November 2024

Quick Facts

• People picking up other patrons’ holds must have the hold patron's partial name and partial library card number to find holds on the hold shelf.
• Use the Remove Item Hold wizard to cancel patron holds after they are checked out to another patron. Look up the hold using the Item ID.
• Confidentiality Quick Look guide

Procedure

Who can pick up holds

A person can pick up holds for another person that is not present.  See the confidentiality policies.

• If the patron has the last name, library card number and password of the patron whose hold it is, they can use self check out OR they can check out at the desk by using their own library account.
• Staff will need to cancel holds that are picked up by another person. This is done during the checkout process, by entering a Y in the “Available hold block override” field and then clicking the button labeled “Override Checkout Item and Cancel Hold”.
• If the person picking up the holds can't find the holds they want to pick up by themselves:
  • If the hold patron is present, give them their card number and explain the new hold slip format.
  • If the patron is not present, the person picking up will need the partial last name and partial library card number to pick up holds.
     

These confidentiality policies haven't changed:

• Patrons can pick up holds for other people. If they do not have the library card, or card number and password, they can check these holds out on their own accounts. Staff will cancel the holds on the original hold patron's account during checkout.
• Library staff will not give out library card numbers to people who are not the patron, even partial library card numbers. 

What has changed is the information people need to find other people's holds on the hold shelf. Pick-up patrons will need the last name and the last four numbers of the library card. 

With the card, card number, or hold patron present, we can tell pick-up patrons:

• If there are or are not holds.
• If holds are at another location. 

With a name only, we can tell pick-up patrons:

• That there are no holds to pick up for the hold patron at this location.
• We cannot tell them if there are holds to pick up at another location. The hold patron may have a good reason to pick up their holds at another library.  "I don't see any holds to pick up here."

Jump to:

• Pick-up patron has the hold patron’s library card, card number, or the hold patron is present
• Pick-up patron does NOT have the card or card number, and the hold patron is not present
• How to cancel holds picked up by another person

Pick-up patron has the hold patron’s library card, card number, or the hold patron is present

If the pick-up patron has the library card, card number, or patron present, staff can help them find the holds they want to pick up. 

• Staff can show the pick-up patrons how to find holds if they have the card or card number. “The holds will have the first four letters of the last name and the last four numbers of the library card number. You are looking for MART 5678.”
• If the patron has the hold slip information, but can't find the holds on the hold shelf, staff can help them find the holds.
• If the hold patron is present, we can give that person the library card number, so they can find the holds.
• If the card, card number or patron is present, we can offer to write down what the hold slips will look like on the hold slip postcard, so they know what to look for next time. 

As always, the pick-up patron can check out the holds to the hold patron's account if they have the library card, or use self-checkout if they have the library card number and password. The pick-up patron can also check out holds to their own account. Staff will cancel the holds on the original hold patron's account during checkout.

Pick-up patron does not have the card or card number, and the hold patron is not present

Pick-up patrons need to know the partial name and partial library card number of the hold patron to find the holds they want to pick up. 

• We can assist the pick-up patron if they have the partial name and card number and holds are mis shelved or not on the shelf yet.
• If the pick-up patron does not have the library card number, and the hold patron is not present, we can suggest they contact the hold patron.
  • Is the hold patron in the library? Staff can only give library card numbers (whole or partial) to the account holder.
  • Can the pick-up patron get the library card number online or by contacting the hold patron?
  • In certain circumstances, Contact Center and RIC staff can email the card number to the account holder to the email address in the account.
  • If the pick-up patron cannot get the needed information, offer to extend holds for one week so they have time to come back with the holding patron’s information.
• There are responses for patrons for hold situations, including:
  • If you are picking up holds for someone else, you’ll need the partial name and partial library card number. We can’t know who needs more privacy, so the pick up rules are the same for everyone.
  • The goal is for people to feel more comfortable getting the materials they need. Some patrons don’t place holds because they don’t want their names on them.