Bug 32328 (EC)

Summary: Add ability to specify how long an item stays on a library's holds queue
Product: Koha Reporter: Donna <bwsdonna>
Component: Hold requestsAssignee: Bugs List <koha-bugs>
Status: NEW --- QA Contact: Testopia <testopia>
Severity: enhancement    
Priority: P5 - low CC: catalog, catrina, echandler, gmcharlt, hebah, jheltibridle, kebliss, madamyk, mspinney, nick, rebecca.bradshaw, sbrown
Version: 22.05   
Hardware: All   
OS: All   
See Also: https://bugs.koha-community.org/bugzilla3/show_bug.cgi?id=32565
Change sponsored?: --- Patch complexity: ---
Documentation contact: Documentation submission:
Text to go in the release notes:
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Description Donna 2022-11-22 21:01:34 UTC
With multi-location libraries that are open varying hours, it would be helpful to be able to specify how long an item appears on a library's hold queue before the item appears on another location's queue.

For example, Title A is available at both Library D and Library E. The patron wants to pickup the item at Library D.  Library D is closed Saturday and Sunday, but Library E is not.  Currently, the item could potentially show on Library E's hold queue.  Since it takes three days of transit time to move the item from Library E to Library D, it would be faster to fill the hold from Library D, but because it was moved off Library D's queue, it won't be filled there.

It would be nice to be able to specify by Library how long an item will appear on the holds queue for that library before it is moved, and the item is sent from another library.

Using Holds Queue Skip Closed (and the other associated sys prefs) does not address this sufficiently.
Comment 1 Wendy Sharkey 2022-11-25 14:32:49 UTC
In a multi-location consortium some libraries will be closed while others are open, not just on a day-to-day basis, but hourly. Some libraries open for half days while others are open for full days. The holds queue cron job runs in our case every 2 hours, continually. If a patron places a hold after their library closes, the holds queue could cycle through several times before the next opening.
Comment 2 Eileen Chandler 2022-12-05 21:20:35 UTC
We are a multi location consortium and this is important to us.
We would like to be able to determine how long a hold stays at one library before moving on to another location.  Our libraries prefer,  whenever possible,  to fill their own patron holds. We have two islands in our consortium with 7 members on the islands. This affects delivery costs if an item jumps on to a different library just because the library is closed. Our libraries on the mainland are also
geographically spread out.  It is a resource saver if the hold stays at one location based on a timed setting of our choice, e.g., 72 hours and also based on hours open at the holding library.  Such a waste of resources, time and money that if an item is available that it cannot be filled at the library due to this bug.
Comment 3 Michael Adamyk 2023-01-17 17:27:16 UTC
This would be a fantastic option for consortiums. Particularly with the new option for real-time holds queues.
Comment 4 Juliet Heltibridle 2023-07-14 14:12:41 UTC
This would greatly help our our consortium that is made up of small independent rural libraries. Many libraries do not have the staff to search for holds every day, and we have less than reliable courier services. All that to mean, if a library has not had the staffing to search for a hold in a weeks time, or is not able to deliver items for a certain period, but still remains open, we need the holds to pass on to a new library in the queue.
Comment 5 R Bradshaw 2023-11-15 09:48:41 UTC
This would be an incredible development for the ELMS consortium of NHS libraries in England (East of England), and I imagine for other NHS libraries in other regions. We have found that items, if not picked up, sit on the reserves/hold queue for a while. Some libraries are great at checking the queue and some are awful so this feature will mean that borrowers are not waiting long periods as a library has forgotten to check.