HOLLIS holdings & items display ("Access options" section, formerly "Get It")

Sort order of library and locations

The order of libraries and locations is based on several criteria (this has been true since we moved to Alma). The prioritized criteria are: 

1. Locations with items 'in place' are prioritized first (and the more items in place, the higher the priority)

2. On campus locations are prioritized over offsite

3. Alphabetical order

Example of a title with multiple holdings and how they would sort in a given scenario:

1. Widener WID-LC - 3 items in place

2. Tozzer HD - 2 items in place

3. Baker Library Stacks - 1 item in place

4. Lamont Library GEN - 2 items not in place

5. Online - no items

Holdings fields that display

NOTE: if there are more than 10 holdings on a bib, the notes won’t display until you open the holding. This affects approximately 1,200 records (as of July 2026)

Summary lines (collapsed) include:

• Library name

• Location name

• Call number

• Summary availability indicator (if available)

Expanded locations include holdings notes outlined in the table below, followed by item records. 

Note for serials or multi-volume works: if a holding as no paired statements (used to generate textual holdings statements), then Alma/Primo will automatically generate a summary statement based on item enun/chrom fields by evaluating the first and last item, e.g. "from v. 1 until v.6." Gap information will not appear in this scenario. 

NOTE:  if items are issues and have descriptions, and there is no 866, Primo will generate a from... until statement based on the earliest and latest items (via enum/chron evaluation). For example: from v.1 (2002) until v.8 (2009). Screenshot: 

Open

Temp Loc functionality

When all items on a holding are Temp Loc'd to a new location, the original location from the holding record will not display to the user. Only the new Temp Loc will display to the user. This also means that any holdings statements from the original holding will not appear. Contact LTS to discuss possible alternatives for long-term temporary re-locations of special collections. 

Furthermore, Alma/Primo will generate a summary statement based on the items (because no holding statements are present for the temporary location). The statement is  based on item data by evaluating the first and last item, e.g. "from v. 1 until v.6." Gap information is not listed in this scenario. 

If the original holding has some items temp loc'd and others that are not, the user will see two separate locations, each with the appropriate item records. 

For example, here all 3 volumes are at their original location: 

Open

Now volume 2 is temporarily located at Lamont. Note that Because the original location continues to have items, the holding notes display: 

Open

Now all 3 volumes are temporarily located at Lamont. Because the original location has no items it is completely hidden from view (including any notes). 

Open

Item Status display

There is a "Status" column for item records which is used to indicate whether an item is in one of the following states: 

• On loan

• In transit

• Missing / Lost

• On order

• Library processing

Example of Status column in HOLLIS

Open

Example of Status column

Various terms that have been used in the Item Status field

When an item is NOT in one of the states above, deciding what term to display has been a thorny issue, as we can only use a single term regardless of the the type of resource. We have tried several terms over the years, and none have been ideal for all scenarios. Terms that have been used include:

• Not Checked Out

  • This term is misleading for special collections because those materials are non-circulating and have to be consulted at the repository. 

  • This term is misleading for general collection non-circulating material, such as bound journals, which cannot be loaned.

  • The term is also misleading for items that exist for preservation purposes only and cannot be requested. In these cases there is a separate reproduction copy that can be used. 

• Available

  • Same issues as above. 

• In library or Storage

  • This term aligns with the facet 'In library or storage' that is used to indicate that an item is at its "home" location, as opposed to On Loan, etc. 

  • This term is confusing for users who are less familiar with library location naming conventions, e.g. unless a location contains the word "Offsite," then the location is on campus.

  • Note that the actual location of an item is listed between the library name and the call number if present, e.g. Baker Business   Stacks -- LC Books   HF296.B7 C65 1906.

• Item in place

  • This is the term that staff see in Alma. It was used in HOLLIS only during a preview period related to the Alma migration in the summer of 2018. 

  • It became the new term beginning with the Primo VE migration in March 2026.

Example use cases to take into consideration during discussion of text for the Item Status field

The examples in the table below reflect some different use cases that should be considered during any conversation about the "status" display.