Penn State University Libraries - Floating Collection

The material type Book (floating) designates a book that is part of our BookFloat pilot program.

When these floating books are sent to one of our participating Penn State libraries (Fayette, Harrisburg, Hazleton, and York), they will remain at that location after being returned by the borrower, saving the time and cost of returning them to the original library.  

• Floating books may be requested via “I Want It.”
• Floating books circulate for a regular loan period.

Book (floating) material type and the search results for a specific floating books participating library

The majority of the standard circulating books located at Fayette, Harrisburg, Hazleton, and York campus libraries are floating books material type.

LionSearch will display all books regardless of material type.  From within LionSearch you can also limit to a specific campus library under "Library Location" on the left menu bar.

However, limiting a search in The CAT takes more steps.  If you want to search for books at Fayette, Harrisburg, Hazleton, or York in the CAT, you need to do the following.  Choose "Advanced Search" from within the CAT.  In addition to your search terms, select the desired library in the "in Library" box and choose Material Type "Book (floating)."  Another search is necessary to look for Material Type "Book" (or other types, too, such as juvenile book) in the participating libraries.  There is no way in advanced search to pull up both "Book" and Book (floating)" material types in one search.

Comments

If you have a comment or suggestion or have a question, please use our Floating Collection Comments survey.

A Detailed Explanation of Book (floating) and the Floating Collection Pilot Program

A Floating Collection Pilot will begin on May 6, 2011.  Penn State Fayette, Harrisburg, Hazleton, and York libraries will be participating.  SirsiDynix Symphony will be updated with a floating collection feature at this time, enabling these libraries' circulating book collections in their general stacks locations to be shared in a different manner.  See below for information about the pilot and the changes that will be seen in the CAT and in WorkFlows. 

SirsiDynix System Configuration and Floating Collection Process Overview

There are several changes in the CAT and in WorkFlows that staff should know.  See this Training Bulletin (staff only) for an overview of the changes.

Example of a floating book going through the system

• Patron borrows a Fayette book
• Book is returned to Harrisburg
• It then stays and is shelved at Harrisburg

This same book is requested by an Altoona patron.  Altoona is not part of floating collections.

• This Fayette book appears on Harrisburg's pickup report
• Harrisburg sends the book to Altoona
• Altoona patron checks out the book 
• Altoona patron returns the book to Altoona
• Altoona staff discharge it
• Book goes in-transit

Where does it go?  The book is returned to Harrisburg because Harrisburg was the most recent item library for that book.

Hold Pickup List for Floating Collection

The hold pickup list report retains the home location even if the book is at another floating collection library.  See an example.

In-transit vs. Transfer Item

In Floating Collections, you can be directed to put an item in transit to a library.  Or, you can be directed to transfer an item to our library.  See how this looks in floating collections.

Books on Reserve and Floating Collection

Inactive reserve records prevent the transfer of books to be housed at another library.  If a book has a dormant reserve, it cannot remain at the most recent floating library.  See this document on dormant reserves. 

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions about Floating Collection)

What is a floating collection?

A floating collection is a group of books that are not housed permanently at a specific library, but instead belong to whichever library has most recently discharged them.  For example a Penn State Fayette Library book which was discharged last at Penn State Harrisburg Library is shelved there instead of returning to Fayette.

Which libraries are participating in the floating collection pilot?

There are four Penn State campus libraries participating.  They are:

• Fayette
• Harrisburg
• Hazleton
• York

How can I tell that a book is a floating book?

• The item type in WorkFlows has BOOKFLOAT. 
• The material type in the CAT advanced search has Book (floating).

What is included in the floating collection?

Circulating books in the general stacks of Fayette, Harrisburg, Hazleton, and York libraries.  Only monographs are included and not serials.

How many books are included in the pilot?

There are over 300,000 books with a BOOKFLOAT item type.

How long will the pilot last?

The pilot will be from May 6 through September, 2011.  At that time the Libraries will decide whether to continue floating collection.

What if the Libraries decide not to continue floating collection?

Since the Home Location in WorkFlows retains the original owning library, floating collection books can be returned to their original owning library.  The floating collection feature in SirsiDynix can be removed.  Floating collection does not change anything that cannot be changed back.

What about new books purchased by the participating libraries?

Since ownership of new books will be identified in and remain at the Home Location in WorkFlows and book orders are attached to an item number, there should not be any changes to book purchasing for these campuses.  There also will be no changes to book processing preparation for books at these campuses, such as property stamp, call number, barcode placement, and security tag.  

The only change will be in the item type.  BOOKFLOAT will be used for new books going to the general stacks of the participating libraries. 

For books purchased by endowment funds, Cataloging adds a note in the 541 field stating the book was purchased for a particular campus with endowment funds.  Therefore, the owning library will be identified in the CAT record. 

Resources