Recalls placed via OPAC not working

Description

A patron can place a request in the OPAC for an item that is currently on loan to another patron, but GUI Circ does not reflect this recall request for the patron who placed it, and no recall notice is being sent to the original borrower.
However, if the request is made in the GUI, the patron's hold list shows it and the recall notice is produced. 

Resolution

The z37 records for recall/holds placed via the Aleph OPAC or Primo can be distinguished by the fact that they always have a blank z37_cataloger_name, while requests placed via the GUI have the username of the staff member who created the hold as the z37_cataloger_name.   

Whether requests placed via the Web are treated as recalls or holds is determined by the www_server.conf www_z37_recall_type value.  If this value is "01", they are treated as recalls; if "03", as hold requests.

The following SQL shows the z37_recall_type for requests placed via the Web during a particular time period: 
SQL> select z37_open_date, z37_rec_key, z37_id, z37_recall_type from z37 where z37_cataloger_name is null and z37_open_date > 'yyyymmdd' order by z37_open_date; 

If '01' is intended and desired, but the www_z37_recall_type is currently set to '03', you can change it and restart the www_server. In addition, SQL can be used to change all of the existing still-active requests for holds (03) to recalls (01).  The effect of this change will be that the next run of cir-13 ("Recall Items on Loan") will process them as recalls and the z36_recall_date, z36_recall_due_date, z36_due_date*, and z36_recall_type fields in the item loan records will be updated.  (*The change to the z36_due_date will occur only if your Circ policies call for the reduction in the loan period for recalled items.) 

Additional Information

Sample SQL for updating z37_recall_type for existing requests placed via the Web:
SQL>  update z37 set z37_recall_type = '01' where z37_cataloger_name is null and z37_open_date > '20160721' and z37_status = 'A'; 
(Note: The z37 table should be backed up via the file-03 Service before making any such
update.) 

• Article last edited: 10-Aug-2016