Enhanced Borrowing

The Enhanced Borrowing service helps your library fill patron requests that are unfilled in SHAREit. This optional and free service forwards borrower requests with the Unfilled status to RAILS’ OCLC WorldShare account. RAILS staff place these requests in WorldShare and send received items to the requesting library. Library staff process these requests just like other FMI requests, returning the item to RAILS when the loan period ends. This no cost option is available to any interested Find More Illinois members - and is especially helpful for those without OCLC access. Any postage to and from the lending library is paid by RAILS, and system delivery is used to move items within Illinois.

Enhanced Borrowing cannot help FMI members process lender requests from OCLC WorldShare. It is not appropriate for non-returnable requests, e.g. article photocopies. The wait time for WorldShare requests is typically longer than that of FMI requests.

Contact RAILS staff (support@findmoreillinois.org) to sign up.

Enhanced Borrowing request procedures

The following process is used for unfilled requests from libraries that opt in to the Enhanced Borrowing service.

  1. A user creates a borrower request on a record included in SHAREit search results. Staff can create requests with the Blank Request Form for titles not found in FMI.   
  2. The first time a request gets the Unfilled status, it is forwarded to the RAILS OCLC account. Requests with the Retry status are not forwarded to WorldShare.
  3. Enhanced Borrowing requests forwarded to OCLC remain Pending for up to 10 days. If the request is not filled in 10 days, its SHAREit status returns to Unfilled. If the request is filled, it becomes Will Supply/In Process while in transit to RAILS.
  4. When the requested item is received at RAILS, RAILS staff forward it to the borrowing library. Its SHAREit status becomes Shipped, it gets an FMI shipping label, and it is put in a RAILS bin.
  5. When the requested item is received at the borrowing library, local staff process it like other FMI requests. Staff update it to Received and check it out using the library’s typical procedures.
  6. When the requested item is returned by the patron, local staff check it in, its SHAREit status becomes Returned, an FMI return shipping label is attached, and it is put in a RAILS bin.
  7. When the requested item is received at RAILS, its SHAREit status becomes Complete. RAILS staff update it to Returned in WorldShare and forward it to the non-FMI library lender.