Understanding how item descriptions influence booking requests /

Contents

·  Introduction

·  Situation One – booking requests for items with item description (item level requests)

·  Situation Two – booking requests for items without item description (title level requests)

·  Summary

Introduction

This document describes how booking requests are handled when

A.  The booking request is made from Primo GetIt tab
AND

B.  The items of a common bibliographic record

  1. Each have item descriptions
    or
  2. Do not have item descriptions.

While the examples show the request made via the primo Get It tab, similar behavior exists when the request is made by staff in the Alma user interface (patron-initiated and staff-initiated requests)

“Situation one” below has one bibliographic record and each item has an item description. The booking request is made on a specific item and thus any other item may be loaned for the period of the booking request, but not the specific item on which the booking request was made. When making the request the user has to choose an item description because the “request” link is on the item level. The booking request can be fulfilled only with the specifically requested item.

“Situation two” below has one bibliographic record with two items and neither item has an item description. The request is this made on the title level. The request link does not exist on the item level. Either of the items may be loaned during the period of the booking request, but not both (all) of the items. At least one item must be available at the time of the booking request but it does not matter which one because the request on in the title level. The booking request can be fulfilled by either of the items

Situation One – booking requests for items with item description

The bibliographic record “Library and information science in the modern world” has one holding record and five items. Each of the five items has a different description:

From the GetIt tab of Primo we click “request” on the item with description “Volume 4” which is barcode ACC-4.

Note that there exists the option to click “Request” for each specific item

By default the description is filled in and the booking request is made

The request is made on the specific item

If a staff user tries to loan that specific item (barcode ACC-4) for the time of the booking request then he will not be able to do so

A different item of the same bibliographic record can be loaned during the time of the booking request

When checking out the item to the requester of the booking request only the specific item will fulfill the booking request. In this case only volume 4 will fulfill the booking request.

Situation Two – booking requests for items without item description

The bibliographic record “Library and information science in the late bronze age” has one holding record and two items. The items have no descriptions

Note that in Primo there is no option to make a specific request on a specific item. All items are “the same” regarding the description. The request option is on the title level.

There is no place to specify the specific item and the request is made

The request is on the title level and therefore there is no specification for a specific item (for example by barcode)

One of the two items may be loaned for the period of the booking request. It may be either of the two items because it is a title level request.

But, the second item (or “all” items) cannot be loaned for during the booking request. If the staff user tries to loan the item then he receives a message that the loan term must be shortened.

When checking out the item to the requester of the booking request any item will fulfill the booking request.

Summary

When the item description field is blank the booking request will be created on the title level. The example above shows the request made in Primo, but this is the case for both when the request is placed either by library staff in Alma or by the user in Primo. When a user comes to the desk to check out the title level booked item then any item from this title will fulfill the booking request.

When the item description field is filled in then the booking request will be created on the item level. When a user comes to the desk to check out the item level booking request then only the specific item from this title will fulfill the booking request.

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