Re: RE: Holds Irregularities

[Lesha Fossey <L dot Fossey at exeter dot ac dot uk>]

On Wed, 24 Nov 2004 16:08:38 -0500 "Ericsson, Paul" <PEricsson at onconcord dot com> 
wrote:

> William --
> 
> Please describe more about what broken links are. I have not come across this 
> problem on our system (online a year now), but then again, maybe I don't know 
> what I don't know. Know what I mean?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Paul

Hi Paul, examples of circulation broken links I've seen here include:

- patron's checked out items shows 8 items out, but viewing the list only shows 
7th item. (the 8th item is a broken link that didn't quite get checked in 
properly)

- patron queries an item which shows up on their list of checked out items, 
which they swear they've returned. When you look at item record, it shows as 
being checked out to another patron, and in fact shows up on the liust of 
checked out items for both patrons. The checkin for the first patron didn't 
clear properly and is a broken link)

- patron's holds tab shows a hold (i.e. shows a number in brackets) but you 
don't see a hold showing when you click on the tab. Or the hold you see showing 
can't be cancelled, and when you look at the item record's holds tab it does not 
show a hold.

Basically anywhere where there was a connection made between 2 records of 
various types, it is possible for the connection to be incompletely severed when 
the transaction is finished. I think of it as there being a multi-stranded link, 
which is incompletely cut so some "rogue" strand remains. When such an 
incomplete severance occurs, that's a broken link. We can't get at these 
remaining rogue strands to resolve the broken link, and have to get the helpdesk 
to do it.

Hope this helps

Lesha

--
----------------------
Lesha Fossey  MA MCLIP      
Assistant Librarian, Circulation Services
University of Exeter
Stocker Road            TEL: 01392 263878
Exeter                  FAX: 01392 263871
EX4 4PT         E-MAIL: L dot Fossey at ex dot ac dot uk