Thursday, June 14, 2007

Placing Holds for Items Available at Other Locations

Go Live 2We have received our first Pick List report! I have received notice that a few copy level holds were placed with agency hold accounts on items showing available at other agencies. Copy level, agency hold account holds should only be used when a staff member has the item in their hand.

If you are helping a customer who wants a book placed on hold that is available at another location, you have a couple of options:

First, you can suggest what we have always suggested: that the customer (or you) call the location with an available copy. That location would then place a COPY level hold on the item (because they have it in their hand) with the pick-up location's hold account (pkyhold, cenhold, etc.). This guarantees immediately that the customer will have a copy. Because we are placing a hold with an agency hold account, the customer will NOT be notified when this item reaches the pickup location. We give the same advice we always have ("I will send this book, it should be there tomorrow, but I would suggest calling to make sure it got there"). This process is described in detail here.

Second, if the customer would rather not call or if the location with an available copy is currently closed, you can place a TITLE level hold on the item. It is necessary to have the customer's library card number since it is not possible for a staff member to get their hands on the book. This hold will appear on the owning agency's next pick list report. The customer will then be automatically notified as soon as the item reaches the pickup location. These are the same procedures we follow if all copies are checked out, detailed here.

If you have any questions regarding this process, please let me know (email, phone, comments, wiki discussion page, etc.).

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