Deflections

Learn how to deflect requests from knowledge base collections and deflect requests for all electronic items in WorldShare Interlibrary Loan.

For information about using the OCLC Policies Directory, see Policies Directory guide.

Basics of Deflections

Deflection is a feature that is such a time-saver because Lending libraries will often get requests for items that they do not lend over ILL- usually because their policies or license agreements dictate that certain items cannot be loaned through interlibrary loan. Deflection allows the system to say “no” to these requests on your behalf. It will skip your library in the lender string, and move the request on to the next lender.

Create Deflection Policies

Use the the OCLC Policies Directory to setup your Deflection policies.

Deflection is applied to the lender string to ensure that an unfilled request does not remain in WorldShare Interlibrary Loan or Tipasa as Pending, waiting for potential lenders to manually deny the request.

Deflection is not the same process as filtering. Filtering is a process that chooses lenders based on holdings data and other information from the holdings record before the request is created (produced). It takes place before the lender string is built. The Policies Directory is not involved with this processing.

To create a Deflection policy:

  1. Navigate to the Policies tab from the OCLC Policies Directory.
  2. Click the Add button on the Deflections drop-down.
  3. Enter the following required fields:
    1. Policy Name
    2. Request type. Options include:
      • Copy
      • Loan
      • Copy or Loan
    3. Deflection type. Options include:
      • Enable Real Time Deflection: Choose this option to enable the deflection policy.
      • Enable Real Time Deflection - except when I am last in the lender string: Choose this option to enable the deflection policy except when the institution is the last lender in the lender string.
      • Disable Deflection: Choose this option to disable the deflection. Select one of the above options to enable the deflection at a later time.
  4. Optional. Under Fees section, enter the Borrower maximum cost.
  5. Optional. Under Borrowers section, select the OCLC Group or Custom Holding Group to include in the deflection.
  6. Optional. Under Items, select the Item features for the deflection. Options include:
    • Formats
    • E-License Terms
    • Material Age
  7. Optional. Enter Notes for the deflection.
  8. Click Save.

If the borrower returns to the request after it has been placed, the asterisk indicating the current lender will have moved to the next lender. The Request History will indicate the Reason for No:

  • Auto-Deflection: Format Type
  • Auto-Deflection: Profiled Group (covers profiled groups and Custom Holding Groups)
  • Auto Deflection: Maximum Cost
  • Auto Deflection: Age of Material
  • Auto Deflection: Multiple Reasons
  • Auto Deflection: Request Type

Deflection may be based on the request service type, local holdings, format type, OCLC profiled group membership, Custom Holding Group, maximum cost, E- license terms and material age in years. Exceptions can also be set, based on format type, OCLC profiled group membership, and Custom Holding Group. The default setting is for no deflection policies to be set.

If you have multiple deflections, requests are processed following the hierarchy for deflection listed below.

The hierarchy for deflection 

The order in which deflections are processed is as follows:

  1. Supplier status
  2. LHR 008/20-21
  3. On-order status (WMS Acquisitions)
  4. Deflection policies configured in Policies Directory in the following order:
    1. Service type
    2. Format
    3. Profiled Group
    4. ELicense terms
    5. Custom Holdings Group
    6. Max Cost
    7. Age of Material

How it works 

A simple scenario for deflection by format would be:

  1. The borrowing library creates a request choosing lenders that appear to be suppliers for the material.
  2. WorldShare Interlibrary Loan or Tipasa searches the first lender's policies in the Policies Directory to see if they will loan that format. For example, the format is "musical score" and the first lender has created a deflection policy to indicate that it does not loan musical scores.
  3. Instead of the lender getting the request as Pending, it skips that lender and automatically deflects to the next lender.
  4. The request moves through the string until it identifies a lender that might supply it.

Deflection exceptions 

If you select Format, OCLC Group (profiled group), or Custom Holding Group as deflection criteria, you cannot select those criteria as exceptions.

Example policy Deflection option(s) selected Exception criteria available
I do not loan e-serials. Format OCLC Group
I do not loan e-serials to profiled group XXXX. Format OCLC Group  
I do not loan to profiled group XXXX. OCLC Group Format
I charge $15. Borrower Maximum Cost Format

OCLC Group
I loan books only. Format 2 OCLC Group
I loan books only.   Format 3

OCLC Group
I only loan to all members of group XXXX.   Format

OCLC Group 4

Issues to note:

  • Filtering impacts the lender string that is created, i.e., a symbol can be excluded from the lender string based on the filter that is applied. Filtering is based on custom holdings paths/groups based on volume and year data in the local holdings record.
  • There are two ways to create this policy. Here all formats are selected for deflection except for “book.” This is a listing of all formats not loaned.
  • No deflection criteria are selected. Service type “loan” with no deflection criteria indicates that no formats are loaned. However, the exception format “book” indicates that only books are loaned.
  • The institution only loans material to a selected profiled group. Choosing the exception eliminates the selection of the (long list of) individual profiled groups

Deflection Includes/Excludes 

When creating deflection policies for your group, you can choose to block or not block certain groups or items. This feature allows your institution to be very specific about what groups and items a deflection policy pertains to, and those that it does not pertain to.

If you want to deflect a group or one or two items, use the Include feature. If you want to deflect everything except a group or one or two items, use the Exclude feature.

Examples 

  • To deflect everything except books, use Exclude and click Book (instead of using Include, where you would have to click all the other formats except Book). This is because when you are making an exception for that format and excluding it from your institution’s deflection policies.
  • My library does not loan DVDs, but I want to allow other libraries in my group to borrow. For this policy, you would Exclude your group, and Include Visual Material –DVD.

Also, choosing two limiters combines both into one policy.

For example: Excluding the format Visual Material – DVD and then selecting a Material Age of Less than: 1 year will deflect only DVDs that are less than one year old.

Screenshot of options in user interface for adding deflections policy information.

On the Deflections screen, a green check mark (green_check.png) indicates that the group or item is included in the deflection (in my library’s policies), meaning that the requests from those groups or for those items will be deflected.  A red X (red_x.png) indicates that the group or item is not included in the deflection.

Deflecting knowledge base collections

If your library maintains electronic collections through the knowledge base, using Collection Manager, you can set E-License terms related to interlibrary loan per collection. This level of detail allows deflection to be applied based on licensing terms.

Deflecting all electronic items

Setting up deflections for all your electronic resources will stop ILL requests from arriving to your library for those items and your staff won’t have to go through the manual process to say no to those requests. The system will automatically skip your library.