Time to Holdshelf Table (Admin>Parameters>Circulation - Sierra)

Owned by Tammy Poquette, created
Last updated: Apr 15, 2024
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This documentation explains the functionality and the data elements of the Time to Holdself table.

Table of Contents

MLN1 Time to Holdshelf Table Overview

(Only used by one MLN1 library)

You can contact the Marmot Help Desk for help if you cannot view this table.

View the Time to Holdshelf Table by going to Admin, Parameters, Circulation, Time to Holdshelf in Sierra

The Time to Holdshelf table specifies temporary status messages to display for items recently checked in at their pickup locations. The system displays the message from the Time to Holdshelf table instead of the status "Ready for pickup" when patrons view holds in the MLN1 WebPAC/Classic Catalog or in Express Lane.

  • For example, you can use the Time to Holdshelf table to display a status of "Adding to Holdself” for two hours after an item is checked in at the pickup location. This gives library staff time to transfer items to your library's designated hold pickup area and can prevent patrons from looking for items that might not yet be ready for pickup.

Checking In a Held Item at the Pickup Location

When you check in an item that can satisfy a hold and the requested pickup location is your location is not assigned to your login, the system does the following (regardless of the item's owning location):

  1. Determines the loan rule to apply if the patron for whom the item is held checks out the item. The loan rule determines:

    • The number of days that the item can remain on the holdshelf (that is, the number of days the requesting patron has to pick up the item). The system calculates the maximum time by adding the value of the Time To Pickup element to the current date.

      • Time To Pickup

        • The number of days a held item remains on the holdshelf. After the item remains on the holdshelf for the number of days specified in this element, the hold becomes defunct.

    • The system uses elements of the loan rule to determine the appropriate pickup notice text in the Text of Circulation Notices table. (If the Text Pickup Notice value is '0', the system does not generate a pickup notice.)

Note that the system excludes closed days when calculating Time to Pickup. If the Change Pickup Date feature is enabled at your library, you can modify the pickup date of items on the holdshelf.

Change Pickup Date

  • By default, Sierra displays the pickup date for holds in the Modify Hold dialog box and, if the hold is on the holdshelf, does not enable modification of any hold information.

  • If the Change Pickup Date feature is enabled, you can edit the date in the Pick Up By text box in the Modify Hold dialog box if an item that fills the hold is present on the holdshelf. You can enter any date in the future; the system does not enable you to enter the current date or a date in the past.

The system does not assign the loan rule to the item; it uses the loan rule for the above holdshelf calculations only.

  1. Consults the Days Closed table to determine the pickup location's closed days. For each day the pickup location is closed, one day is added to the time the item remains on the holdshelf.

    1. For example, if the loan rule allows the patron seven days to pick up an item, but the library is closed on two of those days, the pickup time is extended to nine days.

  2. Updates the item STATUS to '!' (ON HOLDSHELF).

  3. Removes any in-transit messages from the item record.

  4. Prompts you to print a hold slip for the item with the following message

Put on holdshelf at <pickup location code> for <patron name> .p<xxxxxxx>.
Pickup notice will be printed.
Print slip to place in book?

To print a hold slip, choose Yes. To continue without printing a hold slip, choose No.

Note that if you elect to print a hold slip and your login has yet to save printer settings, a Print Service dialog box appears. If you want the system to use the same printer each time your login checks in an item that can satisfy a hold, you must check the Save this printer selection checkbox. For more information, see Printing with Print Templates.

  1. Generates a hold pickup notice using the text determined by the applicable loan rule.

Data Elements

Entries in the Time to Holdshelf table contain the following data elements:

Element

Description

Element

Description

Location

The location to which the entry applies. Possible values are a location from the Hold Pickup Locations table or a wildcard code ????? or * to represent all locations.

HHH:MM

The length of time, in hours and minutes, to display the message. Entries must be in the form h:mm, hh:mm, or hhh,mm, where 'h' represents hours and 'm' represents minutes.

Message

A message to display for available items that match the criteria specified in the Location and HHH:MM elements. However, the number of characters that the system displays depends on several factors, such as which fields your library has chosen to display in the WebPAC/Classic Catalog and screen resolution in Express Lane.

Delay Notices

Radio buttons that determine whether Sierra delays the generation of hold pickup notices until the time specified by the HHH:MM element has expired.

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