If a person can't check out an item due to hitting the fine limit, it would be great if the holds could be suspended automatically so it wasn't filled until the account was cleared off. This would be a good system preference so systems that didn't want to use it wouldn't be forced into it. Currently in our system patrons can't check out if they have more than $5 in fines. Sometimes they place a hold, rack up fines, and can't check out the book when it comes in for them.
Maybe this should be optional. One could also argue that the holds incoming would be an extra incentive to pay the fines.
I agree with the system preference and/or toggle in an alert box. I'd even settle for a RED alert line in the hold pop-up box and in the Holds queue listing that alerted that the account has a "flag" of some kind before we invest time to search the library to pull the hold and potentially "confirm" the hold notifying the patron they have a hold they can't have...which takes it out of circulation if even briefly. For smaller libraries that have limited staff and limited copies of items, this is huge. Scenarios (especially for smaller libraries): 1) Patron has maxed out their check-out limit, or they have overdue items, fines, or card will expire prior to the standard loan period, the system would not recognize the hold as available for that patron until all circ rules are met; i.e., we would not even see their hold in queue until their account had room or was "in good standing" again. 2) If #1 occurred and the item had multiple holds, the system would poll the accounts in the holds list (in order) and "process" the hold of the first account that meets circ rule eligibility. The idea is that the hold is not "suspended" to a specific date (like we would manually), but would be "suspended" in the background until the account meets the criteria to allow the hold and check-out of that item to occur.