Issue and Item-specific holds
Users need to place item level requests in a variety of circumstances. The most significant issue is they are currently unable to request specific issues of magazines. They can only place a request at the title/work level – which means they end up getting a completely random issue. This is also a problem for Serial format titles for things like travel guides that may have two item records attached, one for the 2020 edition and one for the 2023 edition. There is currently no way to request the specific item. This also includes copy-specific holds for any item on a bibliographic record. For example, due to consortia needs, we have many trade paperbacks attached to hardcover bibliographic records, and patrons may be using call numbers to identify them.
Alison Hoffman
shared this idea
Hi All,
Vega already supports volume and items as volumes type holds for materials with volume information. Please reach out to your support representative to gain insight in how to add the required volume information to your materials so that Vega will present a volume or item selector when a patron places a request on these materials. The feature was added for Polaris at the end of 2021.
Best Regards,
Samantha Cunning
-
Margaret Rose O'Keefe
commented
The second part of this question is NOT "Already supported" as indicated in the answer.
"There is currently no way to request the specific item. This also includes copy-specific holds for any item on a bibliographic record. For example, due to consortia needs, we have many trade paperbacks attached to hardcover bibliographic records, and patrons may be using call numbers to identify them."
-
Mike McClellan
commented
Hi Samantha, the problem is not all Polaris sites can support holds based on volume data. Some sites have too many items with "bad" volume entries based on years of member libraries using the field to add comments, titles for games or puzzles, gaming platforms, etc. The Polaris PAC has a workflow to push the patron to select a specific item which should be honored by Vega as an alternative for these libraries. Otherwise the patron has no option other than placing a title level hold. Or the library changes the Polaris setting which impacts both Vega, PAC and staff hold workflows.
-
Ann Penke
commented
Patrons need to be able to select specific items whether it is an issue of a periodical, the correct edition of a serial, or a specific volume of a multi-volume work.
-
Sarah Cournoyer
commented
Patrons and staff need to be able to select an item specifically because they can vary between editions, preference for a paperback over a hardcover, or many other reasons.