Requesting a Hold for a Borrower

You can request a hold on behalf of a borrower for an item that is currently unavailable. You can also place a hold for a group member if the current borrower is a member of a family group and has privileges to manage holds for the group member. You can place a hold at either an item level (when the borrower wants a specific copy—for example, the large-print version) or the bib level (when any copy of the item will do).

Before you can place an item-level request, your system administrator must add the “ /t ” switch functionality to the New Search process in the Launcher. (For more information, see “Adding Command-Line Arguments to a View or Process” in the “Changing Administration-Level Settings on the Navigation Bar” section of the “Security and Preferences” chapter of the System Administration Guide.)

Borrowers may also place their own hold requests if your system administrator has set up your public search to let them.

When you place the request, Horizon displays a message in the Hold Request window suggesting that the borrower confirm or update their contact information. Keeping contact information current helps you deliver hold notifications and other library communications to the borrower. You can edit a borrower’s contact information at the same time that you place the hold request.

Your system administrator sets up the contact information and message that Horizon displays. (For more information, see your system administrator.)

To request a hold for a borrower

1 Identify the requesting borrower in Checkout.

Horizon displays the borrower’s name in the Checkout window.

2 Do one of these options:
If you want to place a bib-level request for the borrower, search (F2 or File-Search PAC) for the requested title. At the Title Summary screen, highlight the desired title, or click Show Detail to access the Bibliographic Detail window.

Note: If Horizon displays a Titles list window, you must choose the title that you want to Request by clicking on it or scrolling to the desired line and pressing the space bar.

If you want to place an item-level request for the borrower, search for the requested title and click Show Copies to see the Copy or Item detail window.

Note: If you initiate a request from the Copies window, Horizon limits its search for the item to the specific item number that you are requesting. Horizon accesses no bib-level information from the Copies window.

Horizon displays the item’s status at the top of the window or in the list window.

3 Do one of these options:
To make a hold request for the current borrower, choose Request, Make Request or press F5.
To make a hold request for a family group member, choose Request, Make Group Member Request, then choose the family group member for whom the hold is requested.

Important: You will only see the names of group members for whom the borrower has privileges to manage holds.

Horizon displays one of the following two windows:

The Place Standard Hold Request opens when the system is using Horizon Information Portal for requests.

The Place Hold Request window opens when the system is NOT using Horizon Information Portal for requests. For more information about using Horizon for requests, see "System-Wide Settings" in the System Administration Guide.

4 If you make an item-level request in step 2, mark the This Copy Only box to confirm that you want the specified copy.

This box is grayed out if you do not choose a specific copy in step 2.

Note: If you decide you do not want a specific copy after all, do not mark the box, and Horizon continues with the request on a bib-level.

5 Select the pickup location from the Pickup Location field.

The pickup location is the branch of your library where the requester will pick up the item. The pickup location prints on the hold notice you send to the borrower.

6 In the Comment field, enter any additional information that you want printed on the hold notice sent to the requester.
7 Click Request.

Horizon displays a message that the request has been made.

Note that Horizon may not allow you to continue the hold request process for one of these reasons:

The borrower cannot pick up items at this location.

If Horizon displays this message, your system administrator may need to edit the circulation parameters in the Table Editor.

Borrowers of this type cannot make requests at this location.

If Horizon displays this message, the location’s circulation privilege “allow requests” is set to disallow hold requests by this borrower type. Check with your system administrator to change this setting, if necessary.

8 Click OK.

To change the borrower’s contact information

1 Display the Checkout window for the borrower.
2 Choose Borrower, Edit Borrower.

Horizon opens the Edit Borrower window.

3 Edit the contact information fields as necessary. (For instructions, see “Editing a Borrower Record” in the “Managing Borrower Records” section of the “Borrower and Item Records” chapter of the Circulation Guide.)
4 Save your changes.

If you see the following error message: "Request failed: Receive timed out. Server may be unavailable; please try again later.", chances are that there is a connection problem between the Horizon server and the HIP server, which actually places the requests. Please check with your system administrator to make sure the HIP server is in operation and that the communication between these servers is active.

 


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