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WMS Circulation release notes, May 2026

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Release Date: 18 May 2026

Introduction

This release of WorldShare Circulation introduces a range of new features and enhancements, along with numerous bug fixes. These updates are designed to help you manage increasingly complex workflows.

Many of these enhancements are the direct result of your feedback.

Follow-up actions

Action

Install the updated offline circulation client

An update to the WorldShare Circulation offline client is required with the May 2026 release. Some libraries were able to scan items successfully while offline but encountered an error when reconnecting and attempting to post transactions online. Retry attempts did not resolve the issue.

To restore offline transaction posting, libraries using the offline client must download and install the updated version once it's available on the May release date.

Installing the updated offline client does not delete or reset any pending offline transactions. Existing scanned transactions will post successfully after the update.

Begin planning your transition to Next-Generation Notifications

We're upgrading how your library connects with patrons through Next-Generation Notifications—a more flexible and customizable messaging system for WorldShare Management Services (WMS). Your existing notifications will continue working through June 28, 2027 while you transition at your own pace. We recommend you begin planning your transition now.

Please see Getting ready for Next-Generation Notifications for everything you'll need to get started.

Group aware libraries: Ensure consistent patron experience by enabling NGNs at the same time

For group aware libraries, enable Next-Generation Notifications (NGNs) concurrently across all member institutions to ensure a consistent patron experience. When any member library enables a single NGN, its legacy notification will be disabled, so coordinate a single rollout window across the consortium to avoid mixed notification experiences for patrons who borrow from multiple libraries.

For fiscal notifications, all member institutions must also ensure that billing templates are configured and assigned to all patron type policies prior to rollout to avoid receipt interruptions.

Configure billing templates for all patron types before using billing notifications

With this release, billing notifications (including bill resolution confirmations and printed or emailed receipts) are available in Next-Generation Notifications (NGNs). Before enabling billing notifications in production, institutions must create billing templates and assign them to all applicable patron type policies.

If a billing template is not assigned for a patron type, staff may be unable to generate a printed or emailed receipt at the time a bill is resolved. Receipts cannot be recreated after the transaction is completed.

We strongly recommend reviewing your billing notification templates and patron type policy assignments in advance—especially in group-aware environments—to ensure uninterrupted receipt delivery at service desks.

New features and enhancements

Manage manual interlibrary loan (ILL) workflows

 Note: WMS Circulation's Manual ILL feature is intended for customers who use external systems, such as ZFL. WorldShare ILL and Tipasa users should continue using the Off-System Requesting functionality.

You can now manage interlibrary loans (ILLs) manually, outside of established ILL systems (such as Tipasa or WorldShare ILL). This allows libraries to share items using differing ILL products or shared ILL workflows. Previously, you could not easily track these manual requests within Circulation. Now, you can tag a hold as a manual ILL request, allowing you to track external request IDs and institution details while the system handles the hold and loan as a standard ILL request.

To start using manual ILL workflows, you must first enable the feature in OCLC Service Configuration by navigating to WMS Circulation > Integrations > ILL Settings > Manual.

Once enabled, you can also configure a default temporary holding and shelving location for temporary items that are automatically created as part of manual ILL workflows. Additionally, you can choose to automatically withdraw temporary items upon check-in.


Screenshot of OCLC Service Configuration under Integrations > ILL Settings, showing the Manual ILL feature enabled and default temporary holding and shelving locations configured.

To create and manage manual ILL requests, staff must have the MANAGE_MANUAL_ILL permission. This permission is available to all Circulation roles except the role Student Worker Restricted.

Manual ILL lender workflow

Create a manual ILL lending request

You can now create manual ILL lending requests directly from the Circulation Staff UI when you are supplying items to another library outside of an automated ILL system.

When manual ILL is enabled, and you have the required permission, the Place Hold action becomes a split button. From there, select Place manual ILL lending request. You can create these requests from:

  • a bibliographic record
  • an item record
  • the patron holds screen  

Screenshot of the Circulation interface showing a bibliographic record's Holds tab. A red box highlights the 'Place hold' split button expanded to show options for placing manual ILL borrowing and lending requests.

Manual ILL lending requests automatically generate an editable External Request ID, which allows you to record the Requesting Institution using an ISIL, OCLC Symbol, or Registry ID. The External Request ID remains linked to the request for the entire lifecycle of the hold and any resulting loan. It displays in the Item Status widget, Patron holds list and the Pull list.

Screenshot of the 'Place manual ILL lending request' dialog box, displaying fields to enter the Patron, an auto-generated External Request ID, and the Requesting Institution.

View, edit, or delete manual ILL lending requests

Manual ILL lending requests appear throughout the Circulation Staff UI like other ILL requests and are clearly labelled as Manual.

Screenshot of a Patron holds list. A red box highlights a 'Manual' badge under the Status details column, with a cursor hovering over it to reveal a tooltip showing the specific manual request ID.

Staff with the MANAGE_MANUAL_ILL permission can edit the External Request ID and Requesting Institution while the request is active. All other fields follow existing Circulation edit rules and permissions.

Manual ILL borrower workflow

Create a manual ILL borrowing request

You can now also create manual ILL borrowing requests when requesting items from another library outside of an automated ILL system. Use the Place manual ILL borrowing request option in the Circulation Staff UI to place these requests.

Screenshot of a patron's account in the Circulation interface with the Holds tab selected. A red box highlights the 'Place hold' split button expanded to show options for placing manual ILL borrowing and lending requests directly from the patron record.

Manual ILL borrowing requests automatically create a temporary item, generate an editable External Request ID, and allow you to record the Supplying Institution, using an ISIL, OCLC Symbol, Registry ID, or free text. Optionally, you can enter an ILL loan due date.

When placing the request, you can select a title directly from WorldCat or enter the title as free text.

Screenshot of the 'Place manual ILL borrowing request' dialog box. A red box highlights the pencil icon next to the Title field, indicating the ability to enter the requested title as free text.

Screenshot of the Circulation interface displaying the Details tab for a 'Temporary item'. This illustrates that a temporary item record is automatically created in the system when a manual ILL borrowing request is placed.

Manual ILL borrowing requests are managed like standard ILL holds and loans, and remain linked to the External Request ID throughout the request lifecycle. It displays in the Item Status widget, Patron holds list and the Pull list.

View, edit or delete manual ILL borrowing requests

Manual ILL borrowing requests are clearly identified as Manual across Circulation.

Staff with the MANAGE_MANUAL_ILL permission can edit the External Request ID, Supplying Institution and loan due date while the request is active. All other fields follow existing Circulation edit rules and permissions.

Temporary item search by External Request ID

You can now search for temporary items associated with an External Request ID.

In the Circulation Staff UI, navigate to Discover Items and choose the new External Request search index. The search supports partial matches and returns results across all external ILL workflows, including manual ILL requests.

Screenshot of the Circulation interface showing a temporary item search using the "External Request" index. Highlighted are the search criteria and the "External request details" column displaying the related manual ILL request.

 

NGN Item Schedule notifications now available

The complete set of Item Schedule notifications is now available in Next-Generation Notifications. These policy-driven notifications allow you to automatically communicate with patrons throughout the lifecycle of an item schedule.

The following Item Schedule notifications are now available for you to configure:

  • Schedule Request Confirmation: Confirms that a patron's schedule request was accepted.
  • Schedule Request Expiration Confirmation: Confirms a patron's pending schedule request has expired.
  • Schedule Request Deletion Confirmation: Confirms a patron's pending schedule request has been deleted.
  • Fulfilled Schedule Notice: Notifies a patron that their scheduled item is ready for pickup.
  • Fulfilled Schedule Reminder: Reminds a patron about a ready-for-pickup scheduled item.
  • Fulfilled Schedule Expiration Confirmation: Confirms that a fulfilled schedule reservation has expired (was not picked up).
  • Fulfilled Schedule Deletion Confirmation: Confirms that a fulfilled schedule was deleted.

In order to migrate your item schedule notifications to the NGN solution, you will need to:

  1. Create templates in Service Configuration > WMS Circulation > Next-Generation Notifications > Templates > Holds and Schedules.
  2. After creating your templates, assign them to schedule policies under WMS Circulation > Holds and Schedules > Scheduling Policy.
  3. Once your templates and policies are configured, you can then enable the NGN notifications under Next-Generation Notifications > Enable notification types.

Visit Schedule items for additional information.

Bug fixes

  • You can now successfully post previously scanned offline circulation transactions after installing the updated offline client. Previously, some libraries were able to scan items while offline but encountered an authentication error when attempting to post transactions online, and retrying later did not resolve the issue.

  • You can edit and save Next Generation Notification templates in Service Config after logos used on the template have been deleted, including when no logos remain for your institution. Previously, the logo section could error and block saving changes to the template.

  • Title entry on hold and schedule flows is limited, so the system handles long text safely. Previously, entering an extremely long title could cause a system error instead of completing the hold or schedule.

  • Hold shelf periods, pickup notifications, and other fulfillment behavior now follow the correct hold fulfillment policy when a hold requires preparation or approval—including when staff finish prep or approval after your Hold Fulfillment Policy Map has been updated. Previously, the system could start the hold shelf from check-in instead of from when the hold became ready for pickup, and it could keep using an older policy after the map changed, so patrons could get too little pickup time and notifications could follow the wrong rules.

Known issues

See the Known Issues page.

Important links

Support website(s)

Support information for this product and related products can be found at: