> Item Barcode number 8401627511 is attached to 2 patron records as being
> checked out to them both. The item is on Course Reserve and the checkout
> date and time is today (9 Mar)9:38 and due time is today at 1:38 on both
> patron records. How is this possible? Even more strange is that one of our
> desk staff says that this happened yesterday with the same item.
This happens frequently with us (about twice a week). In fact, the item is NOT
checked out to 2 people at once. 2 people have the same item checked out.
There's a subtle difference! When an item is checked out to a patron there's
a link to the item in the patron record, and there's a link to the patron in
the item record. When the item is checked back in both of these links are
ended. If you look at the ITEM record of the item in question you'll see the
patron record number of the person who actually HAS the book. There will not be
(and can not be) 2 patron record numbers in this field. However, when the item
was checked in from the other person the link wasn't broken completely. i.e.
the link in that patron record to the item has remained, even though the link
in the item record to that patron has cleared. So you can be quite clear as to
who HAS the book; it's the patron recorded as having it in the item record. In
our case we've narrowed down exactly when and why it happens. It's when an item
is checked out then immediately checked in again. It seems that Innopac doesn't
deal with things in exactly the same order as they're keyed, so a part of the
checkin is processed before the checkout has completed! We send the details of
the patron record number (the one who doesn't have the item) and the item
record number to the helpdesk, and ask them to remove that item from that
patron's list of checked out items. They usually do it the same or next day.
In our case it's happened a lot recently when people have said they no
longer require a book that's being held for them. On Libertas the quickest way
to "cancel" a reservation was to issue then immediatelky return the item, so
people have been doing this in Innopac too. But Innopac is much slower in
actually processing the transactions - hence the problem. So order to try to
prevent it happening so much I've told my staff they're too quick for the
computer, and they should work more slowly! Also they should cancel holds
"properly".
Lesha
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Lesha Fossey
Assistant Librarian, Circulation Services
University of Exeter
Stocker Road TEL: 01392 263867
Exeter EX4 4PT FAX: 01392 263871
EX4 4PT E-MAIL: [log in to unmask]
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