[OPEN-ILS-GENERAL] Hold queues and due dates

[Vicki Reeves]

And on the otherside of this issue, knowing the due date does not really
indicate when the item will be available.  Many items are kept overdue,
returned at a different branch (requiring time to transfer) or even
returned early.  In the library world there is no way to guarentee when
an item will be available.  We'd rather not make promises based on ifey
information.

On Thu, 2011-02-03 at 13:56 -0500, Don & Mickey Cameron wrote:
> I have three holds on books at my local library but thanks to the  
> recent installation of Evergreen I have no idea when any of them will  
> be available. With the cataloging system that Evergreen replaced, I  
> knew whether there was one or any number of other patrons ahead of me.  
> Similarly, when I call up the details of a particular book I learn  
> whether it is available or checked out but have no indication of when  
> it is due back in the library. The old software told me that, too.
> 
> Instead, Evergreen tells me whether a book is damaged, being  
> reshelved, in process, in transit, or in various other situations that  
> are of no concern to the library patron. I have yet to find anything  
> other than a zero under any of these headings. The director of my  
> local library tells me his staff want the information about holds and  
> due-dates reinstated but theirs is the only outlet pushing for this in  
> their regional library grouping.
> 
> I am sure I am not the only library patron who would appreciate having  
> these functions as defaults in the Evergreen public catalog.