SIP2 server and return of requested items

Question

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How is return of requested items handled in SIP2 server? Is it similar to return a GUI where a hold request slip is printed?

Answer

No-- SIP2 server is not performing the actions that are performed in GUI.

If a requested item in CIRCULATION-GUI is returned in general three actions take place:
1) The status of the hold record (Z37) is changed to "S" (shelfed)
2) A letter/email is printed to inform the requester that the item can be picked up
3) A slip is printed to be put in the item

In the SIP2-server these actions will NOT (!) take place when a requested item will be returned. This has been decided by Ex Libris as we think that it would be very critical to inform the patron that an item can be picked up without knowing for sure that the item has been sorted out properly. So in order to perform the above explained three actions the staff will need to perform an additional return of the item in GUI later. Thus the system will "knows" that the item is now put on hold shelf properly.

But in ALEPHs SIP2-server there are three different mechanisms to sort out requested items:

1) You can set the parameter return_message in tab_sip2.conf to Y. In this case if an item with a hold request is returned in SIP2, the error code 36 from ./error_eng/sip2_server will be used instead of 26 as a screen message for the patron:
0036 0000 L Return performed - please put this item into the red box.
In addition the alert flag in the SIP2-response is activated. This "human-readable" message is helpful if patrons are doing the return on their own (without a book-sorting-devices).

2) In tab_sip2_alert you can define pickup libraries in col. 3 to set up a specific alert type and to activate the alert flag in the response.

3) In col. 3 of tab_sip2_sort_bin you can define "Y" to set up special sort bin for requested items.

Which of the three mechanisms is used, is depending on the requirements of the device.

Category: Circulation (500)

Subject: Self check (500)

• Article last edited: 10/8/2013