Request Settings Reference

The interlibrary loan application handles most ILL workflows step-by-step, including checking a requested item back in after circulation, which deletes the temporary records created in Polaris. However, some libraries prefer checking the item in and then automatically removing the temporary records at that point. If you prefer to use this method, set the Delete temporary records on receive setting to Yes; the default setting is No.

Select Yes to alert staff members that an item is held. Staff members can choose whether to continue to hold the item.

If you set this option to No, no message alerts staff members that the item is held.

Select Yes to alert staff during bulk check-in if an item can fill a hold request. Staff members have the option to fill the request or not.

If you set this option to No, Polaris traps the item automatically.

When this option is set to Yes, staff members receive an alert message if they place bib-level hold requests when no items are attached. From the alert message, the staff member can place or cancel the hold request.

If this option is set to No, no message appears and the hold request is automatically placed.

Select Yes to block a hold request initiated in Polaris PowerPAC, Mobile PAC, or Polaris PowerPAC Children’s Edition if the request would exceed the setting for the total number of requests allowed or the number of requests allowed for a particular material type.

Select Yes to block hold requests from PAC if there is a verification block on the patron record.
This type of block is added when the patron has registered online or has requested updates to certain patron account information.

When this option is set to Yes, patrons are blocked from placing bib-level hold requests when no items are attached to the bibliographic record. The request cannot be placed from PAC, and a message advises patrons to contact the library for assistance.

If this option is set to No, a message informs the patron that no items are linked to the request. The patron can continue or cancel the request. The settings for the requesting patron’s registered branch determine how the system treats bibliographic-level hold requests when no items are attached.

Select Yes to block a hold request initiated in the staff client if the patron’s record is blocked for any reason. Staff members can override the block. If you select No, staff can place a hold for the patron regardless of any blocks on the patron’s record or hold limits, and no block messages appear.

Your library system defines a possible reason libraries may not fill hold requests, and individual branches can select a default reason.

Select Yes to delete an unclaimed request automatically when the item is checked in or out. Deleted requests are automatically removed from the system. This setting also applies to SIP self-check units.

Select Yes to display the patron’s contact information on the PowerPAC request confirmation page so that patrons can verify the information. A link is provided so the patron can update the information if necessary.

When this option is set to Yes, the patron’s phone number, name, and barcode, appear on the alert message that an item can fill a hold request.

This setting determines whether Polaris performs asynchronous or real-time RTF processing on titles with a high volume of hold requests. By default, this parameter is set to Yes, and Polaris performs asynchronous RTF processing (that is, processing takes place in a background job). Enabling asynchronous RTF processing improves performance for handling titles that have a high volume of holds.

If your library wants to use real-time RTF processing for all hold requests, set this parameter to No.

System

Select Yes to enable a request status of Out and display requests with this status in Polaris and PAC patron account. The setting for the workstation’s logon branch controls the display in Polaris; the setting for the patron’s registered branch controls the display in the PAC patron account.

A request status changes to Out when a held item is checked out, allowing the request to remain available for tracking purposes until the item status changes from Out to In, Held, Transferred, In-Transit, or Lost.

This setting enables you to configure hold item pickup branches by selecting one or more pickup branches for holds processing.

If all branches within the library system are selected, the library will also be included in the item record Hold pickup limited to drop-down list in Leap.

When this option is selected, not-supplied, expired, or canceled requests regain their position in the holds queue when they are reactivated. That is, the request will continue to move up the queue as other requests are filled. This setting also applies to requests reactivated during check out or check in. If this option is not selected, the request is placed at the end of the queue when re-activated.

When this option is selected, and you have also checked Permit suspended requests from PAC (Staff client & PAC - system level setting), suspended requests regain their position in the holds queue when they are reactivated. That is, the request will continue to move up the queue as other requests are filled. This setting also controls the queue position when a request placed with an activation date in the future becomes Active. If this option is not selected, the request is placed at the end of the queue when re-activated.

Enables users to restrict other items from filling requests marked as located.

If set to No, hold requests can be filled with any eligible item that is checked in, not just the associated located item.

If set to Yes, hold requests with an associated located item can be filled only by that located item at check-in. However, if the associated located item times out, any eligible item will fill the request at check-in.

To charge patrons for hold requests if they are filled, select the Charge checkbox.

Type the fee per request in the Rate box. This amount is automatically added to the patron’s account when the hold request is filled.

In the Message box, type the text that patrons see when they attempt to place a hold request in Polaris PowerPAC. This message should state that a fee will be charged to the patron account when the hold request is filled.

Use this setting to set an item’s due date to change automatically according to the number of hold requests for the item (request-to-item ratio).

In the Requests box, type the number of requests in the requests-to-item ratio that triggers the change in due date.

In the Items box, type the number of items in the requests-to-item ratio that triggers the change in due date.

In the Loan period box, type the number of days for the loan period when the requests-per-item ratio is met.

Use this setting to specify the length of time that a request can remain in a Located status before it reverts to Pending, select the Time out Located status box, and type or select the number of hours (1-99).

Use this setting to enable the pickup area feature (system only), set the default pickup area, enable the pickup area feature in PAC, and suppress the none option.

Select which branches to exclude in PAC or Polaris staff client when creating hold requests.

Settings in this list work with the hold limit option Preferred borrowers in the item record. When Preferred borrowers is checked in an item record, the item is eligible to fill holds only when the item’s assigned branch has selected (checked) the pickup branch in this list

Using this setting, you can set up optional trapping preference groups, which apply trapping preferences to a designated group of branches. You might find this feature useful in a consortium where various groups of organizations are far apart or have very different hold request policies. If you use trapping preference groups, you can specify whether you want preference within the group to be applied based on the hold pickup location branch or the patron's registered branch.

Use this setting to set Polaris PowerPAC and Mobile PAC title-level hold request options. Select an option under Manage item requests to set your policies for item-level requests on monographic materials, specific issues of serial titles, and specific parts of multi-part titles. In Prevent Requests on Statuses, to prevent items with specific statuses from filling hold requests, select the appropriate checkboxes for the statuses.

Use this setting to configure options related to requests-to-fill (RTF) processing.

Patrons can change their pickup branch in PowerPAC when holds have the selected statuses.

In the Held for pickup box, type the number of days an item is held for a patron.

The hold request status becomes unclaimed at 11:59 pm on the last day the item is held. The system takes into account the dates closed and hours of operation (days closed) when calculating the last day the item is held. The pick-up branch’s setting is used.

In the Default expiration period box, type the number of days that a hold request remains in the queue before the request status automatically changes to expired.

When a request has expired, it can no longer be filled. The pick-up branch’s setting is used.

(System level only) Specify when the system deletes expired, canceled, and not-supplied hold request records:

Delete expired in — The number of days after which an expired hold request is automatically deleted from Polaris. To delete requests immediately upon their expiration, set this to 0 days.

Delete canceled in — The number of days after which a canceled hold request is automatically deleted from Polaris. To delete requests immediately upon their cancellation, set this to 0 days.

Delete not-supplied in — The number of days after which a hold request with a not-supplied status is automatically deleted from Polaris. To delete requests immediately when they become not supplied, set this to 0 days.

Select Yes to permit patrons and staff to cancel when the hold is in Held status.

Select Yes to permit patrons and staff to cancel when the hold is in Shipped status.

To provide a note field on the PAC patron request form, allowing the patron to enter a note with the request.

Select Yes to allow patrons to suspend and reactivate hold requests from Polaris PowerPAC, Mobile PAC, and Polaris ExpressCheck.

Requests with the status Active or Pending can be suspended.

This setting determines how the request is handled in Polaris when a patron reaches the hold limit by material type. If this option is Yes, and all the items attached to the bibliographic record have the same material type, a block message is displayed in Polaris, and staff members have the option of overriding the block. If the block is overridden, the request is placed with a status of Not Supplied. The Not Supplied reason is All items denied by system. If some items have the limited material type and some do not, a message is displayed and those of the limited material type are automatically denied by the system.

If this option is No, and all the items attached to the bibliographic record have the same material type, a block message is displayed in Polaris, and staff members have the option of overriding the block. If the block is overridden, the request is placed with a status of Active. If some items have the limited material type and some do not, a message is displayed and those of the limited material type are automatically denied by the system.

Select Yes to include requests with a status of Held and Shipped when calculating the total number of hold requests a patron can have and the request limit by material types.

Select Yes to specify that inactive requests are counted toward a patron's total number of allowed hold requests.

Select Yes To allow staff members to fill a hold request at check-out. When this option is Yes, an alert message appears when a staff member attempts to check out an item that can fill a request. This setting also blocks check-out of these items at SIP self-check units.

The Polaris Application Server handles ILL direct requests to OCLC. Your existing application server is the default entry. If your application server name changes, enter the new Polaris Application Server name in this parameter.

System

When lending items through interlibrary loan, ILL uses a default “institutional patron” as the borrower. Only one institutional patron is used for all ILL lending. When the request is filled in the other system, the Polaris item will be checked out automatically to this ILL patron.

System

(OCLC subscribers only) To set up your connection to OCLC’s ILL service, select the ILL: OCLC setting, and complete the following steps:

1. Select the Enable OCLC connection checkbox to indicate that interlibrary loan requests are managed through OCLC's ILL Direct Request service.

2. In the OCLC Symbol box, enter the library mnemonic for the system, library, or branch that has the account with OCLC. Contact OCLC to get this information.

3. Verify that the Service URL field contains the following URL:

   https://worldcat.org/isoill/request/data/

   The OCLC service URL is the same for all libraries.

4. In the API Key field, enter your library's OCLC API key. Contact OCLC to get this information.

5. Select Save and Close.

Important (OCLC subscribers only):
The Polaris application server handles ILL direct requests to OCLC. If your application server name changes, enter the new Polaris application server name in the system-level Request setting ILL: Computer designated for sending OCLC/ILL direct requests.

System, Library, Branch

To allow ILL requests from Polaris PowerPAC, select the PAC requests Enable checkbox. If you use OCLC and want your staff to review all ILL requests made by patrons before they are sent to OCLC, select the Mediate all checkbox. To allow library staff to create ILL requests in the staff client, select the Staff requests Enable checkbox.

System, Library, Branch

Use this setting to place limits on ILL requests.

If you use OCLC and want your staff to review ILL requests converted from hold requests in the staff client, select the Hold-to-ILL is mediated checkbox. If the checkbox is cleared, the converted ILL requests are automatically sent to OCLC.

In Patron codes to exclude, prevent one or more categories of patrons from requesting interlibrary loans by selecting the checkbox for each appropriate patron code.

In the Need-by box, set the default number of days by which an ILL request should be filled.

In the Held Period box, specify how long an item is held for a patron to pick up before being returned to the lending library. The system takes into account the library’s closed dates and days when calculating this period.

Note:
The Held Period setting controls the date that prints on the Polaris ILL hold slip, but it does not automatically change the ILL status.

(System level only) Choose a block option:

Over 2nd level fine amount — The patron is blocked if the money owed is over the 2nd level fine amount set by the patron’s registered branch, and a block message is displayed in PAC.

Over [amount] — Select this option and set an amount. The patron is blocked if the money owed is greater than or equal to the amount you specify, and a block message is displayed in PAC. By default, this setting is enabled. The default amount is $0.01, which blocks the request if the patron owes any money at all.

System, Library, Branch

Add a hold note to incoming requests. Select Enable.

The default Item was requested through ILL text is displayed in the Staff display note field. You can customize this text by entering up to 255 characters.

Note:
When enabled, the note text appears in the hold request Staff Display note that displays when trapping and also prints on the hold slip. If the other notes are added during hold request processing, the ILL note is appended to the existing text.

System, Library, Branch

The default setting for the NCIP Processing option is Decentralized processing, but you can change it to Central processing. Use the Central processing setting if ILL items are received at the central location and then sent to the requesting library or branch, and returned items are sent to the central location to be returned to the lender. The central location may be a branch or it may be a workstation within a library.
If your library or consortium uses a mixture of centralized and decentralized ILL processing, where items are received at a central location but each branch returns items directly to the lender, the Central Processing option is recommended.

System

In NCIP processing, the hold request is created in response to the ItemRequested message used by ILL. This is early in the ILL process, and the hold request cannot be canceled or modified in Polaris. Some library systems might prefer to prevent the immediate creation of the hold request.

System

Use this setting to select an academic or public library in Polaris.

System

Libraries can use the NCIP uses patron passwords parameter to specify whether NCIP requires a patron's password. You can set this option to Yes if you want to require a patron's password. If your library doesn't require a patron's password for NCIP, or your NCIP vendor has an alternative authentication method, you can set this option to No.

System

Enter the number of days you expect a Rapido ILL item to spen in transit when it its returned to its lending institution.

System

When lending items through interlibrary loan, Rapido uses a default “institutional patron” as the borrower. Only one institutional patron is used for all ILL lending. When the request is filled in the other system, the Polaris item will be checked out automatically to this Rapido patron.

Specifies whether the borrowing library checks in and then returns the INN-Reach ILL item, or checks in and returns the item in a single process. The default is set to No. If this parameter is set to Yes, and the borrowing library has also set the parameter INN-Reach - Use my branch to ship/receive material to Yes, the processes are combined. The item status changes to In and then Returned-ILL in a single process.

System, Library, Branch

Enable the visiting patron functionality in resource sharing applications.

System, Library, Branch

This setting determines if the Patron's Preferred Location option appears in the Pickup list when you request a single title for multiple patrons in Leap. See "Request the Same Title for Multiple Patrons" in the Leap help.

System, Library, Branch

This setting determines if the Patron's home branch option appears in the Pickup list when you request a single title for multiple patrons in Leap.

System, Library, Branch

This setting determines if Leap displays all holds in one combined list or keeps them in three separate lists. See "Picklist Workform" in the Leap help.

System, Library, Branch

This setting determines if the Patron's Preferred Location option appears in the Pickup list when you request a single title for multiple patrons in Leap. See "Request the Same Title for Multiple Patrons" in the Leap help.

System, Library, Branch