As the busy holiday season approaches, here are a few tips for handling Holds.
*Please remember to trap all holds for patrons and put the items on the Holds shelf, even when someone calls and claims she is on her way to the library to get the book. This way, all items are accounted for if the patron has a change of plans and comes the next day (or the next week or never).
*Please remember to print an extra Holds slip for Learning Tools and video games and put it in an empty case on the Holds shelf for patrons to find and bring to the desk to retrieve their items.
*Please don’t put items on the shelf with ILLs and Learning Tools if they are not officially on hold for a patron because even if he or she comes in that day to pick it up, the next person at the circulation desk won’t necessarily know where to find it. Because staff at the circ desk is constantly rotating, all held materials need to be placed in a standard location according to library procedures. (If an exception is made, for example, setting aside a book for someone who is coming in that day and needs to make a library card first, put the book and a dated note explaining the situation on the white cart behind the circ desk where Lori places new Holds to be shelved.)
*If a patron requests an extension on a hold pick-up, please follow these guidelines:
1. Check the holds queue to see if there are other holds on the item. If there are, you can grant one extra day for pickup if circumstances warrant it. If there aren’t other holds on the item, you can grant up to five extra days for pickup.
2. If you tell a patron they can have more time, you need to change the “unclaimed” date in Polaris. Do not just write a note on the holds slip or move the item to the held ILL/Learning Tools shelf. Otherwise, the item still moves to unclaimed on the original date and this sets off a chain of actions that can be hard to undo if promises have been made to patrons. Also, if a different staff member is here when the patron arrives to pick up the item, no one will know where to find it if it’s not where it’s supposed to be.
3. To change the unclaimed date, double click or right click on the item in the patron’s account to open the Hold Request page. In the upper right-hand corner, you will see the Unclaimed Date. Change this to the new unclaimed date and save. The “Hold Until” date should then update on the patron’s account as well. (Note: This only works if the item hasn’t already moved to unclaimed.)
If you have questions about any of this now or when one of the above situations comes up, please ask. It’s important that everyone follows the same procedures for Holds so that items don’t fall through the cracks and materials for patrons are readily available when they come to pick them up.
Thank you!