Overview of Tasks

You can adapt the Home Service process as necessary to meet the needs of your Home Service borrowers. Basically, the process consists of these tasks:

1. Your library sets up the records that relate to Home Service borrowers.

For example, you set up an advisor record for each library staff member, borrower, or volunteer who will assist Home Service borrowers. You create a route record for each geographical area where Home Service borrowers are located. And you create a BTYPE record for each category of Home Service borrower, such as Home Service students.

2. When someone asks for Home Service, an advisor or other staff member sets up a borrower record.

The borrower record can be for an individual (such as a student who is home recovering from an accident). It can also be for an institution (such as a hospital) that wants to borrow groups of items, then distribute the items to their members themselves.

3. When you set up a borrower record, you assign the record to the appropriate route and Home Service BTYPE. (The route determines which advisor is assigned to the borrower.)
4. When you set up a borrower record, you also specify information that will help an advisor distribute items to the borrower.

For example, you specify the borrower’s reading preferences and how often to send items.

5. When it is time for a borrower to receive items, the advisor or other staff member chooses some appropriate items, gathers them from the shelves, and checks them out to the borrower.

The items can be mailed or delivered, depending on your library’s procedures and the borrower’s preference.

6. When it is time for the borrower to receive items again, the advisor or other staff member can retrieve the items checked out previously, and check them in at your library.
7. You continue to repeat steps 5 and 6 for as long as the borrower receives Home Service services.
8. If you want, you can activate other features to enhance the Home Service process.

For example, you can use Home Service ratings to track how much borrowers enjoy the items they receive. You can also print issue slips to help your drivers deliver items and to help borrowers know what items they have received.

You may do these tasks as you use Home Service:

Table 1-1: Home Service Menu Options

Task

See topic

Lets you create, edit, and delete advisor records.

Advisor Records

Lets you create, edit, and delete route records.

Creating or Editing a Route Record

Lets you edit Home Service fields on the last page of the borrower record.

Editing a Borrower Record Using a Home Service Process

Displays the Visits due report, which shows all the Home Service borrowers and the date of their next visit.

Determining When Borrowers Are Due to Receive Items

Displays the borrower log, which is a cumulative list of items that have been checked out to each Home Service borrower.

Reviewing the Borrower Log

Lets you see the current borrower for a title, or see a list of all the Home Service borrowers that have ever checked out a title.

Viewing Home Service Borrowers for a Title

Displays the route list, showing all the borrowers assigned to each route.

Managing the Route List

Lets you manually change the stop numbers assigned to borrowers.

Changing a Borrower’s Stop Number

 


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