If a library's circulation or OPAC rules allow a customer to place a bib or item hold, the customer should also be able to freeze that hold at any time. This functionality is available in Polaris, but not Sierra.

Currently, customers cannot freeze a bib-level hold if there is an available item that could fill the request. This prevents customers from managing their holds the way they want. In many cases, they do not know an appropriate "Not Needed Before" date, but they do know that they are not ready to receive the item immediately.

Allowing holds to be frozen regardless of item availability would give customers greater control over their accounts and reduce unnecessary hold fulfillment.

This enhancement is particularly important for:

Libraries that catalog DVD seasons on separate bibliographic records, where customers may want to request an entire series but receive the seasons over time.

Libraries with heavy users who routinely place the maximum number of holds and prefer to manage when those holds become active based on their own reading or viewing schedule.