[IUG] Holds priority

["Cinda Romuldietz" <c dot romuldietz at saskatoonlibrary dot ca>]

Hello,
Saskatoon Public Library came on board Millennium Dec 15, 2009.  We are part of a new consortium, Saskatchewan Information & Library Services (SILS).
As part of the SILS Consortium, it was important to all SILS members that requests be filled for patrons at the owning agency first; ie, a Saskatoon patron placing a hold on a Saskatoon item will get that item sooner than a non-SPL patron who has also placed a hold.
However, within Saskatoon Public Library itself (we have 8 branches), we have never had this arrangement. It's alway been first come, first served; that is, a patron who registered at branch A and places a hold for material at branch A does not get a hold sooner than a patron from branch B, if the branch B patron placed the hold first.  But, now that we're part of SILS, we have learned the program that governs hold priority among agencies applies the same rule within an agency's branches.
Our public service librarians are reporting that Saskatoon Public Library patrons are very unhappy with this new holds priority situation. Among our own branches, they wish holds priority to be first come, first served again. To attain this, it was suggested that all Saskatoon Public Library patrons register simply as SPL patrons, rather than by branch. 
There are concerns, however, about the ramifications this will have on statistics and reporting.  We therefore have the following questions:
1)  Has any other library system faced this situation?
2)  If so, how have you dealt with it?
3)  As we are new Millennium users, we appreciate any advice and cautionary tales experienced users can offer us about the possible systems ramifications of taking this route to appease our public.
Thank you,Cinda Romuldietz, Manager IT Services
Saskatoon Public Library
311 - 23rd ST E
Saskatoon, SK CANADA S7K 0J6
Phone: 306-975-7527
FAX: 306-975-7542
www.saskatoonlibrary.ca 
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