Re: [OPEN-ILS-GENERAL] Checking out holds to an alternate patron
I'm on the fence about this one. On the one hand - we run into the same scenario, absolutely. I find it hard to imagine any public library doesn't. On the other hand our policies regarding privacy and patron accounts might keep us from taking advantage of such a feature despite it's utility. With the correct patron opt in features ... maybe. Though that might dissuade my libraries from using it due to having to take it to the individual boards and educating users. So an ambiguous maybe? On Thu, Nov 7, 2013 at 12:41 AM, Kathy Lussier kluss...@masslnc.org wrote: Hi all, One big issue for our libraries has been the workflow in checking out items when the patron sends a family member or another person to pick up a hold on their behalf. We've been exploring different possibilities for development to improve this workflow. There are various ways our libraries handle this situation, but the following is a likely workflow: - A patron goes to the library and picks up their spouse's hold. They might pick it up from a self-service holds shelf or, if the holds shelf is behind the desk, they will ask staff for the item. - We have some libraries that use notes to verify who is allowed to pick up holds. In other libraries, particularly the smaller ones, staff may know by sight who is allowed to pick up a patron's holds. Libraries also have different policies on whether the hold should be checked out to the person who has picked up the hold or the person who originally placed the hold. - For those libraries that check out the item to the person who is picking up the hold, when they perform the checkout, they receive the message saying that the item is on hold for somebody else. Staff who have permission can then override that message and continue with the checkout. - The hold for the original patron remains, and there is no easy way to cancel that hold from this screen. Instead, staff need to retrieve the record for the original patron to cancel the hold. If they don't follow this last step, the hold remains on the patron's account and gets filled again. Circ staff who have the right permissions have the ability to perform the checkout and cancel the original hold so that the transaction can be completed. However, it takes several steps, particularly when it comes to the hold cancellation. MassLNC is considering a development project that would leverage a friends infrastructure already built into Evergreen that would allow us to easily manage who can pick up whose holds and automate the process a bit. If we decide to move forward with this project, I know I'll be sharing more information on this list as we work through some of the implementation details. However, we also recognize that, even if we provide a means for patrons to identify who can pick up their holds, there will continue to be situations where friends/family who have not yet been linked to a patron's account will be sent to the library to pick up someone's holds. In those situations, we still would like an easier way to handle the checkout. Here are our thoughts for improving the workflow: - If an item from the hold shelf is checked out to another patron, staff receive a prompt saying that the item is on hold for somebody else. This alert should display the name of the person for whom the item is on hold. - This prompt should provide three options: an option to cancel the checkout; to proceed with the checkout and remove the original patron from the holds queue; or to proceed with the checkout but leave the original patron in the holds queue. - The system should continue to use the same permissions it does today to determine if staff is authorized to proceed with the checkout by overriding the alert or authorized to cancel the hold. We aren't looking to give staff the ability to do anything they can't already do. We're basically trying to remove some of the steps required to complete the transaction. Before moving further on this project, I wanted to throw the idea out to the community to see if others would view this additional option on the prompt as an acceptable workflow improvement. Thanks! Kathy -- Kathy Lussier Project Coordinator Massachusetts Library Network Cooperative(508) 343-0128kluss...@masslnc.org Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kmlussier -- Rogan Hamby, MLS, CCNP, MIA Managers Headquarters Library and Reference Services, York County Library System You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me. -- C.S. Lewis http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1069006.C_S_Lewis
Re: [OPEN-ILS-GENERAL] Checking out holds to an alternate patron
I believe the improved workflow is (more of less) how our current closed-source ILS does things - so it would certainly be of use for us, and a feature our staff would want to have. -- Ystävällisin terveisin Pasi Kallinen ICT-asiantuntija p. 0400-139747 pasi.kalli...@pttk.fimailto:kari-pekka.torro...@pttk.fi Länsikatu 15 80110 Joensuu Pohjois-Karjalan Tietotekniikkakeskus Oy - www.pttk.fihttp://www.pttk.fi/ From: open-ils-general-boun...@list.georgialibraries.org [open-ils-general-boun...@list.georgialibraries.org] on behalf of Kathy Lussier [kluss...@masslnc.org] Sent: Thursday, November 07, 2013 07:41 To: Evergreen General Discussion List Subject: [OPEN-ILS-GENERAL] Checking out holds to an alternate patron Hi all, One big issue for our libraries has been the workflow in checking out items when the patron sends a family member or another person to pick up a hold on their behalf. We've been exploring different possibilities for development to improve this workflow. There are various ways our libraries handle this situation, but the following is a likely workflow: - A patron goes to the library and picks up their spouse's hold. They might pick it up from a self-service holds shelf or, if the holds shelf is behind the desk, they will ask staff for the item. - We have some libraries that use notes to verify who is allowed to pick up holds. In other libraries, particularly the smaller ones, staff may know by sight who is allowed to pick up a patron's holds. Libraries also have different policies on whether the hold should be checked out to the person who has picked up the hold or the person who originally placed the hold. - For those libraries that check out the item to the person who is picking up the hold, when they perform the checkout, they receive the message saying that the item is on hold for somebody else. Staff who have permission can then override that message and continue with the checkout. - The hold for the original patron remains, and there is no easy way to cancel that hold from this screen. Instead, staff need to retrieve the record for the original patron to cancel the hold. If they don't follow this last step, the hold remains on the patron's account and gets filled again. Circ staff who have the right permissions have the ability to perform the checkout and cancel the original hold so that the transaction can be completed. However, it takes several steps, particularly when it comes to the hold cancellation. MassLNC is considering a development project that would leverage a friends infrastructure already built into Evergreen that would allow us to easily manage who can pick up whose holds and automate the process a bit. If we decide to move forward with this project, I know I'll be sharing more information on this list as we work through some of the implementation details. However, we also recognize that, even if we provide a means for patrons to identify who can pick up their holds, there will continue to be situations where friends/family who have not yet been linked to a patron's account will be sent to the library to pick up someone's holds. In those situations, we still would like an easier way to handle the checkout. Here are our thoughts for improving the workflow: - If an item from the hold shelf is checked out to another patron, staff receive a prompt saying that the item is on hold for somebody else. This alert should display the name of the person for whom the item is on hold. - This prompt should provide three options: an option to cancel the checkout; to proceed with the checkout and remove the original patron from the holds queue; or to proceed with the checkout but leave the original patron in the holds queue. - The system should continue to use the same permissions it does today to determine if staff is authorized to proceed with the checkout by overriding the alert or authorized to cancel the hold. We aren't looking to give staff the ability to do anything they can't already do. We're basically trying to remove some of the steps required to complete the transaction. Before moving further on this project, I wanted to throw the idea out to the community to see if others would view this additional option on the prompt as an acceptable workflow improvement. Thanks! Kathy -- Kathy Lussier Project Coordinator Massachusetts Library Network Cooperative (508) 343-0128 kluss...@masslnc.orgmailto:kluss...@masslnc.org Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kmlussier
Re: [OPEN-ILS-GENERAL] Checking out holds to an alternate patron
We heard about this possible development at the Evergreen roundtable at NELA and were very excited -- this is, hands down, our number one staff complaint of 'something that makes us think longingly of our old system'. Right now, our library handles the permission issues totally offline: Patron A signs a form giving Patron B permission to pick up holds and we put a note on their account. Our previous ILS always asked if you wanted to cancel a hold when you checked out something from the hold shelf to a different person, so remembering to do it separately has been a big problem here. Kate Butler Technology Librarian Rodgers Memorial Library (Hudson, NH) http://www.rodgerslibrary.org/ From: open-ils-general-boun...@list.georgialibraries.org [mailto:open-ils-general-boun...@list.georgialibraries.org] On Behalf Of Kathy Lussier Sent: Thursday, November 07, 2013 12:41 AM To: Evergreen General Discussion List Subject: [OPEN-ILS-GENERAL] Checking out holds to an alternate patron Hi all, One big issue for our libraries has been the workflow in checking out items when the patron sends a family member or another person to pick up a hold on their behalf. We've been exploring different possibilities for development to improve this workflow. There are various ways our libraries handle this situation, but the following is a likely workflow: - A patron goes to the library and picks up their spouse's hold. They might pick it up from a self-service holds shelf or, if the holds shelf is behind the desk, they will ask staff for the item. - We have some libraries that use notes to verify who is allowed to pick up holds. In other libraries, particularly the smaller ones, staff may know by sight who is allowed to pick up a patron's holds. Libraries also have different policies on whether the hold should be checked out to the person who has picked up the hold or the person who originally placed the hold. - For those libraries that check out the item to the person who is picking up the hold, when they perform the checkout, they receive the message saying that the item is on hold for somebody else. Staff who have permission can then override that message and continue with the checkout. - The hold for the original patron remains, and there is no easy way to cancel that hold from this screen. Instead, staff need to retrieve the record for the original patron to cancel the hold. If they don't follow this last step, the hold remains on the patron's account and gets filled again. Circ staff who have the right permissions have the ability to perform the checkout and cancel the original hold so that the transaction can be completed. However, it takes several steps, particularly when it comes to the hold cancellation. MassLNC is considering a development project that would leverage a friends infrastructure already built into Evergreen that would allow us to easily manage who can pick up whose holds and automate the process a bit. If we decide to move forward with this project, I know I'll be sharing more information on this list as we work through some of the implementation details. However, we also recognize that, even if we provide a means for patrons to identify who can pick up their holds, there will continue to be situations where friends/family who have not yet been linked to a patron's account will be sent to the library to pick up someone's holds. In those situations, we still would like an easier way to handle the checkout. Here are our thoughts for improving the workflow: - If an item from the hold shelf is checked out to another patron, staff receive a prompt saying that the item is on hold for somebody else. This alert should display the name of the person for whom the item is on hold. - This prompt should provide three options: an option to cancel the checkout; to proceed with the checkout and remove the original patron from the holds queue; or to proceed with the checkout but leave the original patron in the holds queue. - The system should continue to use the same permissions it does today to determine if staff is authorized to proceed with the checkout by overriding the alert or authorized to cancel the hold. We aren't looking to give staff the ability to do anything they can't already do. We're basically trying to remove some of the steps required to complete the transaction. Before moving further on this project, I wanted to throw the idea out to the community to see if others would view this additional option on the prompt as an acceptable workflow improvement. Thanks! Kathy -- Kathy Lussier Project Coordinator Massachusetts Library Network Cooperative (508) 343-0128 kluss...@masslnc.orgmailto:kluss...@masslnc.org Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kmlussier
Re: [OPEN-ILS-GENERAL] Checking out holds to an alternate patron
I'd also like to add a +1 to this conversation. On Thu, Nov 7, 2013 at 9:42 AM, Kate Butler katebut...@rodgerslibrary.orgwrote: We heard about this possible development at the Evergreen roundtable at NELA and were very excited -- this is, hands down, our number one staff complaint of ‘something that makes us think longingly of our old system’. Right now, our library handles the permission issues totally offline: Patron A signs a form giving Patron B permission to pick up holds and we put a note on their account. Our previous ILS always asked if you wanted to cancel a hold when you checked out something from the hold shelf to a different person, so remembering to do it separately has been a big problem here. Kate Butler Technology Librarian Rodgers Memorial Library (Hudson, NH) http://www.rodgerslibrary.org/ *From:* open-ils-general-boun...@list.georgialibraries.org [mailto: open-ils-general-boun...@list.georgialibraries.org] *On Behalf Of *Kathy Lussier *Sent:* Thursday, November 07, 2013 12:41 AM *To:* Evergreen General Discussion List *Subject:* [OPEN-ILS-GENERAL] Checking out holds to an alternate patron Hi all, One big issue for our libraries has been the workflow in checking out items when the patron sends a family member or another person to pick up a hold on their behalf. We've been exploring different possibilities for development to improve this workflow. There are various ways our libraries handle this situation, but the following is a likely workflow: - A patron goes to the library and picks up their spouse's hold. They might pick it up from a self-service holds shelf or, if the holds shelf is behind the desk, they will ask staff for the item. - We have some libraries that use notes to verify who is allowed to pick up holds. In other libraries, particularly the smaller ones, staff may know by sight who is allowed to pick up a patron's holds. Libraries also have different policies on whether the hold should be checked out to the person who has picked up the hold or the person who originally placed the hold. - For those libraries that check out the item to the person who is picking up the hold, when they perform the checkout, they receive the message saying that the item is on hold for somebody else. Staff who have permission can then override that message and continue with the checkout. - The hold for the original patron remains, and there is no easy way to cancel that hold from this screen. Instead, staff need to retrieve the record for the original patron to cancel the hold. If they don't follow this last step, the hold remains on the patron's account and gets filled again. Circ staff who have the right permissions have the ability to perform the checkout and cancel the original hold so that the transaction can be completed. However, it takes several steps, particularly when it comes to the hold cancellation. MassLNC is considering a development project that would leverage a friends infrastructure already built into Evergreen that would allow us to easily manage who can pick up whose holds and automate the process a bit. If we decide to move forward with this project, I know I'll be sharing more information on this list as we work through some of the implementation details. However, we also recognize that, even if we provide a means for patrons to identify who can pick up their holds, there will continue to be situations where friends/family who have not yet been linked to a patron's account will be sent to the library to pick up someone's holds. In those situations, we still would like an easier way to handle the checkout. Here are our thoughts for improving the workflow: - If an item from the hold shelf is checked out to another patron, staff receive a prompt saying that the item is on hold for somebody else. This alert should display the name of the person for whom the item is on hold. - This prompt should provide three options: an option to cancel the checkout; to proceed with the checkout and remove the original patron from the holds queue; or to proceed with the checkout but leave the original patron in the holds queue. - The system should continue to use the same permissions it does today to determine if staff is authorized to proceed with the checkout by overriding the alert or authorized to cancel the hold. We aren't looking to give staff the ability to do anything they can't already do. We're basically trying to remove some of the steps required to complete the transaction. Before moving further on this project, I wanted to throw the idea out to the community to see if others would view this additional option on the prompt as an acceptable workflow improvement. Thanks! Kathy -- Kathy Lussier Project Coordinator Massachusetts Library Network Cooperative (508) 343-0128 kluss...@masslnc.org Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kmlussier -- Ruth Frasur
Re: [OPEN-ILS-GENERAL] Checking out holds to an alternate patron
Something along this line would be a welcome addition in Clarendon. On 2013-11-06 22:41, Kathy Lussier wrote: Hi all, One big issue for our libraries has been the workflow in checking out items when the patron sends a family member or another person to pick up a hold on their behalf. We've been exploring different possibilities for development to improve this workflow. There are various ways our libraries handle this situation, but the following is a likely workflow: - A patron goes to the library and picks up their spouse's hold. They might pick it up from a self-service holds shelf or, if the holds shelf is behind the desk, they will ask staff for the item. - We have some libraries that use notes to verify who is allowed to pick up holds. In other libraries, particularly the smaller ones, staff may know by sight who is allowed to pick up a patron's holds. Libraries also have different policies on whether the hold should be checked out to the person who has picked up the hold or the person who originally placed the hold. - For those libraries that check out the item to the person who is picking up the hold, when they perform the checkout, they receive the message saying that the item is on hold for somebody else. Staff who have permission can then override that message and continue with the checkout. - The hold for the original patron remains, and there is no easy way to cancel that hold from this screen. Instead, staff need to retrieve the record for the original patron to cancel the hold. If they don't follow this last step, the hold remains on the patron's account and gets filled again. Circ staff who have the right permissions have the ability to perform the checkout and cancel the original hold so that the transaction can be completed. However, it takes several steps, particularly when it comes to the hold cancellation. MassLNC is considering a development project that would leverage a friends infrastructure already built into Evergreen that would allow us to easily manage who can pick up whose holds and automate the process a bit. If we decide to move forward with this project, I know I'll be sharing more information on this list as we work through some of the implementation details. However, we also recognize that, even if we provide a means for patrons to identify who can pick up their holds, there will continue to be situations where friends/family who have not yet been linked to a patron's account will be sent to the library to pick up someone's holds. In those situations, we still would like an easier way to handle the checkout. Here are our thoughts for improving the workflow: - If an item from the hold shelf is checked out to another patron, staff receive a prompt saying that the item is on hold for somebody else. This alert should display the name of the person for whom the item is on hold. - This prompt should provide three options: an option to cancel the checkout; to proceed with the checkout and remove the original patron from the holds queue; or to proceed with the checkout but leave the original patron in the holds queue. - The system should continue to use the same permissions it does today to determine if staff is authorized to proceed with the checkout by overriding the alert or authorized to cancel the hold. We aren't looking to give staff the ability to do anything they can't already do. We're basically trying to remove some of the steps required to complete the transaction. Before moving further on this project, I wanted to throw the idea out to the community to see if others would view this additional option on the prompt as an acceptable workflow improvement. Thanks! Kathy * * * -- Kathy Lussier Project Coordinator Massachusetts Library Network Cooperative (508) 343-0128 kluss...@masslnc.org Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kmlussier [1] Links: -- [1] http://www.twitter.com/kmlussier
Re: [OPEN-ILS-GENERAL] Checking out holds to an alternate patron
+1. Our legacy ILS had this feature and it made managing the described situations very easy. CM Chauncey G. Montgomery, MLIS Director/Fiscal Officer | Community Library 44 Burrer Drive | Sunbury, OH 43074 740-965-3901 | http://community.lib.oh.us On 11/07/2013 12:41 AM, Kathy Lussier wrote: Hi all, One big issue for our libraries has been the workflow in checking out items when the patron sends a family member or another person to pick up a hold on their behalf. We've been exploring different possibilities for development to improve this workflow. There are various ways our libraries handle this situation, but the following is a likely workflow: - A patron goes to the library and picks up their spouse's hold. They might pick it up from a self-service holds shelf or, if the holds shelf is behind the desk, they will ask staff for the item. - We have some libraries that use notes to verify who is allowed to pick up holds. In other libraries, particularly the smaller ones, staff may know by sight who is allowed to pick up a patron's holds. Libraries also have different policies on whether the hold should be checked out to the person who has picked up the hold or the person who originally placed the hold. - For those libraries that check out the item to the person who is picking up the hold, when they perform the checkout, they receive the message saying that the item is on hold for somebody else. Staff who have permission can then override that message and continue with the checkout. - The hold for the original patron remains, and there is no easy way to cancel that hold from this screen. Instead, staff need to retrieve the record for the original patron to cancel the hold. If they don't follow this last step, the hold remains on the patron's account and gets filled again. Circ staff who have the right permissions have the ability to perform the checkout and cancel the original hold so that the transaction can be completed. However, it takes several steps, particularly when it comes to the hold cancellation. MassLNC is considering a development project that would leverage a friends infrastructure already built into Evergreen that would allow us to easily manage who can pick up whose holds and automate the process a bit. If we decide to move forward with this project, I know I'll be sharing more information on this list as we work through some of the implementation details. However, we also recognize that, even if we provide a means for patrons to identify who can pick up their holds, there will continue to be situations where friends/family who have not yet been linked to a patron's account will be sent to the library to pick up someone's holds. In those situations, we still would like an easier way to handle the checkout. Here are our thoughts for improving the workflow: - If an item from the hold shelf is checked out to another patron, staff receive a prompt saying that the item is on hold for somebody else. This alert should display the name of the person for whom the item is on hold. - This prompt should provide three options: an option to cancel the checkout; to proceed with the checkout and remove the original patron from the holds queue; or to proceed with the checkout but leave the original patron in the holds queue. - The system should continue to use the same permissions it does today to determine if staff is authorized to proceed with the checkout by overriding the alert or authorized to cancel the hold. We aren't looking to give staff the ability to do anything they can't already do. We're basically trying to remove some of the steps required to complete the transaction. Before moving further on this project, I wanted to throw the idea out to the community to see if others would view this additional option on the prompt as an acceptable workflow improvement. Thanks! Kathy -- Kathy Lussier Project Coordinator Massachusetts Library Network Cooperative (508) 343-0128 kluss...@masslnc.org Twitter:http://www.twitter.com/kmlussier
Re: [OPEN-ILS-GENERAL] Checking out holds to an alternate patron
+1 from Germantown. My staff would see Kathy's suggestion as a substantial improvement. Thanks. Joe Joseph Knueven Director Germantown Public Library 51 N. Plum St. Germantown, OH 45327 937-855-4001 knuev...@oplin.org On 11/7/2013 10:38 AM, jbry...@clarendoncountylibrary.com wrote: Something along this line would be a welcome addition in Clarendon. On 2013-11-06 22:41, Kathy Lussier wrote: Hi all, One big issue for our libraries has been the workflow in checking out items when the patron sends a family member or another person to pick up a hold on their behalf. We've been exploring different possibilities for development to improve this workflow. There are various ways our libraries handle this situation, but the following is a likely workflow: - A patron goes to the library and picks up their spouse's hold. They might pick it up from a self-service holds shelf or, if the holds shelf is behind the desk, they will ask staff for the item. - We have some libraries that use notes to verify who is allowed to pick up holds. In other libraries, particularly the smaller ones, staff may know by sight who is allowed to pick up a patron's holds. Libraries also have different policies on whether the hold should be checked out to the person who has picked up the hold or the person who originally placed the hold. - For those libraries that check out the item to the person who is picking up the hold, when they perform the checkout, they receive the message saying that the item is on hold for somebody else. Staff who have permission can then override that message and continue with the checkout. - The hold for the original patron remains, and there is no easy way to cancel that hold from this screen. Instead, staff need to retrieve the record for the original patron to cancel the hold. If they don't follow this last step, the hold remains on the patron's account and gets filled again. Circ staff who have the right permissions have the ability to perform the checkout and cancel the original hold so that the transaction can be completed. However, it takes several steps, particularly when it comes to the hold cancellation. MassLNC is considering a development project that would leverage a friends infrastructure already built into Evergreen that would allow us to easily manage who can pick up whose holds and automate the process a bit. If we decide to move forward with this project, I know I'll be sharing more information on this list as we work through some of the implementation details. However, we also recognize that, even if we provide a means for patrons to identify who can pick up their holds, there will continue to be situations where friends/family who have not yet been linked to a patron's account will be sent to the library to pick up someone's holds. In those situations, we still would like an easier way to handle the checkout. Here are our thoughts for improving the workflow: - If an item from the hold shelf is checked out to another patron, staff receive a prompt saying that the item is on hold for somebody else. This alert should display the name of the person for whom the item is on hold. - This prompt should provide three options: an option to cancel the checkout; to proceed with the checkout and remove the original patron from the holds queue; or to proceed with the checkout but leave the original patron in the holds queue. - The system should continue to use the same permissions it does today to determine if staff is authorized to proceed with the checkout by overriding the alert or authorized to cancel the hold. We aren't looking to give staff the ability to do anything they can't already do. We're basically trying to remove some of the steps required to complete the transaction. Before moving further on this project, I wanted to throw the idea out to the community to see if others would view this additional option on the prompt as an acceptable workflow improvement. Thanks! Kathy * * * -- Kathy Lussier Project Coordinator Massachusetts Library Network Cooperative (508) 343-0128 kluss...@masslnc.org Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kmlussier [1] Links: -- [1] http://www.twitter.com/kmlussier
Re: [OPEN-ILS-GENERAL] Checking out holds to an alternate patron
Our staff would love to have this workflow feature: - This prompt should provide three options: an option to cancel the checkout; to proceed with the checkout and remove the original patron from the holds queue; or to proceed with the checkout but leave the original patron in the holds queue. Laurie Love Circ Mgr Wilkes County Public Library ll...@arlibrary.org From: open-ils-general-boun...@list.georgialibraries.org [mailto:open-ils-general-boun...@list.georgialibraries.org] On Behalf Of Kathy Lussier Sent: Thursday, November 07, 2013 12:41 AM To: Evergreen General Discussion List Subject: [OPEN-ILS-GENERAL] Checking out holds to an alternate patron Hi all, One big issue for our libraries has been the workflow in checking out items when the patron sends a family member or another person to pick up a hold on their behalf. We've been exploring different possibilities for development to improve this workflow. There are various ways our libraries handle this situation, but the following is a likely workflow: - A patron goes to the library and picks up their spouse's hold. They might pick it up from a self-service holds shelf or, if the holds shelf is behind the desk, they will ask staff for the item. - We have some libraries that use notes to verify who is allowed to pick up holds. In other libraries, particularly the smaller ones, staff may know by sight who is allowed to pick up a patron's holds. Libraries also have different policies on whether the hold should be checked out to the person who has picked up the hold or the person who originally placed the hold. - For those libraries that check out the item to the person who is picking up the hold, when they perform the checkout, they receive the message saying that the item is on hold for somebody else. Staff who have permission can then override that message and continue with the checkout. - The hold for the original patron remains, and there is no easy way to cancel that hold from this screen. Instead, staff need to retrieve the record for the original patron to cancel the hold. If they don't follow this last step, the hold remains on the patron's account and gets filled again. Circ staff who have the right permissions have the ability to perform the checkout and cancel the original hold so that the transaction can be completed. However, it takes several steps, particularly when it comes to the hold cancellation. MassLNC is considering a development project that would leverage a friends infrastructure already built into Evergreen that would allow us to easily manage who can pick up whose holds and automate the process a bit. If we decide to move forward with this project, I know I'll be sharing more information on this list as we work through some of the implementation details. However, we also recognize that, even if we provide a means for patrons to identify who can pick up their holds, there will continue to be situations where friends/family who have not yet been linked to a patron's account will be sent to the library to pick up someone's holds. In those situations, we still would like an easier way to handle the checkout. Here are our thoughts for improving the workflow: - If an item from the hold shelf is checked out to another patron, staff receive a prompt saying that the item is on hold for somebody else. This alert should display the name of the person for whom the item is on hold. - This prompt should provide three options: an option to cancel the checkout; to proceed with the checkout and remove the original patron from the holds queue; or to proceed with the checkout but leave the original patron in the holds queue. - The system should continue to use the same permissions it does today to determine if staff is authorized to proceed with the checkout by overriding the alert or authorized to cancel the hold. We aren't looking to give staff the ability to do anything they can't already do. We're basically trying to remove some of the steps required to complete the transaction. Before moving further on this project, I wanted to throw the idea out to the community to see if others would view this additional option on the prompt as an acceptable workflow improvement. Thanks! Kathy -- Kathy Lussier Project Coordinator Massachusetts Library Network Cooperative (508) 343-0128 kluss...@masslnc.orgmailto:kluss...@masslnc.org Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kmlussier
Re: [OPEN-ILS-GENERAL] Checking out holds to an alternate patron
Thanks, Kathy. Our libraries will love it. Added my thought below. Hoping it may further facilitate the front line staff. - If an item from the hold shelf is checked out to another patron, staff receive a prompt saying that the item is on hold for somebody else. This alert should display the name of the person for whom the item is on hold. On the prompt, add a link on the person's name to retrieve the account in a new tab. This will help staff check whether there is any note or alert or similar message in the account allowing the hold to be pickup up other people (to address the privacy issue). - This prompt should provide three options: an option to cancel the checkout; to proceed with the checkout and remove the original patron from the holds queue; or to proceed with the checkout but leave the original patron in the holds queue. If the 2nd option is chosen, the hold is treated as filled instead of cancelled, for accurate stats. - The system should continue to use the same permissions it does today to determine if staff is authorized to proceed with the checkout by overriding the alert or authorized to cancel the hold. We aren't looking to give staff the ability to do anything they can't already do. We're basically trying to remove some of the steps required to complete the transaction. Before moving further on this project, I wanted to throw the idea out to the community to see if others would view this additional option on the prompt as an acceptable workflow improvement. Thanks! Kathy -- Kathy Lussier Project Coordinator Massachusetts Library Network Cooperative (508) 343-0128 kluss...@masslnc.org Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kmlussier Tina Ji 1-888-848-9250 Trainer/Help Desk Specialist BC Libraries Cooperative/Sitka
