Requests (UXPROD-790)

[UXPROD-3567] Suspend/Freeze/Pause a Patron Request Created: 16/Feb/22  Updated: 30/Nov/23

Status: Draft
Project: UX Product
Components: None
Affects versions: None
Fix versions: None
Parent: Requests

Type: New Feature Priority: P3
Reporter: Erin Nettifee Assignee: Unassigned
Resolution: Unresolved Votes: 0
Labels: enettifee-reviewed, requests, resourceaccess
Remaining Estimate: Not Specified
Time Spent: Not Specified
Original estimate: Not Specified

Epic Link: Requests
Development Team: Vega
PO Rank: 0
Rank: Cornell (Full Sum 2021): R2

 Description   

Current situation or problem:
Sometimes, patrons are in line for items but want to pause their place in a request queue - perhaps they're going on vacation or a research trip, and they don't want to miss out on the item if their turn for it happens and they're not on campus.

This feature is written to capture the development needs for a "pause request" feature for FOLIO.

In scope

  • Addition of a new request status that indicates a request is in a paused state - "Open - Paused" has been suggested
  • The ability to pause both an item-level request and a title-level request
  • The ability to set an end date for the pause period

Out of scope

Use case(s)

  • A professor is waiting for an item but is about to leave for a two-month research trip; he's 5th in line out of 10; he pauses the request at that point, specifies an end date for the pause. When he returns, and after the end date expires, his request becomes active again. There are now 8 people in line for the item; he is still at position 5.
  • A library is going to be closed for several weeks. There are a number of requests waiting in Open status for pickup at a service point at that library. Rather than cancelling the requests, the library chooses to pause them so that they cannot be filled while the pickup service point is closed.

Proposed solution/stories

  • Slack discussion: https://folio-project.slack.com/archives/C3G05TF3R/p1644007439857309
  • Possible approach
    • Add a new request status - "Open - Paused"
    • Add an date field - "Pause until" - on the request.
    • Create an API to pause a request
      • When request is paused, set change request status to "Open-Paused"
      • Set date field "Pause until" to appropriate date
    • Create an API to unpause a request
      • When request is unpaused, change request status to "Open - Not Yet Filled"
        • If an item is available, trigger process to fill request
        • Remove "Pause until" date
    • Change request queue management processes to handle paused requests - item-level
      • When a request is filled and queue numbers change, introduce logic to recognize a paused request and "skip" it when moving items up in line
    • Change request queue management processes to handle paused requests - title-level

Links to additional info

Questions

  • Should it be required to specify a "pause until" date or could you infinitely pause a request?
  • What should happen if a patron is at the end of a request queue (say they are 5 out of 5) and the item keeps circulating while their request is paused? E.g., if their request wasn't paused, they'd start moving up the line to get the book. If they keep moving up the line and are eventually #1, but still paused, but what should happen?


 Comments   
Comment by Laurence Mini [ 14/Jul/22 ]

A UMass colleague who does reserves work mentioned as a "super helpful feature for reserves work":

In the past, when requesting an item through the Course Reserves module in Aleph, it delayed the hold automatically until 2 weeks before the term started. And when the hold activated, it had the Reserves patron as #1 in the queue because these requests had priority."

Comment by Laszlo Jakusovszky [ 13/Oct/22 ]

This is the same for Stanford libraries using SirsiDynix. The delay prevents recalls during our dead/finals weeks, when access to those books is critical for users.

Comment by Erin Nettifee [ 13/Oct/22 ]

Laszlo Jakusovszky can you say more about how you all use this feature with SirsiDynix? Do you apply an across-the-board freeze to requests, or how does it work?

FWIW, in FOLIO, a recall would have already changed the due date when it was placed, and so I'm not sure I have a sense of how this feature would prevent recalls from occurring.

Comment by Laszlo Jakusovszky [ 13/Oct/22 ]

Sorry, this is wrapped up in how we build reserves. Sirsi allows us to build records dormant, not live like FOLIO. So the recall is suppressed by design. When those records are flipped "live" (beginning of term), the recall triggers at that point. To my understanding FOLIO reserve items are always built live, so when a reserve is placed the recall is triggered immediately. We don't want a student to have their book recalled during finals week, etc.

Comment by Erin Nettifee [ 14/Oct/22 ]

Right - I guess it depends on if the reserve item is out on loan or not. So it sounds like you all are doing things like prepping winter quarter reserves during fall finals and you wouldn't want to accidentally recall an item that was out on loan at that point? It's worth noting that at least right now putting something on reserve doesn't trigger anything if its out on loan, so it wouldn't be disruptive to your patrons at that point if they had the item out.

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