On OPAC, the search location can default to either the BC ILC zone so that patrons can search all libraries’ collections, or it can default to your own library first, with the rest of BC ILC libraries as search options in the drop down menu. The configuration is done by Co-op Support.

When placing holds, patrons will have the option to choose a pickup location within the BC ILC zone. The pickup location cannot be changed once the holds are placed.

Co-op Support strongly recommends that staff not edit pickup location. Best practice is to cancel the hold and place another hold with new pickup location. There may be eligible copies at the new location, but the hold targeter will not find them if you just change the pickup library. Editing the pickup location in the existing hold will not force Evergreen to re-target the eligible copies.

In all BC ILC libraries, holds are filled by other libraries' items only when the home library/system does not have a holdable copy.

BC ILC holds are filled in chronological sequence by hold request time, but BC ILC also utilizes Sitka’s default, the “Save Gas” method. "Save Gas" allows holds picked up at the check-in library to be filled first, and then revert the queue to follow the request time. This is called "opportunistic hold capture" and is intended behaviour by policy. The essence of the "Save Gas" method is to minimize item transportation.

When targeting BC ILC holds, all libraries having a holdable copy are treated equally and Evergreen randomly picks a target copy. It re-targets all outstanding holds at least once every 24 hours at roughly the same time of the day when the hold was placed. It may target another copy if the item on the initial Pull List was not tracked down. For example, a hold placed at noon was on Library M’s Pull List on December 1st. But Library M did not capture the hold. At roughly noon on December 2, Evergreen will try to re-target the hold. If Library B has an available copy, it is highly likely the hold will target Library B’s copy and show up on B’s Pull List, as Evergreen will look for next available copy if hold is not triggered within a period of time.

Evergreen does not target unavailable copies (checked out, etc.) for holds. It checks for outstanding holds when items are returned (checked in).

Whether a hold will be filled by a local or BC ILC copy is fixed when the hold is placed. It is recorded in the hold request record in a field called Selection Depth, which can be displayed by using the Column Picker when viewing holds. 2 stands for BC ILC holds and 3 for local holds. When the holdings situation changes, e.g. a local copy is marked damaged and no longer holdable, Evergreen does not re-assess the holds under the title. The Selection Depth will not be updated when the local copy becomes non-holdable. To request a BC ILC copy in this case, staff need to cancel, then replace the hold. On the other hand, if a local copy is added, existing BC ILC holds will still target all BC ILC copies, including the local copy, unless staff cancel, then replace the holds.

Selection Depth is not editable on the staff client. To make a BC ILC hold local, or vice versa, staff must cancel, then replace the hold.

Co-op Support configures your library’s BC ILC hold policies in Sitka’s Evergreen. Each BC ILC library is a lending and borrowing library and needs hold policies for both inbound and outbound holds. Hold policies decide who from which libraries can place holds on which items at which libraries. You decide which items from your library can be loaned out to other libraries, and which patrons of your library can request items from other libraries, and inform Co-op Support.

The hold policies can be based on a combination of the following values: the circulation modifier used on the item record, the item’s owning library, the hold requestor’s patron or staff profile, the requestor’s home library, and the pickup library.

As a borrowing (pickup) library, you may set up hold limits on inbound BC ILC holds, and maintain separate limits on local holds, if required. All holds, local and BC ILC, in a patron account, are counted when assessing whether a hold limit is reached.

Libraries may choose not to loan out newer items by applying age-based hold protection via either hold policy or item attribute.

Use of hold protection based on Item Age (starting from item’s Active-date) in hold policy is recommended. The policy setting is automatically applied, and no manual maintenance of individual records is required. Different hold policies can be applied to the same collection based on item age. You need to advise Co-op Support what items are to be protected for how long in order to utilize Item Age in Hold Policy.

Age-based hold protection is a setting applied to individual item records by cataloguing staff. The setting must be manually removed from each record at end of protection time. Co-op Support recommends libraries intending to use Item Age in Hold Policy, as explained above, should not use Age-based Hold Protection in item record.

If an item is protected by both hold policy and age-based hold protection item attribute, the longer protection period is used.

Circulation policies and rules on BC ILC items are determined by the check out library, whether that be at another library, or your library. This means if you want to place special circulation rules on items borrowed from other libraries, by your patrons, you can do so. Circulation policies are configured for you by Co-op Support.

Circulation policies are duration of loan, fine amounts, and number of renewals allowed, based on an item’s circulation modifier and or patron or staff profile.

Overdue fines are collected by the checkout library. Lost charges are collected by the checkout library, but need to be reimbursed to the lending library.

Courtesy and overdue notices are generated based on the checkout library’s notice schedule and templates, and are sent to patrons from the checkout library.

Cancel transit should only be done by the source/lending library. Cancelled transits are excluded from the BC ILC hold statistics reports.

BC ILC statistics are generated based on the hold-in-transit records, and adherence to recommended workflows is the only way to create accurate statistics. When an item is sent away to fill a hold, a hold-in-transit record is created. Based on the item’s owning library (lending library) and the transit destination library (borrowing library), we can count the number of items lent by a library as BC ILC holds to other libraries. The following scenarios and how they are handled may have effect on the statistics.

There are a few templates in Sitka_templates > Intra-federation ILL stats.

The following two templates are designed for libraries to generate monthly ILC hold statistics:

The four templates with names starting with “FEDERATION” are designed for federation coordinators to generate BC ILC hold statistics for all libraries in the federation. Multi-branch libraries may use them to generate statistics of holds among branches and other libraries.

In Sitka_templates > Circulation > Overdue and others folder, there are templates for libraries to track their items lent to other libraries, for example the template called Overdue Items Checked out at Other Libraries.

These templates are good for monthly recurring reports.

Co-op Support will only close Interlibrary Connect in Evergreen for extended closures (two weeks or more). To request an extended closure of ILC please send a ticket to Support with the dates of your closure.

When ILC is closed:

For closures of less than two weeks Support advises libraries to: