Polaris Leap: Managing Hold & Transfer Requests
Updated: 6/30/2026
Overview
Managing Requests
Holds Queue
Picklist Processing
Fulfilling Requests
Request Manager
Hold Status Definitions
Print Settings for Transfer Slips
Related ODIN Training
Hold & Transfer Requests
Patrons and library staff may place hold requests in Polaris for items owned by their local library or items owned by other ODIN Polaris libraries. If an item must be requested from outside the ODIN system, it is considered an ILL.
- Hold = Request placed on material owned by the patron’s registered library.
- Transfer Hold/Transit Hold/Transfer = Request placed on material owned by another ODIN Polaris library.
- ILL (Interlibrary loan) = Request placed on material owned by a library outside the ODIN consortium. ILL is also commonly referred to as Resource Sharing.
When a hold is placed by a patron in the PAC or by a staff member on behalf of a patron in Leap, the following will occur:
If the item is owned by the patron’s registered library:
- Circ status indicates Available = the request is placed on the local library’s picklist for retrieval as a local hold.
- Circ status indicates unavailable (Loaned, In-process, In-transit, etc.) = the request stays in the local library’s queue for a pre-determined number of days (this is configurable and can be different library to library). This allows the local library to fill the request for their local patrons first, before sending the item to other libraries. If the local library is unable to fill the patron’s hold in this time period, the request is distributed at random to other ODIN Polaris libraries who own the item.
If the item is not owned by the patron’s registered library:
- The request is distributed at random to other ODIN Polaris libraries who own the item and indicate it is Available. If the first library denies the request, it will be automatically sent to the next library in the queue. This continues until the request is filled, denied by all libraries in the queue, or expires.
- If a specific title is on hold for multiple patrons throughout ODIN Polaris libraries, local copies will automatically prioritize local holds first. This ensures each library is fulfilling their own patrons' requests before the item is sent outside their library.
Managing Requests
Hold & Transfer requests are managed via the Utilities menu in Leap:
Holds Queue = Search for outstanding holds on a particular bibliographic or item record. You can use it to view hold requests for a specific title or item, cancel/transfer holds, and place new requests.
Picklist Processing = Lists requests for material owned by your library with a circulation status of Available.
Request Manager = View & manage all Hold & ILL requests that designate your library for pickup.
Additional print settings for Hold Transfer Slips can be found later in this tutorial.
Holds Queue
Clicking on Holds Queue opens the Find Tool. Search for bibliographic or item records (bibliographic is the default) and the Holds Queue for that record will appear:
Queue tab: displays the Active and Pending holds associated with the selected record
- It is possible to change the order of the Holds Queue from this tab, but this is not recommended.
- Holds may be filtered using the drop down menu to the right of the screen. Simply choose your filter option from the menu and enter your criteria in the selection box.
All Hold Requests tab: displays all linked hold requests, including those with a status of Inactive, Cancelled, Expired, Held, Unclaimed, or Out to Patron.
- Use this tab to Cancel hold requests or Transfer them from one bib or item record to another. Click the check box next to the request(s) you want selected for either action.
- Choosing Cancel will cancel the selected request(s).
- Choosing Transfer will open the Find Tool and allow you to search for and select the bibliographic or item record to which you want to transfer the selected request(s). Once selected, a message will pop up asking you to confirm the transfer.
From the Holds Queue, you can create additional holds by clicking Place Hold:
Enter the patron account info by selecting any open accounts or by using the Find Tool:
To view more information on a specific hold request, select a row from the list in either tab. This will take you to the Hold Request Workform where you can view Details, Notes, the History of the request and more.
To perform an action from the Hold Request Workform, click the Actions drop down menu. The list of available actions will depend on the status of the request. Options include: Cancel, Reactivate, Delete, Fill Now, Convert to ILL, Transfer, Return, Deny, and Ask Me Later:
Picklist Processing
Your picklist is a list of material in your library that can fulfill a hold request (i.e. the catalog shows the item to be Available).
- Pending tab = lists the hold requests with a Pending status for the selected branch.
- Located tab = lists the holds that have been set to Located for the selected branch. Indicates the item has been pulled from the shelves and is on the way to a processing location where it will become held for the patron or go in-transit. Make selections and click Return to move requests back to the Pending tab if needed. This is an optional step, and generally, only applicable in larger library settings.
- Holds to Action tab = lists hold requests in Unclaimed or Canceled status that may require further action. For example, listed items may need to be pulled from your library’s Hold Shelf.
- Unclaimed ILL tab = lists the ILL requests for the selected pickup branch that have a status of Received or Held and an unclaimed date earlier than the current date. You can select a row in this view to open the ILL Request workform for further actions.
Notes:
- A hold request will only show up on one picklist at a time. If the first library in the queue cannot fulfill the request, Polaris will automatically send it to the picklist of the next library that has an available item. This will continue until the hold is fulfilled or expires.
- A request can remain on a library’s picklist for up to 3 ‘open’ days. If the request is ignored during that period of time, it will automatically move on to the next library in the queue. However, if it is not fulfilled by the other libraries in the queue, the request could continue coming back until it is fulfilled or specifically denied.
To process your picklist, navigate to the Pending tab. Click the check box on the left of each request to select it:
With one or multiple requests selected, you can choose:
- Located: indicates the item has been found and the request will be fulfilled. This step is optional and is only needed if multiple staff members are pulling items from the shelves or there is a large gap of time between the item being located on the shelves and sent.
- Ask Me Later: indicates you are unable to fulfill the request at this time but may be able to at a later date. This option removes the request from your picklist and sends it to the next library in the queue. If all locations are exhausted without the request being fulfilled, it will get routed back to your library.
- Missing: indicates the item is missing from your shelves, moves the request along to the next library, and places the item in ‘Missing’ status.
- Deny: indicates your library is unable to fulfill the request. This option removes the request from your picklist, sends it along to the next library, and prevents it from being routed back. You will be presented with a dialog box asking for confirmation and given the opportunity to choose a reason for denial from the drop down menu:
- Properties: displays request details
Note: All above actions may be done in bulk. For example, to deny several requests at once, select the check box next to multiple requests before clicking Deny.
Fulfilling Requests
Retrieve picklist items from your shelves. You may choose to print your picklist to take with you.
Optional step: From the Pending tab of your picklist, select the request(s) you intend to fulfill and choose Located. This updates the status from Pending to Located and moves the request(s) to the Located tab.
Go to the Check In screen and scan the barcode of each item you retrieved:
If the item fills a hold for your library, a Hold slip will pop up indicating the item can fill a request. Choose Yes to fulfill the hold and print the Hold slip if desired. If hold notifications are enabled for your library, your patron will be notified via their preferred notification method.
If the item fills a hold for another ODIN library, a transfer message will pop up indicating the item can fulfill the hold and needs to be transferred to the requesting library. Choose Yes to fulfill the hold:
The In-Transit Slip will appear. Print slip and place it with the item:
Send the item(s) to the requesting library. It will be in Transferred status until it is checked in at its destination.
Note: An ILL Directory with all ODIN library mailing addresses and contact information can be found at https://www.odin.nodak.edu/libraries/ill
Continue scanning your remaining items in until your picklist is complete:
When an item is ready to be returned from a borrowing library to its home library, a transit message will appear upon check-in. This will tell the borrowing library where to return the item and place it in In-transit status:
The In-Transit Slip will appear. Print slip and place it with the item:
The item will remain in In-Transit status until it is checked in at its home library.
Handling Lost or Damaged Items: If your library has requested an item from another library and that item has become lost or damaged, contact the owning library to arrange for payment or replacement. You may choose to attempt to recoup the cost of the item from your patron.
Request Manager
The Request Manager lists all Hold & ILL requests that designate your library for pickup and allows you to manage them from the list.
Upon opening, the filters across the top of the screen will default to Active requests found in your library. The Status and By fields can be adjusted to further filter and sort the requests:
- Holds tab: lists materials being requested from other ODIN libraries.
- ILL tab: lists materials being requested from outside the ODIN system.
You may sort each column by clicking the heading. One click will automatically sort the column in Ascending order (arrow pointing up will appear). Two clicks will automatically sort the column in Descending order (arrow pointing down will appear). This applies to every column in the list:
If the list is filtered to show Active requests, clicking the check box next to one or more requests will enable the option to Cancel the request(s), Convert to ILL, or Bulk Change the requests:
If the list is filtered to show Canceled requests, clicking the check box next to one or more requests will enable the options to Reactivate or Delete the request(s):
As you continue to filter by status, your options for managing the request will change accordingly.
Hold Status Definitions
Active = When a hold request is placed in the queue, its status is automatically set to Active. This indicates Polaris is actively looking for items to fill the request and items can be trapped to fill it. You can cancel an active request or convert it to an ILL.
Cancelled = Cancelled hold requests remain in the database and are visible on Polaris workforms. A Cancelled request cannot be filled; however, you can reactivate or delete it.
Expired = If a hold request is not filled within a specified period of time, the request status automatically changes to Expired. (The current date is later than the Expiration date on the Hold Request workform.) An Expired request cannot be filled; however, it can be reactivated, deleted, or converted to an ILL.
On Hold = Indicates an item has been trapped to fill the request and is ready for the patron to pick up.
Inactive = Indicates the request has an activation date in the future. The request does not appear in the queue and cannot be trapped until activated. You can cancel or delete an Inactive request or convert it to an ILL.
In-Transit = Item is in the process of being returned to its home library.
Located = Optional step used during picklist processing. The Located status allows staff to indicate an item has been found to fill a request. Staff can select the entry from the Pending tab and choose Located to indicate the item has been located on the shelf.
Not Supplied = If no items can fulfill the request (i.e. if no items are attached to the bibliographic record), the status becomes Not Supplied. You can delete the request or convert it to an ILL. You can reactivate a Not Supplied request, but if the reason it was not supplied has not changed, the request becomes Not Supplied again.
Loaned = indicates an item has been checked out.
Pending = When an Active request can be filled by an Available item at your library, or the request has been routed to another library that has an Available item, the status changes to Pending. If there are no readily Available items, the request keeps its Active status and items can still be trapped to fill the request.
Shipped = indicates an item was trapped at a branch other than the pickup branch and is being shipped to its destination.
Transferred = The requested item is in the process of being sent to the requesting library.
Unclaimed = If a requesting patron does not pick up the held item within a specified period of time, the hold request status automatically changes from On Hold to Unclaimed. Check the item in to clear this status.
Print Settings for Transfer Slips
To ensure Hold Transfer Slips print, your workstation options must be configured.
In the upper right corner of the screen, click on your username and choose Settings in the drop-down menu:
Under the Print Options tab under Check In, make sure the box next to In-transit slip is checked and Save:
Related ODIN Training
Requesting Holds in Leap & the PAC
Polaris Leap: Circulation Basics
Polaris Leap: Overview