[Koha] Using the Recalls feature

[Eric Phetteplace]

Hi Caroline,

Thank you, this is incredibly helpful. I'll follow up with some of the
items I discussed below.

>
> > There's no indication from a patron's details page if their items have
> been
> > recalled.
>
>
> I just tried in 22.05.06 and I see a mention in both the staff interface
> and the OPAC, under the patron's checkout, that it has been recalled.
>
> In the OPAC, it's only in italics, so maybe it's not very visible.
> https://snipboard.io/9oml8O.jpg
>
> In the staff interface, it's in bold red https://snipboard.io/rhxkyd.jpg


> If you don't see the messages, maybe there is CSS or JS hiding them?
> Otherwise, maybe they were added in a later patch between 22.05.00 and
> 22.05.06 and you don't have it yet, depending on the version you have...
>
> Also, maybe translations might affect this if you use Koha in another
> language...
>

I didn't screenshot it but I didn't notice any indicator on the staff side.
We've disabled recalls for now but if we can try out a testing instance
I'll try to take a screenshot. We are on 22.05.07 and using the English
language. We have a lot of custom CCS but it would odd for it to impact a
new feature, I try to scope it as narrowly as possible.


> > When you check in an item with a recall on it, a pop-up does not appear
> > like the documentation says and a notification is not sent to the patron
> > who placed the recall.
>
>
> Not sure what is going on there... I took the screenshot for the manual,
> so it worked for sure then.
>
> I also just tried in 22.05.06 and got the pop-up and my notice was
> generated... Note that the patron is only notified if they have an email
> address in their file.
>
> Do you have the recall notices in Tools > Notices and slips? If not, it
> may be the cause of the lack of notification...
>
> For the pop-up, is there a pop-up blocker or something similar that
> could interfere with it popping up? I know I used to have this problem
> with holds sometimes (of course, always when demonstrating in front of
> people, you know how it is!), I would wait for the pop-up to appear and
> sweat a little before noticing the small bar at the top of my browser
> telling me to accept the pop-up :)


Other pop-ups display (e.g. when an item with a hold is checked in) and
there is no indicator that one is being blocked in the browser's address
bar, that was my first thought as well and I checked there. We have all the
notices the wiki page discusses (PICKUP_RECALLED_ITEM,
RETURN_RECALLED_ITEM, and RECALL_REQUESTER_DET). The patrons we tested with
had email addresses.

> >
> > If the current due date on a checked out item is closer than the recall
> > period, recalling an item *extends* the due date (e.g. item is due
> > tomorrow, recall period is one week, recall => item is due in one week).
>
>
> I noticed this too! If the item is already late, it is suddenly not late
> anymore...
>
> I think you should report that one on bugzilla so that it can be corrected.
>

Done! https://bugs.koha-community.org/bugzilla3/show_bug.cgi?id=32696

> >
> > Question: if the RecallsMaxPickUpDelay setting controls recall
> expiration,
> > then what does the "Recall pickup period" circulation rule do?
>
>
> If I understand correctly, the recall pickup period rule sets the
> "expiration" date of the recall, whereas the system preference is the
> one that manages the second tab in Circulation > Recalls awaiting
> pickup. I imagine it's so that you can manage long awaiting recalls
> manually, but I expect that most libraries will set both at the same
> number and have them automatically expire.
>
> The developers might be able to answer you with more details on this one...
>
> OK that makes a little more sense now.


> >
> > Finally, if you are not logged in and you select *Place recall*, you are
> > taken to the login page, then to the patron details page. You have to
> > re-navigate to the place you were originally to place the recall again. I
> > have a convoluted OpacUserJS hack to work around this but thought I
> should
> > point this out, it doesn't match user expectations.
>
>
> I am not able to get this behaviour on my 22.05.06. I click Place
> recall, log in, and I am brought to the recall confirmation page. Did
> you try without your JS hack?
>

That is not the case for us, with or without OpacUserJS customizations. We
sign in via CAS so perhaps that's the difference. *None* of the user
actions (holds, recalls, purchase suggestions, article requests) remember
what the user was doing if you use CAS, you're always taken to the patron
details page.