Availability auto-responder

The ReShare availability auto-responder is a tool that supports unmediated processes by automatically responding to requests to supply on a library’s behalf. The goal of the auto-responder is to determine whether a lendable copy of the title being requested is currently on the shelf and to respond accordingly.

Determining availability

The auto-responder relies on Z39.50 searching provided by a library’s host library management system (LMS) to make a determination about whether there is an available copy. It also takes into account each library’s ranking of its preferred locations/shelving locations for supplying via the Host LMS locations & Host LMS Shelving locations settings pages.

ReShare uses the following workflow to determine availability.

Auto-responder outcomes

The auto-responder will reach one of the following outcomes.

Will supply: This outcome indicates that the supplier holds an available copy that it is willing to supply. If the auto-responder is enabled for this outcome, it will automatically send a “will supply” message to the requester. The state of the request from the requester’s point of view will be updated to “Expects to supply.”
Cannot supply: This outcome indicates that the supplier does not have an available copy that it is willing to lend. If the auto-responder is enabled for this outcome, it will automatically send a “cannot supply” message to the requester. The request will then be sent to the next lender in the rota.

ReShare’s auto-responder settings allow each library to disable the auto-responder completely, to enable responses for will supply outcomes only, or to enable responses for both will supply and cannot supply. Please see the Resource Sharing settings page for more detail.

Local request auto-responder

The local auto-responder responds to requests that have been identified as locally available. It uses the same search strategies as described above, but it does not consider host LMS location rankings (assuming that all locations would be available to a library’s own patrons).

ReShare’s auto-responder settings allow each library to enable or disable the local auto-responder. Please see the Resource Sharing settings page for more detail.

Cancellation auto-responder

The ISO 18626 protocol requires all cancellations to be verified by a supplier response. The cancellation auto-responder is a simple auto-responder that will automatically confirm any cancellation requests as long as the request has not yet shipped.

ReShare’s auto-responder settings allow each library to enable or disable the cancellation auto-responder. Please see the Resource Sharing settings page for more detail.