Basic Requester Process | Automediation | The Rota
Work Queues | How to Access Work Queues | Requester Work Queue and Reports
Status of Requests | Requester Work Queue Reports
Viewing and Processing Requests in the Queue | Requester Results List
Requester Details Screen l Action: Editing the Rota l Conditional: Answer Reason
Action: Conditional Reply-No; Conditional Reply-Yes l Action: Receiving An Item
Action: Returning an Item | Action: Renewal Requests l Action: Overdue
Action: Terminating Requests l Action: Lost
Action: Processing Multiple Requests Using Bulk Action
Creating Blank Requests l Building the Rota
User Alerts for Requesters | Complete Action for Requesters
Using Bulk Action to Complete Requests in the Statuses of Idle, Not Supplied and Returned

1. After logging into VDX using your library’s ILL Code and Password, you will be taken to the ILL Request Search screen. (Figure 2)

Figure 2: ILL Request Search screen

1. A request is placed using the Access Pennsylvania Database ILL Request form.
2. A Rota is built and the request is sent to the first library on the list.
3. The Requesting library sees the request in the Requester results list as Pending.
4. The Responding library sees the request in the Responder results list as In Process.
5. The Responding library updates the request to Shipped.
6. When the item is received, the Requester updates the request as Received.
7. The item is processed for the local patron.
8. The patron returns the item and the Requester returns it to the Responding library.
9. The Requester updates request to Returned.

Automediation

VDX automatically checks the service level for the user, mandatory fields (author and title), and rechecks the Access Pennsylvania database. Next, VDX automatically constructs a lending string, called a Rota.

Requests are sent to the Requester results screen with a status of Pending and an Authorization status of Processed. If a request arrives with an authorization status of To Be Authorized, Check Manual, Unauthorized or To be Checked-Check, then authorization has not occurred and the request has not been sent. Most requests are automatically authorized and set to the Authorization status of Processed.

The Rota

The Rota is a lending string that is built by a process called automediation that automatically identifies the libraries that own the requested material and creates a list of up to twenty libraries. When a request is sent by the Requesting library it is Pending. When a Responding library receives the request the status is In Process. If the current Responding library cannot supply the item, the request automatically forwards to the next library until a Responding library indicates that it will loan the item. Responding libraries have two full working days to process a request before it is automatically sent to the next library in the Rota.

The Rota varies between libraries and is based on the profile submitted for your library. The profiles are set up at the administrative level.

Requesting libraries may edit or build their own Rota's (see Sections on Building the Rota and Editing the Rota).

Work Queues

Requester and Responder Work Queues can be accessed via the ILL Request Search Screen and allow you to see a snapshot of the current ILL workload. The Work Queue display lists the status and the number of requests waiting to be actioned. Work Queues also feature four reports, or lists, that may be used and printed by requesters and responders.

How to access Work Queues

1. To view the Requester Work Queue from the ILL Request Search screen:

1. Along the top of the ILL Request Search screen click the Work Queue button. (Figure 3)

Figure 3: Work Queue via ILL Request Search Screen

Requester Work Queue and Report

Figure 4: Requester Work Queue

The Requester Work Queue tabulates the number of incomplete requests in each status for the library logged into VDX.

Status of Requests

The following statuses and reports are shown, by default, in the Requester Work Queue. As requests placed by your library move through VDX they may display one of the following statuses as they are processed at each stage:

Requester Work Queue Reports

Received List: This report lists items which the requester has actioned as received. The output is in PDF format and includes patron information entered on the ILL Request form when placing a request, along with the due date indicated by the responding library.

Returned List: This report lists items which the requester has actioned as returned. This report may be used to create return mailing labels. The output is in PDF format.

Keep in mind that once an item has been printed on a Received or Returned List, it will not be included in future lists. The item can be found in the appropriate Standard Returned List under the Batch Rerun reports link in the Report section of VDX.

Viewing and Processing Requests in the Queue

To view brief details of requests, click on the number in the Count column of the work queue. From this screen, you can click the details button or perform an action on the requests. For example, if you click on the 4 in the Requester Work Queue report for Pending requests (Figure 4), the search results screen will display showing the four pending requests.

Figure 5: Requester Results List

Requester Results List (See Figure 5)

Requester Symbol - ILL No: / Responder Symbol - ILL No:

• Requester Symbol - Name of Requester and VDX-III location code.
•  ILL No: - unique ILL number assigned to your library for each request.
•  Responder Symbol - Name of Responder and VDX-III location code.
•  ILL No: - unique ILL number assigned to the responder library for each request.

Requested item

• Bibliographic information - Includes title, author, editor, ISBN number
• Notes - note entered when placing ILL request in Access PA Database or when creating request directly in VDX.
• Status - includes current status, Authorization Status, Last Action performed, position in the Rota of current responder.
• Rota 1 of # - first number indicates position of current responder in Rota configuration; second number indicates total number of potential responders in Rota.
• Yellow envelope - indicates last action included a note, which may be read by clicking the details button and scrolling to the Item Details section.

For each item on the Results List you may select:

• Action - click the down arrow to the right of the Select an action box to select the action to be performed on an ILL request and click the Action button.
• Details -Request details are displayed on one page, including Request ID, Service Details, Item Details, Patron Details, Additional Service Details, Delivery Details, Rota Details, History and Log Messages. (See Figures 6-9 below)
• Acknowledge - used to mark a request as something that has been looked at, but on which no action has been performed.  Helpful for a multi ILL-staffed library. Keep in mind that requests DO NOT NEED to be Acknowledged through the ILL process.
• Print - to format a printable copy of the request that includes all details of a request, including mailing labels, bibliographic info, need-by-date, and due date.

Requester Details Screen

The Details screen is available by clicking on the details button in the Results list. It provides the current information about the request. An action may be performed from the details screen by making the appropriate action selection in the Actions available: box, which appears along the top and bottom of the screen.

Figure 6: Request Details / Service Details

• Request ID - displays request #s, item format, status and authorization status. (See Figure 6)
• Service Details - displays Service type, i.e. Loan and Media Type. (See Figure 6)
• Item Details - includes bibliographic info on requester item. (See Figure 7)
• Patron Details - Name of patron and contact information entered on ILL Request form.
• Additional Service details - includes action dates and due date of requested item.
• Delivery Details - displays mailing address of your library, along with contact info.
• Rota Details - displays list of potential responders. (See Figure 8)
• History - displays actions that have been performed on the request and the reasons for those actions, i.e. Reason for Answer Non-Supply. (See Figure 9)
• Log Messages - Includes date of log event, description and log message. (See Figure 9)

Figure 7: Item Details

Figure 8: Rota Details

Figure 9: History and Log Messages

Action: Editing the Rota

On occasion, requesters may want to edit the Rota configuration of requests in the Pending status, which indicates that no potential responder has yet to perform the shipped action.

Figure 10: Editing a Rota Configuration - Step 1

Figure 11: Editing a Rota Configuration - Step 2

To edit a Rota configuration for a request placed by your library, log into VDX and follow these steps:

1. Click on the Work Queue button located along the top of the ILL Request Search screen.
2. Click on the number in the Pending column of the Requester Work Queue.
3. To view the Rota configuration, click the Details button of the item(s) in the status of Pending, and on the resulting page scroll to Rota Details. (See Figure 10)
4. If you would like to edit the Rota, locate the Actions available box at the bottom of the screen then click the down arrow button and select Local Change Request Details.
5. Once Local Change Request Details appears in the Actions Available box, click the Action button.
6. Scroll to the Rota Details section of the Request Details screen where you will find the list of potential responders in the box labeled Selected. Libraries appearing in bold face type may be highlighted and moved using the Up and Down arrows to the right of the box or removed from the Rota configuration using the Remove button located to the left of the box. (See Figure 11)
7. To move a potential responder up or down the list, highlight the library’s name and click the down or up arrow until the library is in the correct position. (See Figure 11)
8. To delete a potential responder highlight the library's name and click on the Remove button. (See Figure 11)
9. When the libraries are in the correct order in the Rota, click the Save button located along the top or bottom of the Request Details page.

Conditional: Answer Reason

1. Click on the Work Queue button located along the top of the ILL Request Search screen.
2. Click on the number in the Conditional column of the Requester Work Queue.
3. You will see the item displayed in the Conditional results list.
4. To view the reason for the Conditional response, click on the details button.
5. 5. Scroll to the History section of the Request Details page to view the reason for the condition. (See Figure 12)

1. If you are willing to meet the specified condition, i.e. Library Use Only or charges, perform the Conditional Reply-Yes action. (Potential responder will ship item).
2. If you are NOT willing to meet the specified condition, i.e. Library Use Only or charges, perform the Conditional Reply-No action. Once the action is processed, the request will automatically move to the next potential responder in the Rota configuration, which may or may not impose a condition for lending the requested item. (See Figure 12)

Figure 12: Action: Conditional Reply-Yes/No

Action: Receiving An Item

1. When an item is received at your library, log into VDX.
2. Click on the Work Queue button located along the top of the ILL Request Search screen.
3. Click on the number in the Shipped column of the Requester Work Queue.
4. Locate received item in the Shipped results list.
5. Click the down arrow next to the Select an action box, select Received and click the Action button. (See Figure 13)
6. Enter any necessary information in the Action: Received page and click the Received button located along the top or bottom of the page.
7. When the Received action has successfully processed, the request will move from the Shipped status to the Received status of the Requester Work Queue.

Figure 13: Performing Received Action

1. 1. When you are ready to return an item, log into VDX.
2. Click on the Work Queue button located along the top of the ILL Request Search screen.
3. Click on the number in the Received column of the Requester Work Queue.
4. Locate the item to be returned in the results list.
5. Click the down arrow next to the Select an action box, select Returned and click the Action button.
6. Enter the necessary information in the Action: Returned page and click the Returned button located along the top or bottom of the page.
7. When the Returned action has successfully processed, the request will move from the Received status of the Requester Work Queue to the Returned Status.
8. After successful completion of the returned action, you may generate return slips by clicking on the number in the Returned list column of the Requester Work Queue. (See Figure 14) Returned slips include mailing labels that maybe cut /pasted.

NOTE: When the item reaches the responding library and is checked in, the request will automatically be removed from your Requester results list.

Figure 14: Generate Returned list

1. Log into VDX.
2. Click the Work Queue button located along the top of the ILL Request Search screen.
3. Click on the number in the Received column.
4. Locate the item you want to Renew.
5. Click on the down arrow next to the Select an action box, select Renew and click the Action button.
6. Make sure to enter the Desired Due Date in the Action: Renew page, enter a note (if necessary) in the Public Notes box and click the Renew button located along the top or bottom of the page.
7. When the Renew action has successfully completed, the item will move to the Renew Pending status in your Requester Work Queue.
8. If the Responder performs the Answer Renew-Yes action, the request moves to the Received column of your Requester Work Queue.

1. Click on the number in the Received column to bring up the request in the results list.
2. b) If the Last Action is Answer Renew-Yes-Indication (See Figure 15) click on the Details button and scroll to the Additional Service Details section to view the new due date.

9. If the Responder performs the Answer Renew-No action, the request moves to the Received column of your Requester Work Queue.

1. Click on the number in the Received column to bring up the request in the Received results list.
2. If the Last Action indication is Answer Renew-No-Indication, click on the Details button and scroll to the Public Notes section to see if a reason for the Answer Renew-No was provided.
3. Make sure to return the item by the original due date.


Figure 15: Renew Answer-Yes-Indication

1. Log into VDX.
2. Click on the Work Queue button located along the top of the ILL Request Search screen.
3. Click on the number in the Overdue column.
4. View the item(s) to be returned in the results list.
5. Click on the down arrow next to the Select an action box, select Returned and click the Action button.
6. On the Action: Returned screen, complete the Return Date and Returned via fields before clicking the Return button along the top or bottom of the page.
7. When the Returned action has successfully processed, the request will move from the Overdue status on the Requester Work Queue to the Returned status.
8. After successful completion of the returned action, you may generate return slips by clicking on the number in the Returned list column of the Requester Work Queue. (See Figure 14)

NOTE: When the item reaches the responding library and is checked in, the request will automatically be removed from your results list.

1. Log into VDX.
2. Click on the Work Queue button located along the top of the ILL Request Search screen.
3. Click on the number in the Pending column.
4. Locate the item to be canceled then click the down arrow next to the Select an action box to select Terminate Request and click the Action button.
5. As instructed on the Action: Terminate Request page, click the Terminate button to terminate the request.
6. These requests will appear in the Terminated column of the Requester Work Queue.

NOTE: A terminated request, for which the status is Cancelled, indicates the responder actioned them Cancel reply-yes and will not be shipping them to your library. Feel free to use the complete action to remove Cancelled requests. Terminated requests with the status of Cancel pending will be changed to Cancelled when the current responders action them Cancel reply-yes, at which time you will want to use the complete action to remove them. (See Figure 16)

Figure 16: Terminated Request

If a borrowed item was lost in transit or by the patron, the requester has the ability to change the status of the request to Lost. Lost is a terminal status and the request will not progress any further through the VDX system.

1. To easily locate the lost item, click the Simple Search button located along the top of the VDX ILL Request search screen.
2. Under Requester, highlight either Request #s or Requested Title.
3. Enter the selected information in the Search Criteria box and click the Search button.
4. The result list should display the request. (See Figure 17)
   
   Figure 17: Simple Title Search
   
5. Click the down arrow next to the Select an action box to select Lost, then click the Action button. (See Figure 18)
6. It is recommended that a note explaining the situation be included in the Public Note field of the Actions: Lost page before clicking the Report Lost button located along the top and bottom of the page.

Figure 18: Lost Action

When the involved parties have settled the dispute, the Lost item may be removed from your results list. To do so, follow these steps: (Figs. 19 and 20)

1. Log into VDX.
2. Along the left-hand side of the ILL Request Search screen under Your Library’s Role, click in the radio button next to Requester only.
3. Along the right-hand side of the ILL Request Search screen select Lost in the Status box and click the search button.
4. The lost item should appear in your Requester results list.
   
   Figure 19: Search for Item Actioned Lost
   
5. Click on the down arrow next to the Select an action box, select Complete and click the Action button.
6. On the Action: Complete page, click the complete button.

Figure 20: Action: Complete

Bulk Action allows you to choose a group of records that require an identical action (i.e. received, returned, renew/pending) and to carry out that action automatically without having to work through each record individually. As an example, if you have received several items on the same day, you are able to perform the received action using the Bulk Action feature. To perform the received action in bulk:

1. 1. Check the Bulk box next to each of the items in the shipped results list that have been received and click on the submit button in the Bulk Action: menu bar at the bottom of the results page. (See Figure 21)

Figure 21: Bulk Action Selection

2. The Bulk Action/Authorization screen shows the ILL numbers of the selected requests.
3. Select Received in the Action: box on the Bulk Action/Authorization screen and click the submit button. (See Figure 22)

Figure 22: Bulk Action/Authorization Screen

4. The Action: Received screen will appear. (See Figure 23)
5. You may want to add a Note in the Notes field before clicking the submit button.
   
   
   Figure 23: Bulk Action: Received Screen
   
   
6. After clicking the submit button, the Bulk Action/Authorization Report screen will now display showing the request numbers that have been successfully updated. (See Figure 24)
   
   
   Figure 24: Bulk Action Successful
   

Requesters may use the Bulk Action feature when performing the Received, Returned, and the Renew/Pending actions.

Creating Blank Requests

On occasion, you may need to create a request directly in the VDX ILL system to send to responding libraries for journal articles or to request multiple copies of items needed for book clubs. To do so, follow the steps outlined below.

1. Click on the Create button at the top of the VDX screen. (See Figure 25)

Figure 25: Create Request in VDX

Figure 26: ILL Request Screen

1. The Authorization Status must be changed to "Authorized." (See Figure 26)
2. From the Service Details pull down menu select the appropriate Service Type, i.e Loan, if the item is to be returned, or Copy Non-returnable, if the requested item will not be returned, and the Media Type, i.e. printed, photocopy, etc. (See Figure 27)

   
   Figure 27: Service Details

3. In the Item Details section enter the necessary bibliographic data: author, title, publisher, publication date. Enter any special instructions in the notes box. (See Figure 28)

   Figure 28: Item Details

Building the Rota

1. To get VDX-ILL location codes to build the Rota: (See Figure 57: Locations Button)

1. Click on the Locations button located along the left-hand side of the VDX screen.
2. Type in the full name or part of the potential responding library's name in the Search box. (See Figure 29)
3. c. On the results list, III codes are the 5-character codes to the left of the library's name. (See Figure 30)

Note: If you are in VDX and must manually build a Rota, open a second Internet Window to VDX to facilitate easy processing. In Internet Explorer go to File>>New>> Window - or CNTL+N. You may then click back and forth between the two screens, one on Location and one on the Rota editing screen. To do the same using Netscape Communicator, go to File>>New>>Navigator.

Figure 29: Location Search

Figure 30: Location Search Results

2. Enter the 5-character III-VDX code of the first potential responder in the Location symbol or location name box: under the Rota Details section of the ILL Request screen and click the search button.
3. The library will now be listed in the Available and Selected boxes.
4. Repeat the process until all potential responders appear in the Selected box.
5. The libraries may be moved up or down the list or deleted, as you deem necessary by using the Up and Down arrows to the right of the Selected box or the Remove button to the right of the Selected box. (See Figure 31)

   Figure 31: Completed Rota

6. Once the Rota is built to your satisfaction, click on the Request button located along the top or bottom of the ILL Request page.
7. Your request is now authorized and will be sent to the first library in the Rota configuration. It has a status of Pending.

User Alerts for Requesters

VDX is able to notify requesters and responders via email when actions have been performed on their ILL requests. For the convenience of Access Pennsylvania Database ILL requesters, user alerts will be sent when these actions have been performed by responders: Conditional, Lost, Overdue, Recall, Renew Answer-Yes, and Renew Answer-No.

The user alert message delivered to your ILL email address will read as follows:

"Subject: Access PA Database ILL Request Needing Attention, Request #, Responder Name

An action has been performed on ILL Request #, which requires your attention. To view the request, log into VDX at [URL] with your library?s 5-character username and password. At the ILL Request Search screen, under Your Library?s Role, click the radio button next to Requester only. Next, type the Request # in the box below Other Fields and click submit to display the request needing your attention.

Please reply to this message with any questions. Your message will be delivered to the Access Pennsylvania Database Support Center."

We have found that small libraries and those libraries that monitor several ILL systems find the VDX "email alert" feature helpful. Although the "email alert" feature is initially enabled for all libraries with current ILL email addresses, it is optional. You may request to stop receiving email alerts by sending a message to the Access Pennsylvania Database Support Center at support@accesspa.state.pa.us.

If you make a change to your library's ILL email address, please make sure to inform the Access Pennsylvania Database Support Center.

Complete Action for Requesters

If the statuses of requests in your results lists are labeled Cancelled, Returned, Idle or Not Supplied, they may be removed from your results list by performing the complete action. For the most part, these requests will appear in your Requester Work Queue under the statuses of Idle / Check Manual, End of Rota, Terminated or Returned. To action a request as complete:

1. Locate the relevant items via the Work Queue or via the ILL Request Search screen.
2. On the results list, locate the item to be completed then click the down arrow next to the Select an action box to select complete and click the Action button.
3. On the Action: Complete screen click the complete button to remove the request. (See Figure 32)

Keep in mind that items with a returned status should be kept on a requester's results list for several weeks to allow time for items to be returned and checked in by responders. Once returned items are checked-in by responders, the items will automatically disappear from the requester's results list. Note: If responders do NOT take the time to perform the checked in action, requesters may use the complete action to remove returned items from their results list. The returned requests WILL remain on the results list of responders until they perform the checked in action.

Figure 32: Complete Button

Using Bulk Action to Complete Requests in the Statuses of Idle, Not Supplied and Returned

1. Log into VDX.
2. Click on the Work Queue button along the top of the ILL Request Search screen.
3. Click on the total next to Idle / Check Manual, End of Rota, or Returned.
4. Scroll to the bottom of the results list and click on the Select All button in the Bulk Action tool bar -- which places a "check" mark next to each item in the results list -
   then click the Bulk Action button. (See Figure 33)

Figure 33: Bulk Action: Not Supplied

5. On the Bulk Action/Authorization screen, select complete in the Action box and click the action button. (See Figure 34)

Figure 34: Bulk Action/Authorization/Complete

6. On the Action: Complete screen, click the complete button to remove all of the requests.
7. Once the complete action is successfully processed, you may log out of VDX. The next time you log in, those completed items in the status of Idle, Not Supplied or Returned will no longer appear in your requester results list.