Understanding the Hold Queue System

The hold/reservation system ensures fair access to popular books.

How Holds Work

1. Patron Requests - A patron (or staff on their behalf) places a hold on a book
2. Queue Position - They are assigned a position in the queue (first-come, first-served)
3. Book Returned - When the book is returned, the next patron in line is notified
4. Ready for Pickup - The book is held for 3 days (configurable)
5. Checkout - When the patron checks out the book, the hold is fulfilled
6. Expiration - If not picked up within 3 days, the hold expires and moves to the next patron

Placing a Hold

From the book details page:

1. Click "Place Hold"
2. Search for the patron
3. Click "Confirm"

The patron will receive an email when the book is ready for pickup.

Managing Holds

View and manage all holds from the Holds page:

• See all active, ready, and expired holds
• Mark holds as ready manually
• Cancel holds if needed
• View queue positions

Hold Policies

Configure hold policies in Settings → Hold Policies:

• Maximum holds per patron
• Pickup window duration
• Automatic queue advancement
• Email notifications