When an item is marked Received in ComCat, the system attempts to create a temporary bibliographic record and a temporary item record for the requested title in the borrowing library's local system. ComCat also attempts to place a hold in the borrowing library's local system on the item on behalf of the requesting patron.
There are a couple of different error messages that can appear when receiving requests in ComCat. Errors will appear in the History Information on a Request.
Accept Item: Cannot Receive Item
- NCIP AcceptItem: Cannot Receive Item (generic); or Cannot receive item. (Item Does Not Circulate; ) The Accept Item: Cannot Receive Item error can appear if:
- 1. There is an issue with the patron record in your local system. Does the patron have fines, overdue items, outstanding holds that exceed the holds limit, or an expired barcode number? If the patron’s account can be corrected, staff can try to receive the item in ComCat again.
- 2. There is a record with the same barcode as the item that you are trying to receive already in the ILS. Please go to the next line.
- NCIP AcceptItem: Cannot receive item. (Duplicate Item; Item with barcode XXXXXXXXXX already exists.; ItemIdentifierValue; XXXXXXXXXX;) This means that there is already a record in the ILS with the same barcode as the item you are trying to receive in ComCat. This can happen if the item was borrowed in the network before, and the temporary item record that was created at the time was not deleted. Please search for the record in the ILS and remove it before trying to receive the item in ComCat again. Your network's office should be able to assist you if you do not have the permissions to do so.
- NCIP AcceptItem: Cannot receive item. (9004; Unknown User; ). This error will appear if the patron's barcode that appears in the ComCat request is not the same as the patron's barcode in your ILS. This can happen if the patron's card has been recently updated in your local system, and they placed the ComCat request with their old number.
- Please submit a ticket to the Helpdesk with the patron's new library card number so the request can be updated in ComCat with the patron's new number.
- This error may also appear as NCIP AcceptItem: Cannot receive item. (Unknown User; User with barcode XXXXXXXXXXXX unknown; UserIdentifierValue; XXXXXXXXXXXX;) or NCIP AcceptItem: Cannot receive item. (Unknown User; AcceptItem; )
- For more information on this status error, please click here.
Bypassing NCIP Errors
There are two main ways to work around "NCIP AcceptItem: Cannot Receive" error messages.
- “Received (Disable NCIP)” Option. As of September 25, 2024, ComCat implemented a feature that allows libraries to update requests to "Received (Disable NCIP)" when coming across NCIP errors that block requests from being received normally.
- Before using this feature, please check and determine if the hold should be placed and checked out to the patron. Then, under the status update drop down menu, select "Received (Disable NCIP)
- “Received (Disable NCIP)” will move the request to “Received” status in ComCat without sending the “AcceptItem” message to your local system; you will need to manually process the request in the ILS by creating a temporary record in order to check the item out to the patron (see next line).
- Manually Receiving Items. To manually receive an item, manually build a temporary item record for the request in your local library system. You should then alert the patron that their request has arrived, and check the item out on the patron's account.
- When the patron is done using the items, make sure that the item is checked back in on both your local library system and on ComCat. Then send the item back through delivery and the Lending Library can Complete the request when the items arrive.
As always, please submit a ticket through the ComCat Helpdesk if you have any questions or need further assistance!