Can hold requests end-requests-date take account of patron expiry date?

• Article Type: General
• Product: Aleph
• Product Version: 18.01

Description:
We've noticed that the z37_end_request_date takes no account of the patron's expiry date, it is always set as our default 6 months hence. Thus in the weeks after the end of term, a lot of books came back and came up as being on hold, but they were actually held for patrons who had expired, and the hold slips said "Returned on [today], On Hold until [today]."

Is it actually possible to tell the z37_end_request_date to take account of the patron's expiry date?

Resolution:
Currently there is no way to check the z37_end_request_date against z305_expiry_date. We are not sure if most of our customers would like such an enhancement. There might be cases where it is a wanted behaviour that the z37_end_request_date is later than the exipiry date. For example a patron whos expiry date will be some weeks may place a hold request that should be valid for one year or more. Before his borrower card expire he may renew his registration. In such a case it would not be a good idea to have to recreate all expired hold requests.

The purpose of the z305_expiry_date is mainly to avoid that the patron has any item loaned after the date is passed. So it is not critical if there are z37-records with later end request dates.

• Article last edited: 10/8/2013