5 Circulation - Due Dates

5 DUE DATES

This chapter includes the following sections:

Due Dates for Future Loans
Due Dates for Current Loans
Change Due Date while Loaning Item
Renewals

5.1 DUE DATES FOR FUTURE LOANS

Due dates are computed daily for each combination of item/patron status. This computation takes into account days on which the library is closed. The Due Dates definition results from each sublibrary. For Information about tables related to due dates, see Setup (Client) chapter / Web Service Modul / Menu Setup Services / Edit Circulation Parameter.

You can view the results of this computation in the Circulation GUI from the Loans tab in the Activate Due Dates node:

Select the sublibrary, which you want to see the Active Due Dates You obtain a list displaying daily the due date for each combination of item/patron status.

The Due Date and Due Hour columns show the due date and due hour that are assigned to items that have not been requested at the time of the loan. The "Due Date (Requested)" and "Due Hour (Requested)" columns show the due date and due hour that are assigned to items that have had hold requests placed on them. If no date is displayed in the "Due Date (Requested)" column, the regular due date is used.The Due Hour is not functional in Alephino.

The lower pane displays details of the line that is highlighted in the upper pane:

Example:

--> You can change and update date and hour fields that were explicitly set by the system (such as 10/09/2004). Dates that were calculated (such as three days from now) are not updateable. --> All today loaned items by an patron with the status 10, will due on 06.04.2006 .

You can only change and update this date. Click the Update button to save the change and send it to the server. All today loaned items by an patron with the status 10, receive a new date.

Note that dates that have been changed stay in effect until the end of the day. At midnight, the system recalculates the due dates on the basis of the relevant tables.

top

5.2 DUE DATES FOR CURRENT LOANS

You can change due dates for items that are currently on loan. You can edit due dates either for a group of items that meet specific criteria, or for an individual item loaned to a specific patron.

5.2.1 Group of Items

To change the due dates for a group of items that are currently on loan, follow these steps:

From the main menu select Alephino / Dates / Change Due Dates of Current Loans. The following form is displayed:
Fill in the form and click OK.

The following section explains each field in the form:

Item Sublibrary

Use this filter to change the due dates for loans of items from a specific sublibrary. To choose from a list, click on the arrow.

Item Status

Use this filter to change the due dates for loans of items with a particular item status. To choose from a list, click on the arrow.

Due Date From

You can change all loans whose due dates fall after this date. Alternatively, you can use this field together with the Due Date To to enter a range of dates. In this case, the Due Date From is the earliest date in the range.

To the right of the Due Date From field is another field. This shows the hour by which the item must be returned on the date shown to the left. The due hour is not functional in Alephino.

Due Date To

You can change all loans whose due dates fall before this date. Alternatively, you can use this field together with the Due Date From to enter a range of dates for which the loans are currently due. In this case, the Due Date To is the latest date in the range.

To the right of the Due Date To field is another field. This shows the hour by which the item must be returned on the date shown to the left. The system runs on a 24-hour clock, so, in order to specify the due hour as 9 p.m., enter 21:00. The due hour ist not functional in Alephino.

New Due Date

Enter the New Due Date on the last line of the form and click OK. A pop-up message tells you how many of the due dates matching your filters have been changed.

5.2.2 Individual Item

To change the due date for current loan follow the steps below:

From the Patron bar, click the Patron icon. In the Patron field, type the barcode or the ID of the patron who has borrowed the item:

Click or press Enter
Click the Loans node from the Patron tree:

The patron's List of Loans is displayed in the right upper pane.
Highlight the loan whose details you want to change and click "Change Date". The "Change Due Date" form pops up:
Enter the new due date and due hour and click OK (the due hour is not functional in Alephino.)

top

5.3 CHANGE DUE DATE WHILE LOANING ITEM

You can change the due date that has been calculated by the system when you loan an item to a patron. To do so, follow the steps below:

Open the Loans tab,
Type the barcode or the ID of the patron who wants to borrow the item: Click or press enter.
In the Item field, type the barcode or the call number of the item that the patron wants to borrow. Click or press enter.
The loan session will be displayed in the right lower pane. Click Change Date

The "Change Due Date" form pops up.
In the Change Due Date form, enter a new due date and click OK (the due hour is not functional in Alephino.).

top

5.4 RENEWALS

Loans can be renewed through the GUI or the Web OPAC. A patron can renew loans on his own using the Web OPAC if he has the appropriate privilege and the item status permits renewal.

Renew will be always from Day date.

If there is a reason preventing renewal a message stating the reason will be displayed. The librarian can then decide whether to cancel the renewal by clicking on Cancel or to ignore the reason and perform the renewal by clicking Override. Whether or not the same reason will be displayed the next time this loan is renewed, depends on the setup in circ.ini.

If the line RenewOverrideAllSimilar in circ.ini is set to Y, the system ignores the same error message if the loan is renewed again.

If the line RenewOverrideAllSimilar in circ.ini is set to N, the system displays and relates to an error message that has been overridden on the occasion of an earlier renew action.

There are two ways to renew a loan:

Single Loan Renewal
Single Loan Renewal by Barcode

5.5.0 Single Loan Renewal

To renew a loan, follow these steps::

In the Patron field, enter the patron's ID or barcode.
Click the Loans node from the Patron tab. The patron's List of Loans will be displayed in the upper pane.
Highlight the loan to be renewed and click the Renew button.
If there are reasons to prevent the renewal, the window "Error in renewal" will be displayed. If the patron's privileges permit overriding and you have the librarian's privilege to override, the Override button will be active. Select Override to perform the renewal regardless of the reasons listed in the Renew Loan - Check Report form, or click Cancel.
On the Renew Loan window that pops up, fill in the new due date and due hour and click OK. The renew window displays.You can change the date. Click OK.

top

5.4.2 Single Loan Renewal By Barcode

From the main menu Circulationselect "Renew Loan by Barcode". The "Item Barcode for Renewal" screen will be displayed:

Enter the item barcode and click OK. You may use the barcode reader to scan in the number. The "Renew Loan by Barcode" form will be displayed:

The only information in this form that you may change is the renewal date (the due hour is not functional in Alephino).The other information is for reference only.

Renew Date

Enter a new date manually or use the default that was calculated by the system using various parameters from tab16.

If the new due date falls on a closed day, the due date will be changed to the first open day after the entered date. A manual change of the hour does not trigger the calendar correction mechanism.

The Due Hour ist in Alephino not functional.

5.4.3 Renew All

The "Renew All" function performs the Renew process for all the loans on the patron's List of Loans without the need to highlight every single loan. To view the List of Loans select the Loans node from the Patron tab. To initiate the Renew All process, click "Renew All" on the List of Loans in the upper pane.

The Renew window opens the defined loan parameter (calculated date). You can change this date. Click OK. Note : By the "All renew" function, the general will be set for the patron status renewal period (e.g. Item Status/Patron Status ##/01). To set the for the respective item status renewal period, use the "renew" function.

All loans have the New Due Date.

If the system encounters a problem when trying to renew a loan, the Renew Loan - Check Report window will be displayed . Click Override to disregard the problem and renew the highlighted loan or click Cancel to skip the highlighted loan and move on to the next line.

As the system proceeds through the lines, a log for each line will be added in the Renew All Log tab in the lower pane.

When renewing through Renew All, the system performs the following checks according to the setup in circ.ini:

DisplayRenewAllCheckWindows

=Y
First, the system checks the Renew All, in order to catch a general error, usually caused by a passed patron expiration date. If one or several general errors have been foundewing the message window pops up showing all specific loan errors. This error message can be overridden by clicking Override. If it is not overridden, the system cannot proceed and no renewal can be initiated.

Secondly, the system checks all loans, trying to renew every one. For every loan that is renewed, a message, Successful Renew, is displayed in the Renew All Log tab in the lower pane. If a reason for not renewing the loan is encountered then the message window pops up showing all specific loan errors. This error message can be overridden by clicking Override. If it is not overridden, the loan that it refers to cannot be renewed. At the same time, a matching line with errors is added to the Renew All Log tab in the lower pane.If the error message is overridden, the loan is renewed and is displayed in the Renew All Log tab.

All the loans that were not renewed due to problems that were not overridden, are highlighted.The error messages are shown numbered line by line in the Renew All Log tab. For every renewed loan, a message "Successful Renew" or "Successful Renew (Override)" is displayed in the Renew All Log tab.

=N
No error message boxes are displayed during the Renew All process, and all the loans in the list are handled automatically, according to the flag OverrideRenewAllChecks in the [LoanList] section of circ.ini.
OverrideRenewAllChecks

=Y
All renew errors are ignored and the message "Successful Renew (Override)" is displayed in the Renew All Log tab for each renewal that encountered a reason for not renewing the loan.

=N
Renewals are not performed and the errors messages are displayed in the Renew All Log tab.

For more information, see also the Setup (Client)chapter!

When the Renew procedure is finished, a message window will be displayed. You can print the Renew receipt (= patron is here) or you can send it per e-mail (patron has renewed by telefone):

If the check box is marked, the printing parameters are taken, function name BorListRenewAll.
If not, they are taken from the function BorListRenewAllRemote.

File ..\Circ\Tab\Print.ini:

BorListRenewAll                          00 N P borrenew.prn
BorListRenewAllRemote                    00 N M borrenew.prn

BorListRenewAll                          00 N P borrenew.prn
BorListRenewAllRemote                    00 N P borrenew.prn NO-PRINT

The input is blanked with NO-PRINT in 6.1 column.
With M in 4. column, the receipt will be sent per Mail, if the patron has a valid email address.

You may determine whether or not a message screen will be displayed:

If the WantBorListOnRenewAll parameter (in der circ.ini) is set to Y, the screen will be displayed.

If the WantBorListOnRenewAll line ist set to N, the screen will not be displayed.

You can determine whether or not "Print Receipt" is marked (as default):

If the RenewAllBorPresentDefault parameter (in der circ.ini) is set to Y, the Checkbox is actived.

If the RenewAllBorPresentDefault line is set to N, the checkbox is blank.

top

Go to next section (Returns)