Symphony Hold Fulfillment Logic
When a hold is placed, Symphony searches for available copies within the consortium using a specific hierarchy. It considers available copies in the following order:
- Pickup Library: The system first looks for a copy at the specific location where the patron intends to pick up the item.
- Library System: Libraries within the same local system as the Pickup Library.
- Delivery Hub: Libraries within the same delivery hub as the Pickup Library.
- Consortium-Wide: All other SEO locations.
If multiple libraries own a copy at any of these levels, the specific copy is selected at random.
The Hold Queue
If no copies are currently available, the user is placed into a hold queue. When an item is eventually checked in and a queue exists, Symphony follows these priority rules:
- Local Priority: Holds are filled first by an item belonging to the same library system as the patron.
- Chronological Priority: If there are no holds for the owning library system, Symphony fills holds based on the date the hold was placed (First In, First Out).
Holds Placed Through Enterprise
When a hold is placed via the Enterprise online catalog and the patron's own library system owns a copy, the hold is set to a GROUP range.
This setting prevents the hold from being filled by a different library during check-in, keeping the item local. The hold remains restricted to the GROUP range for two days. If the owning library system does not fill it within that window, the hold then expands to the rest of the consortium.