[Koha-bugs] [Bug 30730] Holds to Pull should not list items with a notforloan status

[bugzilla-daemon at bugs.koha-community.org]

https://bugs.koha-community.org/bugzilla3/show_bug.cgi?id=30730

David Nind <david at davidnind.com> changed:

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                 CC|                            |david at davidnind.com

--- Comment #7 from David Nind <david at davidnind.com> ---
I originally started this an FYI note, but I think someone with a better
knowledge of Koha needs to review this and decide what needs to be done, if
anything. I'm a little confused with the terminology used.

My current understanding: You can place a record-level hold or an item-level
hold for items that have a negative not for loan value. This seems to be a
feature rather than a bug, whatever the logical part of my brain thinks!

The development version of the manual (which is not up-to-date) says for
NOT_LOAN (Not for loan) authorised values, that:

"- Negative number values will still allow holds (use for ‘on order’ statuses,
for example)
- Positive numbers will not allow holds or checkouts.
- A value of 0 means ‘for loan’."
https://koha-community.org/manual/22.05/en/html/administration.html#existing-values-label

Reference:
https://koha-community.org/manual/22.05/en/html/administration.html#existing-values-label
(as the manual isn't up-to-date, this may no longer be the current situation)

I also came across the SkipHoldTrapOnNotForLoanValue system preference: "This
system preference is used to completely exclude items with ‘not for loan’
values from filling holds." This was added in 20.11 and back ported to 20.05 in
bug 25232 - from the description "this .. prevents items with that notforloan
value from triggering holds at checkin, allowing for a temporary quarantine or
any other circumstance in which an item should be temporarily delayed from
circulation. This presents a more customizable alternative to the existing
TrapHoldsOnOrder system preference.".

Reference (search the page for the system preference name):
https://koha-community.org/manual/22.05/en/html/circulationpreferences.html

>From this, it would seem that:

- You should be able to place holds for items with a 'Not for hold' status with
a negative value. (Confirmed by testing master)

- These should show up on the holds to pull list. (This is the current
behaviour before this bug).

- If you don't want holds to be placed on 'not for loan' items, then make these
values greater than 0. For example, if you don't want holds placed on items
that are on order, make the value greater than 0. I originally thought that you
should be able to put that value in the SkipHoldTrapOnNotForLoanValue , but as
per bug 25232 it wasn't intended for this scenario and doesn't work.

Where to from here? Some options/ideas - not exhaustive:

1. Option 1: make 'Not for loan' setting make more sense (minimal effort):
   - update the documentation for the 'not for loan' authorised value section
and system preferences SkipHoldTrapOnNotForLoanValue to clarify that:
     . use not for loan authorised values greater than 0 if you don't want
holds to be placed, or conversely don't allow negative numbers or holds to be
placed on items not for loan
     . use negative not for loan authorised values where items are not for loan
(the logic of allowing holds on items not for loan escapes me, and I find it
really confusing!)
   - update the default data for Koha so that the 'Ordered' value is greater
than 0: that is, if it is not for loan as it is on order then you can't place
holds by default; provide some SQL queries to update any existing 'Ordered'
values that are negative
   - update the description for the SkipHoldTrapOnNotForLoanValue to clarify
that this is only for when items are checked in and the scenario it is intended
for
  => end result: holds to pull should work as intended and needs no change

2. Option 2: rethink how to implement this:
   . To me, if an item is 'Not for loan' then you should not be able to place
holds on these items.
   . If you want to be able to override an item that is 'Not for loan' then
maybe have a system preference OverrideNotForLoan or something similar that
does what SkipHoldTrapOnNotForLoanValue does, except for placing holds. I think
that this a pattern we use elsewhere in Koha.

3. Option 3: identify or ask the Koha Community for the scenarios where you may
want to allow holds on items that are not for loan, and then go from there.

I hope I haven't confused things even more!

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