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Alma Resource Sharing Guide

This guide explains the various components of FLVC's current resource sharing processes also known as UBorrow.

UBorrow - Borrowing Workflows & Policies

Borrowing Workflow (Loans): The basic borrowing workflow for loans is as follows.  These steps should be taken every day your library's interlibrary department is open.  Please see below for more details.

  1. Receive items being borrowed from other libraries
  2. Return items that your users have returned or didn't pick up to the lending library
  3. Check for requests in the Ready to Be Sent, Mediated Patron Renewal, and Conditional statuses
  4. Check the Expired Hold Shelf for items that can be returned to the lender

Borrowing Request Statuses: The following are the most commonly seen borrowing request statuses:

  • Ready to Be Sent: the request could not be sent to any partner, most likely because the partner is ILLiad and the user doesn't have an ILLiad account. 
  • Request Sent to Partner: the request has been sent to other libraries for fulfillment, but no library has filled the request yet
  • Shipped Physically: the request has been filled by another library, but the item has yet to be received at your library
  • Physically Received by Library: your library has received the requested item, but the user has yet to pick it up
  • Loaned Item to Patron: your library has received the requested item, and your user has checked it out
  • Mediated Patron Renewal: your user has requested a renewal, but you have yet to send that renewal request to the lending library
  • Renewed by Partner: the request has been renewed
  • Returned by Patron: your user has returned the item, but you have yet to return it to the lending library
  • Returned Item to Partner: your library has returned the item to the lending library, but they have yet to receive it back
  • Lost Communicated: the item has been declared lost, and this has been communicated to the lending library

Turning Off Borrowing: Borrowing can be turned off at your library if it will be closed for an extended period.  Please submit a HelpDesk case at help@flvc.org.

Borrowing Loan Periods: All lenders are obligated to assign lending due dates in accordance with the Resource Sharing Standing Committee with approval from the Member's Council for Library Services.