8 Circulation - Hold Requests

8 HOLD REQUESTS

This chapter includes the following sections:

Hold Request Management
Creating a Hold Request
Viewing a Hold Request
Updating a Hold Request
Deleting a Hold Request
Returning requested Items
Unclaimed Items on Hold Shelf
Printing Letters to Patrons

8.1 Hold Request Management

You can determine the following paramaters in Web Service Module / Setup Services / Circulation Parameter:

Permissions

if an item with a specific item status may or not be requested for an hold request
if an item with a specific item status may be or not multiple requested for an hold request
if an item with a specific item status may or not be requested, when it is not loaned.
if a patron with a specific patron status may or not request.
if a patron with a specific patron status may or not request multiple items from the same title.
if a patron with a specific patron status may request items, when they are not loaned.

Check Item Availability

The amount of time that an item is kept on the hold shelf
The amount of time that an available item is reserved with a specific item status

Cash

how much a patron (with a specific patron status) must pay for a Hold Request.
how much a patron must pay for postal fees or email such as a "Hold request filled" message.

You can determine in Return options, whether or not the Hold Request list (Items Return) automatically will be displayed by the system.

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8.2 CREATING A HOLD REQUEST

A hold request can be placed either by the patron through the Web OPAC or by the librarian through the Circulation module. Note that a patron has to have the relevant privilege in his local patron record in order to place a hold request.

In the Circulation module, there are two ways to place a hold request:

From the Requests Menu
From the Item Tab

8.2.1 Creating a Hold Request from the Requests Menu

Select Requests/Hold Requests/Create Hold Request. The following screen will be displayed:

Item Barcode

You can use the barcode reader to scan in the barcode. Alternately, you can search for an item by clicking the List button

. The "Search for an Administrative Record" window will be displayed.

Enter search strings in one or more fields and click Search. If there is more than one hit, the Brief List window will be displayed.

Highlight one of the items and click the Select button. You can view the full bibliographic details of the item by clicking the View Full button and then selecting the item.

Patron ID/Barcode

Enter the patron's ID or barcode. To select a patron from a list, click the List button.

.

Click OK. The following screen is displayed:

You can place a hold request for an item only if the patron has hold privileges. To place a hold request, fill in the form and click OK.

Following is help for each field of the Create Hold Request form:

Item

This is the bibliographic information attached to the item you selected in the previous step.

Sys. No./ Séq.

These are the system number and the item sequence of the item you selected in the previous step.

Patron ID

The Patron ID is already filled from the previous step.

Optional. Enter notes for the library staff.

From Date/To Date

Enter the period of time during which the patron is interested in receiving the material. The system default period is one year but you can change the dates when creating the hold request.

Recall Type

If you want the item to be recalled, choose the level of urgency, 01 (regular) or 02 (rush). If you do not want the item to be recalled, choose 03 (no recall). If no value is found there, the default is 03.

Priority

You can determine the position of the Hold Request in the queue by assigning a Priority. The highest level priority is 00, and the lowest is 99.

Rush Handling

For a rush request (for example, if the patron is waiting in the library for the material), select the Rush Handling option. A call slip indicating that this is a rush request will be printed.

Item Matching Filter

Use these fields to define the group of "like" items with which the hold request may be filled.

Only Selected Item

If you want the hold request to be filled only by a specific copy, select this option.

8.2.2 Creating a Hold Request from the Item Tab

Retrieve an item in the Item tab.

Select either the "List of Items" node or the "Item" node.

List of Items Node

Highlight an item on the Items List tab in the upper pane and click the Hold Request button.

Item Node

Click the Hold Request button in the right pane.

In both cases you will be prompted to enter the Patron ID or barcode.

The following window will be displayed

For a complete explanation of the fields available in this form, please click Creating a Hold Request from the Requests Menu.

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8.3 VIEWING A HOLD REQUEST

Details of a hold request are accessible from the Hold Requests node in both the Item tab and the Patron tab.

Item Tab

In the Item Tab select the Hold Requests node to display a list of hold requests for the selected item. The hold requests will appear in the List of Hold Requests pane.

Click the Go to patron button to be transferred to the Patron tab and to display its details.

Select an entry from the list to display its details in the Hold Request Information pane.

Patron Tab

In the Patron Tab select the Hold Requests node to display a list of hold requests for the selected patron.

Click the "Go to Item" button to be transferred to the Item tab and to display its details .

Select an entry from the list to display its details in the Hold Request Information pane.

8.4 UPDATING A HOLD REQUEST

In the Circulation module, there are two ways to update a hold request:

From the Item Tab
From the Patron Tab

Each way is described below.

8.5.0 Updating a Hold Request from the Item Tab

Retrieve an item in the Item tab.

Select the Hold Requests node.

Highlight a line on the List of Hold Requests tab in the upper pane. The details are displayed in the lower pane.

Edit the form and click Update. Note that the Update button is only active after at least one field has been edited. Note that the fields "Hold Date" and "End Hold Date" are filled in automatically by the system and can only be edited if the Hold Request Status is set to S (On Hold Shelf).

8.4.2 Updating a Hold Request from the Patron Tab

Retrieve a patron in the Patron tab.

Select the Hold Requests node.

Highlight a line on the List of Hold Requests in the upper pane. The details are displayed in the lower pane.

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8.5 DELETING A HOLD REQUEST

In the normal course of events, a hold request is deleted by the system if the requested item is loaned to the requesting patron.

There are several ways to delete hold requests manually:

Delete a Hold Request by Barcode
Delete a Hold Request from the Item Tab
Delete a Hold Request from the Patron Tab
Delete Multiple Hold Requests

When a single hold request is deleted, the system can automatically print a letter to the patron who placed a hold request, informing him that the item is no longer being held for him. This depends on the set up of your workstation.

8.5.1 Delete a Hold Request by Barcode

Choose in Requests menu / Hold requests / Deleting Single Hold Request by Barcode Enter your barcode in the following window.

If there is only one hold request for the item, it will be deleted automatically. If there is more than one hold request, the "Delete Single Hold Request By Barcode" window will be displayed, allowing you to view the list of hold requests and choose the one(s) you want to delete.

Delete

Click Delete to remove the highlighted request from the list.

Click Print to print a letter to a patron.

Expand

Click Expand to see detailed information about the highlighted hold request.

Update

Click Update to update the hold request. For example, to change the date on which the patron is interested in receiving the material.

8.5.2 Delete a Hold Request from the Item Tab

Retrieve an item in the Item tab.

Select the Hold Requests node.

Highlight a line on the List of Hold Requests pane and click Delete. You will be prompted to confirm deletion and to add a note as to why the hold request was deleted.

8.5.3 Delete a Hold Request from the Patron Tab

Retrieve a patron in the Patron tab.

Select the Hold Requests node.

Highlight a line on the List of Hold Requests pane and click Delete. You will be prompted to confirm deletion and to add a note as to why the hold request was deleted.

8.5.4 Delete Multiple Hold Requests

Use this option to delete several hold requests together. The scope of hold requests to be deleted is determined by the filters in the Delete Multiple Hold Requests window. Select Requests / Hold Requests / Delete Multiple Hold Requests from the Main menu. The Delete Multiple Hold Requests window will be displayed.

Fill in values to filter the hold requests you want to delete.

Request Date

This is the date on which the patron requested the material. You can delete requests starting from the date entered here. Select the type of request you want to delete, Active and/or Waiting requests.

End Request Date

This is the date up to which the patron is interested in receiving the material. You can delete requests up to and including the date entered here.

Hold request

The hold date is the date on which a letter was produced for the patron informing him that the requested material is ready to be picked up. (These hold requests have status "B".) You can delete requests up to and including the date entered here.

Sublibrary

Select a sublibrary from the list to delete hold requests for a particular sublibrary. Otherwise, leave the field blank.

Item Status

You may want to delete hold requests of items that have a particular status. Otherwise, leave the field blank.

Patron Status

You may want to delete hold requests for patrons having a particular status. Otherwise, leave the field blank.

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8.6 RETURNING ITEMS WITH HOLDS

If the Circulation Librarian has set the system to automatically display a list of hold requests for an item as soon as the item is returned (by using the function Set Up Return Options), the following screen will be displayed:

This window shows the list of hold requests for the returned item.

It is possible to set up the system to automatically choose and print letters for the first request on the list. A different setup would be to let the Circulation Librarian choose the request himself.

It depends on the setup of circ.ini [ReturnHold].

Expand

Click Expand to see detailed information about the highlighted hold request.

Update

Click Update to update the hold request.

Delete

Click Delete to remove a highlighted request from the list.

Letter

Click Letter to to print a letter to a patron

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8.7 UNCLAIMED ITEMS ON HOLD SHELF

This section explains what to do if the patron never picks up an item that is waiting for him on the hold shelf.

Use the "Hold Shelf Report" (cir-06) function available from the Services menu to identify items that have remained on the hold shelf for more than a specific period of time. Use the "Create List" function (--> unvalid Waiting Request) from the Circulation/Items menu to find items that have remained on the hold shelf for more than a specific period of time.

The function "Delete unvalid"(-->Waiting Request) enables you to delete the 'Waiting Requests'.

These items should be removed from the hold shelf. However, there may be additional hold requests for an item.

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8.8 PRINTING LETTERS TO PATRONS

After a patron places a hold request, the library will fill it if possible. In this case the library sends a Hold Request Filled letter to the patron to inform him that the item he requested is ready to be picked up.

If the hold request cannot currently be filled the library sends a Hold Request Not Filled letter to the patron informing him that the item he requested is currently not available and asking whether he wants to wait until the item is available.

8.8.1 Hold Request Filled

Send a "Hold Request Filled letter" to inform a patron that the item he requested is now available. Select Requests / Hold Requests / Print Letter - Hold Request Filled from the Main Menu. In the form that pops up, enter the item barcode and click OK. The following screen will be displayed:

This window shows the list of the item's hold requests. The list includes hold requests of all statuses: Title requested (V), Item requested (M), Provided (B) und (closed stack) request (S).

Expand

Click Expand to see detailed information about the highlighted hold request.

Update

Click Update to update the hold request.

Delete

Click Delete to remove a highlighted request from the list.

Letter

Click Letter to print a "Hold Request Filled letter" to the patron.

Whether or not the first of multiple hold requests in the list is automatically printed depends on the setup of circ.ini [ReturnHold].

Whether or not a library wants to charge the patron for Hold Request filled letters (a case in point is if the letter is sent by e-mail) depends on the setup of Hold Request Management.

8.8.2 Hold Request Not Filled

Send a "Hold Request Not Filled" letter to inform a patron that the item he requested is currently not available. Select Requests / Hold Requests / Print Letter - Hold Request Not Filled from the main Menu. In the form that pops up, enter the item barcode and click OK. The following screen will be displayed:

Letter

Click Letter to print a "Hold Request Not Filled" letter to the patron informing him that the item he requested is currently not available and asking whether he wants to wait until the item is available.

See the Hold Request Filled section above for an explanation of the rest of buttons.

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Go to next section (Recall Functionality)