Bug 25975 - Receiving a manual transfer triggers another transfer (non-floating collection)
Summary: Receiving a manual transfer triggers another transfer (non-floating collection)
Status: NEW
Alias: None
Product: Koha
Classification: Unclassified
Component: Circulation (show other bugs)
Version: Main
Hardware: All All
: P5 - low enhancement (vote)
Assignee: Bugs List
QA Contact: Testopia
URL:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2020-07-10 15:33 UTC by Caroline Cyr La Rose
Modified: 2020-07-12 11:34 UTC (History)
2 users (show)

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Description Caroline Cyr La Rose 2020-07-10 15:33:35 UTC
I'm putting this out there, I'm not sure if the use case is something that would work in all libraries or if I'm completely beside the point...

If the circulation rules are set to 'item returns home' and you do a manual transfer (for whatever reason, like that library needed that book for a display or something), when the other library receives the transfer, it is automatically put back in transit to go back to its home library. Which is kind of logical, but not? Why would you do a manual transfer if it's just to be sent back?

I can see several use cases for this, outside of a floating collection situation:
1) special display
A library wants to make a special display and asks the other libraries to send some material over. This system does not have a floating collection policy, but they still exchange materials depending on needs (e.g. holds). If the other libraries send 'manual' transfers, the library making the special display receives them by checking them in (this currently triggers a transfer back to the home library), puts them on display. If a user checks them out and then returns them, the transfer to home branch will be triggered. If no users check them out after the end of the display, the library can send them back by checking them in.

2) temporary high demand
A school board loans out textbooks at the beginning of each year. Some schools have more students than others so they ask other libraries to send their surplus of textbooks over to satisfy the demand. Again, no floating policy for general circulation. The smaller libraries send their surplus textbooks via 'manual' transfers, the larger library receives the transfers by checking them in (this currently triggers a transfer back to home branch). They check them out to students who haven't had their textbooks yet. When the students bring back the textbooks, the check in triggers a transfer back to the home library. If the library received more than needed, they can send back the texts to their home library by checking them in.

3) course reserves
Similar to the two previous cases. A university has a course and needs some material from other libraries for course reserves.

4) biblio-mobile
Again no floating policy, but during the summer, the library system has a biblio-bus going to local parks. All libraries temporarily contribute to the biblio-bus collection, but they want their materials back after.

In all these cases, the collections don't normally float, the materials are only needed temporarily, and there is not one specific user who requested the materials through a hold. Are manual transfers not the way to go in these cases?

I think there are two potential solutions to this :
1) receiving a transfer is either not done through checkin or the checkin to receive a transfer does not trigger another transfer (if there is an unreceived 'manual' branch transfer, and the item is checked in at the destination library, do not send back home)
2) add a 'cancel transfer' button to the transfer dialog (when the destination library receives the transfer through a checkin, a transfer back home is triggered, but the receiving library could cancel the transfer in order to keep the item). Right now, you can only click 'OK' or 'Print slip'.
Comment 1 Katrin Fischer 2020-07-12 11:34:46 UTC
Thank you for all the great use cases!

I like 2) with the option to not send the item back (start a new transfer).

I also wonder if it should be possible to flag for 'floating' on item level for the cases you describe. Because if you allow circulation from display, you might still wan to put the item back on display (or on the bus) when it's returned. So those transfer notices popping up are getting in the way.

Or you could put everything in a rotating collection for that I guess...?