If you get a request by email while your Bookshelf is on Hold, you should first check that your Vacation Hold was applied correctly - the "Apply Hold" button needs to be clicked on the Vacation Hold page to apply the hold, and the "end date" of the Hold is the day (very early in the morning) that the books on your Bookshelf will become active and available to other members again.

If your Vacation Hold has been applied correctly and you got a request, that means:

• The book was involved in an active request when the Hold went into effect, and therefore was not "hidden" by the Hold.

These are the scenarios:

• • The request was submitted before your bookshelf went on hold, and this is a second or third notification or reminder email
    • check the timestamp/datestamp on the email of the original request for the book
  • This was a Wish Listed book you Posted before your Hold began...  (A book involved in a Wish List offer is not "on your bookshelf" to be affected by a bookshelf Hold)
    • ...and the Wishing member accepted the request after you had put your account on hold.
    • ...and the first Wishing Member(s) declined (or didn't respond) to the offer of the book
  • • • When the book finally reaches a member who confirms she still wants it, you will receive a request, even if you put your account on Hold after posting the book
    • ...and all wishing members declined (or didn't respond to) the offer of the book
      • when the last Wishing member's offer expires, the book will go back onto your bookshelf as an available item.
        • This is because the book was put back onto your bookshelf while it was on hold. Think of a bookshelf Hold as Wrapping a present.  If you wrap the present, and then lay a book on top, the Hold (the wrapping paper) does not hide it.
        • Other members can then request this available book from you, even while the Hold is in effect.
  • This book was involved in an active request when your Hold went into effect, and the requestor canceled.
    • This is exactly analogous to the Wish List offer scenario above, when all Wishing members decline or don't respond to the offer.
    • When the requestor cancels the request, the book will go back onto your bookshelf. 
    • A book that is returned to your bookshelf will not be hidden by any Hold that went into effect while the book was "off your bookshelf" (involved in an active request).
    • The book will appear available in the system for anyone to request after that, even while your bookshelf is on hold.

Related links:

How does the Vacation Hold affect My Wish List?
How does the Vacation Hold affect Box-O-Books?
How does the Vacation Hold affect PaperBackSwap emails?
How the Vacation/Hold feature works
I go out of town a lot; how can I manage my account?
I will be away from my account for a prolonged time; how should I handle this?