[OPEN-ILS-GENERAL] Seeking opinions on client "Transfer All Title Holds" option

[Tina Ji (Project Sitka)]

It is a dangerous action in our setting. We actually disabled it by  
graying out the option in the staff client.


Quoting Kathy Lussier <klussier at masslnc.org>:

> Hi all,
>
> I wanted to seek some feedback on Launchpad bug 1350377  
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/evergreen/+bug/1350377.
>
> The bug seeks an additional permission to be used with the "Transfer  
> All Title Holds" option in the client. However, I was wondering if  
> there would be any support from removing that option from the client  
> altogether.
>
> Here's the issue:
>
> When you are in a bib record in the staff client, you have the  
> option to transfer *all* title holds to another bib record. You  
> first need to mark the other bib record as a holds transfer  
> destination.
>
> However, you also have the option to transfer one or any number of  
> selected holds to the marked bib record from the holds view of the  
> bib record. You could transfer just one hold here or you could  
> select them all if you really needed to transfer all holds. The  
> benefit of using this option is that the user must actively select  
> the holds that will be transferred.
>
> I personally think providing a blanket "Transfer All Title Holds"  
> option in the client is dangerous, even if there were a separate  
> permission for it, and unnecessary since there are other methods  
> available in the staff client to accomplish the same task. Making it  
> even more dangerous is the fact that the "Actions for this Record"  
> menu that contains this option to transfer all holds is still  
> available in the holds view of the bib record, which is where you go  
> to transfer selected holds (see the screencast at  
> http://www.screencast.com/t/ifHhJHNqq). It is very easy to  
> mistakenly select this option when you are trying just to transfer  
> just one hold. In fact, I accidentally selected it when I was just  
> testing out the transfer holds scenario a few minutes ago.
>
> During a brief discussion in IRC on this issue, it was mentioned  
> that possible use cases for the "transfer all title holds" option are:
>
> 1. When staff are manually merging bib records. The client bib merge  
> option automatically merges holds, but there may be reasons staff  
> merge the records without using that option.
> 2. In cases where there are orphaned holds on a record that no  
> longer has copies to fill the hold.
>
> Since I think both of these use cases could be accommodated by using  
> the option where you transfer selected holds, I wanted to see if  
> others would support removing the "Transfer All Title Holds" option.  
> Is there anyone who uses this option with some frequency who thinks  
> it should continue to be available?
>
> Thanks!
> Kathy
>
> -- 
> Kathy Lussier
> Project Coordinator
> Massachusetts Library Network Cooperative
> (508) 343-0128
> klussier at masslnc.org
> Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kmlussier


Tina Ji
1-888-848-9250
Support Specialist
BC Libraries Cooperative/Sitka