Deleting or Canceling a Request 

• Locate the request as described in Basics of Circulation > Requests and Recalls.

• Choose Cancel from the row action item list.

• Choose a Reason for the cancellation from the drop-down menu. 

• Add a Note if more explanation is needed.

• The Notify User option is checked by default. (The user should generally always be notified so leave this box checked.) 

• Click Confirm.

Expired Hold Requests

The Expired Hold Shelf lists items on the hold shelf at your location that haven’t been picked up by the person who originally requested them. 

• Alma sorts items on the Expired Hold Shelf into four tabs: 

  • Reshelve 

  • Send to Circulation Desk (at the same library) 

  • Send to Library (at a different library)

  • Activate Next (next hold request in queue) 

General Procedure 

• Confirm which items on the Expired Hold Shelf are genuinely expired by checking the date on the hold request slip.

• Go to Fulfillment > Expired Hold Shelf.

• On each tab (listed below), check all items you wish to perform the action to, and then click the link to the specified action (e.g., Activate Next) on the right side.

• Best Practice: For the sake of accuracy it is better only to mark books on this screen that are in hand.

• Physically route all items based on their destination.

Reshelve 

Displays all expired requests for items belonging to the current circulation desk and for which there is no other request in the queue. 

• To reshelve an item, click the Reshelve button to the right.

• To reshelve multiple items, select the check boxes of the relevant items and click Reshelve above.

Send to Circulation Desk 

Lists all requests for items belonging to a different circulation desk in the same library, or that are requested for pickup at another desk within the same library.  

None of our libraries have more than one circulation desk, so this tab should not be used.

Send to Library 

Lists all requests for items belonging to a different library, or that are requested for pickup at another library.

• To send an item to another library, click the Transit button to the right.

• To send multiple items, select the check boxes of the relevant items and click Transit above.

• The Fulfillment Transit Slip Letter (letter code: FulTransitSlipLetter) is printed and the item is put In Transit.

Activate Next 

Activates the next request in the queue, which cancels the first request and makes the item available to the next requester.

• This contains items that are currently on the hold shelf but have expired.

• Use Return Items to check in books. This will route them and remove them from the expired hold shelf.

  • Best Practice: for the sake of accuracy, only check in books on this screen that are in hand.

• Physically route all items based on their destination.

Alma will automatically expire hold requests not picked up within the designated time frame. If a patron asks for additional time to pick up the item, or in case of a library staff error, you can update the Expiry Date to allow for more time.

• Search Requests in the persistent search bar for item, title, or patron information.

• From the item record, click the row action item list icon […] and choose Update Expiry.

Open

When a patron claims to have returned an item previously, but it’s still on their record, you can mark the item as Claimed Returned.

• Go to Fulfillment > Manage Patron Services.

• Search for the patron by typing their name, their NetID, or scanning their DukeCard.

• On the Loans tab (the default), change the Loan Display drop-down to All Loans.

• Find the item in the list.

• Click the row action item list icon […] and select Claimed Return.

• Click OK to complete.

Open

• The Loan Status column will now display Claim Returned.

Note: it is not possible to mark an item Claimed Returned once it has been marked as Lost.

Undoing Claimed Return or Lost   

• Go to Fulfillment > Manage Patron Services.

• Search for the patron by typing their name, their NetID, or scanning their DukeCard.

• On the Loans tab (the default), change the Loan Display drop-down to All Loans.

• Find the item in the list.

• Click the row action item list icon […] and select Found.

• Click OK to complete.

Marking a Claimed Returned item as Found checks the item back out to the patron and refunds any Lost item replacement fee but does not automatically refund the Lost Item process fee. The item still needs to be discharged from the patron’s account, if it was found in the stacks.