MeLCat help can help, but what it means is that the sending library didn't check it out before sending it out on RIDES. If the book in hand is the correct title from the correct library, you can insert the barcode <https://members.mcls.org/melcat_wiki/index.php/Insert_a_barcode> to receive and process the item. If it's not from the right library, then the system routed the request to another library and that copy will come soon, send the copy in hand back to the lending library and wait for the right one to show up. If there's more of those than usual, I wonder if there was some issue with melcat downtime and the processing being held in a queue? Maybe some of the checking out never actually happened? *Laura Hauch* Collection and IT Coordinator Buchanan District Library 128 East Front Street Buchanan, MI 49107 269-695-3681 269-695-0004 Fax www.buchananlibrary.org On Thu, Dec 18, 2025 at 1:20 PM Deb Hemmye via Michlib-l < michlib-l@liblists.org> wrote:
Thank you for explaining. Per several suggestions, we did look up the patron account and found the item we were trying to check in, but in the barcode column on MeL, it says "No barcode." So I'll reach out to MeL's help desk and see what that means because this same patron has two more books that are listed in MeL as "No barcode."
Thanks again,
*Deb Hemmye* Library Director Huntington Woods Public Library 26415 Scotia Road Huntington Woods, MI 48070 248-543-9720, ext. 686
Currently listening to* Sunrise on the Reaping, *by Suzanne Collins
------------------------------ *From: *"Megan Dudek" <dudekm@mcls.org> *To: *"Deb Hemmye" <dhemmye@hwoodslib.org>, "Denise Malevitis" < bridgmanill@bridgmanlibrary.com> *Cc: *"Michlib" <michlib-l@liblists.org> *Sent: *Thursday, December 18, 2025 12:57:34 PM *Subject: *Re: MeL barcodes
Hi Deb,
The MeLCat identifier is the bookband/label on the MeLCat item. It should have a library’s MeLCat agency code.
I would say if you run into any issues checking items in to reach out to melcathelp@mcls.org so we can help.
The MeL project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library of Michigan.
Thanks,
Megan
*Megan Dudek*
*Shared Library Systems Manager*
517-481-2794
*dudekm@mcls.org <dudekm@mcls.org>*
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*From: *Deb Hemmye via Michlib-l <michlib-l@liblists.org> *Date: *Thursday, December 18, 2025 at 12:06 PM *To: *Denise Malevitis <bridgmanill@bridgmanlibrary.com> *Cc: *Michlib <michlib-l@liblists.org> *Subject: *[Michlib-l] Re: MeL barcodes
I'm not sure I understand. Where do I find the item identifier and do I add the five-digit code after the barcode?
Thanks,
*Deb Hemmye* Library Director Huntington Woods Public Library 26415 Scotia Road Huntington Woods, MI 48070 248-543-9720, ext. 686
Currently listening to* Sunrise on the Reaping, *by Suzanne Collins
------------------------------ *From: *"Denise Malevitis" <bridgmanill@bridgmanlibrary.com> *To: *"Deb Hemmye" <dhemmye@hwoodslib.org> *Cc: *"Michlib" <michlib-l@liblists.org> *Sent: *Thursday, December 18, 2025 11:10:23 AM *Subject: *Re: [Michlib-l] MeL barcodes
Some of the libraries have a 5 digit code printed on the item identifier that they would like you to use also.
*Denise O. Malevitis* *Program Coordinator & * *Inter Library Loan Department*
On Thu, Dec 18, 2025 at 10:38 AM Deb Hemmye via Michlib-l < michlib-l@liblists.org> wrote:
Good morning all!
I have two questions on this balmy Thursday morning:
- What "tricks" do you use when a barcode on a MeL item doesn't scan? We first add a "b" in front of the barcode, then we try adding the "zv172" Rides number at the end, then we try both. We've also tried adding the Rides number at the front of the barcode. It feels like we are getting more and more of these barcodes that won't scan for us in MeL, so I thought I'd reach out and see what everyone else is doing. - - Second, what do you do if you simply cannot scan the item into MeL? We process it for the patron anyway since we can keep track of it through our own ILS. We've tried looking the item up by title in MeL's "Search/Requests" function to see if we can somehow mark it as received through the patron's account, but the titles never come up.
I would love to hear about any ideas or processes your library uses!
*Deb Hemmye* Library Director Huntington Woods Public Library 26415 Scotia Road Huntington Woods, MI 48070 248-543-9720, ext. 686
Currently listening to* Sunrise on the Reaping, *by Suzanne Collins
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