Reservations (Holds)

A reservation lets patrons claim a copy of a book before it is available. When all copies are checked out, a student or teacher can join the hold queue — and when a copy is returned, the next person in line is notified automatically.

Navigate to Operations → Library → Reservations.

The Reservations queue. Queue Position 1 is the next person to receive the book. Staff should check this list daily when processing returns to see which reservations need to be fulfilled.

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Reservation statuses

Status	Meaning
active	In the queue waiting for a copy
notified	A copy has become available and the patron has been notified to pick it up
fulfilled	The reserved copy was successfully borrowed
cancelled	Cancelled by the patron or by staff
expired	Patron did not pick up by the pickup deadline
no_show	Patron was a no-show after notification

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Creating a reservation

Method 1: From the Reservations list

1. Go to Operations → Library → Reservations
2. Click New Reservation
3. Search for and select the book the patron wants to hold
4. Select the patron (Student or Teacher tab)
5. Set an optional Expiry Date (when the reservation should auto-cancel if not filled)
6. Add notes (optional)
7. Click Create Reservation

The patron receives a notification confirming they are in the queue.

Method 2: From the book detail page

1. Go to Operations → Library → Books
2. Open the book the patron wants
3. Click the Reservations tab
4. Click New Reservation
5. Select the patron and optionally set an expiry date
6. Click Create

This method is convenient when a patron is asking at the desk — staff can immediately show the patron their queue position.

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Queue position rules

Queue position determines who gets the next available copy:

1. Priority reservations (set by staff for urgent needs) always go to the front
2. Among non-priority reservations, position is determined by creation date (first come, first served)
3. When a copy is returned, the system assigns it to the reservation at Queue Position 1

Queue integrity

The queue renumbers automatically when a reservation is cancelled, expires, or is fulfilled. There are no gaps in queue positions.

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Fulfilling a reservation

When a copy becomes available for the next reservation holder:

1. The system automatically:
   • Changes the copy's status to reserved
   • Moves the reservation to notified status
   • Sends the patron a pickup notification
2. The patron comes to the desk to collect
3. Staff process the checkout normally via Rentals → New Checkout — the pre-selected copy is the reserved one
4. The reservation status changes to fulfilled automatically when the checkout is processed

Pickup deadline

After the patron is notified, they have a default of 3 days to pick up the copy. If they don't arrive:

• The reservation status changes to expired or no_show
• The copy's status reverts to available
• The next reservation in the queue is notified

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Cancelling a reservation

Anyone (patron or staff) can cancel an active reservation:

1. Find the reservation in the list
2. Click Cancel Reservation in the Actions column
3. Select a cancellation reason (optional but recommended)
4. Confirm

The patron is notified of the cancellation. Queue positions of patrons below this reservation shift up automatically.

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No-show handling

If a patron fails to collect after notification:

1. Find the reservation in the Notified filter
2. Click More actions → Mark as No-Show
3. The copy is released back to available (or to the next reservation in queue)
4. Optionally record a note for follow-up

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Priority reservations

For urgent cases (exam materials, teacher requests), staff can prioritise a reservation:

1. Find the reservation
2. Click More actions → Set Priority
3. Confirm

Priority reservations jump to Queue Position 1 above all non-priority holds.

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Reservation notifications

The system sends automatic notifications at these events:

Event	Notification type
Reservation created	Confirmation + queue position
Copy available (patron notified)	Pickup ready + pickup deadline
Pickup deadline approaching (24 h)	Reminder
Reservation expired or cancelled	Cancellation notice

Notification channels depend on your school's communication settings (in-app, email, SMS).

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Filters and search

Filter	Options
Status tabs	All · Active · Notified · Fulfilled · Cancelled · Expired · No-Show
Search	Patron name, book title
Book	Filter to all reservations for a specific title
Borrower type	Student / Teacher
Date range	Filter by creation date
Priority only	Show only priority reservations

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Reservation table columns

Column	Description
Queue Position	Current place in line (1 = next)
Book	Reserved title
Patron	Student or teacher name
Status	Current reservation status badge
Reserved On	Date the reservation was created
Pickup Deadline	Deadline to collect (only shown when status is notified)
Actions	Fulfil · Cancel · Priority · Delete

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Reservation lifecycle