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    Like-item holds and holds for on-shelf items - mutually incompatible?

    • Article Type: General
    • Product: Aleph
    • Product Version: 19.01

    Description:
    We began with turning tab 15 col. 11 to N, so that only one hold (recall actually) could be placed on all the items when they were out. If one of the items was not out, the user received the message that there was a like-item on the shelf.

    Fast-forward – we were asked to set up inter-campus pickup:

    We adjusted our users records: Z305-HOLD-ON-SHELF = "Y", which allows the user to place a hold on a item on the shelf. So our users can now request that an item on the shelf be delivered to the second campus.

    (check_hold_request_g.cbl has the logic: IF Z305-HOLD-ON-SHELF = "Y", then do not issue the "Item or like copy is on shelf" message.)

    We now have this situation: one copy is on the shelf; the other copy is out. If the user requests the former, they can place a request – there is no message: “Like-item” on shelf. But if another person finds it in the stacks and tries to take it out, the system captures it for the recall request – so the system at that point is thinking ‘like-item’.

    (If they request the one on the shelf, it lets them request delivery to the other campus. That is okay.)

    On the test server I turned off check_hold_request_g in the INFO section – makes no difference. Still no message.

    What we need the system to do:

    If there is a like-item on the shelf, do not allow a recall against the other items that are out, regardless of the state of Z305-HOLD-ON-SHELF.
    Is there any way to setup the system so it works this way?

    Resolution:
    If the following five conditions exist:

    1. column 11 of tab15.eng (“the request will be for the specific item, not another like copy”) is set to N then
    2. Hold request permission for item on shelf = "Y" for the patron
    3. A record has two items: One on loan, one not on loan.
    4. The tab_hold_request check_hold_request_o is present.
    5, The tab100 SUB-LIBRARY-DIVISION=N and HOLD-REQUEST-COLLECTION=N.

    What happens now?
    A patron can place a hold request on the item which is on loan and not get a message “Like-item” on shelf.

    What should happen?
    A patron should not be able to place a hold request on the item which is on loan. He should get the message “Requested item has a like copy on shelf".

    **The customer (McGill/Jane Aitkens) solved the problem by changing the order of the checks in tab_hold_request.**

    They put the check for like copies (o) before all the others. Now the message appears that there is a like item on the shelf, and the hold is refused.

    P.S. our tab_100 switch for AVAILABILITY-ROUTINE is set to 2.

    i.e.
    INFO check_hold_request_o
    INFO check_hold_request_d
    INFO check_hold_request_f
    INFO check_hold_request_g
    INFO check_hold_request_i
    INFO check_hold_request_j
    INFO check_hold_request_k
    INFO check_hold_request_m

    POST check_hold_request_o
    POST check_hold_request_d
    POST check_hold_request_f
    POST check_hold_request_g
    POST check_hold_request_h
    POST check_hold_request_m
    POST check_hold_request_r
    POST check_hold_request_s
    POST check_hold_request_t


    • Article last edited: 10/8/2013
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