Pika Holds Process

This documentation describes the holds process and logic in Pika

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Types of Holds

Bib or Title Level Holds

• Pika has record grouping to allow all formats and editions of a work to be grouped together to help users easily identify which formats are available.

• Any formats that are holdable and checked out will have a Place Hold button next to the title.

• Patrons can place holds on physical items as well as OverDrive eContent items.

Item Level Holds

• Generally, a hold in Pika will be a bib or title level hold to allow for the first available item to be chosen to fill a patron’s hold.  

• Pika almost always places bib level holds. The only time when Pika prompts a user for an item level hold is when there is volume information. 

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Placing Holds

A patron can place a hold in Pika.  A library staff member can place a hold in Pika for a patron. Patrons can also freeze their holds.

Placing Bib or Title Level Holds

• Pika has record grouping to allow all formats and editions of a work to be grouped together to help users easily identify which formats are available.

• The logic Pika relies on when placing a hold on all bibs for a grouped format (e.g. Book) is that Pika will place a hold on the first bib that displays in the grouped format:

  • For fiction, the editions are sorted so that the "most available" editions to the patron come first and the bib first in the sort will receive the hold.

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• For nonfiction, the editions are sorted so that the latest editions come first (highest numbered edition for primary sort, publication date as a secondary sort). The bib first in this sort will receive the hold.

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• For nonfiction holds, if the first bib in the sort is doesn’t have any available copies, Pika will prompt the user to ask if they want to choose another edition, if available.

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• Patrons can place holds on physical items as well as OverDrive eContent items. The sort and place hold logic for Overdrive holdings is the same as that for physical items in the catalog.

• Any formats that are holdable will have a Place Hold button next to the item. Here is an example of one title that has many formats grouped to the record. This allows your patron to place a hold on any format with the Place Hold button.

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Placing Item Level Holds

• Patrons only have the ability to place item level holds from the catalog if the item in question has item level volume information in the underlying item record.

• If the items on the bib that the patron is placing a hold on have item level volume information, the patron is prompted to choose the specific edition to place on hold.  

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• The patron will see their home library pickup location, and the Submit Hold Request button.

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• The patron will be prompted to choose a specific item.  Once the specific item is chosen, the patron confirms their choice with the Submit Hold Request button.

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• The patron will receive a success message letting them know the hold was placed successfully.

• In the patron’s Titles on Hold page, the specific volume or item placed on hold is listed in the hold information.

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Fulfilling Holds

All the holds that are placed in Pika can only be fulfilled when libraries run their processes to fulfill the holds and send the item to the lending library for their patrons or fulfill the hold for their own patrons.

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Cancelling Holds

Cancelling Bibliographic or Item Level Holds

• Patrons can cancel an item level hold or bibliographic level hold in Pika.

• Once logged in, the patron can click on the Titles on Hold link to view all their holds.

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• From the Titles on Hold page all pending holds will display. To cancel a pending hold, click on the Cancel Hold button.

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• The Cancel Hold box will appear asking if the person is sure they want to cancel the hold. The patron will need to click the Confirm Cancel Hold button.

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