Sierra Freezing Holds Logic

Owned by Ashley Sneesby, created
Last updated: Jul 01, 2021
5 min read

This documentation describes the process and logic Pika uses when freezing holds for libraries using the Sierra ILS.

Table of Contents

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Freezing Requests for Sierra Items

Sierra will not allow a hold to be frozen under the following conditions:

  • The first patron or only person in the bib’s hold queue where an available item is essentially 'checked out' to them preemptively.

  • The second patron in the queue is the first person in the queue, and the system will not freeze the hold. 

Sierra will allow a hold to be frozen under the following condition:

  • The third patron in the queue would be able to freeze the hold.

To summarize: If a patron was the 3rd patron on the holds queue, that person would be able to freeze the hold. The first and second patrons on a hold queue or a single patron on a hold queue cannot freeze a hold. 

Pika will hide the freeze hold option when the hold cannot be frozen in Sierra.

Webpac or the Classic catalog will always display the freeze hold button regardless of whether or not the hold can actually be frozen in Sierra.

The freeze hold action in the Classic catalog will report incorrectly that the hold has been frozen when it has not.

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Additional Restrictions to Freezing in Sierra

Your library can let specified patrons suspend or "freeze" requests. "Freezing a request" means that the patron's position in the hold queue is skipped over until the request is reactivated. This allows the patron to stay in the hold queue while holds are filled for patrons further down in the queue.

Sierra does not allow a patron to "freeze" (suspend) a request if:

the hold can be fulfilled by an item that is:

  • available

  • in-transit, or

  • on the hold shelf for the patron

  • the hold status is "IN TRANSIT" or "ON THE HOLDSHELF".

  • the item is paged and the patron's hold is next in the hold queue

  • the patron's position in the hold queue is fewer than the number of available items that can satisfy a bibliographic-level hold

  • the hold is more than 255 days old

  • When a patron freezes a request, the system changes the patron's "not wanted before" date to 255 days (a system-specific maximum value) from the hold's creation date

  • Sierra documentation on freezing holds

The Freezing Requests feature does not allow your patrons to freeze INN-Reach holds.

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First Hold in the Queue

The first person to place a hold on the item is T. Testpatron. Non-consortial libraries will usually turn on the hold queue position.  This shows that the patron is 1 of 3 holds.  When the patron logs into their home library, they will only see the Cancel Hold button for a pending hold. 


Consortium Example of First Hold in Queue

The first person to place a hold on the item is T. Testpatron.  When the patron logs into their home library, they will only see the Cancel Hold button for a pending hold.  The Change Pickup Loc. is for libraries with multiple branches.

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Second Hold in the Queue

he second person to place a hold on the item is Marmot T. Non-consortial libraries will usually turn on the hold queue position.  This shows that the patron is 2 of 3 holds.  When the patron logs into their home library, they will only see the Cancel Hold button for a pending hold. 

Consortium Example of Second Hold in the Queue

The second person to place a hold on the item is Marmot T.  When the patron logs into their home library, they will only see the Cancel Hold button for a pending hold.  The Change Pickup Loc. is for libraries with multiple branches.

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Third Hold in the Queue

The first person to place a hold on the item is Patron T. Non-consortial libraries will usually turn on the hold queue position.  This shows that the patron is 3 of 3 holds.   When the patron logs into their home library, they will see the Freeze Hold button for a pending hold.  


Consortium Example of Third Hold in the Queue

The third person to place a hold on the item is Patron T.  When the patron logs into their home library, they will see the Freeze Hold button for a pending hold.  The Change Pickup Loc. is for libraries with multiple branches.

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Confirm position in Sierra

Check Sierra to see where your patron is located in the hold queue.  Note: Consortium or branch libraries that are using the owning library priority could have a patron who is number 90 on the list, but number one or two for your library’s item. This would put the patron at the top of the list for your item, and produce the same results that would not allow them to freeze a hold.   

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Related Documentation

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