Policies
Clean Holds Shelf List
This policy provides a brief explanation of the Clean Holds Shelf List and sets expectations for how items on that list should be handled. Approved by the RSA NFP Users Group on 5 August 2021.
Download the Clean Holds Shelf List policy
In Transit Items
Guidelines that should be followed for intransit items. Includes information about the various transit types, as well as about handling items that are Lost In-Transit, and about monitoring the Pending Transits List. Approved by the RSA Users Group September 1, 2021.
Download the In Transit Items policy
Printed Documents Including Patron PII
The policy for how libraries should handle printed documents which include patron PII. Includes standards for information that should be included on Workflows printed receipts. Approved September 1, 2021.
Download the Printed Documents Including Patron PII policy
RSA Reciprocity
This policy discusses reciprocity within RSA. This revision to the RSA Reciprocity policy was approved by the RSA NFP Users Group on May 9, 2024.
Download the Reciprocity policy
Procedures
RAILS Delivery Codes and Labeling
Libraries will now be identified by a three-digit delivery code followed by “-EP,” rather than by the library’s full name.
RSA has added these delivery codes to the RSA Membership List, since we are aware that this is the primary document used by our members for labeling outgoing materials. August 2022.
Download the RAILS Delivery Codes and Labeling procedure
Items Requested by a Non-RSA Library
Items requested by a non-RSA library may come via OCLC WorldShare, fax, Find More Illinois, or through Onshelf Items (pick list) from SHARE-ILL libraries. March 2024.
Download the Items Requested by a Non-RSA Library procedure
Cheat Sheets, Guides, Other Documents, and Videos
Training Video: Holds
Recorded July 2022.
View the Basic Holds Workshop Video – 58:40 minutes 
Processing Expired Holds – Clean Hold Shelf Report
A library will receive a Clean Hold Shelf report in their RSA provided email after a hold has expired because it was on the library’s hold shelf for a set number of days (default 10 days) and the item has never been checked out in WorkFlows. December 2024.
Download the Processing Expired Holds – Clean Hold Shelf Report guide
Hold Map
Hold map can be found on the Circulation Parameters page
Hold Shows Available but Hasn’t Transited to Pickup Library
This cheat sheet explains what to do in the scenario that a patron receives notification that their hold is available, but the item isn’t at the pickup library. What happened? If a hold is double-trapped at the owning library and “Make Hold Available” is selected, WorkFlows immediately shows the item as available in the pickup library even though it hasn’t physically transited to the pickup library. The patron is then notified the next time hold notifications are generated, even though the item has not yet transited.
Download the Hold Shows Available but Hasn’t Transited to Pickup Library cheat sheet
How Holds Work
Holds rely on several parameters to work. For a hold to be successfully placed, all the rules must allow the hold. Here is a quick overview of what the system is looking for to allow a hold. November 2024.
Download the How Holds Work guide
Important Things About Holds
This guide contains 26 things you should know about handling holds. July 2017.
Download the Important Things About Holds guide
Trapping Holds
There are two ways to access what items are requested from your library to fill holds — through library email or WorkFlows Onshelf Items wizard. November 2024.
Download the Trapping Holds guide
NEWHOLDS Current Location
This cheat sheet explains the NEWHOLDS Current Location. May 2022.
Download the NEWHOLDS Current Location cheat sheet
Onshelf Items Wizard
The OnShelf Items list is generated for your library and shows items our users have placed on hold that are on your library’s shelf. This cheat sheet also includes instructions on how to use the OnShelf Items Wizard. August 2024.
Download the OnShelf Items Wizard cheat sheet
View WorkFlows Onshelf Items Wizard Video – 3:48 minutes
Video: Placing Holds
Instructions on how to place holds within WorkFlows and online using RSAcat. February 2021.
View Placing Holds Video – 6:53 minutes
Placing Book Club/Classroom or Research Holds
Book club or classroom holds are used when a patron needs multiple copies of the same title.
A research hold is used to fill a request for multiple titles for one patron. Example: you have a patron who is researching wind turbines. They want 3 books, they don’t care which 3 books they receive. December 2024.
Download the Placing Book Club/Classroom or Research Holds guide
View Placing Book Club and Classroom Holds in WorkFlows Video – 6:30 minutes
View Placing Research Holds Video – 6:15
Placing Copy Level Holds
Placing a copy level hold means only the item ID selected will ever satisfy the hold. WorkFlows will not look at any other item. July 2017.
Download the Placing Copy Level Holds cheat sheet
Placing Title Level Holds
Placing a title level hold will choose any available item that will satisfy the hold. July 2017.
Download the Placing Copy Level Holds cheat sheet
Sending and Receiving Items
Sending: Items sent intransit to another RSA Library. This includes items from Onshelf Items wizard, the picklist received as an email, or intransits that occur when discharging an item.
Receiving: Items received at your library. This includes intransits received for your patrons or returning items owned by your library that were sent to fill holds at other libraries. July 2017.
Download the Sending and Receiving Items guide
Setting Up and Using a NO-TRANSIT Account
RSA recommends that member libraries create a No-Transit user. If a library receives a hold request on an item (either via the picklist or the Onshelf Item wizard or receives a hold notice when discharging) and they are not able to send the item or do not wish to send the item, that item can be checked out to the No-Transit user. This action takes the items out of “In-transit” status and allows another item on the record to fill the hold. October 2022.
Download the Setting Up and Using a NO-TRANSIT Account guide
Sorting the Onshelf Items List
Occasionally, you may have a very long list of Onshelf items. In this situation, you may wish to pull the holds that are to be picked up at your location first. Fortunately, it is easy to sort your Onshelf Holds list by Pickup Location. October 2024.
Download the Sorting the Onshelf Items List cheat sheet
Special Locations (Reshelving and No-Transit)
A guide to how special item locations appear in both Workflows and RSAcat. October 2020.
Download the Special Locations guide
When Items are Unavailable to Fill Hold or Picklist Request
A guide to how special item locations appear in both Workflows and RSAcat. July 2017.
Download the When Items are Unavailable to Fill Hold or Picklist Request guide
Why Didn’t My Item Fill My Patron’s Hold?
There are many legitimate reasons why holds are filled other than how you expected the hold to be filled. WorkFlows attempts to fill holds with the first available item. Every time a barcode is scanned in the system for almost any reason other than a checkout, that item will be examined to see if it can fill a local hold or be transited to fill a hold elsewhere. December 2024.
Download the “Why Didn’t My Item Fill My Patron’s Hold?” guide
Holds Training Resources
RSA recommends that you review the following documents and videos available at our support site and YouTube channel. This list is a useful primer on RSA’s policies and standards regarding Holds and on how to manage holds in WorkFlows. These resources should be useful both as a refresher and to be given to new staff at your library.
Download the Holds Training Resources cheat sheet
More Info
For information on Interlibrary Loans, see the Interlibrary Loan, Union List Holds, and Other Resource Sharing page.
To understand how your library holds are setup to work in our system, see the Holds Parameters page.