Note: Comcat will get confused by requests for specific volumes if they are part of a bib record with multiple items. This is because ComCat uses the sysnumber (usually found in the 001 field) to distinguish between items. If a volume is on a bib record with multiple volumes attached, every volume will have the same sysnumber and ComCat will see them as the same item. In these situations you can either reach out to us and see if we can fix the request or just forgo ComCat and reach out to the lender for a point-to-point request. We are working with the vendor to fix this issue.
Each ComCat request only tracks the barcode of one item. This means that only one volume of a set or serial can be tracked per each request. See also: Requesting a Specific Volume
If the patron wants more than one volume of a set, staff should assist by doing the following:
- For each volume desired, submit a request on behalf of the patron.
- Be sure to specify in the "volumes needed" field, which volume the patron desires. Only include the information for a single volume in each request.
- Repeat this process for each of the volumes needed by the patron. In some cases, this may mean placing multiple requests on the same item record. To do so, staff will need to override any "Duplicate Request" notices that appear during this process.
- For more information on requesting on a patron's behalf, or regarding staff overrides, see this page.
Please note: Which volume a library staff member pulls from the shelves to lend in a request, depends on the staff member's ability to notice the information in the "volumes needed" field of the request. This information can be easy to miss. To ensure the correct volume(s) of the items requested are used in the transaction, do not hesitate to contact the Lending Library regarding a Pending request to verbally clarify your patron's needs. The email address and phone number of the Lending Library will always appear in the full request record.
