Cataloging - Problem Discards

About

This article covers how to handle your library's problem discards that appear on the monthly Problem Discard report from MSC admin.

The Problem Discard report lists items that couldn't be removed from your library, despite having a home location of DISCARD. The report includes the item ID, the item library, the item's home and current locations, and the problem error that's preventing the item from being discarded. Addressing the error correctly will allow an item to route to DISCARD successfully.

---

Item Charged

When the problem error is Item charged - cannot be removed, the item didn't discard because it's still checked out to a patron or a system user, e.g. Mending / Repair, Missing, etc. To resolve this issue, check the item's Current Location and follow the directions for that location. 

Checked Out, Discard, Missing, etc.

1. If you need to see which account the item is checked out to, look up the item in the  Check Item Status wizard.

2. Simply discharge these items using the Checkin / Discharge wizard to route them to discard.

Unpaid overdue fees associated with the item will stay on a patron's account, but the item ID won't appear in the bill unless you add it manually in a note.

Lost-Claim, Lost-Assume

MSC admin recommend leaving items with these current locations alone while they work on an automated solution. Discharging these items will remove their lost bills entirely.

Item on Hold

When the problem error is item on hold - cannot be removed, the item didn't discard because it's still on hold for a patron or system user, e.g. Mending, Replace, etc. To resolve this issue, refer to your library's sharing group status below.

Not in a Sharing Group

If your library isn't part of a sharing group, remove the hold using the  Remove Item Hold wizard, discharge the item and contact your patron.

In a Sharing Group

If your library is part of a sharing group, you'll need a different resolution (than above) to prevent the item from filling a hold when you discharge it:

1. Check the item out to one of your library's system users, such as CATALOGING, MISSING, etc.
   
2. Pull up the item record in the Call Number & Item Maintenance wizard.
   
3. Change the item type to NONCIRC.
   
4. Save the change.
   
5. Discharge the item. It should route to DISCARD without filling a hold.

If your library owns the last copy of an item in your sharing group, make sure to follow your sharing group procedures.

Title on Order

When the problem error is Title on order - cannot be removed, the item didn't discard because it has an open acquisitions orderline, which means that the item was received by your library but not correctly loaded into the system. To resolve this issue you'll need to update your properties and follow the procedure below.

If your library doesn't use Acquisitions, or your library uses Acquisitions but the order belongs to another library, please open a ticket.

Properties

To ensure that orders are correctly loaded once they're received, do the following to update properties on every workstation that will be receiving orders in WorkFlows:

1. Select the Acquisitions module.

2. Right-click the Receive Orders wizard and select Properties...

3. From the Defaults tab, check the box next to Automatically set date loaded for items received.

4. When you go to close WorkFlows and are prompted to save properties, click Yes.

Procedure

To resolve the title on order error when your library owns the order, you'll need to mark the item as loaded on the same day it was received. To do that:

1. Open the Modify Order wizard in the Acquisitions module.

2. Search by Item ID, making sure that your library is selected as the Acquisitions Library.

3. After you click click Search or press Enter, a pop-up window will appear. Click the Segments tab.

4. You'll see NEVER in the Loaded field. Click in this field, then manually enter the same date listed in the Received field above it. In the screenshot example above, you would type in 9/4/2012.

5. Click Save Your Changes.

Once the change has been saved and the system re-indexes overnight, the item should discard properly on the next round of discards, usually at the beginning of each month.

• Related Articles

• Cataloging - Discarding vs Deleting Records

  About This article and video tutorial (below) cover the difference between discarding and deleting, when to discard, when to delete, and how to do either process. Discarding vs Deleting: What's the Difference? Discarding an item will ensure that your ...

• Standard Cataloging Procedures - Introduction

  Standard Cataloging Procedures The Standard Cataloging Procedures (SCP) articles are meant to be a guide for cataloging practices in the Montana Shared Catalog library consortium. For more explanation of the topics covered herein, please refer to the ...

• Standard Cataloging Procedures - Transferring, Discarding & Deleting Records

  Standard Cataloging Procedures The Standard Cataloging Procedures (SCP) articles and video tutorials (below) are meant to be a guide for cataloging practices in the Montana Shared Catalog library consortium. For more explanation of the topics covered ...

• Cataloging - Original Cataloging Record Assistance

  The Montana Shared Catalog is able to create original bibliographic records for a limited number of items when no record exists in the OCLC database. To submit an original cataloging request, please follow these steps: Confirm that there is no record ...

• Cataloging - Mentors

  About This article covers the MSC's mentor program. Mentor Program The program is made up of volunteers who have a strong interest in technical services and the MSC ILS. They may specialize in copy cataloging, original cataloging, Smartport, ILL, ...