Request Failures: Duplicate Holdings


CUL's request system was designed with a single-holdings model.  Request failures may occur when duplicate off,xxx HLDGs have different access and delivery permissions.  This problem does not manifest for HLDGs with identical access permissions, only for those with asymmetical permissions.  For example: c.1 belongs to a circulating collection and c.2 belongs to a restricted special collection.  Commonly at CUL, the restricted holding belongs to Avery Library (AR), Butler Media Center (CV), Health Sciences Library (HR), Music Library (MR) or The Burke Library (UT).

Access permissions are controlled by customer code at ReCAP.  Customer code is a two-letter code, e.g. AR, CU, CV or UT.  Every item accessioned at ReCAP is assigned a single customer code in the LAS database.  Each customer code has authorized delivery locations associated with it.  This provides strong oversight for special collections.  See "Delivery Restrictions" column on the Customer Code Table.

Delivery options on the requesting webforms load according to CLIO location.  CLIO locations at CUL correspond to customer codes at ReCAP (e.g. off,glx/CU or off,bmc/CV).  On the requesting webforms HLDGs display in numerical order by ID number.  Delivery options load according to the last holding in the series, i.e. the copy with the numerically highest HLDG ID number. 

The two scenarios described below may result when there are multiple off,xxx HLDGs with asymmetrical permissions; at least one is restricted and the other(s) unrestricted.  Scenario 1 may lead to a request failure when delivery options are listed for the unrestricted copy.  Scenario 2 leads to valid but restricted delivery options when the delivery options are listed for the restricted copy.  Reminder: delivery options depend on the order in which the HLDGs are listed.

Scenario 1: Delivery Options Load from Unrestricted Holding

In the first scenario, the delivery options and default delivery location load for the unrestricted copy.  In this scenario the unrestricted copy is listed last, has the highest HLDG#, and populates the drop-down menu.  If the patron selects the restricted copy for physical delivery and an unauthorized delivery location,  a failure notice will be sent to the ReCAP Coordinator.  Likewise, if the patron selects the restricted copy for EDD, it will fail because the default delivery location is set for the unrestricted copy.  The failure notice message is different for physical delivery than for EDD. See example for BIBL# 1447116 for an example of a failed physical delivery.  See example for BIBL# 2262748 for failed EDD.

Scenario 1: Physical Delivery

duplicate_holding_1

In this scenario there are two holdings associated with BIBL# 1447116

  • HLDG# 1795504 - Avery Library (off,fax/AR)
  • HLDG# 1795505 - Butler Library (off,glx/CU)

Delivery options load from the numerically highest HLDG ID number, the Butler Library copy.

Avery Circulation (AR) is the only valid delivery location for Avery Library materials because of permissions for customer code AR at ReCAP.  Since the drop-down menu populates from the Butler holding (off,glx) this permits the Avery copy to be selected for delivery to Butler.

This combination will result in a request failure.

duplicate_holding_2

Failure notice sent to recaperrors@libraries.cul.columbia.edu the following day.  Patron does not receive the failure notice.

Failure notice reads: "Items From XX Cannot Be Shipped to YY"

ReCAP Coordinator resolves by submitting a staff-side request.  If the unrestricted copy is available, a Mediated Request can be submitted.  If only the restricted copy is available, a Non-CLIO is submitted and patron is alerted that the item is only available to the restricted delivery location.

A Non-CLIO request must be placed because the item will be temporarily listed as unavailable in CUL's local systems.

Scenario 1: EDD

duplicate_holding_5

In this scenario there are two holdings associated with BIBL# 2262748:

 

 

  • HLDG# 4474805 - Health Sciences Library (off,hsr/HR)
duplicate_holding_6
  • HLDG# 8156421 - Biology Library (off,bio/CU)

Default delivery location (BL) loads from the numerically highest HLDG ID number, the Biology Library copy.

duplicate_holding_7

If an off,hsr volume is selected for EDD, the request will automatically fail because BL is not an authorized delivery location for HR.

Health Sciences Library (HS) is the only valid delivery location for customer code HR at ReCAP.

This combination will result in a request failure.

duplicate_holding_4

Failure notice sent to recaperrors@libraries.cul.columbia.edu the following day.  Patron does not receive the failure notice.

Failure notice reads: "Default Delivery Location Invalid"

ReCAP Coordinator resolves by submitting a staff-side request.  Citation information may be retrieved using Option 2 from the rus main menu.

If the unrestricted holdings includes the desired volume, a Mediated Request can be submitted.  Otherwise, the Non-CLIO mechanism must be used to avoid the default delivery location.  The patron is alerted when the article is available for download.

Scenario 2: Delivery Options Load from Restricted Holding

In the second scenario, the drop-down menu lists only the delivery options for the restricted copy.  In this scenario the restricted copy is listed last, has the highest HLDG#, and populates the drop-down menu.  If the patron selects the unrestricted copy the request will be successful and may deliver to an undesired or inconvenient location.  Likewise, if an EDD request fails the default delivery option will be valid.  See example for BIBL# 3262350.

Scenario 2

duplicate_holding_3

In this scenario there are two holdings associated with BIBL# 3262350

  • HLDG# 5760797 - Butler Library (off,glx/CU)
  • HLDG# 10970076 - BMC (off,bmc/CV)

Delivery options load from the numerically highest HLDG ID number, the BMC copy.

All department circulation desks are valid delivery locations for Butler Library collections.  Since the drop-down menu populates from the BMC holding (off,bmc) this restricts delivery of the Butler copy to only Milstein Reserve.

This combination will result in a successful request.  It is unclear how often this happens since there is no mechansim to detect or track it.

To request the unrestricted copy use the Non-CLIO Request mechanism.

Notes

Matters are slightly more complicated for Butler Media Center videos (CV) than for Avery Library collections (AR).  Recent acquisitions from Home Video and Kim's Video have resulted in duplication of many holdings.  Typically one copy is circulating (CU) and the other is non-circulating (CV).  Requests via CLIO most often display delivery options for off,glx (CU) which does not include Milstein Reserves.  Milstein Reserves is the only allowable delivery location for CV.  For deliveries to Milstein Reserves staff must use Mediated Request.

Statistics

201302.DuplicateHLDGFailure

Duplicate Holdings Failures (.xlsx) :  Data represents a monthly tally of duplicate holdings failures from Jan. 2009 to Feb. 2013.  This type of failure happens in a steady, low volume.  It has not increased over time as predicted.


recap5

ReCAP User Inquiry Alias: recap@library.columbia.edu

Supervisor, ReCAP Access Services: Jennifer Loubriel

Phone: (212) 854-3542

E-mail: jll2223@columbia.edu