Q & A: Can you block specific patrons from requesting loans but allow requesting articles?

An ILLiad user asked:

“Does anyone know if there is a way to block specific users from requesting loans (returnables) but allow them to continue requesting articles/chapters? Or if that function can’t be blocked, does anyone use a routing rule to flag requests from specific users or move them to a separate queue?

The idea is to accurately prevent some habitual no-pick-up or no-return users from getting interlibrary loans without suspending all of their privileges.”

I asked Genie Powell – Director of Special Projects at Atlas Systems – for ideas on how we might address this need in ILLiad.  Here are some ideas we came up with:

• #1 -- This option is easiest for staff as maintenance only requires changing a field in the client on patron record. Staff would see any Loan requests in a designated queue for follow-up or cancellation. If you wanted to automatically cancel, you could enable the Automatic Cancellation and Notification Server addon. 
• Allocate one of the UserInfo fields to record if the patron should be limited to Articles Only. This would require adding the UserInfo field to the client user record view in ILLiad with Customized Layouts so that staff could view and edit along with the creation of a routing rule to automatically move the transaction so that it does not get processed.

Screenshots of client and routing rule:

• #2 -- This next option is also easy to maintain but patron may notice their designated status on Change User Registration/Profile web form, in the name of the GenericRequestForm via the URL, or in the code behind the web form prompting them to ask you why they are in a special status. If that is not a concern, this is another good option.
  • Create a special status for the patrons in this category such as “Faculty – Articles Only”
    • You can route based on u.Status to a review or cancel queue. Auto cancellations can be accomplished with the Automatic Cancellation and Notification addon.
    • You could use ILLiad’s status specific page options to display request forms to the patron for non-returnables only.

• #3 -- Another option is to create a routing rule that is manually maintained with specific usernames to move requests from specific patrons for Loans into a review or cancellation queue. The drawback here is that a staff person would need Customization Manager access and an understanding of how to edit routing rules to disable that patron's block on loan requests.  Auto cancellations can be accomplished with the Automatic Cancellation and Notification addon.

As with all things in ILLiad, there are multiple customizable ways to meet your workflow needs so please feel free to comment on this article with additional suggestions.

Please also add your comments to the enhancement request for additional functionality to support this feature: Ability to suspend patron from loans while still allowing requests for article copies. – Atlas Systems (atlas-sys.com)

Thanks for being part of the ILLiad Community!

Stephanie at Atlas