Bug 32893 - ILL item flag
Summary: ILL item flag
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
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Reported: 2023-02-06 22:17 UTC by Christopher Brannon
Modified: 2023-02-06 22:48 UTC (History)
2 users (show)

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Description Christopher Brannon 2023-02-06 22:17:13 UTC
It might be worth considering having an ILL flag on item records that one could define certain actions for.

I know that bug 22939 was recently signed off, but I was thinking, if one could flag an item as ILL, then perhaps in settings you could define how due dates are set.  Maybe it is a hard due date as defined in that bug.  Some libraries put the ILL on hold.  Maybe the due date is calculated from the day day it went on hold minus the number of days it sat waiting before the item was checked out?  Maybe there are other things you need it to do based on the flag.  Maybe a redirection to a staff member when checked in?

I'm spit-balling here because I don't know a lot about the current ILL module.  Documentation is scarce, and it is fairly new, and there are several things that still need to be worked out there that we can do outside of the module.
Comment 1 Katrin Fischer 2023-02-06 22:25:41 UTC
We usually know the records linked to an ILL request and also knows the items that are ILL from this. I don't think a specific flag would be a technical requirement.

Our backend uses a due date that the library sets/stores when the ILL item arrives at the library. When the item is checked out in the circulation module, it uses it, or when left empty, the circulation conditions are used. 

We use specific item types for ILL items and a message can be set for these to be displayed on return. Or you could include an option to set $3 in your ILL backend if you need the note to be more specific.

The CirculateILL feature lets you add a due date when/before checking the item out. I have to admit, we don't use it as we diddn't want to check the items out in the ILL omdule, but in Circulation. Backends can implement workflows quite differently at the moment.
Comment 2 Christopher Brannon 2023-02-06 22:48:31 UTC
Maybe I should explain our workflow a bit.

Several of our libraries place an ILL request with an outside source, like through WorldCat.  When the request is made, we use a framework that creates an ILL bib and item.  The framework uses a specific not for loan status that allows only staff to place a hold on it for the patron.  It is also given an ILL shelving location and an ILL item type that gives it a general loan period (which is not ideal).  If we have the barcode at that time, we enter it as well.

When the item gets to us, we check it in to trigger the hold.  We have some template toolkit logic to change the subject line and the wording in the hold notice to make its own ILL notice.  The patron is notified.

Since the hold time counts against the ILL loan period, we automatically check it out to the patron.  This is not ideal, because the system won't know if it is picked up yet or not.  What would be more ideal is if when the patron picked it up and checked it out, is if it would calculate the due date by deducting how long it waited for the patron to pick it up.

We can do almost everything we need without an ILL module, but this part would make it completely work.

Maybe we don't need a flag on the item.  But maybe a circ rule that would look for a specific item type or status and that could trigger the special due date?