Borrowing

Receiving

Receive items (from Shipped status)

As you open the packages received at the library, check to see if they are inter-library loan items. If they are ILL items for your patrons, let the lending library know you received the item in the SILO ILL system.

1. Click on the Home page tab
2. Click on Shipped in the Borrower Queues
3. Click on any transaction number link in the list
4. Click on the Mark Received button

The transaction is updated to Received Status

Receive items (from Shipped not Received status)

A Lender shipped an item. The transaction was not marked as Received by the borrower within 28 days. The status is changed to Shipped but not Received. The borrower should mark Received or contact Lender.

1. Click on the Home page tab
2. Click on Shipped not Received in the Borrower Queues
3. Click on any transaction number link in the list
4. Click on the Mark Received button

The transaction is updated to Received Status

Return item (from Received status)

The borrower should mark the transactions as "Returned" in the new SILO ILL System as they are packaging up the items to go back to the Lending library.

1. Click on the Home page tab
2. Click on Received in the Borrower Queues
3. Click on the transaction number link for the item you are returning from the list
4. Click on the Mark Returned button
5. The transaction is updated to Returned status and the Lender can mark the transaction complete when the item arrives at the lender's library, aka, the owning library.

Overdue items

The due date on a transaction has passed. The item is overdue. Collect the item from the patron and mark Returned when item is shipped back to Lender.

Click on the Home page tab
Click on Overdue in the Borrower Queues
Click on the transaction number link for the item you are returning from the list
Click on the Mark Returned button
The transaction is updated to Returned status and the Lender can mark the transaction complete when the item arrives at the lender's library, aka the owning library.

Mark Transactions Received, Then Mark Returned

Accounts, Roles & Permissions

Accounts

Everyone that uses SILO ILL must create an account to access the system. The account must be associated with an individual and not a library or other organization as a whole. Usernames and passwords should not be shared with other users.

Library staff that use ILL services personally and professionally should maintain two separate accounts in the system. The professional library staff or library director account should be created with a work email address.

Home Library
All accounts are affiliated with exactly one library. This is referred to as the account's home library. For library staff and library directors it is the library that employs them. Any changes to an account's home library must be approved by staff at that library.

Roles and Permissions

All accounts in the SILO ILL system are assigned to a single role:
 

• Library Staff: All library employees that may need to create, update, or check the status of ILL transactions must create an account in the SILO ILL system. After a library director approves the account, accounts with this role can:

  • Use all of the features available to a patron account
  • Use all of the ILL functions to view, create, and update transactions
     

• Library Director: Typically one staff member at each library will be designated the library director administrative role in the SILO ILL system. After a State Library staff member approves the account, accounts with this role can:

  • Use all of the features available to a library staff account
  • Approve library staff accounts at the home library
  • Update the library's ILL profile including contact info and addresses
     

• State Library Staff: Employees of the State Library that are responsible for supporting the SILO ILL system are assigned to this role. State Library staff can temporarily become another user in the system, so they can see the same information the other user would see. All of the activity a State Library staff member does on behalf of another user is logged. After a system developer approves the account, accounts with this role can:

  • Use all of the features available to a library director account
  • Approve library director accounts within the SILO ILL system
  • Login to any other user's account within the SILO ILL system

Changing the Home Library

When a user changes their home library, the account will be reassigned to the unverified role. Depending on the role required at the new home library, the user will need to wait for the account to be approved by State Library staff.

How to Create an Account

Everyone that uses SILO ILL must create an account to access the system. The account must be associated with an individual. Usernames and passwords should not be shared with other users.

All library staff and library director accounts at the same library see the same transactions in the same state.  Individual usernames are required, because SILO ILL contains personally identifiable information for patrons, and the system must maintain patron confidentiality.  

Create an account in SILO ILL

• Please contact your District LRT to create your SILO ILL account. 

Account approval

All new accounts are created with the unverified role. Your account will need to be assigned a role, before you'll be able to use most of the features of the SILO ILL system:

• Library staff must be approved by their library director.
• Library directors must be approved by State Library staff.

The SILO ILL System does not send email notifications when new accounts are waiting for approval.  After you login the system will display an alert near the top of the page, if there are accounts that need to be approved.

Login to the SILO ILL system

After your account has been approved, you can login and use the system:

1. Go to https://ill2.silo.lib.ia.us
2. Click the Login link
3. Enter your username and password
4. Click the Log in button

How to Configure Settings for My Library

Users with the Library Director role may view and change several settings for their library in SILO ILL. The settings include contact information and participation settings.

Configure Settings

1. Login to the SILO ILL system as a user with the Library Director role.
2. Click on the My Library menu and select the My Library option.
3. Review and edit each section on this page:
   • Organization name: the name of the library. This is used in the mailing address.
   • ILL Phone Number: the telephone number to reach someone in the Interlibrary Loan department with questions or concerns about a transaction.
   • ILL Email Address: the email address to reach someone in the Interlibrary Loan department with questions or concerns about a transaction.

ILL Participation

The Suspend ILL setting defaults to No. This means the library fully participates in borrowing and lending in SILO ILL.

Change the Suspend ILL setting to Yes to take your library out of SILO ILL temporarily. For example, during a library move, or when the school is on academic break. While the library is suspended in SILO ILL, it does not get added to any lender strings.

Your library's Locator code will not be removed from any existing lender strings, when you suspend your library in SILO ILL. You should start the suspension a few days before you are actually out of service and continue to check the pending lender queue and reply to those transactions.

While your library is suspended in SILO ILL, you will not be to create any new borrowing requests in the system either. SILO ILL is reciprocal, which means you are only allowed to borrow, while you are willing to lend.

Resume ILL on this date

Setting a date in this box will automatically change the Suspend ILL to No on this date. Your library will begin to show up in lender strings and your library will be able to create new borrowing requests automatically on this date.

Addresses

Every library can set multiple addresses in SILO ILL. The Address type and Address name are used to select the SHIPPED TO address and the RETURN TO address on transactions. Set these addresses for your library's delivery methods and greater accuracy in the delivery of the items.

• Address Type: Each address is set as one of two types: Street Address or Postal Address.
• Address Name: Each address can have a nickname, such as "Main Library" or "Branch Library".
• Address 1, Address 2: Enter the correct information.
• City: Select from the drop down list
• County: Select from the drop down list
• State: Select from the drop down list
• Zip Code and Zip Suffix: Enter the correct information

Use the empty fields in the next box to add more addresses.

Click the Update button to save your changes.

How to Assign the Library Staff Role

After the library director's account has been approved by State Library staff, library staff can begin to make accounts. Every new account created in the SILO ILL system starts in the unverified role. Users with the Library Director role are responsible for assigning their staff accounts the Library Staff role.

Assign a new account the Library Staff role

1. Login to the SILO ILL system as a user with the Library Director role.
2. Click on the My Library menu and select the Manage Accounts option.
3. From the list of users, click on the username of the account to approve.  Recently created user accounts will be in the unverified group / role.
4. Click on the Make Staff button to assign the account the Library Staff role.

Users are not notified by the SILO ILL system when changes are made to their role.  You are responsible for notifying a staff member when their account has been approved.

Patron Accounts

The new SILO ILL system was designed for patron use, too, not just for libraries. Patron access to the SILO ILL system is controlled by the library. If the library accepts, patrons can use their SILO ILL account as an alternative to filling out paper ILL request forms. Patrons can create an account, but it must be activated* before the account can be verified** by the library.

Activated and verified patrons can login using their username and password and use the SILO ILL System. A patron account has permissions to:

• Update the account including changing home library and contact information
• Select notifications to receive
• Search the Locator
• Request items

A patron-generated request goes into the Draft queue. Library staff can create an ILL request transaction from the patron's request. The patron's information is carried into and is attached to the transaction.

Other uses for a patron account:

• When a library is creating a new transaction, verified patron accounts affiliated with the library can be attached to the transaction. Search for a Patron account and pull the patron information into the transaction. The form says, "If the requesting patron has an account, you may search for it ...."

Managing Patron Accounts

• Library staff can see what patron accounts are affiliated with the library by selecting the "Patrons" menu option under the Reports tab.

• Library staff can manage patron accounts by selecting "Manage Accounts" under the My Library tab.
• The unverified patrons are listed, along with the user's email address
• If you want to send an email to the user telling them you are not using patron accounts, etc., capture the user's email address first, then,
• Use the Remove button to reject the patron. This sets the user's home library to none
• Send an email message (outside of the SILO ILL System) to the user
• OR - click the Make Patron button to accept the patron account

-----------------------------
Libraries have requested tighter restrictions on the patron accounts, so we have more work to do. Here is a list of further development (but no time frame on this work):

Patron account restrictions
- All accounts must activated before they can be verified.
- Unverified accounts can search and store patron drafts.
- Only verified patron accounts can submit requests.
- Libraries can restrict their patrons to a limited number of open transactions  such as 5 per patron account at any one time.
* Can be set to 0 to prevent patrons from submitting requests.

*ACTIVATION: The new SILO ILL system's security checks each username and password by checking for a unique username, password and e-mail account. After signing up for an account the user is directed to confirm their email address by following the link provided in an e-mail message delivered to their e-mail account. Once the user follows the link provided in the e-mail message and the signup process is finalized, the account is then activated.

**VERIFICATION: During the account creation, a patron selects a home library. That library is then notified within the SILO ILL system that a patron is requesting verification. The library can check their automation system to see if the patron belongs to them, is not an open access patron, and is in good standing. The library then chooses to verify the account or reject the account.

Staff can also manually enter in the patron information in the "Patron Information (If no account)" form when creating a transaction. Entering the name in the "Patron Name" field carries that name with the transaction and shows up in the Borrower report. Holding this information with each transaction, and the other information that is available on the Borrower Report should allow the library to go "paperless" and  stop collecting print-outs and handwriting the patron's name on other paper-based ILL trails.

Lender Strings

The sort order for the Lender string reflects Iowa's inter-library loan protocols which have been in place since the old ILITE days. ILITE was a teletype system used back in the 1970's and 80's by Iowa libraries to request and loan library items . The purpose of the inter-library loan protocols (then and now) is to "spread the load", and equalize the borrowing and lending across all Iowa libraries. It was implemented so that the burden of lending did not fall solely to the large libraries and universities. It is working as intended, and it is important that libraries use the system-generated lender strings and do not circumvent the system.

Lender strings are generated and sorted like this:

• First, by preferred lenders (if any are specified);
• then by size, (smallest to largest);
• next by library type (like type borrows from like type: publics from publics, schools from schools, etc);
• and then finally, geographically by District (which includes about 15 counties);
• Then the whole lender string is randomized so the same libraries don't get selected for the same titles.

All of this is done programmatically based on the sorting algorithm.

In the new SILO ILL system we added the option to set a collection of Preferred Lenders as a concession to circumventing the automated protocol-based lender string.  The libraries listed as the Preferred Lenders assures that those libraries get added to the Lender String first (if they hold the item.) Using the Preferred Lenders is faster and easier than manually selecting a Lender String. Set the list of preferred lenders under the "My Library" tab, "Preferred Lenders".

Lending

Responding to Requests

Respond Yes to a Loan Request

1. Click on the Home page tab
2. Click on New Requests in the Lender Queue
3. Click on the Print Shelf List button
4. Take the list and search the library catalog for call numbers, then take the list to the shelves and pull the books
5. Back in the system, click on any item in the list
6. Review the Item Description
7. At any time, review the Display Transaction History to see details of the transaction (this opens in a new tab)
8. Click the checkbox next to Allow Renewals?
9. Change the due date, if desired.
10. Click the Will Supply button
11. On this new screen, note the information boxes at the top of the confirmation page
12. From this screen you can display and print the Item Insert, a mailing label and a book band using the links in the middle
13. You can add notes to the borrower in the Lender Notes text box
14. After you take it the post office and receive a tracking number, you can come back here and enter it in this box
15. After all this, you can move on to Process the Next Transaction by clicking on the Process Next Transaction button
16. Or, click the Update button to end the processing

Respond No to a Loan Request

1. Click on the Home page tab
2. Click on New Requests in the Lender Queue
3. Click on the Print Shelf List button
4. Take the list and search the library catalog for call numbers, then take the list to the shelves and pull the books
5. Back in the system, click on any transaction number link in the list
6. Review the Item Description (optional)
7. At any time, review the Display Transaction History to see details of the transaction (this opens in a new tab)
8. Click the drop down menu under "Reason for Decision"
9. Make a selection from the list and click on the reason
10. Click the Not Supplied button
11. Repeat from step 3 if there are more transactions to process

Respond Conditionally to a Request

1. Click on the Home page tab
2. Click on New Requests in the Lender Queue
3. Click on the Print Shelf List button
4. Take the list and search the library catalog for call numbers, then take the list to the shelves and pull the books
5. Back in the system, click on any transaction number link in the list
6. Review the Item Description (optional)
7. At any time, review the Display Transaction History to see details of the transaction (this opens in a new tab)
8. Type a conditional message in the Message box
9. Click the Add Condition? button
10. On this new screen, note the information boxes at the top of the confirmation page
11. After this, you can move on to Process the Next Transaction by clicking on the Process Next Transaction button
12. Or, click the Update button to end the processing

After the lender has placed a condition on a request, the transaction goes back to the borrower who decides if the condition can be met

Some examples of conditions are:

• the item must be used in the library,
• the item cannot be checked out,
• there is a loan fee for this item and the borrowing library will be charged,
• the item is fragile and care must be used when handling,
• the item must be returned as instructed (special packaging or a special carrier).

Respond to a Renewal Request

1. Click on the Home page tab
2. Click on Renew in the Lender Queue
3. Click on the transaction number link
4. At any time, review the Display Transaction History to see details of the transaction (this opens in a new tab)
5. To approve the renewal request, click in the Date Due box and set a new due date
6. Click on the Approve Renewal button
7. The transaction is updated for the borrower and remains in the "received' state.
8. To deny the renewal request, click on the Deny Renewal button
9. The transaction is updated for the borrower and remains in the "received' state.

The SILO ILL system was designed to be mostly "paperless", however a few items were designed to be printed. These are described below. There is no rule about printing, or a proscribed process that all  libraries must follow. Each library should find a work flow that works best for them.

The Shelf List is a printable list that the librarian can take to the shelf to pull the items for inter-library loan. This printed list can be used to write the item call numbers on.

Get to the Shelf List this way:

From the Home menu, select "New Requests" from the Lender Queue. Click on the Print Shelf List button. NOTE: There is no print preview; the print job goes straight to the printer.

 

The book insert is intended to be printed and sent with the book or item as it travels to the borrowing library. The book insert contains all the transaction number, the bibliographic information, borrower notes, borrowing library information and lending library information. The intent was use this as a way to identify the item for the borrowing library. If the borrowing library entered patron information on the transaction, that information is also displayed on the book insert.

The printed book band is another way to identify this item as an inter-library loan item. The print formatting has been fixed so that from most browsers and printers the test will print on the left half of an 8 1/2 x 11 inch piece of paper in the portrait orientation. A lending library uses this to mark the book and alert the borrowing library to pay special attention to this item, and get it back where it belongs, once the patron is finished with it. Some borrowing libraries leave this book band in place as they circulate it to their patrons, and some remove it before circulating it to their patron. And some patrons remove it themselves, if it gets in their way, or they want to see the cover.

The mailing label is used for labeling the outside of the package containing the item as the item is shipped. You can print this page, then cut and paste the label on the package, or you can copy the information and paste it into your mailing label program.

Get to these items this way:

Click on any queue from the Lender Queue
Click on any transaction number
From the Lender Transaction summary page, click on the links in the middle of the page:

Display Item Insert, Display Mailing Label, Display Book Band
Each link will open in a new tab

Use the browser settings and browser print options to print items

NOTE: Each item prints best on 8 1/2 x 11" paper set in the portrait orientation.

Suspend Interlibrary loan participation

Sometimes it is necessary for a library to stop participating in inter-library loan. In most cases, this is a temporary situation, for example, when a library is moving the collection.  Because the library may already be in lender queues, it is recommended not to suspend ILL for fewer than 3 days.  The transactions stay in the Lender Queue for 4 days before moving on.

It's a good idea to cross-train staff in inter-library loan procedures, so that your library does not have to suspend from ILL when "the ILL clerk" goes on vacation!

Because inter-library loan is reciprocal in nature, a library cannot suspend from lending, but keep the borrowing option. This violates the spirit of inter-library loan and the SILO Interlibrary loan system stops a library from borrowing when the Suspend option is on.

The Suspend ILL option is not to be used as a toggle button. Do not suspend to remove your library from lending, but un-suspend (or activate) to enter a borrower request, then suspend again. A library is either participating in inter-library loan, or not.

Instructions

1. Go to https://ill2.silo.lib.ia.us
2. Login with the account that has the Library Director role
3. Click on the My Library tab
4. Select My Library from the drop down menu
5. In the Suspend ILL? option, select Yes from the drop down menu
6. Click on the blank field under "Resume ILL on this date:" and use the calendar picker to enter a date.
7. NOTE: Selecting a date to resume ILL activity is optional. When a date is entered, the system will automatically activate ILL on that date for this library. A library can leave this field blank and manually unsuspend ILL at anytime.
8. Click the Update Button in the lower right corner