Processing

In the initial load in phase ReCAP staff handle an average of 8,000 items for accessioning/shelving each day. Now that ReCAP has reached a steady load in pace, the staff handle and average of 4,000 items for accessioning/shelving each day. Items are delivered to ReCAP daily, Princeton University supplies their own pick up and delivery of items from ReCAP; Columbia University and The New York Public Library have a contract with Clancy-Cullen Moving and Storage Company, Bronx, New York. Items should arrive in good condition and must have a correctly placed barcode on each item. Most individual items are sorted by size and placed in open-top trays which are stored on an appropriate-sized shelf

Borrowing
ReCAP items which are permitted to circulate will be retrieved from ReCAP upon request and charged out to one of the consortium libraries. ReCAP's reading room is available by appointment only. Patrons must present a currently active ID card from one of the consortium libraries upon arrival at ReCAP.

Items accessioned to ReCAP are assigned an access level which determines how and by whom the item can be used. There are three levels of access:

• may be used at any of the three member institutions, or via electronic document delivery
• may be delivered to any branch or center of the member institution
• may be delivered to only the owning library

This access level is recorded in ReCAP's inventory control system as two digit customer codes, and any request from an unauthorized source is automatically blocked.

Requests
Since the facility is not designed for direct access by patrons. Patrons make requests through their consortium member’s online catalog. ReCAP staff process these online requests each morning at 11:30 am and again at 4:30 pm. The system prints out a pick list arranged for the most efficient retrieval. The item is retrieved from the shelves using an order picker.

Retrieval
When the books have been retrieved from the modules, they are sorted for either courier service or electronic document delivery. This process changes the status of the books to "OUT" of the facility. Items are packaged in individually barcoded heavy-duty totes for shipment. A manifest is printed for all the items in a tote. The totes are picked up by a courier service. When books are returned to storage they are re-shelved to their exact location within the modules.

Electronic Document Delivery
ReCAP can deliver short documents, up to one journal article or one chaper of a book, electronically. Borrowers registered with any one of the consortium libraries can request the retrieval of a journal article or chapter of a book from a ReCAP item for delivery to their desktop. Users who are not registered borrowers may request a scanned electronic document of a ReCAP item through Interlibrary Loan. Most items will be posted to the ReCAP website, where the patron will access the document with a patron ID and password and have access to that item for 14 days before it is removed. Documents posted on the website may be printed but cannot be downloaded.

Interlibrary Loan
In 2007 ReCAP started recieving Interlibrary Loan requests. ReCAP staff act as a member of each member's Interlibrary Loan department. With access to their ILLiad queue for ReCAP material, staff identifies and retrieves material and sends to the requesting library. ReCAP staff also updates each member's local system.

Courier Service
The Courier service for Columbia University and The New York Public Library is contracted through Bohrens Moving and Storage of Bordentown, New Jersey with a 4 am pick up for delivery to the New York City libraries. The Forrestal Campus is located off Route 1 with easy access to the New Jersey turnpike.

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