About Holds

A hold is a request to reserve a resource for a specific patron.

Why Place a Hold?

Often, a hold is placed when all copies of a desired resource are checked out to other patrons. When a copy is checked in, that copy will be held for the next patron waiting in queue. Upon check-in, the library staff is alerted to place the item on hold and is given the opportunity to print a hold slip to attach to it. Depending on Circulation Settings an email and/or text message notice may be sent to the patron to alert them that the item is now holding for them.

In another scenario, patrons may want to reserve a resource for a future date. In this case, due dates for patrons checking out that same resource before the hold date may be adjusted to ensure that the resource is available to fulfill the hold request. When the desired due date arrives, Surpass Cloud will automatically hold a copy of the resource for the patron. If there are no copies available on the desired date, the next copy of the resource to be checked in will be held for the patron.

Patrons using the Public Catalog (OPAC) from home or another location may place holds on resources that may currently be available in the library so that they will be held for them to pick up when they visit the library. In this case, the library staff using the Holds to Process report to gather the requested items and process them for holds.

Where Holds are Placed

The hold may be placed by a patron using the Public Catalog (OPAC) or by the library staff using the Hold function in Circulation Transactions.

Hold Stages

Each hold goes through a sequence of stages, starting with the hold request and ending with the desired resource either being checked out to the requesting patron or with the hold being cancelled.

The Status you see holds listed in Circulation Transactions and in reports corresponds to these stages.

• Requested
  The patron has requested a hold on a resource, but the requested resource is either not yet available, the date the patron desires the resource has not yet arrived, or the library staff has not yet processed the resource (see "Processing Holds" below).
  
  

• Processing
  A specific copy (holding) is now being held for the patron, but the library staff has not yet pulled the item aside, printed a hold slip, or notified the patron. The Holds to Process report lists holds that are in this stage and require processing by the library staff. This stage occurs in the following scenarios:
  
  

  • A patron uses the Public Catalog (OPAC) to place a hold on an item that is currently available in the library.
    
    
  • A patron cancels a hold using the Public Catalog (OPAC) or Self-Check, making the item available to fulfill the next hold on that item.
    
    
  • The desired date has arrived for a hold that was made for a future date and there is a copy available in the library.

• Holding
  A copy of the requested item has been set aside and is now holding for the patron. At this point, the library staff would have had the opportunity to print a hold slip and to notify the patron via email or text notice. It is ready for the patron to check out. The Holds Ready for Pickup report lists holds that are in this stage.
  
  

• Completed
  The held resource has been checked out to the patron and the hold has been fulfilled.
  
  

• Cancelled
  The hold has been cancelled, either by the patron via the Public Catalog (OPAC) or Self-Check, by the library staff in Circulation Transactions, or by the Cancel Holds process in Circulation : Bulk Process.

Processing Holds

Processing holds refers to the library staff's process of getting a hold ready for a patron and notifying the patron that the item they requested is now available for them to check out. Specifically, processing a hold involves the following steps:

• Retrieving the resource from shelves or other library location where it is stored and moving it to the location where the library keeps holds that are ready for check out.
  
  
• Optionally printing a hold slip for the item. The hold slip shows the item's title, the date, the patron's name, along with additional information.
  
  
• Optionally notifying the patron via email and/or text message (if enabled in Circulation Settings). The patron may also be notified by printed notice using the Holds Notices report.

Processing on Check In

When you check in a resource that has a pending hold, the processing happens immediately. You are alerted that the item should be set aside and are prompted to print a hold slip for it. Depending on Circulation Settings an email and/or text message will be sent to the patron automatically.

Processing Other Holds

If there are other holds that require processing, such as a hold request submitted by a patron using the Public Catalog (OPAC) or when the desired date arrives for a future-desired-date hold, you are alerted by a Notification and will see that there are Holds to Process on the Dashboard. Use the Holds to Process report to view/print a list of the items needed for holds, gather those items, then use the Check In function in Circulation Transactions to complete the processing.