Student billing and replacement notification

Department

Circulation

Purpose

Twice a year the library will be sending a list to student accounts to have billed/lost items replace. These lists will be run at the start of finals week and sent on the last day of finals.

Overview

This is the process that is used during finals week during both fall and spring semesters to create the list to send to student accounts and when the items are paid for to notify Library Administration of items that have been paid for replacement purposes.

Required Knowledge/Skills

Access to Sierra create lists, Google sheets, and gmail

Safety Issues/Precautions

N/A

Equipment/Supplies

Computer access

Procedure


  1. Using personal login information log into Sierra and go to the "Create Lists" function 
  2. Choose an open list to create the list
  3. Click on "Search Records"
  4. In the bottom center chose "Retrieve Saved Query"
  5. Scroll down until "Billed student accounts" is located
  6. Click on "Select"
  7. At the top left of the screen in the "Review File Name" box name the list
  8. In "Store Record Type" use the drop-down menu to choose "Item"
  9. Edit the dates of the query: Spring list dates should run from the end of the previous semester to date list is being run: December list should run the start of the end of the previous semeste-Date in December that the list is run.
  10. Click on "Search"
  11. Once the search has run click on "Export Records"
  12. In the next box under "Type" choose Patron 
  13. In "Field" Choose "Patron Name"
  14. Click on "Append" to add another line
  15. In "Type" choose Patron
  16. Field choose "UNIV ID"
  17. Append 
  18. "Type" should be Bibliographic
  19. "Field" should be title
  20. Click on browse at the lower right side of the screen.
  21. Choose a location and title the export.
  22. In the "Files of Type" dropdown box choose "Text Files (*.txt)
  23. Save
  24. Click "OK"
  25. Once the list has been exported open excel
  26. Under the Data tab click on the "From Text" icon top left corner.
  27. Find the export file and open it.
  28. Under "Original data type"  choose Delimited
  29. Click "Next"
  30. Check the "Comma" box
  31. Click on "Finish"
  32. Make sure the A1 cell
  33. Click "OK"
  34. Remove the duplicate names
  35. Check stacks to make sure items haven't been returned.
  36. contact Acquisition specialist to get prices of each item
  37. once the cost of items has been provided add a $15 processing fee.
  38. To prepare the list to send to student accounts make sure the following information is on the excel spreadsheet in the following order:
    1. First name
    2. Last Name
    3. ID
    4. Cost (Total cost for the student if multiple items are billed)
    5. Term (i.e Fall 2021 etc.)
  39. Copy and paste the information into the google sheet called " Billed Students" 
  40. Add "Title/author", "Call Number", and "Due Date"
  41. Email the spreadsheet to: studentaccounts@valpo.edu
  42. If an item is returned Fill out the google sheet called "LIbrary return credit" 
  43. Download the sheet and email it to: studentaccounts@valpo.edu
  44. Circulation managers have training and access for looking up payments made by running a Colleague ACBL report.  The Library administrative assistant and Library acquisition associate can serve as backup for running an ACBL report and an AHST report for reviewing end-of-spring semester charges.  
  45. Once an item is paid for a manager will fill out the Replacement form to initiate the replacement process.
  46. After the replacement form is filled out a manager will send an email from valpolibrary@valpo.edu letting the student know that they can keep the item if it is found. A template can be found in the library email account. 
  47. Check to make sure that there isn't a separate hold placed on the account in Ellucian if there is a hold remove that if there is one, and note that on the spreadsheet.