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OCLC Support

Limit number of requests

Find information about active and rolling request limits in Relais ILL.

Libraries can limit the number of active/open requests that patrons are permitted to have. The limits can be set as an active request limit (10 requests in total) or over a rolling time period (10 requests over 30 days) These limits can be set at the patron type level allowing for different limits based on patron type.

If a patron's open request limit is exceeded a configurable message is displayed to the patron indicating "The current request cannot be submitted at this time as the limit for the number of active requests currently associated with your account has been reached."

Active Request Limits

Active request limit - No rolling period constraint - total number of requests = 10 and requests over x days = 9999

  • A patron enters 10 requests on June 1, 2019 and has no other active requests in the system
  • On June 1, 2019 all 10 request are filled as being on loan to the patron.
  • On June 15 the patron attempts to enter a new request but is told they have reached their limit because they currently have 10 requests submitted and still active from today back 9,999 days. 
  • On June 20, 2019 the patron returns an item on loan and one of their requests is subsequently marked as completed.  At this time the patron now has 9 active requests outstanding and could, if they wanted, now submit another request.  Let's assume they do not.
  • On June 30, 2019 the patron still has 9 active requests submitted on June 1, 2019 and thus can still place 1 new request.  This holds true until they either places a request and caps their limit or returns loaned items completing some or all of their existing requests freeing room from their cap.

Rolling Request Limits

Rolling period constraint - total number of requests = 10 and requests over x days = 30

  • A patron enters 10 requests on June 1, 2019 and has no other active requests in the system
  • On June 1, 2019 all 10 request are filled as being on loan to the patron.
  • On June 15 the patron attempts to enter a new request but is told they have reached their limit because the system evaluates that the patron has 10 requests currently submitted and still active over the last 30 days, May 17, 2019 and June 15, 2019.
  • On June 20, 2019 the patron returns an item on loan and one of their requests is subsequently marked as completed.  At this time the patron now has 9 active requests outstanding and could, if they wanted, now submit another request.  Let's assume they do not.
  • On July 2, 2019 the patron still has 9 active requests submitted on June 1, 2019 but because of the "requests over x days" setting being set to 30 can now submit up to 10 additional requests because the requests from June 1 and previous no longer count against the "total number of requests" for the rolling period.

To request that limits be configured for patron requests submit a configuration change to OCLC Support. Specify the total number of active requests, the patron types to which the limit applies and the number of days if the limits are to be applied against a rolling period.