We would like to request the ability to customize email notifications generated through the Notify button within Sierra's Interlibrary Loan (ILL) functions, preferably by extending Sierra's existing Print Templates functionality to support these notifications.

Currently, ILL Notify emails automatically include several bibliographic and item-related fields, including:

Title

Author

Publisher

Publication Date

Edition

Pickup Location

Additional Information

Unlike standard hold pickup notices generated through Sierra's Notices function, the information displayed in ILL Notify emails is hardcoded and cannot be customized.

For our library, this presents a challenge because our Interlibrary Services staff would prefer to simplify patron-facing notifications by displaying only the Title and Author, while suppressing unnecessary bibliographic details and the Additional Information field.

The Additional Information field is of particular concern because it may contain internal staff notes or other details that are not intended for patron-facing communications.

Importantly, we are not requesting the removal or disabling of the Additional Information field within Sierra. This field serves an important purpose in our ILL workflows and needs to remain available to staff and patrons where appropriate. We simply want greater control over whether its contents appear in outgoing email notifications.

Proposed Enhancement

We propose extending Sierra's existing Print Templates functionality to support email notifications generated through the ILL Notify button.

Ideally, this enhancement would allow libraries to:

Select which fields appear in ILL Notify emails, including the ability to suppress individual bibliographic or item-related fields.

Customize the presentation and formatting of these notifications using Sierra's existing Print Templates interface.

Exclude the Additional Information field from patron-facing notifications without affecting its availability or functionality elsewhere in Sierra.

Preserve existing notification workflows, including the ability for staff to continue using the Notify button directly within the ILL functions.

Retain the current default notification format for libraries that do not wish to customize their emails.

This approach would align ILL notifications with the customization capabilities already available for other Sierra notices, providing a more consistent experience for system administrators and library staff.

Benefits

Implementing this enhancement would provide several benefits:

Improved patron communication: Libraries could present concise, relevant information without overwhelming patrons with unnecessary bibliographic details.

Greater control over patron-facing information: Libraries could prevent internal notes or other potentially inappropriate information from appearing in outgoing notifications.

Consistency across Sierra: ILL Notify emails would follow the same template-based customization approach already used for other notices.

Operational flexibility: Libraries could tailor notifications to their local workflows without modifying underlying ILL records or sacrificing existing functionality.

Backward compatibility: Libraries satisfied with the current notification format could continue using it without changes.

Previous Discussion with Innovative Support

We initially submitted this request to Innovative Global Support under Case #10895262 – Sierra ILL Email Notifications: Customization of Item Information Fields, opened October 16, 2026.

During our discussion, Nicole Kingsbury, Senior Systems Librarian for Circulation, clarified that standard hold pickup notices generated through Sierra's Notices function can be customized using Print Templates.

However, she confirmed that email notifications generated through the Notify button within Sierra's ILL functions have hardcoded fields that cannot currently be customized.

Because this functionality is not currently supported, Innovative Support recommended submitting an enhancement request through Idea Exchange.

Following confirmation with our Interlibrary Services supervisor that staff are using the ILL Notify button, we are submitting this request for consideration.

Desired Outcome

Allow Sierra libraries to manage the content and formatting of ILL Notify emails through Print Templates or an equivalent configurable mechanism, with the ability to selectively include or exclude individual fields.

Our immediate need is to display only the Title and Author while excluding the remaining bibliographic details and Additional Information field.

More broadly, we believe extending Sierra's existing notification customization capabilities to ILL would benefit libraries seeking greater flexibility, consistency, and control over their patron communications.