By default, ILLiad is set up with numerical limits that govern the number of active requests allowed per patron at any given time. There are three types of user request limits referenced by the ILLiad DLL: Universal, Status-Specific, and Individual.
The following ILLiad statuses are not counted as "active" and will not count against a user's request limit:
- Cancelled by Customer
- Cancelled by ILL Staff
- Request Finished
- Delivered to Web
- Awaiting Return Label Printing
- In Transit from Customer
Universal Request Limits (Default)
By default, all ILLiad user statuses are assigned the same request limit number. This number is specified by the RequestLimit key in the ILLiad Customization Manager. The default value is 0, which is interpreted by ILLiad as allowing Unlimited requests.
- Open the ILLiad Customization Manager.
- Navigate to Web Interface | Limits | RequestLimit.
- To change the request limit for all patron user types, type in a new numerical value in the field.
- Click Save.
Unless Status-Specific or Individual Request Limits are implemented, all of the other limit keys in the ILLiad Customization Manager will be ignored by the system and every customer will be limited to the number of active requests specified by the RequestLimit key.
Status-Specific Request Limits
Separate request limits can be assigned to each patron status that is used in your ILLiad system. This functionality is turned off or on with the UserRequestLimit key. This setting will override the RequestLimit key.
- Open the ILLiad Customization Manager and navigate to Web Interface | Limits | UserRequestLimit.
- To start using patron-specific request limits, set the value to Yes.
- Click Save.
You can now edit the request limit keys for each status:
- In the ILLiad Customization Manager, navigate to Web Interface | Limits and select one of the following keys: RequestLimitFaculty, RequestLimitGraduate, RequestLimitStaff, or RequestLimitUndergraduate.
- Change the numerical value for the request limit.
- Click Save.
If the UserRequestLimit value is set to Yes but a RequestLimit entry does not exist for a particular user status, or if a user record does not have a UserRequestLimit assigned to it, the ILLiad DLL may return an error when a customer with that status attempts to request an item.
If user records exist in the system prior to the implementation of Status-Specific Request Limits, these records will not yet have UserRequestLimit values assigned to them. These users will receive errors when attempting to request materials through the ILLiad default web pages until that value is assigned. To correct this problem, be sure that the RequestLimit entry into the Customization table exists as discussed above, and be sure that the User record for the customer has that UserRequestLimit value assigned to it. You can view this information on the User Information Form in the ILLiad Client.
Adding Additional Patron Status Keys
You can also add customization keys for any additional patron statuses that you want to create a request limit customization key for.
- Open the ILLiad Customization Manager and navigate to System | General | Customization.
- Select an existing entry that you can copy, such as RequestLimitFaculty.
- Click Copy Record. An Edit Row window will appear.
- Modify the values to create your new customization key.
A sample entry for a DistanceEd patron status with a request limit of 50 active items:
| CustKey | RequestLimitDistanceEd |
|---|---|
| Value | 50 |
| NVTGC | ILL |
| Description | Request Limit for DistanceEd customers |
| AdminCat | Web Interface |
| Adminkey | Limits |
| AdminType | StringValue |
The portion of the RequestLimit CustKey value for each of these entries MUST be identical to the actual status assigned to the users. Spelling and case are important.
Individual Request Limits
There may on occasion be a need to make exceptions to the assigned request limits. To do this, pull up the User Information Form for the customer needing an exception and change the value to the appropriate number. Be sure to save changes before exiting the form. The presence of this value on the User record will instruct the ILLiad DLL to use it rather than any other specified limits.
