Temporary Library Closure Procedures

Concepts

Outlines tasks to be taken by OWWL and the library to prepare for a temporary library closure, such as moving to a new facility, when library services are halted in part or in total. The closing library should contact OWWLHQ as soon as possible with closure dates.

If the library will still offer some services (such as still accepting delivery to allow for hold pickup), not all of the steps below will need to be followed. Contact OWWLHQ for more details.

In general, if a library will remain open for some services, they should still process delivery. At the very least, a library which is still checking in items should still process outgoing delivery. This is because items checked in may be captured for a hold at another library. If you have extenuating circumstances, please submit a ticket for assistance.

Library responsibilities

Notify OWWLHQ

Submit a ticket to support@owwl.org or evergreen@owwl.org with more information about your closure.

Internet cutover

If moving from one location to another, library must contact CANS to submit a work order to their ISP to schedule switching the library's internet connection from the original location to the new location. This date impacts several other decisions.

Set closed dates at least six weeks in advance

If fully closing, library must enter the closed dates into Evergreen. This will:

• extend loan periods for materials checked out prior to the temporary closure to reduce materials being returned to the library
• prevent materials from being targeted to fill new holds (any holds that appear on the library's Pull List immediately prior to the closed dates can be ignored - they will move on to other libraries' copies)

If libraries plan to be closed for more than six weeks, additional steps should be taken to ensure continued circulation and availability of other libraries' items, such as using special due dates.

System staff can assist with setting closed dates if requested.

Patron and neighbor notifications

Library must notify neighboring libraries that patrons may be arriving to pick up hold materials, and that hold materials with special handling requirements may be arriving.

Library must notify patrons that the library will be closed, and specify that patrons must select a different pick up library for holds placed during the closed period. Libraries should also notify their patrons that any unfilled holds for pickup will be suspended during the library's closure.

Examples of notification include messages on social media, a library's website, a library's newsletter, or postings in the library.

Entire system notification

Closer to your closure date, you should send an email to the systemwide listserv to notify everyone that you will not be open.

Bookdrop

Library must decide how to handle the Bookdrop. If no processing will happen on-site, close the Bookdrop.

OWWL responsibilities

Aspen banner

A week before the planned closing start, we will add a banner to a library's individual entry point indicating the library's planned closure dates and that another library should be selected for hold pickup. In some rare cases, it may also be appropriate to add a banner to the consortial entry point.

Hold pickup location

We will remove the library as a valid pickup location in Aspen a week before the library's planned closing start. We will also set it as an invalid pickup library in Evergreen.

Hold targeting

On the library's last delivery day before closure, we will set the library to be skipped for hold targeting.

Hold suspension

On the library's last delivery day before closure, we will suspend any remaining holds for pickup and set the activation date as the last day of the library's planned closure.

Upon library request, we can provide a list of patrons whose holds were suspended. Libraries may wish to contact these patrons with suggestions for alternate pickup locations. If appropriate, library staff can change holds' pickup locations to another neighboring library and reactivate the holds.

Delivery suspension

If the library is not able to accept delivery, we will adjust the delivery schedule during the library's planned closure.

Item storage

If applicable, OWWLHQ will store items sent to the library in transit.

Item attribute modifications

On the first day of the planned closure, System staff will set the status of library's Available items to "Storage." This status prevents the items from being eligible for holds, prevents them from displaying in Aspen, and indicates that they are unavailable in the staff catalog.