Notice Examples

Automated Message Origins

MFRL uses Amazon Web Services (AWS) to transmit automated phone and text messages. Phone messages originate from (703) 344-9513. Caller ID may indicate this number, and/or Amazon or AWS. TXT messages will come from (251) 418-8691.

Email notifications are sent from noreply@mfrl.org. While notice email subjects historically have had a subject of Library Notice, most notices now have more descriptive subjects.

Predue Notice Examples

Predue notices are sent 3 days before, 1 day before, and 8 days after an item is due. These notices are sometimes referred to as "reminders". Despite these being called "PreDue notices", one is in fact a "freshly overdue" notice. PreDue notices are optional for the patron.

TEXT

• MFRL-Blacksburg: Reminder you have 1 items due tomorrow. my.mfrl.org Titles=Our castle by the sea
• MFRL-Christiansburg: Reminder you have 4 items due 3 days from now. my.mfrl.org Titles=Robocop,Supernatural,
  Supernatural,Little house on the prairie
• MFRL-Blacksburg: Reminder you have 8 items due 8 days ago. my.mfrl.org Titles=House beautiful,House beautiful,Taste of home,Money,Popular science,E...

Titles will be displayed dependent upon number of characters available in the text, with a maximum of 150 total characters. Different types of PreDue notices are not combined. That is, if a patron has items that are due in three days, and items due in one day, they will receive two separate texts.

Current messages include the text (Returns quarantined 96hrs).

PHONE

• Hello, this is the Blacksburg Library calling for Peggy. This is your courtesy reminder that you have items due tomorrow and 3 days from now. You can check your account and renew items online at my.mfrl.org
• Hello, this is the Blacksburg Library calling for Chris. This is your courtesy reminder that you have items due 8 days ago. You can check your account and renew items online at my.mfrl.org

Audio Example:

The above message is followed by "...message repeats..." and one repeat of the message. The repeat exists in case an answering machine or service starts recording after the message begins to play. This example demonstrates what a message may sound like if an answering machine's greeting is lengthy; the recording begins well into the predue message.

We don't list titles on Phone notifications due to privacy concerns. As shown above, different types of PreDue notices (three day, one day, etc.) are combined.

Current messages include the message "We are quarantining returns for 4 days, disregard this message if you have already returned them."

EMAIL

• Three Day Pre-Due Notice
• One Day Pre-Due Notice
• Eight Day Overdue Notice

Emailed PreDues look very similar to eMailed OverDue notices. All titles and full descriptions are listed. Different types of PreDue notices are not combined. That is, if a patron has items that are due in three days, and items due in one day, they will receive two separate emails.

The Subjects of these emails are MFRL: 8 Days OverDue, MFRL: 3 Days Pre-Due, and MFRL: 1 Day Pre-Due.

OverDue Notice Examples

Electronic overdue notices are sent on Wednesdays at 2 weeks and 4 weeks overdue. Patrons can not opt out of receiving Overdue Notices.

TEXT

• MFRL-Blacksburg: You have 3 (2-WEEK) overdue items, the oldest was due on Dec 26. my.mfrl.org Titles=Pokemon adventures,Pokemon adventures,Pokemon ...
• MFRL-Meadowbrook: You have 5 (4-WEEK) overdue items, the oldest was due on Dec 15. my.mfrl.org Titles=Officer buckle and gloria,Piggies in the p...
• MFRL-Christiansburg: You have 24 (2WEEK & 4WEEK) overdue items, the oldest was due on Nov 17. my.mfrl.org Titles=Baby loves gravity,Little book abo...

Titles will be displayed dependent upon number of characters available in the text, with a maximum of 150 total characters. If applicable, the two-week and four-week notices are combined.

PHONE

• Hello, this is the Christiansburg Library calling for Dennis. This is your 2 week overdue notice. You have 2 overdue items, the oldest was due on Thursday, December 26. You can check what is overdue by logging into your account online at my.mfrl.org.

• Hello, this is the Christiansburg Library calling for Brandi. This is your 2 week and 4 week overdue notice. You have 3 overdue items, the oldest was due on Sunday, October 6. You can check what is overdue by logging into your account online at my.mfrl.org.

Audio Example:

The above message is followed by "...message repeats..." and one repeat of the message. The repeat exists in case an answering machine or service starts recording after the message begins to play.

We don't list titles on Phone notifications due to privacy concerns. If applicable, the two-week and four-week notices are combined.

EMAIL

• First Overdue Notice email
• Second Overdue Notice email
• First and Second Overdue Notice email

All titles and full descriptions are listed. If applicable, First and Second overdue emails are combined as shown above. The subject of these emails are MFRL: Overdue Notice.

Hold Notice Examples

Hold notices include library closing comments, if applicable.

TEXT

• MFRL-Christiansburg: You have new holds, pick up by Tue, Jan 21. Closed 1/20. my.mfrl.org =Pride and prejudice
• MFRL-Floyd: You have new holds, pick up by Sun, Jan 19. my.mfrl.org =Test book
• MFRL-Blacksburg: You have new holds, pick up by Thu, Jul 25. Closed Sundays all summer. my.mfrl.org =Kindle

Titles will be displayed dependent upon number of remaining characters available in the text; texts are limited to 150 characters.

PHONE

• Hello, this is the Christiansburg Library calling for Isaac. You have 1 hold available at the self service hold shelf. Please pick it up by Tuesday, January 21. Closed Monday, January 20th. You can check what is available by logging into your account online at my.mfrl.org.
• Hello, this is the Floyd Library calling for Eva. You have 2 new holds and 2 holds total available at the self service hold shelf. Please pick them up by Thursday, January 30. You can check what is available by logging into your account online at my.mfrl.org.
• Hello, this is the Christiansburg Library calling for Saundra. You have 1 new hold, and 4 holds total available at the self service hold shelf. Please pick it up by Friday, December 20. You can check what is available by logging into your account online at my.mfrl.org.

Audio Example:

The above message is followed by "...message repeats..." and one repeat of the message. The repeat exists in case an answering machine or service starts recording after the message begins to play.

If the patron has holds that they've already been notified about, there is a comment regarding "new holds" and "total available". We don't list titles on Phone notifications due to privacy concerns.

EMAIL

• Hold Notice

The subject of these notices is MFRL: Hold Available. Emailed PreDues look very similar to eMailed OverDue notices. All titles and full descriptions are listed. While the notice won't specifically mention closed days, it does state that the hold will be available for the "next five days that the Library is open". It also states the actual date of the last day of availability. Only new holds are mentioned in this notice.

Technical Scripts

Using variables, this is how notice messages are formed. This info is primarily for IT staff, though anyone might find it interesting.

PreDue Text:

MFRL-%B: Reminder you have %K item%P due %W. my.mfrl.org Titles=%T
Key: %B=Branch, %K=# of items, %P=plural, %W=8 days ago|tomorrow|3 days from now, %T=as much of titles as will fit.

PreDue Phone:

Hello, this is the %B Library calling for %N. This is your courtesy reminder that you have items due %O. You can check your account and renew items online at my.mfrl.org
Key: %B=Branch, %N=First Name, %O=8 days ago {and} tomorrow {and} 3 days from now (as many as are relevant)

OverDue Text:

MFRL-%B: You have %K (%O) overdue item%P was due on %D. my.mfrl.org Titles=%T
Key: %B=Branch, %K=# of overdues, %O=2-WEEK|4-WEEK|2WEEK & 4WEEK, %P=plural=' which'|'s, the oldest', %D=oldest due date, %T=as much of titles as will fit.

OverDue Phone:

Hello, this is the %B Library calling for %N. This is your %O overdue notice. You have %K overdue item%P was due on %D. You can check your account and renew items online at my.mfrl.org
Key: %B=Branch, %N=First Name, %O=2 week|4 week|2 week and 4 week, %K=# of overdues, %P=plural=' which'|'s, the oldest', %D=oldest due date

Hold Text:

MFRL-%B: You have new holds, pick up by %D. %E. my.mfrl.org Titles=%T
Key: %B=Branch, %D=deadline, %E=Closing info{Holidays,Summer Sundays}, %T=as much of titles as will fit.

Hold Phone:

Hello, this is the %B Library calling for %N. You have %H hold%P %I available at the self service hold shelf. Please pick %J up by %D. %E. You can check what is available by logging into your account online at my.mfrl.org.
Key: %B=Branch, %N=First Name, %H=# of new holds, %I= %P=plural, %J=it|them, %D=date, %E=Closed exception phrase

USPS Mailed Notice Examples

While MFRL discourages USPS as a delivery method for notices, some still exist. The 3rd Overdue / Bill for Items Not Returned and High Balance notices are always sent via USPS.

• 1st Overdue Notice - still exists, but used infrequently.
• 2nd Overdue Notice - still exists, but used infrequently.
• 3rd Overdue / Bill for Items Not Returned
• High Balance Notice

See also

• Notice Schedule - Master Timeline for Notices (excluding Hold notifications)
• Hold Notice Schedule - Q: When do Hold Notices go out? A: Multiple times per day.