request module, staff can send a reply to the request. If the teacher submitted the booking request by telephone or paper form, staff should telephone the teacher.
In this scenario, the staff member sends a message to the teacher by the Request module explaining that the videocassette is not available for the requested dates. The teacher replies with an alternate date and time for October 23 and October 24, 2002, which the staff member finds does not have any conflicts.
| 4 | Create the item booking. |
The staff member uses the Create Bookings wizard to create a booking record linking the teacher and the desired videocassette.
| 5 | Review the booking timeline. |
Based on the information in the policies and the booking, the booking timeline for the videocassette booking job is as follows.
Event Date and Time
Start Time 10/23/2002, 00:00
End Time 10/24/2002, 23:59
Preparation Time None
Cleanup Time None
Ship Date 10/21/2002, 12:00
Actual Start 10/21/2002, 12:00
Actual End 10/26/200214:00
| 6 | Retrieve the item to be shipped. |
Staff members have scheduled the List Bookings (Bookinglist) report to run daily so that a list of items that are to be shipped that day ready when they arrive in the morning. The report is set up to select bookings based on Ship Date with a sliding date of zero days before and zero days after the report run date. On October 21st, when the report runs, the following list is produced.
Today’s Shipments
Produced October 21, 2002 at 6:01 AM
USER NAME USER ID BOOKED NEEDED #DAY LOCATION
VID117 copy:1
Othello
Shakespeare, William
Cotrell, B. 405530005934999 10/10/2002 10/23/2002 2D AV-DEPT
| 7 | Charge the item to the teacher. |
As a last step in preparing the videocassette for pickup by the commercial carrier, the staff member uses the Charge Bookings wizard to charge the booked item.
| 8 | Ship the item to the teacher. |
Once the staff member charges the item, it is ready to be picked up by the commercial carrier. Prior to the carrier’s arrival, the Packing Lists of Bookings report is run to generate a list of items being shipped, sorted by address. The report is set to select booking records by Ship Date with a sliding date of zero days before and zero days after the report run date. The resulting charge records are sorted by zip code. The Pikeville system issues a new notice with text that is in the report.
Monday, October 21, 2002
Beakman Cotrell
West Annex High School
15217
SHIPPING NOTICE
The following material(s) you scheduled for use are in this delivery. If any materials are missing or damaged, please contact Media Services at 555-1212.
1 call number: VID117
item ID: 50553001218224
date needed: 10/23/2002, 00:00 date due: 10/24/2002, 23:59
Othello
Shakespeare, William
| 9 | Discharge the item when the teacher returns it. |
When the teacher has finished with the videocassette, he returns it by commercial carrier to the Media Services Department. The videocassette is inspected and rewound, if necessary. The staff member uses the Discharge Bookings wizard to discharge the booked item from the teacher.
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