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Shelf-check best practices

If someone from another library asks you to check the shelves for an item, these are the best practices to follow:

• Check the stacks where the item should be located based on its shelving location, item type, collection code, and call number - especially if the item isn’t owned by your library

  Actually check the shelf - don’t just assume that since the item’s home library is different than your library that it’s not on your shelves

• Check places where the item might be if it was miss-shelved

  i.e. if it’s an “Adult” item, check the “Childrens” section

• Check places where an item would be if it was owned and cataloged by your library

  If someone asks you to look for an item that was shipped from their library to your library and you have a different call number classification for that item, also look for the item where it would be shelved if your library had cataloged it

• Check the hold shelf

  If an item was sent to your library to fill a request for a borrower, it might be on the hold shelf if the borrower cancelled the request without telling anyone

• If the item can’t be located, change the item’s lost status to “Missing (unable to locate on shelf)” or ask the library that owns the item to do so