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There is a "Status" column for item records which is used to indicate whether an item is in one of the following states:
- On loan (checked out)
- In transit
- Missing / Lost
- On order
- Library processing
Example of Status column in HOLLIS
Various terms that have been used in the Item Status field
When an item is NOT in one of those the states above, deciding what term to display has been a thorny issue, as we can only use a single term regardless of the the type of resource. We have tried several terms over the years, and none have been ideal for all scenarios. Terms that have been used include:
- Not Checked Out
- This term is misleading for special collections because those materials are non-circulating and have to be consulted at the repository.
- This term is misleading for general collection non-circulating material, such as bound journals, which cannot be loaned.
- The term is also misleading for items that exist for preservation purposes only and cannot be requested. In these cases there is a separate reproduction copy that can be used.
- Available
- Same issues as above.
- In library or Storage
- This term aligns with the facet 'In library or storage' that is used to indicate that an item is at its "home" location, as opposed to On Loan, etc.
- This term is confusing for users who are less familiar with library location naming conventions, e.g. unless a location contains the word "Offsite," then the location is on campus.
- Note that the actual location of an item is listed between the library name and the call number if present, e.g. Baker Business Stacks -- LC Books HF296.B7 C65 1906.
- Item in place
- This is the term that staff see in Alma. It was used in HOLLIS only during a preview period related to the Alma migration in the summer of 2018.
Example use cases to take into consideration during discussion of text for the Item Status field
The examples in the table below reflect some different use cases that should be considered during any conversation about the "status" display.
| Type of resource | Sample title | Location display | Policy | Request link | Labels we've used in the Status column | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Not Checked out (-2018) | Item in place (2018 for Alma/Primo preview period) | Available (2018-2023) | In library or storage (2023-) | |||||
| Book | What Masie knew / Henry James | Widener Library WID-LC PS2116.W43 H8 1989 | Semester loan | Request pick up | Confusion about location of item | |||
With fire and sword / Henryk Sienkiewicz | Widener Library Offsite Storage Slav 7123.1.580 | Semester loan | Request pick up | |||||
The Commercial Club of Boston | Baker Business Stacks -- LC Books HF296.B7 C65 1906 | Semester loan | Request pick up | |||||
The essays of Virginia Woolf | Lamont Library GEN PR6045.O72 A6 1986b | Semester loan | Request pick up | Confusion about location of item | ||||
| Book, Reserve | Self-portrait with ghost : short stories / Meng Jin | Lamont Library Reserves PS3610.I56 S45 2022 | 3-hour loan | n/a | ||||
| Book, Rare | The expedition of Humphry Clinker. 1771. | Houghton Library GEN Lowell *EC75 Sm792H 1771ba | In-library use only | Request to Copy or Visit | "Not checked out" is misleading because the item cannot be checked out | "Available" is problematic because it suggests that an item is available for use right away | ||
| Bound volume of a serial | Annual review of law and ethics | Widener Library WID-LC K10 .A46x | In-library use | n/a | "Not checked out" is misleading because the item cannot be checked out | Confusion about location of item | ||
| Special collection | [Rothstein Political Buttons Collection] | Harvard Kennedy School Offsite Storage NK3669 .R68 1900z (Images may be viewed in VIA) | Not available for use | n/a | "Not checked out" is misleading because the item cannot be checked out | "Available" is problematic because the item is not available for use | ||
| Archival collection (unprocessed) | Charles J. Ogletree, Jr. papers, circa 1970-2005 | Harvard Law School Library Offsite Storage LAW MMC 401 | In-library use only | n/a | "Not checked out" is misleading because the item cannot be checked out | |||
| Archival collection (processed) | Wilma Cannon Fairbank personal archive, 1924-2016 and [undated] | Harvard University Archives Offsite Storage HUM 430 | In-library use only | Request to Copy or Visit | "Not checked out" is misleading because the item cannot be checked out | "Available" is problematic because it suggests that an item is available for use right away | ||