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LOAN GROUP

This group of fields contains information pertaining to specimen loan transactions. In a normalised database this group of fields fits very comfortably into a separate linked table. Some institutions maintain this information in a separate database.

To reduce duplication of data entry effort and to facilitate monitoring of specimens on loan, specimen data should be exchanged with the specimens going on loan.


Loan Identifier

Transfer code: loaid

Description: The unique institutional loan number applied with the loan sequence number to uniquely identify a specimen on loan.

Domain/Range/Values: Alphanumeric; with or without other special characters.

Comments: This can be a simple sequential number series or an encoded arrangement involving the year and the loan number within the year. Institutions that store a loan number as two separate fields will need to combine the fields prior to interchange.

Used in association with the next field, Loan Sequence Number.


Loan Sequence Number

Transfer code: loanum

Description: The sequence of a specimen within a given loan, assigned with the Loan Identification to uniquely identify a specimen on loan.

Domain/Range/Values: Integer; values starting at 1 and sequential.

Comments: Used in association with the previous field, Loan Identification.


Loan Destination

Transfer code: loades

Description: Institution to which the loan is being sent.

Relevant standards: Index Herbariorum

Domain/Range/Values: Alpha; any valid Index Herbariorum code (in uppercase), or written in full if no code available.

Comments: Although this field is described here, the information in this field should be included in the file identifier field Description of File Contents and other Comments (p. 19).


Loan for Botanist

Transfer code: loabot

Description: Name of botanist for whom the loan is destined.

Domain/Range/Values: Alpha; any valid botanist's name, with the botanist's family name (surname) first, then comma and space, followed by initials (in uppercase and each separated by fullstops), first letter of surname capitalised.

Comments: Although this field is described here, the information in this field should be included in the file identifier field Description of File Contents and other Comments (p. 19).


Loan Despatch Method

Transfer code: loadis

Description: The means by which the loan is being despatched from the home institution.

Domain/Range/Values: Alpha.

surface mail
airmail
airfreight
road
rail
courier
safe hand
insured/registered

Comments: As with the previous fields, the information in this field should be included in the file identifier field Description of File Contents and other Comments (p. 19).


Loan Date

Transfer code: loadat

Description: The date the loan is prepared and/or sent

Domain/Range/Values: Integer; year (4 digits) followed by month (2 digits) and then day (2 digits), without spaces between each. That is, YYYYMMDD. For example, the 8th June 1975 would be transferred in the form 19750608 (refer Collection Date for further details).

Comments: Although this field is described here, the information in this field is equivalent to the information already included in Date of File field (p. 15). Therefore, this information should be included in the latter file identifier field.


Loan Return Date

Transfer code: loaret

Description: The date on which the loan is due to be returned to the home institution.

Domain/Range/Values: Integer; year (4 digits) followed by month (2 digits) and then day (2 digits), without spaces between each. That is, YYYYMMDD. For example, the 4th February 1996 would be transferred in the form 19960204 (refer Collection Date for further details).

Comments: This information can be either attached to every interchange record or included in the file identifier field Description of File Contents and other Comments (p. 19).