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Create title reservations

Learn how to place a reservation on title records in OLIB.

icon_issues.gif Circ. Desk
►Circulation> Reservations

Reservations for users can be placed against a title record. If several copies of a title exist, the reservation can be refined by reserving against a specific location or specific category.

Reserve an item

  1. Go to the Reservations domain directly by clicking on the Reservation button from the Circ. Desk screen or via the Menu - select the Circulation> Reservations domain.
  2. The Reservations search screen displays, click New Record.
  3. Title Reservation is usually the default Reservation Type. This potentially allows you to reserve all copies of a title. If preferred select Copy Reservation to specify a particular Copy, or Set Reservation to reserve all copies in a Set. OLIB also displays a system generated reservation number and date.
  4. In User click Search to find using e.g. Surname. Select and Insert the correct user. (If the reservation layout was loaded from the Reservations link on the Circ. Desk screen after having entered a valid user barcode, the user name will already be displayed on the reservation screen layout).
  5. Each reservation is given a priority number. The OLIB default for the reservation Priority is 5. Edit this if you wish to action the reservation quicker.
  6. You do not normally need to enter an amount in Charge because if charges are applicable these are set in Loan Terms and at User Category level.
  7. In Title click to search, then select and insert the appropriate title for the reservation. (See Reservation checks below).
  8. If required select a Category, Location and Area to refine the reservation further. Alternatively by setting the Global flag to Yes, all copies at all locations will be reserved. This may be used alongside Collection Location.
  9. Ignore LT Ban? (Loan Terms ban) is normally left at No. Set to Yes if you wish to ignore the ban.
  10. Use the calendar icon for Required Before and/or a Required After date if necessary. OLIB discontinues the reservation if it is not satisfied by the Required Before date. OLIB does not activate the reservation until the Required After date is reached.
  11. Collection Location is used to identify that the reserved item will be collected from a different location to that of the location at which the item is being reserved. When the copy is returned for the reserving User a message will display alerting you to route the copy to the correct collection location. This is intended for use in multi-site libraries.
  12. Enter any Notes if useful, this can be up to 700 characters.
  13. Save the reservation record on completion.

The reservation will be confirmed, or if a copy is already held a message will indicate that copies are available on the shelves. At this point, OLIB does not display on screen the copy barcodes that have been reserved. However they can subsequently be viewed in the Reservation screen.

Reservation checks

OLIB uses the same set of reservation parameters to determine whether a copy can be reserved by a user regardless of where the reservation is placed - OLIB Web, WorldView or the OPAC. Parameters exist in the Copy record, the reserving user's Location record and in the Loan Terms record.

  • When you add the Title to the reservation record, a check is made to see whether there are any available copies of the title being reserved. If there are, the following message is displayed:

The following copies which can be used to fulfil this reservation
are marked as Available:
....
Continue? [Yes/No]

This list of available copies now only includes those that are reservable by that user according to the reservation rules defined in the Copy, user’s Location and Loan Terms records. For example if the user is only allowed to reserve from his/her own Location, only that Location’s available copies will be displayed.

  • When you save the reservation, the reserved copies list only includes those copies that are reservable by the user according to the Copy, user’s Location and Loan Terms records. For example, if the user is only allowed to reserve from his/her own Location, only that Location’s copies will be reserved.

If no copies are reservable when you save the reservation, a message is displayed to indicate why copies are not reservable. The message will vary considerably depending on why the copies are not reservable. The following example message indicates that 26 copies were not reservable owing to the reservation rules defined in the user’s Location and 1 copy was not reservable owing to rules set at Copy level:

...Reservation returned the following:
26 copies were not reserved because: Circulation rules at
borrowers location prevent this copy from being reserved.
1 copy was not reserved because: Copy is not reservable (copy configuration) [OK]

When you click OK to acknowledge this message, you are returned to the reservation screen. You should then abandon the reservation. If appropriate, you can adjust the relevant setting(s) so that at least one copy is reservable by that user, and then re-create the reservation.

Override reservation ban

If you try to place a reservation for a user who is banned from that category of material in Loan Terms (Copy Category) – you still have the option to override the ban.

User is banned from this copy category
No reservations were made. No suitable copies found

When you click on OK – you are returned to the Reservations screen.

Under Reservation Details set the Ignore LT Ban? (Loan Terms ban) to Yes if you wish to proceed. Save the details again to successfully place the reservation.