Handling items missing from your Hold Shelf

Apparently there has been concern expressed about the quantity of holds that are not found on the holds expired (#80) report as well as confusion on what how to process them.  The concern with missing holds increased when we began having reserves available for self pickup and has intensified with the changes in ILS software.  Contributing factors may include:

• customers not checking materials out because they think it is already checked out to them
• staff & customers may be inadvertently not checking out each of the items or not recognizing that the software did not read the bar code
• Some other reason or combination of reasons

Upon looking at several Tracer lists, there are not hundreds of holds missing from any one location as the concerns might indicate.  There is still the question of how to let CarlX know when a hold is not found.  In reviewing several approaches, one approach fulfills the following needs best:

• noting the problem in CarlX regardless which library is needing to note it
• ensuring the customer gets another copy of the item without losing his/her place on the holds list
• providing a mechanism for us to look for the materials and/or to alert us to consider whether we need a replacement copy
• fully automating the process so that no paper notifications of the missing hold need to be sent to another library

The best approach is to use the Trace function. A trace must be associated with a library card so it becomes a hold request.  Another component of the trace function is the tracer list (#61).  Two days after an item has a trace placed it will appear on the owning library’s tracer list and again 14 & 30 days later.  So, the owning library must look for the item 3 separate times.  If the item is found, the hold must be filled and the owning library must check it in since there’s no need process it further as a hold.  If the item is not found by the evening of the 32^nd day from the day the trace was placed, the item is automatically coded “A9/Lostnmiss”.  All items coded A9/Lost… are hidden in the public catalog.

A few other notes about this process:

• To help us learn more about the number of missing holds and more quickly process any found, each library will have 2 types of department cards. 
  
  • rename the current department card to: @XXTrace (XX is your library’s two-letter code. e.g. @DNTrace)
  • create a new department card that may be used for placing holds for items that will be used for a display or that needs to have a sticker added/removed, etc. 
• If a customer has inadvertently taken the item out of the building without checking it out, s/he may inquire why s/he has received another hold for it.  That, then, is the perfect opportunity to review with the customer the procedures to ensure the item is checked out to him/her.
• In the public catalog the status of a trace item shows “missing” because we hope that we will find it.
• After 10 days a hold that is still “in transit” is automatically placed on Trace using the @SYTrace default library card # 00000043.

If there is an item not found on your Hold Shelf, follow these steps:

1. Fully check the holding library for the item (regular shelf, backroom, hold shelf, in process, etc.).  This is especially critical for a non-owning library because the item is only on the owning library’s tracer list.
2. Go to Item Maintenance, enter the item number, and double click the item in the grid to bring up the Item Detail.
3. Select Who Wants and choose Delete.  You will be asked if you really want to delete the hold so select Yes.
4. For the cancel reason, select “Other” and Uncheck patron notification. In the field, type “Missing from XX Hold Shelf” (XX is your location code).  Uncheck the box to notify the customer then select Okay.
5. A BRB will be triggered called Holds Cancel Exception and you will be given four options. Select the first option – Cancel and Place First in Queue to keep the customer at the top of the queue.
6. The item’s status now will be On Shelf (also shows in the public catalog that it is on shelf at the owning library), although, the item isn’t actually on shelf.
7. The item now needs to be placed as a Trace.  From the Item Maintenance bring up the Item Detail and double click on the item. 
8. Choose Trace and enter the owning library’s Trace card (@XXTrace) and select Trace.
9. If an item is found fill the hold, which will be for the customer @XXTrace then:
   
   1. the owning library will immediately clear or return the item.  There’s no need to process it further as a hold.
   2. a non-owning will continue the process for holds.
10. Consistently work the trace reports.