ILL ADMINISTRATION
Chapter 9. CUSTOMER SUPERUSER
Understanding Load Leveling Algorithms
The Load Leveling Algorithm menu offers four options for distributing ILL requests among trading partners. Only one option can be active at any given time.
The Load Leveling Algorithm is applied when an ILL request is submitted and the ILL Lender List is built. In the event that a new algorithm is selected while ILL requests are still in process, those requests will continue to use the original algorithm.
NOTE: When building the Lender List for multi-copy requests (see Special Considerations for Multi-Copy Requests for details), the Load Leveling Algorithm selection is ignored.
The four Load Leveling Algorithm options are:
- Ordered: This option permits a library to send requests to one or more libraries they consider their “favorite lenders.” ILL requests are submitted to lenders holding the title (who are also willing to lend the format and have the title available to lend) in the order specified in the Preferred Lender List in the borrowing library’s Participant Record and in the System Wide List in the System Wide Record, if applicable. If there are libraries present in both the Preferred Lender List and the System Wide List, the lists are merged, and the second occurrence of the Library Codes are removed.
-
Rotated: This option distributes workflow evenly among the libraries in the Preferred Lender List. ILL requests are submitted to lenders holding the title in a “rotating” order based on the Preferred Lender List in the borrowing library’s Participant Record. The system “rotates” the libraries in the Preferred Lender List (and System Wide List, if applicable) by one each time an ILL request is submitted.
EXAMPLE: If the Preferred Lender List includes libraries AAAA, BBBB, CCCC, and DDDD, and all four libraries own the items being requested (and lend the format and have it available to loan), the first request will be sent first to AAAA; the second request sent first to BBBB; the third request sent first to CCCC; and the fourth request sent first to DDDD. Requests will be sent to all lenders in the Preferred Lender List and System Wide List, if required and applicable.
- Random Hierarchy: Similar to the Random option, this option permits a library to send requests to one or more libraries they consider their “favorite lenders.” The Lender List is built using lenders in the Preferred Lender List in the borrowing library’s Participant Record holding the title (who are also willing to lend the format and have the title available to lend) in random order, and then adding lenders from the System Wide List in the System Wide Record in a random order. If there are libraries present in both the Preferred Lender List and the System Wide List, the lists are merged, and the second occurrence of the Library Codes are removed. In cases where a Preferred Lender List has not been specified in the borrower’s Participant Record, the Lender List is built only using lenders from the System Wide List in the System Wide Record in a random order.
- Preferred Hierarchy: Similar to the Ordered option, this option permits a library to send requests to one or more libraries they consider their “favorite lenders.” The Lender List is built using lenders holding the title (who are also willing to lend the format and have the title available to lend) in the order specified in the Preferred Lender List in the borrowing library’s Participant Record, and then adding lenders from the System Wide List in the System Wide Record in a random order. If there are libraries present in both the Preferred Lender List and the System Wide List, the lists are merged, and the second occurrence of the Library Codes are removed. In cases where a Preferred Lender List has not been specified in the borrower’s Participant Record, the Lender List is built only using lenders from the System Wide List in the System Wide Record in a random order.