Create book club requests

Learn how to make book club requests, or linked requests, by creating multiple requests for a single item using a single request screen in Tipasa.

Create Book Club requests 

The Book Club feature allows you to create multiple requests for a single item using a single request screen. Book Club requests are also known as Linked Requests.

To create multiple requests for a single item:

  1. Locate the item you need to request multiple copies of using a Basic search, Advanced search, or Expert search. See Discover items, Search. 
  2. On the results screen, find the item you need to request and click State Holdings, Regional Holdings, or All Holdings to open a request screen and view the holdings from one of these categories. 
  3. On the holdings screen, click the Quantity drop down and select the number of copies you want to request. Numbered lender string text boxes equal to the quantity you choose will open.
  4. To populate the Lender String boxes use established workflows or one of the two suggestions below. You can add up to 15 OCLC symbols to each lender string.
    1. To create multiple requests using established loan agreements with other libraries, you can either:
      1. Manually enter lender strings of libraries that you know hold the item. If you would like to request multiple items from a single institution, enter that library’s symbol in multiple lender strings, OR
      2. Select the appropriate tab containing the libraries you know hold them item—All Holdings, State Holdings, or Regional Holdings—then click Yes for each lender string for which you would like to use that institution as a supplier.
    2. To use Custom Holdings Paths, click the All Holdings tab.
      1. Select the Custom Holdings Path you would like to apply to the lender strings.
      2. Click Go.
      3. The symbols in that custom holdings path will be distributed evenly among the lending strings, beginning with the first Custom Holdings Group, until all libraries holding the item have been assigned to a string or all of the strings have hit the maximum of 15 symbols. If you have not configured Custom Holdings Paths, see Custom Holdings Path for more information.
        • Custom Holdings Paths which contain Profiled Groups can only be completely applied via automations configured in the Automated Request Manager. If the Custom Holdings Path has been manually applied, a warning appears. To build a partial lender string from the current Custom Holdings Path that does not include symbols from the Profiled Group, click OK. Click Cancel to close this window and either manually route this request to automation or select a different Custom Holdings Path. 
  5. Click Create Request. The request screen will open.
  6. Add a note about the book club request to the Borrowing Notes field in the Borrowing Library form. This note should indicate the following:
    • The request is for book club purposes.
    • There is a desired loan period (for example 30 days).
    • Lenders may receive more than one request to satisfy quantities needed.
    • Each copy requested should be treated as a single ILL requests and is not a duplicate request.

    If you make book club requests often, you might want to set up a Constant Data record that includes this information so you do not have to manually enter it every time you make a request for multiple copies. For more information about Constant Data, see Constant data.

  7. At the top of the screen, confirm that your request quantity is correct and all lender strings have at least one supplier listed. Click Send Request to submit the multiple requests. A confirmation message will appear at the top of the screen.
  8. Click Linked Requests Queue in the confirmation message to review the request. You can also open the Linked Requests Queue by clicking Borrowing Requests > Linked Requests in the left navigation.
  9. To review the Status of your multiple requests, in the Linked Requests Queue, click the tab containing the title of the item you requested. A results list with the requests sent to each supplier will appear, and a separate status for each item will be listed in the Status column.
  10. Click on a single request’s ID to open and view it individually. From the individual request screen, you can move to the next or previous request using the Previous Request and Next Request buttons in the upper right corner of the screen.
  11. As items arrive, find the individual requests under Linked Requests, and click Mark as received on the individual item request page.