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

[jbryant at clarendoncountylibrary.com]

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
> klussier at masslnc.org
> Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kmlussier [1]
> 
> 
> 
> Links:
> ------
> [1] http://www.twitter.com/kmlussier