Happy New Year to everyone!
With the beginning of a new year, it seems a good time to
remind everyone that our customers are our primary focus—and with that in mind,
I am writing to ask you to not place holds anymore, unless an item record is attached to the bibliographic
record.
A number of new items are in the process of being ordered,
however the orders may not have been sent yet and no
item record is attached. Some, if not all, of these records are
visible in the public catalog, and customers can see them. However, our
customers are not able to place a hold until item records are attached,
even though the records they see in the catalog make it clear that SOMEONE is
placing holds before the titles are available to the public -- and the
SOMEONE is a staff member, placing the hold in Millennium.
In order for the catalog to allow a hold--even a bib-level hold--
an item record must be present. The presence of the item record signals
the computer that the order has been placed and holds are allowed to be made by
customers.
Placing holds in Millennium before the material is available
to our customers through the catalog puts us in the position of having to
explain or justify why some people can place holds while others can’t—not a
good situation public relations-wise, and, while those who do it probably
do not intend this, it is an unfair practice. This came to my attention
because a customer posed the question, why can’t she place a hold too??
Staff privileges do not permit us to have an unfair
advantage (actual or perceived) in placing holds on items in the catalog.
If items are unavailable to our general customer population to place holds,
they are unavailable to us staff for placing personal holds, too. To
avoid inadvertently placing a hold on a title that is not yet available to be
held, it is recommended that you place holds through the catalog—the
catalog will allow you to place the hold if the material is available. Your
chances of placing a hold early on are still very good even if placing it
through the catalog makes it more competitive. Continue to place “bib”
holds though. That way the first available item will be sent your way.
Thanks for your attention.
Lin
Swalley
Coordinator
of Collection Development
Houston
Public Library
832-393-1479
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