[OPEN-ILS-GENERAL] Holds Queue

[Jason Etheridge]

On Fri, Oct 1, 2010 at 9:26 AM, James Wagner
<wagner at lincoln.library.on.ca> wrote:
> Many times, when patrons put holds on items, they want to know where they
> are in the Holds Queue. In Staff Client we can go to View Holds to see where
> they are on the list. Is there some way for patrons to see what position
> they are in the Holds Queue from their account in the OPAC?

In EG 2.0 (currently in alpha testing), there is a Queue Position
column for various holds lists in the staff client.  It's not in the
default skin for the OPAC, though it probably wouldn't be difficult to
add.

However, unless the "Holds: FIFO" setting is in effect (where FIFO
stands for First-In, First-Out), the Queue Position is a bit of a
fiction (an estimate), since there can be effectively multiple hold
queues, where holds with a given pickup lib get dibs on items found at
or coming into that pickup lib.  There's also a "Top of Queue" (or
Cut-In-Line) field on holds, which if set to true, gives such holds
priority over its peers (effectively making yet another queue).  Staff
can also directly modify the Request Date on a hold, which effectively
re-orders the holds queue.

Without FIFO, the answer to the question "Am I next in line?" isn't
straightforward, and even then, it can be affected by staff.

-- 
Jason Etheridge
 | VP, Tactical Development
 | Equinox Software, Inc. / Your Library's Guide to Open Source
 | phone:  1-877-OPEN-ILS (673-6457)
 | email:  jason at esilibrary.com
 | web:  http://www.esilibrary.com