There’s a big change in the way Libby manages suspended holds!
Previously, let’s say a hold was about to come in, but you knew that for the next week, you were dialed in on catching up on your horror movies in preparation for early October. You could suspend that hold, and Libby would ask you, “How long would you like it suspended?”
This suspension would keep you at the top of the list (or moving up the list if you weren’t already at the top), but Libby wouldn’t actually deliver the suspended item until the timeframe you chose. So, let’s say you chose 2 weeks, your position on the list would keep moving up, but you wouldn’t actually get the item, even if you made it to the top of the list. However, at the end of two weeks of suspension, you’d get the first available copy.
NOW, though, it’s different!
Instead of asking you when you’d like your hold to be unsuspended (de-suspended? dispended? Have your parents come in and talk to the teacher?), Libby keeps your hold suspended until you log in, go to your holds, and unsuspend them manually.
You continue to move up the list, just like before, but Libby no longer allows you to set a suspension period. You just have to get into your account and unsuspend your holds when you’re ready, or maybe just before you’re ready to receive them.
The other thing to watch for is that if you suspend a hold and leave it suspended, you will be kicked off the hold list after 365 days of suspension.
So, if I put a book on hold today, then I suspend that hold, I need to make sure I unsuspend it in less than 365 days, otherwise that hold will *poof* VANISH!
One last change: If your hold becomes available, and if you miss the checkout period, the hold will automatically switch to being a suspended hold, and you will have to go in and unsuspend it.
WHY is this changing? WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO US, HPLD?
Well, it’s not really something we chose. Overdrive, Libby’s parent company, made the decision, and here’s what they have to say about it:
After reviewing hold data and feedback from partners, these changes are designed to streamline the movement of holds and reduce the amount of time unwanted holds sit unclaimed. Or, as we like to call it, a win-win-win situation for all involved!
It sounds like Overdrive is trying to reduce instances of unclaimed holds in order to keep things moving a little faster. So we’ll have to see if this works.
If it does, the good news is that super popular titles with long lists might get to you a littler sooner.
If you have questions, you can always contact us and we’ll do what we can to help you out.
We also made this very quick video guide that shows you how to suspend and unsuspend holds:
