About holds and ILL configuration

Last updated
Save as PDF

When a hold request is made, Wise will look for the requested title to see if any items are available. If the items are available, they can be delivered for holds. The following conditions apply:

If a title does not have an item associated with it, there are no available items for holds
If a title only has items which may not be checked out (reference, library use only), there are no available items for holds
If a title has items with the item statuses Available (B), On order (I), Reserved (R), Transit (T), or Checked out (U), there are deliverable items for holds
Items with status F (In operation) will only appear as available for an item level hold request

Networks

Holds networks are defined in (G_NET) Networks and are used in combination with the RMT settings. A hold network can be used to determine:

Which branches can deliver items to fulfill hold requests. These are referred to as search networks. Nxxx coding of these networks is preferred.
Which branches can be selected as a pickup location for holds. Oxxx coding of these networks is preferred.

A defined hold network can be used for both search as well as pick up. However, it is recommended to define a separate network for the different uses. Libraries are able to define multiple holds networks if certain branches or library organizations act as an individual network within a system.

For hold pick-up networks, the order in which pick up branches are displayed can be managed. For search and hold networks, it can be indicated per branch whether a delivery is made to the network.

Note: Using the special branch group V988, it can be managed that certain branches never deliver to networks.

Search strategies

Search strategies for hold requests are defined in the table (RMT) Hold configuration per RMT to determine from where the hold request can be searched. Hold requests can be configured at the following levels:

B - Branch level
N - Network level (A group of branches defined in G_NET Networks.)
I - System level (This includes all branches and library organizations.)

Your library can select the order in which these levels can be searched.

B - Branch level hold processing

B - Branch level is a search strategy that can be defined in (RMT) Hold configuration per RMT. When placing a hold request, Wise checks if there are available items in the current branch. If yes, the hold request is recorded as a B - Branch level hold. If no item is available at the branch, the hold request moves to the next defined search strategy.

Hold requests that are first entered as B - Branch level may move to the N - Network level or I - System level after a specified number of days, set in the Wise configuration manager in (RMT) Hold configuration per RMT.

N - Network level hold processing

Hold requests sent to branches outside of the home branch are processed as N - Network level holds.

A Network can consist of branches and/or other library organizations in your Wise system. Networks are used to define which branches are searched for hold requests, and which branches are available for hold pickup. For each hold, the system knows where the customer wants to pick up the reserved item. The pick up location is considered the owner of the request. Each pick up location must be configured for the kinds of hold requests it will process and which branch manages ILL requests.

Networks are configured in the Wise configuration manager at OCLC Wise > Management organizations > Networks and branch groups > Networks > (G_NET) Networks.

I - System level hold processing

Hold requests sent to all available networks in the Wise system are processed as I - System level holds. When this search strategy is used, Wise will look at all available titles from all networks within the system to fulfill the hold request.

Special branch groups

Groups of branches can be defined for specific use for hold requests. Branch groups can be used to exclude certain branches from delivering holds.

The branch groups V999 to V992 are reserved for specific use:

Branch number	Function
V999	Items within branches included in this group can only be returned to the branch that it was checked out from.
V998	For all branches included in this group, items can never be assigned to network hold requests.
V997	Items within branches included in this group can never be assigned to ILL requests.
V996	Items within branches included in this group can never be delivered for external ILL requests.
V995	Branches included within this group can never be chosen as a pickup location for hold requests from the Wise OPAC. Caution: This should not be used as a way to temporarily close a branch as a pick-up location. For more information on how to create a temporary pick-up location please see, Temporary pick-up branch.
V994	Fulfill immediately from the background collection. When this group is set, all branches from this group are can be reserved immediately for hold requests from the Client. This option is intended to be able to place holds immediately in branches that are not included in hold networks, such as storage locations and background collections. When a storage location is included in this group and is able to fulfill a hold request, the hold will be placed immediately on this item and it becomes a B reservation.
V993	Branches included in this group will never show hold requests of other library organizations.
V992	Items from branches included in this group can never fulfill requests from regional holds.

See (G_VST) Branch main branch groups (Vxxx) for more information.

Branch affinity factor

Hold requests are managed in the order that they are placed. This prioritization can be influenced based on a configured branch affinity factor. This setting is configured in the Wise configuration manager at OCLC Wise > Management organizations > Branches. See Branches for more information.

Wise applies the branch affinity factor if an owned item is assigned to a hold request at another branch at the time of check-in. Wise checks to see if there are any hold requests for the owning branch with a date that is no more than a few days from the branch affinity factor after the hold requests date of the hold request for which Wise wants to place the item on transport. If so, the owning branch request takes priority.

The branch affinity factor can limit unnecessary back-and-forth of items, as well as the waiting time caused by unnecessary transport. A general branch affinity factor can be entered for all days of the week, or a factor for each day of the week. A weekly pattern allows you to be optimally connected to the transport days.

For more information about holds configuration, see Holds and ILL.

Windowtime

Windowtime is a period of time set when new items are not able to be placed on hold. Windowtime is set in the Wise configuration manager at OCLC Wise > Holds and ILL > Policy material (RMT) > (RMT) Hold configuration per RMT, and a separate window time for specific branches can be defined in (G_NET) Networks. This function can be used when a certain branch can or is allowed to deliver earlier, for example a background collection. (See the special branch group type V994 for more information.)

Note: The system options NOWINNI and NOWINPL must be set to No in order to apply window time.

System options that influence holds

The following system options affect the behavior of hold requests:

System option	Description
EX_RSVP	Allows customers to place a hold request from the web catalog.
LANRSVP	When this option is set, cancellation of holds currently on the hold shelf (Hold request status O and status B) by the customer is allowed. The hold request then gets status Z and archive reason P.
LEENRSV	Report if an item was previously borrowed when placing a hold through the Client. The last date of check out appears in a pop-up notification. Note: This only works for standard titles, not multi-part works or magazines.
MLDBRES	Hold alert appears at check out for items with status b (Message sent).
NOLVBEX	Do not deliver holds to branches where the item is Available.
NOWINPL	Do not check window time when placing a hold.
NOWINNI	Do not apply window time to those within your own network when fulfilling a hold.
OPH_BUS	Mobile library is chosen as the preferred pick-up location.
RESNTRP	If an item is already on transport to a branch, and that branch also has an item that becomes available, do not fill the hold with the newly available item.
RSVLEEN	Holds can only be checked out to the customer who placed the request.
RSVOPHP	Pick-up branches for Client follow the same settings as the web catalog.
TOONPLT	If enabled, the customer will see their spot in the hold request queue within My account.
VAFINST	Apply the Branch Affinity Factor (BAF) on the institution level.