Library Answers: Los Rios Common Questions

Patron Physical Item requests are set to transit status when they move between the Alma libraries. Occasionally, items remain stuck in transit well beyond the expected number of days for traveling between locations. These items may have been misplaced, sent to the incorrect location, or not scanned in at the receiving location.

Circulation desks and systems administrators should monitor items that are left in transit a long time. Here are the steps to monitor and resolve these items. Staff should contact their library's system administrator with questions.

First, add the Alma widget labeled "Items Stuck in Transit" to your Alma homepage. This widget includes an Analytics report and spreadsheet. Note: Remember that Analytics reports are not real time. Updates performed later than 4:00 pm on the previous day may not be reflected on the report.

Reviewing and Resolving Items Stuck in Transit

Note that this process has changed as of May 2025. Staff should continue to add comments under their library's column, but should no longer add rows to or remove rows from the Google Sheet except for the cases listed below.

Who: Circulation staff at each location

When: Weekly (on Tuesdays)

1. Open the Alma widget to review the items stuck in transit. If nothing is listed, you are done with this process for the day. Otherwise:
2. Open the Items Stuck in Transit spreadsheet. Note that as of May 2025, several columns are being kept up-to-date automatically:
   • New items from the Analytics report are added to the spreadsheet automatically
   • Items no longer shown in the Analytics report are removed automatically
   • Once per hour on the hour (8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday to Friday), a check is done in Alma to make sure it is still in transit. Check the Days in transit column to see if it has been found

   Please do not edit fields other than the ones where you enter comments as described below.

3. Review the comments from other libraries--if an item has been found and sent off in a blue bag, you don't need to look for it.
4. Check your shelves/bags/desks for the items.
5. Under your location's column, record the following:
   • If not found, indicate the item is not on your shelves (NOS), your initials, and the date checked: NOS, EB, 030920.
   • If found, indicate the action taken (ex. scanned in to holdshelf, or sent to other campus), your initials, and the date: Found, sent to ARC, EB, 030920.
     • Resolve the item:
       • If the item was meant to arrive at your location, scan it in.
       • If the item was meant to arrive at a different location, place it in the correct blue bag, and note on the spreadsheet where it has been sent.
6. Directions for marking an item missing that is in transit can be found on the How do I mark an item as "Missing" in Alma? FAQ.
7. If you withdraw an item or change its barcode, please remove the row from the Google Sheet. If you do not do this, the process that updates the sheet intermittently during the day will fail with an error.

System Administrators Clean-up

Who: System administrator or designated SA

When: Monthly

1. Review the Items Stuck in Transit spreadsheet.
2. Follow up with locations regarding items that are unresolved. (ex. Have all locations indicated that they checked for an item, etc.).