Great news! On behalf of the New & Now committee, it’s my pleasure to announce our new browsing bestseller collections at six pilot branches. Please take a moment to learn about this exciting opportunity for increased customer satisfaction.
What is the New & Now collection?
New & Now is a completely browsable collection that consists of high demand materials. The titles aren’t visible in ValleyCat and they are not eligible for holds. When a customer comes in, he or she can browse the New & Now collection, and whatever happens to be on the shelf that day is what’s available.
What’s in the New & Now collection?
During the pilot phase, materials in this collection will be limited to books (mostly fiction). The startup collection contains multiple copies of 21 titles, all items for which there are at least 100 holds. Each month, the pilot branches will receive brand new, high demand books (the same titles at each branch). We are making every effort to ensure that these popular books will be available for customers on their release date.
Where are the New & Now collections located?
The pilot branches are Central, Clovis, Politi, Kerman, Kingsburg, and Auberry. Central, Clovis and Politi will receive 8 copies of each new title; Kerman, Kingsburg and Auberry will receive 5 copies. Each location has a special New & Now display area identified by the logo shown above.
Is the New & Now collection a customer’s only chance to borrow those titles?
No. These books are meant to supplement and give instant access to our current, circulating collection. They will not affect the regular purchasing of bestselling materials that customers can reserve through ValleyCat.
How will staff know what titles are available?
While the books won’t be visible in ValleyCat, they will be accessible through Horizon. These items will be assigned the collection code FXXENNC - New & Now. However, no holds can be placed on these items through either system.
For how long can these books be borrowed?
Loan time for the New & Now collection is the same as other books – three weeks. However, they cannot be renewed. They will be assigned the itype FFI - No Holds No Renewals.
When are the New & Now books available?
The items will be shipped directly to each participating branch. The first shipment should arrive sometime next week.
What does this mean for branches not participating in the pilot?
We encourage you to tell your customers about the New & Now collections. If a customer is searching for a title and you see that it’s available at one of the pilot branches, you can explain how the New & Now collection works. For example, if a customer at Woodward wants the latest John Grisham and you see there are four copies available on the shelf at Clovis, you can tell him/her that they are available in Clovis on a first come, first serve basis.
And remember—this is a pilot, and we hope to expand to more branches in the future. Sharing this new venture with customers will help create excitement and support for the library in general.
Questions? Email me at connie.urquhart@fresnolibrary.org.
