RTL What's this "Returned Too Long" report, and am I supposed to be printing it?

III documentation, R2000 fix: removing invalid items from Returned Too Long list

This report (in L> Orbis Ucirc Programs) gives you a list of items you returned to other Orbis libraries that are still not checked in at the owning site -- after 3 days. In other words, these are other institution's items that your patrons borrowed and returned, you checked them in and sent them back to the owning site.

Since the status in the patron record is "Orbis Returned" (%), when the report was run, the item had not been checked at the owing site for at least three days after its return. Here's what to do:

  • Run the report (a couple of times a week). Most member libraries see 1 or 2 items a week, at most, on this report.
  • Contact the circ liaison at the owning site's and ask if they have the item. Perhaps it's in a backlog pile, or on the shelf but not checked in. (If e-mailing, please contact the site directly, rather than using the orbis-circ@lists address.)
When the owning site cannot find the item . . .

the owning site circ liaison should post a message to the orbis-circ e-mail list, asking all sites to check for the book, in case it got returned to the wrong site).

After a couple weeks or month without finding the item ... Here's a process suggested by an OBC rep (but not adopted as consortium policy) - this requires close collaboration between patron site and owning site - not to be done without close communication.

Owning (item) site: cancel any additional holds, and change the status to "m" for missing, to prevent any additional holds (new requests) on the item. Keep track of the missing item with all pertinent information, for future billing or claiming if necessary.

Borrowing (patron) site: delete the item from the patron record, so that it won't keep showing up on future RTL reports: -- CheckOut -- View patron record < - + > -- Delete off-campus item

When the item is located ...
Instructions for clearing items on RTL list that have been found

These instructions are based on the O.B.C. members and/or circ liaisons at the affected sites (patron site and item site) communicating directly with each other, checking for the item and checking status in the local OPAC and in Orbis union catalog OPAC.

  • Item is "available" at owning site and "available" on Orbis At Patron Site (borrowing site): Remove the item from the patron record using "delete off campus item" [see instructions below]
  • Item is "available" at owning site and not available at Orbis (still has due date) At Patron Site:
    1. Notify III, for re-sending the item status to Orbis to clear up due date, and
    2. Remove it from the patron record at patron site using "delete off campus item" [see instructions below]
  • Item still has "due date" at owning site after checking it in At Owning Site:Circ liaison or OBC member can try checking out the item to self and checking in again to see if problem clears up; if not, notify III At Patron Site, remove it from the patron record using "delete off campus item" [see instructions below] Remove item from patron record? Once assured that the item has been received by the owning library (be sure call number and barcode match! a quick look at the shelves might find a different copy or different edition), remove the item from the patron record.

    Steps for removing item from patron record

    Checkout module
    View patron record
    - +
    delete off-campus item
    select item that has been returned

    Return to     FAQ