[OPEN-ILS-GENERAL] Checking out holds to an alternate patron

[Ruth Frasur]

I'd also like to add a +1 to this conversation.


On Thu, Nov 7, 2013 at 9:42 AM, Kate Butler
<KateButler at rodgerslibrary.org>wrote:

>  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-bounces at list.georgialibraries.org [mailto:
> open-ils-general-bounces at 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
>
> klussier at masslnc.org
>
> Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kmlussier
>
>


-- 
Ruth Frasur
Director of the Historic(ally Awesome) Hagerstown - Jefferson Township
Library
10 W. College Street in Hagerstown, Indiana (47346)
p (765) 489-5632; f (765) 489-5808

Our Kickin' Website <http://hagerstownlibrary.org>  Our Rockin' Facebook
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