Follett Version 6 00 Users Manual User's Guide 6.00
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User’s Guide
version 6.00
Portions Copyright 1984-2000
Faircom Corporation
All Rights Reserved
2
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Copyright 1998 - 2004
by Follett Software Company
1391 Corporate Drive
McHenry, Illinois 60050
(800) 323-3397 or (815) 344-8700
Email: info@fsc.follett.com (Customer Service)
techsupport@fsc.follett.com (Technical Support)
All rights reserved. This book and application, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in
any form without permission.
This software application and the information contained in this manual are subject to
change without notice.
Circulation Plus, Catalog Plus, WebCollection Plus, Union Catalog Plus, Alliance Plus,
Find-a-Book, Find-It-All, One Search, Knowledge Links, and TitlePeek are trademarks of
Follett Software Company.
TextLink is a registered trademark of Follett Educational Services and Follett Software
Company.
TITLEWAVE Copyright 2000 Follett Library Resources.
All other trademarks are the property of their respective third-party owners.
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3
FOLLETT SOFTWARE COMPANY
PRODUCT LICENSING TERMS
***IMPORTANT***
This legal document (the Agreement") is an agreement between you and Follett Software
Company governing the use of Follett Software Company's library management products
listed on Follett's Web sites, including at www.fsc.follett.com, and any revisions and
updates (the Product"). The Product may include software, data, and/or other
instructional materials. By installing, accessing, or using all or any portion of the Product,
you agree to be bound by the terms of this Agreement. If you do not agree to the terms of
this Agreement, do not install, access, or use the Product and promptly return any
Product to Follett Software Company.
The Product is owned by Follett Software Company and/or its third party licensors.
Please see www.fsc.follett.com/destiny for a complete list of the third party open source
contributors to the Product and their license terms. The Product is protected by U.S. and
international copyright law, and Follett Software Company and its licensors retain all title
to and ownership of the Product, with the exception of the following limited use license:
1.
Windows and MacOS-Based Products. If you have obtained a single-user license for
a MacOS or Windows-based Product, you may install and use one copy of the
Product on one computer not attached to your network at your site for the purpose of
managing your site's library collection. If you have obtained a multiple-user license
for a MacOS or Windows-based Product, you may install and use one copy of the
Product on one system or one network at your site for the purpose of managing your
site's library collection.
2.
Web-Enabled Products. If you have obtained a single site license for a Web-enabled
Product, you may install and use one copy of the Product on a central server located
within and under the control of your site for the purpose of managing your site's
library collection. If you have acquired a district license to use the Product, you may
install a copy of the Product on a central server or servers located within and under
the control of your district for the purpose of managing the library collections of the
sites within your district and for whom you have paid a license fee.
3.
Subscription ID and Password. Follett will provide you with a subscriber
identification number and user password enabling you to access and allow access to
any Follett-hosted subscription Product you have licensed, which may be accessed
through your library management system or Follett's Internet sites, depending on the
license you have paid for. You are responsible for maintaining the security of your
password and agree not to post it on any Web site accessible to the public. You agree
to assume responsibility for the results of any misuse of your password and to report
any misuse of the password immediately to Follett.
4.
Prohibited Use. You may not copy the Product or any accompanying written
materials without Follett's permission, except as necessary to use the Product in its
intended manner. You may not use the Product or allow any third party to use the
Product for any commercial purpose or in any manner not set forth in this
Agreement. You may not loan, sublicense, rent, lease, transfer, or assign the Product
or any portion thereof to any third party, with the following exception: You may
download and post MARC records solely for the purpose of importing them into and
managing them from your duly licensed Follett library automation management
system. You may not reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, or in any way
modify the Product or any portion thereof without prior written consent of Follett
Software Company. Any modifications you make to the Product will remain the
property of Follett Software Company and/or its licensor(s).
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5.
New Versions. When you install a new version of the Product accompanied by a new
license, provided your license fee entitles you to the new version, your use of the new
version constitutes your acceptance of the new license and the termination of your
license to use any previous version of the Product.
6.
Termination for Breach. If you breach any material terms of this Agreement or fail to
pay license fees as they become due, Follett Software Company may immediately
terminate your license to use the Product, including by disabling any online access, in
addition to taking any other legal remedies available to it. Upon termination of your
license, you must either return any copies of the Product and any data taken from the
Product, including any MARC records, to Follett Software Company or destroy the
copies and data and certify in writing that you have done so.
7.
Third Party Web Sites. The Product may provide you and your patrons with links to
third party Web sites. You acknowledge that Follett Software Company does not
endorse or maintain control over and will not be liable for the content, advertising, or
other materials contained on such third party sites. Your use and your patrons' use
of the content, goods, or services on any third party site will be governed by the
terms on that site, if any. You will be responsible for understanding and complying
with third party sites' terms of use and instructing your patrons and employees on
the same.
8.
Third Party Subscription Databases. The Product may enable you and your patrons
to search all of your sites' third party subscription databases simultaneously. Because
access to many of these databases is strictly regulated under the terms of the license
agreements between you and the third party database owners, you agree that it is
your obligation to ensure against the unauthorized access of such third party-owned
subscription databases. If the Product provides access to password protected
content, you agree to password protect such access at your library's server level to
ensure that only your patrons can use the Product, and to protect against the
unauthorized use of third party-owned content, such as subscription databases.
9.
Student Privacy. As part of your subscription, you may be able to allow your patrons
to set up their own individual login accounts. If you do so, you agree that you are
solely responsible for complying with all applicable state and federal laws regarding
student privacy, including the federal Family Education and Privacy Act (FERPA).
Follett warrants that it will not use any information you provide from students'
accounts for any purpose other than servicing your subscription, and that it will not
disclose such information to any third party unless required by law. FOLLETT
SOFTWARE COMPANY DOES NOT KNOWINGLY COLLECT ANY PERSONALLY
IDENTIFYING INFORMATION ABOUT CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 13
THROUGH THE PRODUCTS. However, Follett cannot make that claim on behalf of
third party sites found through the Product. You therefore agree to inform and
educate patrons under the age of 13 that they should not provide any personally
identifying information on any third party sites without the involvement and
verifiable consent of their parents.
10. Limited Warranty. Follett Software Company warrants that for a period of 1 year
from its delivery to your site or access, in the case of online subscriptions, the Product
will perform in substantial compliance with its specifications and be free of material
defects. As your sole and exclusive remedy for this warranty, Follett Software
Company will either repair the Product or refund your prorated license fee, provided
you report to Follett Software Company in writing the material defect or
noncompliance within the 1 year warranty period. This limited warranty does not
cover any material defect resulting from any accident, abuse, or misapplication of the
Product caused by you, your employees, end users, agents, or contractors, or any
modification you, your employees, end users, agents, or contractors make to the
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Product, whether or not such modification is authorized by Follett Software
Company.
11. DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY. FOLLETT SOFTWARE COMPANY DISCLAIMS
ALL OTHER WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT
NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR
A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, WARRANTY OF TITLE, OR WARRANTY OF
NON-INFRINGEMENT. FOLLETT SOFTWARE COMPANY AND ITS LICENSORS
ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR AND MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR
WARRANTIES WITH REGARD TO THIRD PARTY NETWORK OPERATING
SYSTEMS, COMPUTER HARDWARE, SOFTWARE, OR PERIPHERALS THAT YOU
USE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE PRODUCT, OR THAT ANY
NETWORK-ACCESSIBLE FEATURES OF THE PRODUCT WILL BE
CONTINUALLY ACCESSIBLE OR ACCESSIBLE AT ANY TIME.
THE THIRD PARTY SOURCE CODE USED IN THE PRODUCT AND LISTED, WITH
ITS LICENSING TERMS, AT WWW.FSC.FOLLETT.COM/DESTINY IS PROVIDED
BY THIRD PARTY LICENSORS AS IS," WHO DISCLAIM ANY EXPRESSED OR
IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, IMPLIED
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL ANY SUCH THIRD PARTY LICENSOR OR ITS
CONTRIBUTORS OR FOLLETT SOFTWARE COMPANY BE LIABLE FOR ANY
DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT LIMITED TO LOSS OF USE OR
DATA), HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER
IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR
OTHERWISE) ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF THE PRODUCT, SOFTWARE, OR
SOURCE CODE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
IN NO EVENT WILL FOLLETT SOFTWARE COMPANY OR ITS LICENSORS BE
LIABLE TO YOU IN ANY AMOUNT EXCEEDING THE TOTAL FEES YOU HAVE
PAID TO FOLLETT SOFTWARE COMPANY DURING THE TWELVE MONTHS
PRECEDING YOUR CLAIM.
FOLLETT SOFTWARE COMPANY IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR AND MAKES NO
REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES THAT THIRD PARTY PRODUCTS,
SERVICES, OR WEB SITES WILL WORK WITH THE PRODUCT, OR THAT ACCESS
TO THE PRODUCT OR THIRD PARTY SITES FOUND THROUGH THE PRODUCT
WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR-FREE. FOLLETT MAKES NO
WARRANTY THAT THE INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM THE PRODUCT IS
ACCURATE OR RELIABLE OR THAT ANY GOODS OR SERVICES MADE
AVAILABLE THROUGH THE PRODUCT WILL MEET YOUR EXPECTATIONS.
YOU AGREE THAT ANY MATERIAL OR DATA DOWNLOADED OR OTHERWISE
OBTAINED FROM USE OF THE COLLECTION IS DONE OR ALLOWED AT YOUR
SOLE RISK AND THAT YOU WILL BE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY
DAMAGE THAT RESULTS FROM THE DOWNLOADING OF SUCH MATERIAL
OR DATA.
12. Indemnification. To the extent you are permitted under applicable law, you agree to
defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Follett Software Company, its parent
corporation, subsidiaries, affiliates, and their respective officers, directors, employees,
attorneys, and agents from and against any and all third party claims, liability, and
expenses, including attorneys' fees and legal costs, that arise out of the use of the
Products by you or your patrons in violation of this Agreement. This provision will
not apply if you are a public school or public library.
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13. Arbitration. You agree to submit any dispute, controversy, or claim you may have
arising out of or relating to this Agreement solely to binding arbitration to be
conducted pursuant to the Commercial Rules of the American Arbitration then in
effect.
14. Right to Audit Compliance. Follett will have the right to conduct or direct an
independent accounting firm to conduct, during normal business hours and no more
than twice during any calendar year, an audit of your relevant records to verify your
compliance with the terms of this Agreement. This provision does not limit Follett's
right to monitor its server logs for accesses made by you, or using any access code
issued to you, to any online features, or to investigate any conduct Follett believes
either may be a breach of the licensing terms or otherwise threatening to the integrity
of its products or services.
15. Entire Agreement. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties
with respect to the use of the Product. The failure by Follett to enforce any of its
rights hereunder will not constitute a waiver of such rights. If any portion of this
Agreement is found by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, the other
provisions will remain in full force and effect.
16. Intellectual Property. Follett Software Company is the owner or licensee of copyright,
trademark, and other intellectual property and proprietary rights in the Product. All
trademarks appearing in the Product are the property of Follett or their respective
third party owners. Follett disclaims any affiliation or endorsement of such third
parties' goods or services, and does not intend to imply any such endorsement or
affiliation by using such marks. Likewise, such use is not meant to imply any third
party's endorsement of Follett's goods or services. Please be aware and inform your
patrons that copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property rights may protect
content on third party Web sites and databases accessed through the Product.
Nothing in this Agreement affects such rights or implies that you, your patrons, or
Follett has any rights in this content. Use of third party content may be governed by
a separate agreement with the third party owner and you agree not to use the content
in any way that violates this Agreement or the intellectual property rights of the third
party owner. You also agree to take reasonable measures to make your patrons aware
of all provisions in this section.
17. Exporting Products. This Agreement will not be governed by the United Nations
Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods, the application of which
is expressly excluded. You agree not to ship, transfer, or export the Product or any
data obtained from the Product into any country or use the Product or data obtained
from the Product in any manner prohibited by the United States Export
Administration Act or any other export laws or regulations.
U.S. GOVERNMENT RESTRICTIONS
1.
If the Product is acquired by or on behalf of a unit or agency of the United States
Government, this provision applies. The Product: (a) was developed at private
expense, and no part of it was developed with government funds; (b) contains trade
secret information of Follett Software Company for all purposes of the Freedom of
Information Act; (c) is commercial computer software" subject to limited utilization
as provided in the contract between Follett Software Company and the governmental
entity; and (d) in all respects contains proprietary data belonging solely to Follett
Software Company.
2.
For units of the Department of Defense (DOD), this Product is sold only with
Restricted Rights" as that term is defined in the DOD Supplement to the Federal
Acquisition Regulations (DFARS") 52.227-7013(c) (1) (ii) and use, duplication, or
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disclosure is subject to restrictions as set forth in subparagraph (c) (1) (ii) of the Rights
in Technical Data and Computer Product clause at DFARS 52.227-7013.
Manufacturer: Follett Software Company, 1391 Corporate Drive, McHenry, IL
60050-7041.
3.
If the Product is acquired under a GSA Schedule, the U.S. Government has agreed: (a)
to refrain from changing or removing any insignia or lettering from the Product that
is provided or from producing copies of manuals or disks (except one copy for
backup purposes); (b) title to and ownership of the Product and any reproduction
thereof shall remain with Follett Software Company; (c) use of the Product and
documentation shall be limited to the facility for which it is acquired; and (d) if use of
the Product is discontinued at the installation specified in the purchase/delivery
order and the Government desires to use it at another location, it may do so by giving
prior written notice to Follett Software Company, specifying the type of computer
and new location site.
4.
U.S. Government personnel using the Product, other than under a DOD contract or
GSA Schedule, are hereby on notice that use of the Product is subject to restrictions
which are the same as, or similar to, those specified above.
Follett Software Company
1391 Corporate Drive
McHenry, Illinois 60050-7041
(800)323-3397
Email: info@fsc.follett.com or techsupport@fsc.follett.com
www.fsc.follett.com
Copyright 2003 - 2004, Follett Software Company. All rights reserved.
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Notes
9
Contents
Welcome 27
Getting started 28
Viewing the online User's Guide 28
Getting help 29
About our customized training 29
Contacting Follett Software Company 29
Follett's tollfree number 29
Visit our Web site 30
Contacting Technical Support 30
What's folletttalk? 30
Enhancement requests 30
System Setup 31
Chapter 1 System Setup basics 31
About the setup chapters 31
What you'll need 32
Getting around in System Setup 33
Chapter 2 Setting up your site 35
Identifying your library 35
Obtaining a MARC Organization Code 36
Identifying your country and first month of statistical year 36
Setting up your barcode symbologies 37
Selecting a barcode symbology 38
Can symbologies be mixed? 38
How to select and define barcode symbologies 39
Protecting your Follett applications with passwords 40
How to change an application password 41
Transferring the PHD application to a PHD 42
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How to change the PHD settings 43
Maintaining events for Catalog Plus 43
After setting up your site 44
Chapter 3 Preparing to catalog your collection 45
Grouping your collection according to lending period 45
How to add or edit circulation types 47
Identifying call number locations in your MARC records 47
Setting up your call number prefixes 48
How to add or edit call number prefixes 50
Sorting your call numbers 51
Increasing access to your collection with categories 52
How to add or edit categories 53
How to delete categories 54
Defining the tag range for your brief MARC records 54
Setting up miscellaneous Cataloging options 55
After preparing for cataloging 59
Chapter 4 Setting up Acquisitions 61
Adding vendors 61
Contact tab 63
Notes tab 63
Purchases tab 63
Adding funding sources 64
Amount tab 65
Notes tab 66
Setting the default information 66
Chapter 5 Preparing to circulate your collection 69
Grouping your patrons by type 69
How to add or edit a patron type 71
Making it easier to create new patrons 72
Empowering your patrons 74
Circulation policies: who can have what and for how long 76
How to set circulation limits for patron types 77
How to limit loan periods 78
Setting time limits for items on hold 78
Expiring holds 79
Deleting holds 79
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Setting up reserves 79
Entering the time limits 80
Activating automatic fine calculation and refunds 81
Customizing your overdue, bill, and ready hold notices 82
How to change the wording on a notice 83
Setting your library's hours 85
Setting up your library's current calendar 85
Setting up alert sounds (and more) for your circulation desk 88
After preparing for circulation 90
Chapter 6 Building your union 91
Who should read this? 91
Where do we begin? 91
What is data exchange? 92
Participation levels 93
Filtering rules 94
How are the best" records created? 95
Setting up your union 95
Entering union catalog site information 96
Entering union cataloging information 98
Setting up your members 101
Defining your nonDX members 102
Defining your DX members 106
Deleting a member 112
What's next? 112
Considerations for nonDX members and unions 113
Circulation Desk 115
Chapter 7 Circulation Desk basics 115
What is Circulation Desk? 115
Starting Circulation Desk 115
Circulation Desk security 118
Limiting and restoring access to Circulation Desk 118
Receipt Printer (Transaction Tracker) setup and printing 120
Showing and hiding patron pictures 122
Transactions 101 122
Typing or scanning barcodes 123
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Finding patrons or copies 123
Important messages for patrons 126
Sounds 126
Handling block conditions during a transaction 127
Adding or editing a patron record 129
Viewing and printing patron information 130
Viewing the current status of a copy 134
Sending items to the bindery or on interlibrary loan 135
Troubleshooting 136
Chapter 8 Checking out items 137
How to check out a copy 138
Adding or editing a patron 139
Adding a title during a checkout 139
Handling noncirculating copies 141
Showing due dates 142
Special due dates for checkouts and renewals 143
Troubleshooting 144
Chapter 9 Renewing items 147
Renewing all (or some) of a patron's checkouts 147
How to renew a single copy or stack of copies 149
Troubleshooting 150
Chapter 10 Checking in items 151
How to check in a copy 151
Handling items on hold or reserve
Reshelving items 152
Troubleshooting 152
152
Chapter 11 Dealing with fines and lost copies 155
Crime and punishment: the types of fines 155
Tracking fine payments 156
Recording payment against the fine balance 157
Recording payment for a single fine 158
Creating fines 158
Editing fines 160
Giving refunds 161
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Marking a patron's checkout lost 161
Charging a fine for the lost copy 163
Troubleshooting 164
Chapter 12 Managing holds 165
A brief introduction to holds 165
A brief introduction to reserves 166
Readying reserves 166
Circulating reserves 166
Getting around the Holds/Reserves window 167
Placing a hold or reserve for a patron 168
Managing holds 169
Extending the life of a hold 169
Changing the priority of a hold 170
Interpreting the Daily Holds Processing exception report
Troubleshooting 174
171
Chapter 13 Circulating items with a PHD 175
Why use a PHD to circulate your collection 175
Before recording transactions with a PHD 176
Recording transactions with a PHD 176
Processing remote circulation transactions 176
Interpreting the Remote Circulation Processing exception report
Troubleshooting 182
Patrons 183
Chapter 14 Patron Maintenance basics 183
About Patron Maintenance 183
Using Patron Maintenance 183
Searching for patron records 184
How to search for a patron record 185
What happens if the patron isn't found 186
Chapter 15 Maintaining individual patron records 187
About maintaining individual patron records
187
179
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How to add or edit a patron record 187
How to add, edit, and delete addresses 188
How to add or edit an important message or a note 189
How to add, replace, or remove a patron picture 189
How to delete individual patron records 190
Chapter 16 Maintaining patron records in batches 191
About global maintenance 191
Globally updating batches of patrons 191
Updating information for a few individual patrons
Updating patron records using a PHD 193
Globally deleting patrons 195
Deleting patrons with a PHD 196
Interpreting the exception report 198
192
Chapter 17 Importing patron information 199
About importing patron records 199
Formatting information for the librarian's technical personnel 199
Follett's patron import data file formats 199
Importing patron records 202
Interpreting the exception report 203
Importing patron pictures 204
Interpreting the exception report 206
Chapter 18 Exporting patron records 207
About exporting patron records 207
How to export patron records 208
Inventory 209
Chapter 19 Inventory basics 209
Overview of an inventory 209
Preparing for inventory 210
How will Inventory affect circulation?
After inventory 212
Inventory Checklist 213
210
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Starting and getting around in Inventory 215
Chapter 20 Taking inventory of your collection 217
Beginning an inventory 217
Entering copies into Inventory 218
Entering copies directly into the Inventory main window 219
Using a PHD to inventory your collection 221
Using a portable computer to inventory your collection 223
Interpreting the Remote Inventory exception report 228
Finalizing an inventory 230
Printing reports of your Missing items 231
Resetting Missing copies 231
Marking items Missing outside an inventory 232
Deleting Missing items 232
Cataloging 233
Chapter 21 Cataloging basics 233
Cataloging 101 233
Using MARC bibliographic and authority record formats
Permanent or temporary? 234
Starting Cataloging 235
Customizing the toolbar 236
Cataloging Security 238
Finding MARC records in your collection 240
Using Limiters on your local database 241
Accelerated Reader search 242
Lexile search 243
Reading Counts search 244
Find-It-All Collection 245
Searching Alliance Plus Online or Alliance Plus CDs 245
Scanning an ISBN 247
Searching your DX union catalog 247
Using your search results 248
TitlePeek 250
Adding, saving, copying, and editing MARC records 251
Deleting a MARC record 252
Printing MARC records 253
233
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Chapter 22 Using the Easy Editor 255
When to use the Easy Editor 255
Working with bibliographic records 255
Brief MARC Record tab 256
Added Description tab 257
Providing access through subjects 259
Providing additional entries 260
Using the Find Headings feature 261
What's next? 262
Chapter 23 Using the MARC Editor 263
Working with bibliographic records 263
Adding new bibliographic records 264
The MARC Editor: an overview 265
What is a good" bibliographic record? 265
Tags: the backbone of a MARC record 266
Bibliographic fixed-length tags 268
Variable-length tags 273
What's next? 277
Working with authority records 278
Creating crossreferences 278
Getting started 278
Adding new authority records 279
How are authority records different? 280
What's next? 284
Chapter 24 Working with copies 285
Adding and editing copies 285
Deleting a copy 288
Chapter 25 Importing MARC records 289
Importing bibliographic records 289
Importing MARC 21/852 Holdings data 291
Importing MARC 21/852 Holdings Format Data by Barcode 295
Importing MARC 21/852 Holdings Format by Control Number 296
For Winnebago records: Reconstructing your barcodes and more 297
Importing authority records 307
Interpreting the exception report 308
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Chapter 26 Exporting MARC records 311
Getting ready to export 311
Exporting bibliographic records 312
Exporting authority records 318
Splitting a collection 318
Using a PHD 318
Using categories 319
Interpreting the exception report 321
Chapter 27 Maintaining your collection 323
Using reports to analyze your collection 323
Updating bibliographic headings globally 324
Updating copy information globally 326
Adding funding sources or vendors to their tables 327
Updating individual copies 330
Deleting lost or missing copies globally 330
Deleting subject headings by source globally 332
DX-enabled union catalogs and members 333
Deleting tags globally 334
Deleting titles without copies globally 335
Using a scanner to delete copies 337
Using your PHD for mass updates 338
Updating categories, circulation types, or copy status with a PHD 338
Removing categories from copies with a PHD 340
Deleting copies with a PHD 342
Viewing the Weeding log 344
Updating keywords 345
Rebuilding crossreferences 346
Enhancing your records with the Book Cart 346
Adding titles to the Book Cart 346
Reconning titles in the Book Cart 347
Editing titles from the Book Cart 348
Transferring your records to and from MARC Magician 348
Printing the contents of the Book Cart 349
Merging copies onto one title record 351
Chapter 28 Cataloging tips 353
Audiovisual equipment 353
Vertical file material 353
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Videorecordings 354
Electronic resources 355
Tag 856 Electronic Location and Access 355
System notes and considerations 357
Related materials 358
eBooks 360
Websites 366
Computer files 367
For further information 369
Chapter 29 Acquisitions 371
The lifecycle of an order 371
Adding or editing an order 372
Filling out an order 372
Finding an order 375
Editing vendor information 376
Editing funding source information 377
Updating address information 378
Printing your order form 379
Alliance Plus 381
Chapter 30 Alliance Plus basics 381
About Alliance Plus 381
Starting Alliance Plus 381
Choosing Alliance Plus Online or an Alliance Plus CD 382
Using Alliance Plus 383
Chapter 31 Autorecon and Reading Program Recon 385
About the Autorecon process 385
Bibliographic record modifications 386
Preparing for an Autorecon 387
Running an Autorecon 387
About the Reading Program Recon process 390
Preparing for a Reading Program Recon 391
Running a Reading Program Recon 391
Chapter 32 Process Misses 395
About Process Misses 395
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Running Process Misses 396
Search Stations 403
Chapter 33 Setting up your search stations 403
Accessing Setup 403
General Setup tab 404
Choosing the OPAC interface 405
Controlling user access 406
Providing access to other applications 408
Setting up passwords 409
What's next? 409
Text OPAC Setup tab 410
Choosing search options 410
Modifying the record display 412
Selecting limiter options 412
What's next? 414
Visual OPAC Setup tab 415
Choosing display options 415
Selecting Bookbag options 416
Saving your settings 416
Importing the default buttons 416
Default button sets 416
What's next? 418
Adding and editing action buttons 418
Identifying the button 420
Associating an image with the button 421
Choosing the Action of the button 422
Saving buttons 427
Deleting buttons 427
Putting it all together 428
After saving your setup 429
Setting up multiple search stations 429
Chapter 34 Setting up WebCollection Plus 431
Running WebCollection Plus 431
Shutting down a connection to the FairCom Server 431
Accessing WebCollection Plus 432
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Constructing the URL for the main page 432
Constructing the URL for the Setup Information page 432
Changing the setup password 432
A note about browser settings 433
The Setup Information page 434
Customizing the appearance of the pages 436
Changing the text on the main page 436
Changing the graphics 437
Providing tools and services for your patrons 438
Configuring the toolbar 438
Enabling the Bookbag 439
Setting up hold and interlibrary loan request options 440
Setting up WebCollection Plus for State Standards 443
Setting up WebCollection Plus for Keyword/Power and Browse searches
Checking a copy's status from WebCollection Plus for Union 445
Enabling Patron Empowerment 445
Setting up Visual WebCollection Plus 447
Providing more information access for your patrons 448
Accessing TitlePeek 448
Setting up QuickLinks 448
Modifying the record display 449
Viewing Follett eBooks 449
Enabling optional tabs 450
Customizing your pages 450
Information page 450
Web Links page 451
Testing your setup 452
WebCollection Plus for English/French or English/Spanish 454
Troubleshooting 456
Chapter 35 Using your OPAC 457
Choosing the interface 457
Searching your library in the text interface 458
What is a Power search? 459
Accelerated Reader search 461
Lexile search 461
Reading Counts! search 462
Find-It-All Collection searches 463
Using the search results 463
Electronic Location and Access the 856 tag in action 466
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eBooks 467
TitlePeek button 469
Printing search results 470
Searching tools 470
Customizing the limiters 470
Repeating a search 472
Patron Empowerment 472
Accessing other applications 474
Using the Bookbag 475
Viewing events 476
Resetting the search station 476
Clearing the current search 476
Searching your library in the visual interface 477
Getting around in Visual OPAC 477
Tracing your steps 479
Using the Type In Search 480
Using the search results 481
Viewing the record 482
Using the Bookbag 484
Clearing the search station 484
Reports 485
Chapter 36 Reports basics 485
About Reports 485
Creating custom reports 486
Starting Reports 487
Generating a report 489
Selecting a report 489
Setting the report options 489
Changing the date used to run reports
Printing the report 495
Chapter 37 Cataloging reports 499
Cataloging reports overview 499
Generating a Bibliography Report 502
Generating a Brief Records Report 503
Generating a Code Table List 504
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Generating a Copies Added Report 506
Generating a Copies by Funding Source or Vendor Report 507
Generating a Copies With Different Call Numbers Report 511
Generating a Copies With Other Call Numbers Report 512
Generating a Copies Without Call Numbers Report 513
Printing Copy Barcode Labels 514
Generating a Copy List by Circulation Type 516
Generating a Headings Without Authorities Report 517
Generating a Lexile Report 520
Generating a Shelf List 521
Generating Spine/Pocket Labels 522
Generating a Title List 525
Generating a Titles Added/Updated Report 529
Generating a Titles by Category Report 530
Generating a Titles With Duplicate Standard Numbers Report 531
Generating a Titles Without Copies Report 533
Generating a Titles Without Standard Numbers Report 534
Generating a Used or Unused Copy Barcodes Report 535
Chapter 38 Circulation reports 537
Circulation reports overview 537
Generating a Category Statistics Report 539
Generating a Checkouts/Fines Transactions Report 540
Generating a Circulation Statistics Report 542
Generating a Collection Age by Call Number Report 545
Generating a Collection Age by Subject Report 547
Generating a Collection Statistics Report 548
Generating a Collection Value Report 550
Generating a Copy List by Status 551
Generating Date Slips 552
Generating Hold Notices 553
Generating a Hold Statistics Report 556
Generating a Hold Transaction List 557
Generating an Inventory List by Call Number 558
Generating an Inventory List by Title 559
Generating Overdue/Bill Notices 561
Generating an Overdue List 566
Printing Patron Barcode Labels 567
Generating a Patron Barcode List 570
Generating Patron Cards 572
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23
Generating a Patron Name List 575
Generating a Patron Statistics Report 577
Generating a Used or Unused Patron Barcodes Report 579
Chapter 39 System reports 581
Generating your system circulation statistics 582
Generating a System Information Report 582
More information for union catalogs and members 584
Chapter 40 Extracting data 585
About extracting data 585
How to extract data 585
Using extracted data 586
Utilities 591
Chapter 41 Database maintenance utilities 591
About Utilities 591
When should I run a utility? 591
What if a utility is interrupted? 592
Backing up your library database 592
Starting Utilities 592
About the Maintenance utilities 593
Check Database Integrity 594
Rebuild Keywords 595
Rebuild MARC Headings 596
Rebuild File Indexes 597
About the Advanced utilities 598
Rebuild Database 599
Reload File 600
Remove Patron History 601
Empty Database 602
Enable/Disable Data Exchange 602
Viewing your registered products 603
Interpreting the Utilities exception report 603
Chapter 42 Backing up your database 605
Develop a backup strategy
605
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How do I back up my database? 605
Media rotation 606
Backup tips 606
Using Follett Software's Backup and Restore 607
Backing up your database 608
Restoring your database 609
Using another vendor's backup software 610
Singleuser sites 610
Multiuser sites 611
Restoring from backup 612
Appendices 613
Appendix A Glossary 613
Appendix B Bibliographic and authority tags 627
Bibliographic tags 627
Tags in the Easy Editor 632
Reading and interest levels and the 521 tag 634
Reading programs and the 526 tag 635
Searchable tags 637
Tags displayed in online public access catalogs 638
Authority tags 639
Appendix C Bibliographic and authority templates 643
Selecting a template 643
Editing the leader, 007, and 008 tags 645
Editing an existing tag in a template 645
Inserting a tag into a template 646
Appendix D Barcode symbologies 647
What does a barcode contain? 647
Barcode terminology 648
What are your barcode options? 649
Defining the barcode symbology 650
Assigning barcodes 652
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25
Appendix E Using a PHD+, PHD+ II, or PHD Laser+ 653
PHD+, PHD+ II, and PHD Laser+: the Telxon models 653
Supported barcodes 654
Connecting a PHD to your computer 655
Downloading the application 655
Using a Telxon PHD 656
The Telxon PHD main menu 657
Keys used most often 658
How to change key functions 658
PHD features 659
PHD task commands 659
Mastering barcode scanning 660
PHD scanning sounds 661
Recording remote circulations 661
Starting circulation mode and setting the date 662
Checking out and renewing items 662
Checking in items 663
Collecting inventory, copy, or patron data 663
Erasing data from a PHD 664
Troubleshooting 664
Rebooting your Telxon PHD 667
Maintenance information 668
Storing your PHD 668
Cleaning your PHD 668
Charging and recharging batteries 668
Backup power 669
Disposing of old batteries 670
Appendix F Using a PHD Dolphin+ 671
Getting started 671
Loading the PHD application for the first time 671
PHD Dolphin+ basics 672
Navigating the PHD Dolphin+ 672
Entering alpha and special characters 672
Supported barcodes 673
Scan and battery capacity 673
Collecting circulation information 674
Checking in items 674
Checking out and renewing items 675
Collecting inventory scans 676
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Collecting patron barcodes 676
Collecting copy barcodes 677
Examining barcode scans 678
Reviewing or deleting individual scans 678
Viewing scan counts 678
Erasing scans 679
Troubleshooting 679
PHD Dolphin+ Quick Reference Guide 682
Important Keys 682
PHD Dolphin+ Main Menu 683
Procedures 683
Appendix G The Bar Tender 693
Setting up The Bar Tender 693
Specifying the label stock layout 693
Editing the barcode label contents 693
Printing sequential barcode labels 695
Saving sequential barcode setup 695
Printing patron barcode labels 695
Barcodes in The Bar Tender 696
Appendix H Configuring scanners 699
Uses 699
Selecting a scanner 699
ScanTeam 3400 CCD 700
Getting ready 700
Programming codes for ScanTeam 3400 CCD scanner 701
ScanTeam 5400 Laser 701
Getting ready 701
Programming codes for ScanTeam 5400 Laser scanner 702
27
Welcome
Welcome to Follett Software Company's suite of library automation solutions.
This guide includes information about many of our integrated products, even
though you may not have purchased all of them.
Circulation Plus is a complete library collection and patron management system.
It circulates your collection and tracks circulation and patron statistics, fines,
holds, reserves, and your library schedule. Once you set up your policies, you
can use Circulation Plus to add patron, MARC, and copy records to your
database; circulate materials; print reports; and take an inventory. Circulation
Plus includes the basic shared modules (System Setup, Reports, Cataloging,
Utilities, and Backup and Restore) and the circulation modules (Circulation Desk,
Inventory, and Patron Maintenance).
Catalog Plus offers flexible searching capabilities to help you and your patrons
easily locate the materials you want. Once you've set up your site and built your
database, you can search your entire collection. Catalog Plus includes the basic
shared modules (System Setup, Reports, Cataloging, Utilities, and Backup and
Restore) plus an OPAC (Online Public Access Catalog) for your patrons. An
OPAC for your crossplatform search stations is also available.
Union Catalog Plus allows you to create a districtwide database from all the
MARC records of the member sites. Follett Data Exchange Server instantly
updates the union and the member databases with cataloging changes made at
any of the sites. These changes are shared, or not, according to the participation
preferences of each member. The search results in the OPAC show all copies of a
title and their locations.
Alliance Plus lets you add or enhance library bibliographic records with
information from an online database with over 5 million titles and a suite of
CDROMs. This User's Guide includes information for integrating Alliance Plus
into your collection maintenance tasks. Alliance Plus is also available for unions.
WebCollection Plus and the Z39.50 Server expand access to your collection.
WebCollection Plus gives your patrons access to your collection over the Internet.
Z39.50 Server makes your library database accessible to Z39.50 clients
worldwide. Follett Software Company also offers BookWhere? 2000, a Z39.50
client that lets users search multiple Z39.50 databases at the same time.
WebCollection Plus and Z39.50 Server are also available for unions.
Find-It-All Collection provides one-stop searching of multiple online resources
with Find-It-All One Search, and access to over 160,000 safe, high-quality K-12
Web sites aligned to state and national standards with Find-It-All Knowledge
Links. Students can access Find-It-All Collection from Follett's OPAC,
WebCollection Plus, or their Internet browser. Find-It-All Collection gives your
students access to the best information in the least amount of time.
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A PHD (Portable Handheld Device) is a portable scanner that collects, stores, and
transmits data. A PHD lets you expedite your circulation, cataloging, inventory,
and reporting activities. Circulation Plus and Catalog Plus currently support four
PHD models: PHD+, PHD+ II, PHD Laser+, and the PHD Dolphin+.
If you are interested in learning more about any of the Follett Software products
and services mentioned here or elsewhere in this guide, please refer to
Contacting Follett Software Company" on page 29.
Getting started
We know you're eager to get started. This User's Guide is designed to help you get
the information you need when you need it. The first section covers the setup
tasks you need to complete. The remainder of the guide provides information on
a modulebymodule basis. Be sure to take a look at the end of the guide for the
Glossary and information on MARC tags, the PHDs, and The Bar Tender.
Many of Follett Software Company's applications have been developed for both
the Windows and Macintosh operating systems. This guide provides instructions
for using the applications on either platform. All differences between platforms
are noted in the text.
This guide assumes you have a basic understanding of your operating system. If
you need help with OSspecific tasks, such as changing your screen resolution,
associating a program with a particular file type, assigning sounds to events, or
creating shortcuts/aliases, please see your operating system's help.
Throughout this guide, when instructing you to select several menu commands
in sequence, this guide uses a vertical line to indicate a division between menus
and submenus (for example: Edit | Global Update | Headings).
You'll notice blocks of information in this guide that are preceded by a boldface
word. The boldfaced word indicates the information's importance:
Note:
Provides additional information
Important:
Indicates information crucial for optimal performance
See also:
Directs you to another source of information for a given topic
Warning:
Warns that a particular function may change or delete data
Viewing the online User's Guide
By default, this guide is installed in an electronic format wherever you installed
Circulation Plus, Catalog Plus, or Union Catalog Plus. This lets you access the
guide wherever and whenever you need it. With the online guide, you can
quickly search for a specific word or phrase and print pages of the guide.
Note: To use the online User's Guide, you'll need Adobe Acrobat Reader v5.x
or higher. The current version of Adobe Acrobat Reader can be installed
from the Adobe Acrobat Web site.
04/04
Welcome
To open the online guide, from the computer desktop, open the Follett
Applications folder and doubleclick the User's Guide icon. You can also access
the Follett Applications menu from the Windows Start | Programs menu or from
the Mac OS Apple menu.
Getting help
In addition to the information contained in this guide, all the Follett applications
come with extensive help topics. These help topics are designed to provide you
with quick access to important information about the module you're using.
To get help with a specific window or dialog, simply click the Help button. You
can also select Help from the menu bar at the top of the module's window. From
the Help menu, you can access the help topic for the current window, a
description of the menus displayed in the current module, product information,
and counts for the current number of patrons, titles, and copies in the system.
About our customized training
Follett Software Company offers several options for interactive training with a
Follett representative. Visit our Web site at www.fsc.follett.com or call
1-800-323-3397 for details.
Contacting Follett Software Company
For information about our products, or if you need assistance, please contact us
using any of the following methods:
Follett's tollfree number
Use the following number and enter the extension or number key to contact the
departments listed below:
(800) 323-3397
7:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M. central time
Customer Service
(order placement and status, returns,
training and workshop information)
Press 1
To order product literature
Press 2
Upcoming events
Press 3
FSC's mailing address, additional numbers
Press *
Accounts Receivable
Ext. 7201 or 7415
Customer Service Fax
1-800-807-3623
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Visit our Web site
Follett Software Company's home page is located at http://www.fsc.follett.com.
From our home page, you'll discover:
What's new at Follett Software Company
How to integrate information literacy solutions with technology
How to solve some of the technology challenges your district is facing
Information on automating Englishspeaking libraries worldwide
How to make your library more efficient and your resources more accessible
Contacting Technical Support
If you need technical support for one of our products and have a support
agreement for that product, you may call, fax, or email your questions to us free
of charge. Be sure to include your customer number and as much detail as
possible (e.g., the contents of critical error messages, what you were doing when
an error occurred, etc.).
Phone:
(800) 722-7424
7:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. central time
Fax:
(815) 578-5196
Email:
techsupport@fsc.follett.com
Support Web page
http://www.fsc.follett.com/support/
Important: If your support agreement has expired and you need service, call
Customer Service at (800) 323-3397.
What's folletttalk?
As a Follett Software customer, you are entitled to subscribe to folletttalk, an
Internet mailing list. This electronic discussion group lets you share your
experiences with our software products and services, ask questions, and receive
responses from other Follett Software customers. Anything related to Follett
Software is welcome on this mailing list.
To join folletttalk, fill out the subscription form on our Web site or send an email
message to: imailsrv@fsc.follett.com. In the body (not the subject line) of your
message, include: subscribe follett-talk firstname lastname (e.g. subscribe
folletttalk John Smith).
Enhancement requests
We welcome your ideas and comments. If you have ideas for enhancing our
products, guides, or services, please copy the form at the back of this guide, fill it
out, and mail it to us; or you can submit your suggestion online at
http://www.fsc.follett.com/contact/suggest_feature.cfm.
31
System Setup
Chapter 1 System Setup basics
Once you've completed installation, you're ready to set up the Circulation
Plus/Catalog Plus applications. Check the details in the following sections before
you start.
Note: If you're setting up Union Catalog Plus, please see Chapter 6, Building
your union."
About the setup chapters
The tasks in the setup chapters are presented in sequential order. You should
complete all of the setup tasks in a chapter before proceeding to the next chapter.
If you did not purchase both Circulation Plus and Catalog Plus, the following
table explains which setup chapters you are required to complete before using
the software:
If you purchased only Circulation Plus, complete
the tasks in these chapters:
If you purchased only Catalog Plus, complete
the tasks in these chapters:
Chapter 2, Setting up your site"
Chapter 2, Setting up your site"
Chapter 3, Preparing to catalog your collection"
Chapter 3, Preparing to catalog your collection"
Chapter 4, Setting up Acquisitions
Chapter 4, Setting up Acquisitions
Chapter 5, Preparing to circulate your collection" Chapter 33, Setting up your search stations"
In addition to the setup tasks described in the chapters above, you might also
want to customize your MARC bibliographic and authority templates. This
procedure is described in Appendix C, Bibliographic and authority templates."
This function is not available on Mac OS.
Note: The instructions in the setup chapters assume that you've already
barcoded your collection and your patron library cards. If you haven't
done this, you'll need to do so before you can circulate your collection
using Circulation Desk or before using OPAC. If Follett Software has
converted your patron and library material data for you, complete the
setup chapters first, and then import your data.
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System Setup
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What you'll need
To aid you in setting up Circulation Plus/Catalog Plus quickly and accurately, we
recommend that you gather the following information before you start:
The official name of your site as you would like it to appear on reports, and
your MARC Organization Code (formerly known as holdings code), if
applicable.
Information about your barcode symbologies. If you purchased your
barcodes from Follett, this information appears on the packing slip that
arrived with your barcodes. If you're using another vendor, or aren't sure
what kind of barcodes you're using, please read Appendix D, Barcode
symbologies," before beginning to set up your software.
A list of the call number prefixes you use in your library, if any.
A list of circulation descriptions based on the types of books you have in
your collection. For example: 2week checkout" (fiction, biographies, etc.),
1hour checkout" (encyclopedias, dictionaries, maps), and Overnight
checkout" (general reference books).
If you want to use the Acquisitions feature, pertinent vendor and funding
source information.
In addition, if you purchased Circulation Plus, you'll want to gather together the
following:
A list of your patron groupings. For example: elementary school, middle
school, high school, parents or volunteers, staff, etc.
A copy of your library policy handbook, or a list of your circulation policies.
A copy of your school's or site's calendar that lists all of the closed days and
holidays for the current and upcoming year.
04/04
Chapter 1 System Setup basics
Getting around in System Setup
To begin setting up your software, from the computer desktop, open the Follett
Applications folder and doubleclick the System Setup icon. You can also access
the Follett Applications menu from the Windows Start | Programs menu or from
the Mac OS Apple menu.
Important: When you launch System Setup for the first time, it creates files that
are used by all the other Follett applications. This process may take
several minutes.
The Site Setup password dialog appears:
Enter the default password, MAKEITSO, or your own previously defined one,
and click OK. The Site tabs appear with the Identification tab open:
Menu bar
To open a group of setup tabs
To customize your MARC
bibliographic and authority
templates (not available on
Mac OS)
The menu bar in the System Setup module contains the following menus:
File menu Contains the Exit/Quit command used to close System Setup.
Setup menu Contains the options for accessing the various setup tabs. For
example, to access the Site tabs, choose Site from the Setup menu. The setup
tasks associated with the items on this menu are described in Chapters 2
through 5.
Templates menu (Not available on Mac OS) Contains options for modifying
the MARC bibliographic or authority templates. The tasks associated with
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34
System Setup
04/04
these options are described in Appendix C, Bibliographic and authority
templates."
Help menu Contains options for finding help pertaining to System Setup.
From the About dialog you can see product information for the application,
the current number of patrons, titles, and copies in the system, and run the
System Circulation Statistics and System Information Reports (see Chapter
39, System reports").
You should begin setting up Circulation Plus/Catalog Plus by entering your site
information in the System Setup - Site tabs. Proceed to Chapter 2, Setting up
your site," for the instructions.
35
Chapter 2 Setting up your site
In this chapter, you'll do the following setup tasks: identify your library; identify
your country and the first month in your statistical year; set up your barcode
symbologies; protect your Follett applications with passwords; transfer the PHD
application to your PHD, if you have one; and maintain events for OPAC.
Identifying your library
System Setup allows you to store the most relevant information about your site,
such as your site's name and MARC Organization Code, in a place that's
accessible to all Follett applications.
Note: For nonUS sites, complete the tasks in the next section, Identifying your
country and first month of statistical year," before identifying your library.
1.
After launching System Setup, a password dialog for Site Setup appears. The
default password for Site Setup is MAKEITSO. Type the password and
choose OK. The Site tabs appear with the Identification tab open:
Your site's name
(appears on reports
and notices)
To obtain a MARC
Organization Code,
see page 36.
To cancel changes
before saving
The person to whom library
mailings are directed
Your site's mailing
address appears as
the return address on
Hold, Overdue, and
Bill Notices.
Voice phone number for the
library's contact person
(e.g., the head librarian)
Note: Field names
vary based on your
address format (e.g.,
State vs. Province).
This number assigned to
you when you purchased
this software is required
by Follett's online services
(e.g., Alliance Plus Online,
WebPath Express, and
Find-It-All Collection).
If you purchased
netLibrary eBooks,
this number is
required to allow
checkouts.
Your site's federal or state tax
exemption number
2.
In the text boxes, enter your official site information. When you're finished,
choose Save. The only information that is required here is your site's name
and your Follett customer number, unless you are a member of a union.
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System Setup
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For Union Catalog Plus members: If you are a member of a union catalog,
you must also enter a short site name and a MARC Organization Code. The
short site name is limited to 10 characters and should be a meaningful
abbreviation of the full site name. In Union Catalog Plus, the short site name
appears with the copy information in Cataloging, OPAC, and WebCollection
Plus for Union. If you do not have a MARC Organization Code, see the
instructions below.
Obtaining a MARC Organization Code
To obtain a MARC Organization Code, fill out the online request form at
http://lcweb.loc.gov/marc/organizations/ or contact the Library of Congress
directly (fax or email requests are preferred and can speed up processing):
Library of Congress
Network Development and MARC Standards Office
101 Independence Ave, SE
Washington, DC 20540-4402
Fax: (202) 707-0115
Canadian organizations should contact the National Library of Canada at
illser@knoll-bnc.ca to obtain a library symbol.
Your MARC Organization Code must be unique among the sites with whom you
may share records.
Identifying your country and first month of statistical year
System Setup allows you to choose from three address formats: US, Canadian,
and Other Countries. Changing your address format changes the address format
of the Identification tab and modifies the template you use to add patrons. To
ensure accurate statistical reports, System Setup requires that you define the first
month in your statistical year.
04/04
Chapter 2 Setting up your site
1.
From the Site tabs, select the Information tab:
Country where your site is
located. This determines
the address format.
To cancel changes
before saving
The first month in your site's
statistical year. The Follett
applications use this month
when generating circulation
statistics and reports.
Note: The Follett applications track circulation statistics automatically. If you
are familiar with our earlier products, this means that you no longer
need to reset counters.
2.
Select your address format and the first month in your statistical year from
the list. When you're finished, click Save.
See also: For information about running statistical reports on your
collection's circulations, see the Collection Statistics (page 548), Patron
Statistics (page 577), and System Circulation Statistics (page 582) reports.
Setting up your barcode symbologies
Before you can start scanning barcodes for library items or patrons or before you
start importing copies, you must inform Circulation Plus/Catalog Plus which
symbology you are using, or plan to use. There are three preparative steps:
Select the barcode symbology you are using for patrons and library items.
Define the barcode symbologies if other than Follett Classic.
Test the barcode symbologies.
You don't need to define Follett Classic as your symbology. Follett Classic is
always recognized, and any barcode with seven digits or fewer is recognized as
Follett Classic. A barcode symbology with eight or more digits must be defined.
Note: Circulation Plus/Catalog Plus let you automatically assign the next highest
available barcode number to an item or a patron. For more information, see
Assigning barcodes" on page 652.
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System Setup
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Selecting a barcode symbology
Circulation Plus and Catalog Plus can recognize the following barcode
symbologies:
Follett Classic symbologies
Generic Codabar
Codabar Mod 10
Generic Code 39
Code 39 Mod 10
Code 39 Mod 11
Code 39 Mod 43
Generic Interleaved 2 of 5
Interleaved 2 of 5 A
Generic LabelCode 5
Follett Software applications recognize the industrystandard 14character
barcode symbologies and the Follett Classic barcode symbologies.
See also: For more information about using the above barcode symbologies,
refer to Appendix D, Barcode symbologies."
PHD supported barcodes
You can use a PHD to simplify certain circulation, cataloging, inventory, patron
maintenance, and reporting activities. Currently Follett Software supports four
PHD models. For information about the barcodes supported by the PHD+, PHD+
II, or PHD Laser+, see page 654. If you're using a PHD Dolphin+, see page 673.
Important: To use a PHD, your barcodes must include a Type Identifier
regardless of the symbology you choose. Follett Classic symbologies
assume a P" for patron barcodes and a T" for library materials.
Can symbologies be mixed?
Circulation Plus/Catalog Plus allow you to use the same symbology for both
your patron and your library item barcodes, or you can use different
symbologies. For each type of barcode (patron and library item), you can use a
Follett Classic symbology and an additional 8to14 digit symbology.
If you are already using a Follett Classic barcode symbology for your patrons or
library items, you can still continue to use these barcodes. Even if you choose
another symbology, say, Code 39 Mod 10 for your new patron barcodes,
Circulation Plus will always recognize and accept those barcodes that are of a
Follett Classic symbology.
If you choose to use a symbology other than Follett Classic, you can only use one
additional 8- to 14-digit symbology for each type of barcode (patron or library
item). For example, you could use Code 39 Mod 10 for patron barcodes and Code
39 Mod 43 for library items. However, you cannot use both Code 39 Mod 10 and
Code 39 Mod 43 symbologies for patron barcodes because these symbologies use
a different check digit algorithm.
04/04
Chapter 2 Setting up your site
How to select and define barcode symbologies
1.
From the Site tabs in System Setup, select the Barcodes tab:
To cancel changes
before saving
Note: If your site only uses Follett Classic symbologies for patrons and
library materials, you're finished. Go on to the next section, How to
test a barcode."
2.
From the Symbology dropdown lists, select the name of the symbology you
are using for your patron and library item barcodes. If you are changing from
one symbology to another, a message appears, warning you that some of
your barcodes may become invalid, which might require you to rebarcode
part of your collection. Choose Yes. Another message appears, explaining in
detail the consequences of changing your symbology. Choose Yes.
If you use Follett Classic and a nonFollett Classic symbology, you only need
to specify the nonFollett Classic symbology. Circulation Plus/Catalog Plus
always recognize and accept the Follett Classic symbologies.
If you ordered your barcodes from Follett Software, all of the information
required to fill in the Barcodes tab is listed on the packing slip you received
with your barcodes. If you didn't purchase your barcodes from Follett
Software, and you're not sure how your barcode symbology is configured,
contact your vendor.
If either of the following conditions apply to you, you may also want to refer
to Appendix D, Barcode symbologies," for more detailed information about
filling out the Barcodes tab:
You are converting from another software package that uses its own
barcode symbology.
You have printed, or are thinking about printing, your own barcodes. For
more information, see Appendix G, The Bar Tender."
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System Setup
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3.
Fill in the text boxes as appropriate for your symbology, and then test your
barcodes using the instructions in the next section. When you're finished,
click Save.
Important: You must fill in all fields that are enabled. If you don't know the
information, contact your barcode vendor.
How to test a barcode
1.
In the Barcodes tab, choose Test. The Test Barcode dialog appears:
2.
In the Barcode text box, scan the barcode or type it, and then choose Test.
When the validation process is finished, a message appears notifying you if
the barcode passed or failed. If the test failed, contact your barcode vendor or
Follett Software's Technical Support to ensure your symbology is set up
properly in the Barcodes tab.
Protecting your Follett applications with passwords
For security purposes, Circulation Plus/Catalog Plus allow you to change the
passwords you use to access the Circulation Plus/Catalog Plus applications such
as Cataloging and Circulation Desk. This ensures that only those users who know
the passwords can access the applications.
The Cataloging and Patron Maintenance tabs in System Setup are protected using
the password for the corresponding application. For example, to access the
Cataloging tabs in System Setup, you must enter the password for the Cataloging
application. The Circulation tabs and the Site tabs have their own passwords,
called the Circulation Setup and Site Setup passwords.
In addition to these passwords, you can also specify a password for overriding
block conditions that occur during transactions in Circulation Desk. A block
condition occurs when a patron violates a circulation policy, such as exceeding
the maximum number of checkouts. In order to proceed with the transaction, you
must enter the Circulation Desk Override password.
To use the security options in Circulation Desk, you must define a password for
Circulation Desk. To use the security options in Cataloging, you need only define
one on the Limit Cataloging Access dialog; you do not need to define a
Cataloging password.
Note: If you don't want to use passwords, you may delete any or all of them.
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Chapter 2 Setting up your site
How to change an application password
1.
From the Site tabs, select the Passwords tab:
To cancel changes
before saving
Tip: To remove password protection from your Follett applications, select the
hidden text (*s), and then press DELETE.
2.
In the Password column text boxes, type a password composed of up to ten
alphanumeric characters. (See the following table for a list of the default
passwords.) In the Verification column text boxes, type the same password
again, and then choose Save.
Module
Password
Alliance Plus
Same as the password for Cataloging
Backup and Restore
Same as the password for Utilities
Cataloging
MODTITLE
Circulation Desk
CHECKITOUT
Circulation Desk Override
LETITGO
Circulation Setup
SOBEIT
Inventory
Same as the password for Circulation Desk
Patron Maintenance
MODPATRON
Reports
PRINTIT
Site Setup
MAKEITSO
Utilities
FIXDATA
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Transferring the PHD application to a PHD
Follett Software's PHD application allows your PHD to recognize your library's
barcode symbologies and to work with Circulation Plus/Catalog Plus. Use the
following steps to load the current version of the PHD application onto each
PHD your library uses before you use it.
Once the application is loaded, you'll only need to repeat the process if:
The PHD screen displays the message, Ready to Update?"
You upgrade to a new version of Circulation Plus/Catalog Plus.
Your barcode symbologies change.
You share your PHD with other libraries that use different symbologies.
You're using a PHD+, PHD+ II, or PHD Laser+, and you've replaced the
PHD's memory or batteries.
1.
Make certain your PHD is connected to your computer. To protect your
equipment, turn off the PHD and computer before connecting or
disconnecting your PHD.
2.
From the Site tabs in System Setup, select the PHD tab:
Select the PHD model
you're using.
If the default port and speed
aren't correct, click Edit and
make the desired changes.
For instructions, see How to
change the PHD settings"
(page 43).
These instructions
change based on the
PHD you choose.
3.
Once you've selected the correct PHD model and adjusted the PHD settings
as desired, simply follow the instructions displayed on the screen.
Note: If you're loading the PHD application to a PHD Dolphin+ for the first
time, see the instructions on page 671.
A progress dialog appears while the application is transferred to your PHD.
When the process is complete, click Close to return to Site Setup.
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Chapter 2 Setting up your site
How to change the PHD settings
If the default port and speed aren't correct for your PHD, from the PHD tab,
choose Edit under PHD Settings. The PHD Settings dialog appears:
Select the port you use to attach your
PHD to your computer, and then...
...select the highest speed available for
that port. The PHD Dolphin+ only com
municates at a speed of 9600 baud.
After selecting the port and speed for your PHD, click Save.
Note: The port and speed settings are saved as the defaults for this workstation
only. You can change a workstation's default settings through any of the
PHD features in the Circulation Plus/Circulation Plus applications.
Maintaining events for Catalog Plus
Entering event notes for specific days throughout the year is like keeping an
event log or notebook of upcoming activities for the library, school, or
community. If you have Catalog Plus, your library patrons can view the events
you maintain in OPAC (see page 410) and with WebCollection Plus (see page
450). However, even if Catalog Plus is not installed, you can still maintain a list of
events for yourself in System Setup.
1.
If you want events
deleted after they have
expired, check this box.
Note: This option isn't
available if you have not
installed Circulation Plus.
The number of days an expired
event remains in the system
before being deleted
From the Site tabs in System Setup, select Events.
To delete an event,
select the event
and click Delete. At
the message, click
Yes to proceed.
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2.
To add an event, click New. To edit an event, select the event under Event
List, and click Edit. The dialog appears:
To erase the note
for this event
3.
Add or make changes under Event Information. Type the time and date that
the event you are scheduling begins and ends.
Example: If the event is scheduled to begin at noon, type 12 p. If the event
starts at 9:30 in the morning, type 09:30 a.
Type a brief description of the event. Adding a note for each event is
optional. If you want to add or edit a note for a scheduled activity, put the
cursor in the Event Note text box and type the note. When finished making
changes under Event Information and Event Note, click Save. The Events List
window reappears, displaying all events in chronological order.
After setting up your site
Whether you purchased Circulation Plus, Catalog Plus, or both, you're now
ready to prepare to catalog your collection. Proceed to Chapter 3, Preparing to
catalog your collection."
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Chapter 3 Preparing to catalog your collection
The Cataloging setup tasks you'll need to perform include the following:
grouping your collection according to lending period; identifying probable call
number locations in your MARC records; setting up your call number prefixes;
increasing access to your collection with categories you define; defining the tag
range for your brief MARC records; and making it easier to add copies to your
collection.
Throughout this chapter there are references to MARC 21 (formerly known as
USMARC), MARC records, and the MARC 21 standard. If you are not familiar
with MARC, please find an appropriate reference guide before beginning, such as
the MARC Bibliographic Format Guide, published by the Follett Software Company,
or MARC 21 Format for Bibliographic Data, published by the Library of Congress.
See also: For more information about MARC, visit the Library of Congress Web
site at http://lcweb.loc.gov/marc.
Grouping your collection according to lending period
As you already know, when a patron checks out a book, the circulation period
(length of time he/she is allowed to keep the book) is based on the patron type
(age or classification of the patron) and the circulation type (type of book). For
example, libraries may only allow students to check out new books for half of the
normal checkout period. To help you maintain the various lending periods based
on the type of book, Circulation Plus/Catalog Plus allow you to create and assign
circulation types to the copies in your collection.
Example: Let's suppose you want to limit the loan period of a new book to one
week. You would create a circulation type such as 1week checkout," or New
books," depending on how you want to group your collection, and then establish
a corresponding loan period for this circulation type for each of your patron
types in your circulation policies.
You assign a circulation type to a copy when you add a new copy to a title in
Cataloging. You can change the circulation type of a copy by editing the copy.
Circulation types are, however, only descriptions of the loan periods for items in
your collection. You establish the actual loan periods when you create your
circulation policies for your patrons.
See also: For more information about how circulation types relate to loan
periods, see Circulation policies: who can have what and for how long" on
page 76.
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System Setup
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Circulation Plus/Catalog Plus have three default circulation types:
Suggested use for default circulation types
Circulation type
Suggested use
Regular
Use the Regular circulation type for library materials that can be checked
out for the standard loan period set by your library.
R
Noncirculating eBook
*NC
Temporary
TEM
Use the *NC circulation type for electronic library materials, such as
eBooks, that are not checked out through Circulation Desk. Copies with
this circulation type cannot be circulated or have a hold or fine placed on
them. Any block condition generated when trying to do so cannot be
overridden. The inventory status is always Marked. NetLibrary eBook
copies" have this circulation type.
Use the Temporary circulation type for library materials that are not a
part of your permanent collection and that can be checked out only on a
temporary basis. This is typically used for magazines and newspapers.
You can only assign the Temporary circulation type when you add a title
during a checkout. Temporary titles are automatically deleted when the
item is checked in.
See also: For more information about temporary items, see Adding a
title during a checkout" on page 139.
You can also use circulation types as a limiter when you generate the following
reports: Overdue/Bill Notices and Checkouts/Fines Transaction Reports.
To access your circulation types, select Cataloging from the Setup menu in
System Setup. If you have defined a password for Cataloging, a password dialog
appears. The default password for Cataloging is MODTITLE. Type the password
and choose OK. The Cataloging tabs appear with the Circ Types tab open:
To delete the
highlighted
circulation type
The number of copies
attributed to each circulation
type increments as copies
are added in Cataloging
and Circulation Desk.
To define the
highlighted
circulation
type as the
default for all
new copies
From this tab you can add, edit, or delete circulation types. You cannot, however,
delete or edit the Regular (R), Noncirculating eBook (*NC), or Temporary (TEM)
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Chapter 3 Preparing to catalog your collection
circulation types. Circulation Desk automatically assigns the Temporary
circulation type to temporary copies created during a checkout. You can also
define any one of the Circ Types as the default. Cataloging then automatically
assigns the default circulation type when adding or importing new copies to the
collection that do not have a circulation type defined in the import file.
Note: You cannot delete a circulation type if it has copies assigned to it. To do
this, you must first change the circulation type of the affected copies. If you
have a PHD, you can do this by using Update Copies via PHD. For
information about updating copies with a PHD, see Using your PHD for
mass updates," page 338.
How to add or edit circulation types
1.
To add a circulation type, choose New in the Circ Types tab. To edit a
circulation type, select one from the list, and then choose Edit. The desired
dialog appears:
Note: Once a circulation type is saved, you cannot edit its code.
2.
Type a code and description that easily identifies the circulation type. When
you finish adding or editing a circulation type, choose Save.
Identifying call number locations in your MARC records
When you create a copy record, unless you replicate an existing copy, Cataloging
automatically retrieves the call number from the 900 tag in the copy's MARC
bibliographic record. This saves you time because you don't need to retype the
call number each time you create a new copy record.
System Setup allows you to customize Cataloging so that it looks for call
numbers in up to three tags and in up to five different subfields for each tag. You
will want to add other locations for the call numbers if the vendor of your MARC
records puts the call number in a tag other than the 900, or if you are doing your
own original cataloging and choose to put call numbers in another tag.
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To set up the default call number locations, follow these steps:
1.
From the Cataloging tabs in System Setup, select the Call Numbers tab:
To cancel changes before saving
Default value is 900a.
One of the five subfields must
be filled in. The subfield must
be valid for the tag based on
current MARC 21 standards.
2.
In the Tag and Subfields text boxes, type the most probable locations for the
call number in your MARC bibliographic records, and then choose Save.
Important: Enter the tag and subfield values in order of probability that a call
number will be located in those locations.
Setting up your call number prefixes
Call number prefixes are meaningful abbreviations typically used to help identify
the location of a book in the library according to general content. Examples of
common call number prefixes are BIO (Biography), E or EZ (Easy Reading), REF
(Reference), and FIC (Fiction).
Circulation Plus/Catalog Plus use call numbers to collect circulation statistics
and sort copy lists during searches and in reports (Bibliography Report,
Inventory List by Call Number, and Shelf List). By creating specific call number
prefixes in System Setup, you control how the library automation system collects
statistics and sorts copy lists. For records with call number prefixes not defined in
System Setup, Circulation Plus/Catalog Plus place the statistics under the OTH
(Other) call number prefix. The system automatically tracks statistics for items
using standard Dewey call numbers without prefixes.
You can also use the call number prefixes to sort copies. Using the custom sorting
option (see Sorting your call numbers" on page 51), you can adjust your sort
order to match the bookshelves or to control reports of copies listed by call
numbers. The default sort order is numbers followed by symbols and alphabetic
characters.
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Chapter 3 Preparing to catalog your collection
If you want to use your call number prefixes to organize your collection by
subject matter, we recommend you run the Copies With Other Call Numbers
Report (see page 512) and address any copies in the report (change the prefixes
used by the copies or add them to the prefix list maintained in System Setup).
To access your call number prefixes, select the Call Num Prefixes tab from the
Cataloging tabs:
List of currently specified
call number prefixes
Deletes the selected call number prefix. If you delete a call number prefix, System Setup compares the
deleted item to the remaining prefixes. If it finds a prefix consisting exclusively of the first, or first and
second characters of the deleted prefix, it moves the circulation statistics to that prefix. Otherwise,
System Setup moves the circulation statistics relating to the deleted prefix to the OTH (Other) prefix.
Important: Prefixes included in the Custom sorting list (see page 51) can't be deleted.
System Setup assigns the following default prefix codes automatically:
OTH (Other) used to track circulation statistics for copies that have a call
number prefix that is not defined in the Call Num Prefixes tab.
TEM (Temporary) used to track circulation statistics for temporary copies
that are created during checkout.
Note: You can neither edit nor delete the OTH and TEM call number
prefixes. You can only edit the description of a call number prefix you
have created.
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How to add or edit call number prefixes
1.
To add a call number prefix, choose New. The Add Call Number Prefix
dialog appears. To edit the description of an existing call number prefix,
select one from the list, and then choose Edit. The Edit Call Number Prefix
dialog appears:
Note: Once a call number prefix is saved, you can edit the description, but
you cannot edit the prefix. If a prefix is incorrect, delete the call
number prefix and create a new one.
2.
If you are adding a call number prefix, type up to three characters in the
Prefix text box. A prefix can consist of any three characters with the exception
of Dewey numbers (000-999), periods, and leading or embedded blank
spaces. Whether you are creating or editing a call number prefix, type a
description in the Description text box, and then choose Save.
Note: As you add each call number prefix, System Setup checks for any
copies using the new prefix and moves any circulation statistics
associated with those copies to the new prefix.
Important: In the interest of accurate statistics and reporting, you may want
to define all the nonDewey prefixes used in your collection. If
you're a DXenabled union member, your defined call number
prefixes can also impact what data is exchanged.
If you define a prefix that consists exclusively of the first or first
and second characters of undefined prefixes in your collection,
the copies with the undefined prefixes will be grouped with the
defined prefix. For example, defined prefix B" would include
undefined prefixes BI" and BIO."
See also: If you notice that some copies in your collection are using
variations of your defined call number prefixes (e.g., [Fic] vs. FIC), you can
easily change them. See Updating copy information globally" on page 326
for instructions.
If you're using the custom sorting option to organize your call numbers by
prefix, any new call number prefixes are added to the Statistics only list. To
place the new prefix in the desired sorting order, continue with Sorting your
call numbers" below.
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Chapter 3 Preparing to catalog your collection
Sorting your call numbers
1.
To change your call number sorting order, from the Call Num Prefixes tab,
click Sorting. The Sort Call Numbers dialog appears.
Note: If a partial inventory is in progress, System Setup will not allow you to
change your call number sort order.
The order defined in the Custom sorting group box represents the order
used to organize copy lists by call number in searches and reports.
Any call number prefixes displayed in the Statistics only list are limited to collecting circulation statistics. They have no impact on
sorting order. Circulation Plus/Catalog Plus incorporate copies using these prefixes into the sort order by comparing them to the
prefixes in the Custom sorting list. If it finds a prefix consisting exclusively of the first or first and second characters used by the
prefix in the Statistics only list, Circulation Plus/Catalog Plus sort those copies with that prefix. Otherwise, the copies are sorted
with the OTH (Other) prefix titles.
2.
If you want to use a customized call number sort order, the Enable custom
sorting of call numbers check box must be selected. Highlight the desired call
number prefix, and then use the Add, Remove, Move Up, and Move Down
buttons to modify the sorting order.
Important: You'll need exclusive access to the library database if you want to
save changes to the sort order. This means that no other Follett
applications or services may be open on any workstation or
search station. Rebuilding the call number headings may take a
long time and cannot be interrupted.
3.
When you have finished rearranging the call number prefix order, click OK.
If you have modified the call number prefix sorting order, a message appears,
informing you that System Setup must rebuild the call number index to use
the updated sorting order.
4.
Click Yes to proceed. The Rebuilding Call Number Headings progress dialog
appears while the index is updated. When the process is finished, click Close.
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Increasing access to your collection with categories
Circulation Plus/Catalog Plus let you create categories for your collection. You
assign your categories to copies in your collection in Cataloging. Categories are
most commonly used for report generation and curriculum support.
As an example of a reportbased category, let's imagine that you wanted to see a
list of books you purchased using money from an Olin Foundation grant. You
would create a category, Olin Foundation grant," and then assign that category
to those copies as you purchased them. You would then generate a Titles by
Category Report.
For an example of a curriculumbased category, let's look at a teacher's reading
list. If you create a category for the books on Mr. Smith's biology class reading
list, the Titles by Category Report you generate can then be distributed to Mr.
Smith's students. Since copy call numbers are listed on the Titles by Category
Report, students can go to the shelves to find the books on their reading list.
Another example of a curriculumbased category might be Books about
presidents." You can selectively assign this category to books that contain
presidential biographies. When students are searching for report topics, your
Titles by Category Report will save them time when finding the books they need.
The following is a list of additional reports, other than the Titles by Category
Report, that you can generate according to category or limit by category:
Bibliography, Inventory List by Title, and Circulation Statistics.
See also: For more information about the reports listed above, please see
Chapter 37, Cataloging reports," and Chapter 38, Circulation reports."
In addition to reports, you can use categories for collection maintenance tasks. In
Cataloging, you can specify a category or a range of categories when exporting
MARC records or when adding them to the Book Cart for further processing.
If you have OPAC installed, you can quicken the search process by selecting
Category as one of the search options available at a search station. For
information about enabling category searches in OPAC, see Choosing search
options," page 410.
Except for selfgenerated categories created by Cataloging during MARC 21
import and the Temporary category, there are no default or builtin categories. If
you import a MARC 21 record into Cataloging that contains a category code that
doesn't already exists in System Setup, Cataloging creates a category with the
description ," where the code would be the
category code number from the imported record. After the MARC records are
imported, you can change this description to something meaningful to your
collection. The Temporary category is automatically assigned to temporary items
that are created in Circulation Desk during a checkout.
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Chapter 3 Preparing to catalog your collection
To access your categories, select Categories from the Cataloging tabs:
You can have up to 2,000
categories.
From this window you can add, edit, or delete a category. You cannot, however,
delete or edit the Temporary category.
How to add or edit categories
1.
To add a new category, choose New in the Categories tab. To edit a category,
select one from the list, and then choose Edit. The desired dialog appears:
The category code can be a
number ranging from 2 to 2000.
Once a category is saved,
you cannot edit its code.
2.
When you finish creating or editing a category, choose Save. The code and
description appear in the Categories tab.
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How to delete categories
1.
On the Categories tab, select the desired category, and then choose Delete. A
warning message appears, asking if you are sure you want to delete the
category. Choose Yes. You will be asked if you want to continue. Choose Yes
again. The Deleting Categories progress dialog appears.
When a category is deleted, the category is first removed from all of the
copies to which it has been assigned. After the category is removed from all
of its copies, the category itself is deleted. If you interrupt the deletion
process by choosing Cancel in the progress dialog, System Setup does not go
back and reassign that category to the copies from which it has already been
removed. You will have to reassign the category to its copies based on your
Titles by Category Report.
2.
When processing is complete, choose Close in the Deleting Categories
progress dialog.
Defining the tag range for your brief MARC records
System Setup allows you to set starting and ending tag numbers to determine if a
record is brief or full. A brief record contains no information in the tags within
the specified range. A full record does contain information in one or more tags in
the specified range.
If you purchase Alliance Plus, changing the brief record range affects which titles
are updated during an Autorecon. For more information about the Autorecon
process using Alliance Plus, see Chapter 31, Autorecon and Reading Program
Recon."
You can also generate a Brief Records Report that lists brief records in your
collection according to title. For more information about the Brief Records Report,
see Generating a Brief Records Report" on page 503.
Important: When redefining your brief record tag range, you must have exclusive
access to the database. This means that no other Follett applications
may be open at any workstation except for search modules, such as
OPAC or WebCollection Plus. Redefining your brief record tag range
may also take a long time. Once started, this process cannot be
interrupted.
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Chapter 3 Preparing to catalog your collection
To change the tag range for a brief record, follow these steps:
1.
From the Cataloging tabs, select the Brief Records tab:
To cancel changes
before saving
To reset the brief record range to
the defaults: 305 through 899
The current values for the starting and ending tag numbers appear in the two
text boxes.
2.
In the first text box, type the first tag number for the range of tags to exclude
from a brief record. In the second text box, type the last tag number for the
range to exclude from brief records.
3.
When you're finished, choose Save. An alert box appears, warning you that
redefining your brief record tag range may take a long time. Choose Yes. The
Brief Record Definition progress dialog appears.
4.
When System Setup finishes processing, choose Close in the progress dialog.
Setting up miscellaneous Cataloging options
The options on the last Cataloging tab let you control a number of timesaving
and searchenhancing features. You can choose the following:
Have keywords and crossreferences created automatically.
Include the series information cataloged in 490 tags in an index.
Enable WebPath Express (formerly 856Express) entries or your own virtual"
856 tags.
Delete a MARC record automatically when its last copy is deleted.
Enable the TitlePeek button in Cataloging and OPAC.
Sort categories by either title or call number.
Choose the MARC Editor or the Easy Editor as the default when adding or
editing records.
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Choose either authority or bibliographic headings as the default for the Find
Headings list.
Determine how the applications handle leading articles (for example, A, An,
The) during searches.
Enter your proxy server information for Alliance Plus Online and TitlePeek.
You can set up all of these options on the Misc tab.
To set up any, or all, of these options, follow these steps:
1.
From the Cataloging tabs, select the Misc tab. Select the options that meet
your library's needs. For a description and important information for each
option, see the following table.
To cancel changes
before saving
Option
Description
Create Cross
References...
Lets you build crossreferences as you save or import authority records.
Create Keyword
Entries...
Lets you update your keywords as you save or import bibliographic records.
Index 490 tags
Lets you find information in the 490 tag during series searches.
If you don't choose this option, you can always use the Rebuild
CrossReferences feature in Cataloging (see page 346).
If you don't choose this option, you'll need to update the keyword index
before new records can be found by a keyword search (see page 345).
Note: If you change this option, you must rebuild the Series MARC headings
through Utilities before the change will appear (see page 596).
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Chapter 3 Preparing to catalog your collection
Option
Description
Show Authority
856 tags...
Lets you display virtual" Elec. Access hyperlinks in the OPACs,
WebCollection Plus, and Cataloging (OPAC Display only). These virtual
hyperlinks are created from information in the 856 tags of related authority
records.
If you subscribe to WebPath Express (formerly 856Express), you must select
this option to make the WebPath Express hyperlinks appear. For information
about adding 856 tags to your own authority records, see Using `virtual'
856 tags" on page 358.
Important: If you have WebCollection Plus, you must stop and restart the
WebCollection Plus service after selecting this option.
Note: Whenever you click Save after turning off this option, you have the
opportunity to delete any WebPath Express bibliographic records that may
be in your database. Follett Software provides these records to WebPath
Express subscribers to ensure at least one access point for each WebPath
Express subject. They have little value without the virtual hyperlinks and
can be easily reimported if needed. If you choose not to delete these records
(or cancel during processing) and later change your mind, simply enable this
feature, click Save, and then disable it again.
Delete Title
When Last Copy
is Deleted
Automatically deletes a MARC record when the last copy attached to it is
deleted. This occurs whether the copy is deleted manually or by a
Cataloging feature such as Delete Copies via PHD. To globally delete
existing titles without copies, see page 335.
Note: In the MARC View window, before the actual deletion occurs, a
confirmation message appears. This prevents unintentional deletions while
you are cataloging.
For Union Catalog Plus: Selecting this feature at the union has no effect on
member databases; selecting it at the member has no effect on the union.
Enable
TitlePeek
If you subscribe to TitlePeek, selecting this checkbox enables the TitlePeek
button in Cataloging, the OPACs, and WebCollection Plus.
For more information about accessing TitlePeek information, see page 250
for Cataloging and page 469 for the OPACs.
Note: If you select Disable access to other applications" on the General
Setup tab in OPAC, the TitlePeek button does not appear in the OPACs.
Sort Category
Index...
Lets you determine how category search results and the Titles by Category
Report are sorted.
Note: If you change this option, System Setup must reindex your categories.
This means that no other Follett applications may be open except for search
modules such as OPAC or WebCollection Plus. This process may take a long
time and cannot be interrupted.
Default Editor
Lets you determine which editor appears when you click the +Title or Edit
buttons in Cataloging.
No matter which editor you choose as the default, both are available from
Cataloging's File menu. For more information about each, see Chapter 23,
Using the MARC Editor," and Chapter 22, Using the Easy Editor."
Find Headings
2.
Lets you determine the default list for the Find Headings feature.
Set it to Bibliographic or Authority.
By default, the Follett Software applications recognize the English articles
(e.g., a, an, the) and ignore them if they are at the beginning of search terms.
If you want to change how your applications handle articles, click the
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Articles button on the Misc tab. Select the language options that meet your
library's needs.
Select the language(s) whose
articles you wish to recognize.
Note: If you change the language
selection, System Setup must
rebuild your keywords, which may
take a long time.
For a list of each
language's articles,
select Help.
Select this to ignore all
recognized leading articles
when searching for a title.
Important: If the Remove leading articles option is selected, you must set the
indicator for any nonfiling leading characters when you catalog
titles (see Editing indicators" on page 274). If you don't, you will
have difficulty finding titles with leading articles.
3.
After making your changes to your Articles setup, click Save. If you changed
your language selection, System Setup will ask if you want to rebuild your
keywords. To start the process, click Yes. When the process is complete, close
the Update Keywords progress dialog.
4.
If you cannot access Alliance Plus Online or TitlePeek even though you have
a subscription to one or both services, you may need to enter your proxy
configuration here. This information redirects the Alliance Plus Online or
TitlePeek requests from your Windows workstations to your proxy server.
Please consult your technical coordinator before making this configuration.
Make sure, also, that you have write" access to the system folder. For more
information about connection requirements, see Chapter 6, Setting up online
services," in the Installation Guide.
Click the Proxies button on the Misc tab.
Enter the address of your proxy
server and its port number for
these services.
Under TitlePeek, enter the IP address of your proxy server and either accept
the default TCP port number of 80 or enter your custom port number. If your
patrons also need access to TitlePeek, you need to enter this information in
OPAC Setup (see page 405) at each Windows search station.
Note: On Macintosh computers, Cataloging and OPAC use the proxy settings
in the Macintosh Internet Control Panel or in the Web browser when
accessing TitlePeek. If the workstation or search station has access to
the Internet, no additional configuration is necessary for TitlePeek.
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Under Alliance Plus, enter the IP address of your proxy server again and
accept the default TCP port number of 5151. If you have multiple cataloging
workstations, at each one, you'll need to open System Setup and enter this
information.
Important: If you can currently access Alliance Plus Online and TitlePeek,
you do not need to change this proxy configuration.
Click Save to close the dialog box.
5.
To save any changes you made to the Misc tab, click Save. If you made
changes that require additional processing (see the previous table for details),
System Setup prompts you to complete the processing. Once a process is
complete, close the progress dialog.
Note: If you changed the Sort Category Index option, remember that the
reindex process requires you to close all other Follett applications
(with the exception of search modules, such as OPAC ).
After preparing for cataloging
After completing the tasks in this chapter, you are ready to start creating (see
page 263) or importing (see page 289) MARC records.
Note: If you are importing MARC authority as well as bibliographic records, and
you've chosen to generate crossreferences automatically, you should
import your bibliographic records first.
Before creating new MARC records, you should consider the following tasks:
Customize your MARC bibliographic and authority templates (not available
for Mac OS). For more information about customizing your templates, see
Appendix C, Bibliographic and authority templates."
Provide a copy of the Code Table List (see page 504) to the individuals doing
the actual cataloging. This report shows a listing of all the codes and
descriptions for the circulation types, categories, and call number prefixes
you defined in this chapter.
If you purchased Circulation Plus, you still need to complete the tasks in Chapter
5, Preparing to circulate your collection."
If you purchased Catalog Plus, you also need to complete the tasks in Chapter 4,
Setting up Acquisitions," and Chapter 33, Setting up your search stations."
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Notes
61
Chapter 4 Setting up Acquisitions
The Acquisitions setup tasks you need to perform are relatively easy. Because the
Acquisitions feature allows you to create book orders and track orders and
funding sources, it is helpful if you have all information pertinent to particular
vendors and funding sources. This information includes names, addresses, phone
numbers, Tax ID numbers, and allocated funding source amounts.
Setting up a list of vendors and funding sources in Acquisitions allows you to
create new orders, accurately track existing orders, and maintain all pertinent
acquisitions information in one place. Once set up, Acquisitions is available from
the menu of your Cataloging module.
Adding vendors
The first tab in Acquisitions setup is the Vendors tab. Here you establish and
maintain a list of vendors. By default, your Circulation Plus/Catalog Plus
modules come with Follett Library Resources listed as a vendor.
Note: If you are upgrading, existing vendors defined in your copy records are
not automatically added.
1.
To add a vendor to the list, click New.
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2.
Enter a vendor description.
3.
Enter a onetothree character alphanumeric code.
4.
Federal Tax ID information is available from the vendor.
Note: Currently, there is no capability to delete vendors. Use the Status switch to
make a vendor you no longer use Inactive.
5.
Account Number is a previouslyestablished account number that you have
with a specific vendor. This is not your Follett Customer Number.
6.
Clicking Address opens a new window where you enter the vendor's
address.
7.
After entering vendor address information, click OK.
8.
Click Save on the Add Vendor dialog.
Note: We recommend that you click Save at each stage (tab) when adding a
vendor. If you decide to cancel an addition at any point, NONE of the
changes are saved.
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Contact tab
There are three extra informational tabs available for Add/Edit Vendors: Contact,
Notes, and Purchases. The Contact tab is where you enter information for the
person with whom you communicate.
Notes tab
Clicking on the Notes tab on your Vendor window opens a freeform text entry
box where you can type in any notes you want to store about that vendor.
Purchases tab
Clicking on the Purchases tab displays monetary amounts associated with orders
with that vendor. These amount fields are read-only and display the following
information:
Open Orders a total amount of all orders with a status of Open
Issued Orders a total amount of all orders with a status of Issued
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Closed Orders a total of all orders with a status of Closed
Total Issued or Closed the combined total of all Issued and all Closed
orders for that vendor
Click Save to save your changes.
Note: We recommend that you click Save at each stage when adding a vendor. If
you cancel an addition at any point, none of the changes are saved.
Clicking the Recompute button updates the figures in the previouslymentioned
fields to display any changes. These new recalculated figures are read-only and
are not saved by the system.
Adding funding sources
Clicking the Funding Sources tab opens a window for adding funding sources to
a list. Funding source information on this window includes the source
description and associated code, the status, and total funding allotment.
Note: If you use yeartoyear funding source data, you may want to describe
your funding source as funding source 2002," for example, to distinguish
fiscal year changes in this information.
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To add funding source information, click New from the Funding Sources tab.
1.
Add your funding source description (name).
2.
Enter a code specific to that funding source (13 alphanumeric characters).
3.
If you have a funding source that you are no longer using, set the Status to
Inactive. (Currently, there is no capability to delete funding sources.)
Amount tab
The Amount tab allows you to add or update funding source monies. The
add/edit amount fields are defined as follows:
Allocated: The total amount allocated to this source (may be set to zero).
Committed: The total of the orders for this funding source with a status of
Open, Issued, or both. Represented in both dollars and percentage. Resets to
zero each time you click Edit in the Funding Source window.
Spent: The total amount of orders for this funding source with a status of
Closed. Represented in both dollars and percentage.
Remaining: The total amount allocated minus the committed amount.
Note: We recommend that you click Save at each stage of an addition. If you
decide to cancel an addition at any point, none of the changes are saved.
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Notes tab
Use the Funding Source Notes tab to capture any notes you want to store for a
particular funding source. This is a freeform text entry field.
Note: We recommend that you click Save at each stage of a funding source add. If
you decide to cancel an add at any point, none of the changes are saved.
Setting the default information
The Acquisitions Defaults tab is where you enter any shipto/billto information
you want to use for ordering. This information includes the information a vendor
would need to contact your school or library. By default, contact person name
and school address established in Site Setup populate this tab, but this
information is editable.
1.
Enter the name of the person at your school or library who the vendor would
contact concerning an order.
2.
Enter the contact person's telephone number.
3.
Enter the contact's Fax number.
4.
Enter the contact's email address.
5.
Click Bill To to enter address information in a freeform text box.
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6.
If the billto address is the same as the shipto address, check the Same As
Bill To Address check box. If not, click Ship To and enter the shipto address.
7.
Click Save.
Note: We recommend that you click Save at each stage of a Defaults add. If you
decide to cancel an update at any point, none of the changes are saved.
Once you have established vendor and funding information in System Setup, that
information is available from Cataloging to help you create book orders. You can
update this information from Cataloging as well. Changing default information
will only affect new orders.
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Notes
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Chapter 5 Preparing to circulate your collection
The setup features discussed in this chapter include ways to do the following:
group your patrons for circulation purposes; make it easier to create new patrons;
set up your circulation policies; set time limits for items on hold and on reserve;
activate automatic fine calculation and refunds; customize your overdue, bill, and
hold notices; set up your library's hours and current calendar; and set up alert
sounds for your circulation desk.
Important: You must set up the alert sounds at the workstation where you will be
using Circulation Desk.
Grouping your patrons by type
As you already know, the checkout period for a book or other library item is
partially determined by who is trying to check out the item. Circulation Plus lets
you create as many groups of patrons as you need to describe the various types
of patrons who use your library. These groups are called patron types.
See also: For more information about how patron types relate to checkout
periods, see Circulation policies: who can have what and for how long" on
page 76.
The patron types you create are also important for statistical reasons. The
Checkouts/Fines Transactions Report, Patron Cards, and the Overdue/Bill and
Hold Notices can all be limited according to patron type. You can also limit the
Patron Name List according to patron type.
You assign a patron type to a patron when you add a patron record. You can then
use patron types for global editing and updating of patron records. For more
information about globally editing patron records, see Chapter 16, Maintaining
patron records in batches."
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To access your patron types, select Patron Maintenance from the Setup menu in
the System Setup module. If you have defined a password for Patron
Maintenance, a password dialog appears. The default password for Patron
Maintenance is MODPATRON. Type the password in the text box, and then
choose OK. The Patron Maintenance tabs appear with the Patron Types tab open:
To delete the
highlighted
patron type
From this window you can add, edit, or delete a patron type. You cannot delete
the Student (S) or Faculty (F) patron types or the patron type that has been
defined as the default on the Patron Defaults tab. However, you can change the
description of the Student (S) or Faculty (F) patron types. When you add or edit a
patron type, you can also create or edit the salutation that appears on all notices
you send to patrons of this type.
You cannot delete a patron type if there are patrons assigned to it. To do this, you
must first assign the patrons to a different patron type using global editing in
Patron Maintenance.
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How to add or edit a patron type
1.
To create a patron type, choose New in the Patron Types tab. To edit a patron
type, select the patron type from the list, and then choose Edit. The desired
dialog appears:
This text appears at the top of all notices
before the patron name. If this text box is
empty, only the patron name appears at
the top of the notice. According to this
example, Dear Jane Doe:" appears on
the notice. If no salutation is defined, only
Jane Doe:" appears.
Note: Once a new patron type is saved, you cannot edit its code.
2.
When you finish creating or editing a patron type, choose Save.
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Making it easier to create new patrons
There are a few options in System Setup that enable you to create new patrons
faster and make it easier to find patrons when searching for them.
To set up these options, follow these steps:
1.
These prompts apply to
all patron types and
appear in the Edit
Patron and Patron
Information dialogs.
Location 1 appears in
the patron information
box of the Circulation
Desk windows.
From the Patron Maintenance tabs, select the Patron Defaults tab:
To cancel changes
before saving
Select the unique
identifier for your
patrons. When you
create or import new
patrons, either the
barcode, the ID, or both
are required before you
can save the patron
record.
Select the check box to
give your patrons access
to the login features in
OPAC.
Choose the password
they must enter along
with the barcode or ID
required above.
Select to allow your patrons
to view their own information
and/or place holds in OPAC.
Select the patron type
representing your most
frequent library visitors.
2.
In the UserDefined Patron Field Names box, position the cursor in a text box
and type a prompt that is appropriate for all your patrons. These appear in
Circulation Desk, Patron Maintenance, OPAC, and on some reports.
The UserDefined Patron Field Names are indexed in your patron database
so that you can use them to search for patrons in Circulation Desk. You can
generate the following circulation reports sorted by the UserDefined Patron
Field Names: Checkouts/Fines Transactions, Hold Notices, Overdue/Bill
Notices, Patron Barcode List, Patron Cards, and Patron Name List.
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Chapter 5 Preparing to circulate your collection
The Location and User Field prompts you enter in the Patron Defaults tab
appear in the Edit Patron dialog in Patron Maintenance:
Location prompts
User Field prompts
When you retrieve a patron in Circulation Desk, the Location 1 prompt
appears in the patron information box:
Patron information box
Location 1 prompt, here
defined as Homeroom
3.
In the Required Patron Field(s) box, select the way you want to identify your
patrons: barcode, ID, or both. Your selection here determines what
information is required in order to save a patron record and could impact the
way you retrieve patrons in Circulation Desk. It also determines one of the
fields that the patron must enter when logging on at a search station.
Regardless of which field you require when saving a patron record, you can
retrieve a patron in Circulation Desk by either his barcode or ID. However, in
order to retrieve a patron by his ID, you must precede the ID by a forward
slash, /". If you print your patron IDs as barcodes so that you can scan
them, you must precede the ID by a forward slash. This could impact the
symbology you choose. For more information about retrieving patrons in
Circulation Desk, see Transactions 101" on page 122.
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4.
From the Default Patron Type list, select your most common patron type.
Whenever you add a patron, Patron Maintenance automatically assigns this
type to the new patron record. When you import patron records that don't
have patron types, this patron type is assigned to those records.
Empowering your patrons
You can allow your patrons to log on at the search stations. You can choose to
allow them to view their checkouts, fines, and holds, and to place actual holds
and reserves. Just choose the applications where logging on is allowed, set up the
password field, and choose the allowable activities.
To set up this option, follow these steps:
1.
In the Patron Empowerment box, choose whether to allow your patrons to
log on to the OPAC or to WebCollection Plus or both.
2.
Choose the Password field. To log on, the patron must enter the barcode or
ID that you specified in the Required Patron Field(s) box, above, (if your
Required Patron Fields are Barcode and ID, you can choose either), plus the
password field you select from the dropdown list: Last Name, First Name,
Location 1 or 2, User Field 1 or 2, or Birth Date.
3.
Select one or both check boxes to allow patrons to view their own
information checkouts, fines, holds, and reserves or to place actual holds
and reserves.
When you choose to allow patrons to view their information, patrons have
access to the Patron Information dialog after logging on. They can view,
however, only three of the seven tabs on that dialog: Checkouts, Fines, and
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Chapter 5 Preparing to circulate your collection
Holds. They cannot view any other tab or any fine notes you have created. In
WebCollection Plus, the tabs appear as one page.
If you choose to allow patrons to place holds and reserves, Hold/Reserve
buttons appear on the OPAC's selection list and on the record display
window. In WebCollection Plus, a Place Hold/Reserve button appears on the
Title Information page. Clicking a button brings up the New Hold/Reserve
dialog.
Please note that patrons can place actual holds and reserves, not requests for
holds and reserves. For more information on using Patron Empowerment,
see page 472.
Enabling Patron Empowerment here automatically adds the My Info and Log
Out toolbar buttons in the OPACs and in WebCollection Plus, and options in
the OPAC's Tools menu.
Please note that this feature does not affect the Hold and ILL request options
in WebCollection Plus.
When you are finished selecting your Patron Defaults, choose Save.
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Circulation policies: who can have what and for how long
Now that you've completed setting up your circulation types and your patron
types, you're ready to take your existing circulation policies and define them in
System Setup. The circulation policies you establish in System Setup are used by
Circulation Desk to automatically monitor and control checkouts, renewals, fine
calculations, refunds, holds, and reserves.
To give you an overview, you determine a set of circulation policies based on the
patron types you created at the beginning of this chapter. For each patron type,
you assign maximum numbers for checkouts, overdues, holds/reserves, and
unpaid fines.
When a patron reaches one of the limits for his type, a block condition occurs
during the next transaction. Circulation Desk alerts you with a message. You
must address the block condition or override it with the Circulation Desk
Override password before continuing with the transaction. For more information,
see Handling block conditions during a transaction" on page 127.
You will also be creating loan periods for each patron type based on the type of
item the patron is checking out. If you did not create your circulation types in
Chapter 3, do so before establishing your circulation policies.
The following table shows an example of how patron types and circulation types
work together when you create your circulation policies:
Loan policy creation example
Patron type
Circulation type
Your loan periods
Faculty
Regular
Fixed the last day of the current semester or school year
New Books
40 days
Reference
12 hours
Regular
20 days
New Books
10 days
Reference
2 hours
Student
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To access your circulation policies, from System Setup, select Setup | Circulation.
If you defined a password for Circulation Setup, a password dialog appears. The
default password for Circulation Setup is SOBEIT. Type the password in the text
box, and then choose OK. The Circulation tabs appear with the Policies tab open:
To view the policies for
a patron type, select
the patron type from
this dropdown list.
To set up the
circulation limits
for the selected
patron type
You cannot edit the loan period
for noncirculating eBooks.
To set up the loan
periods for the
selected patron
type/circulation
type combination
From this tab you create or edit your circulation limits and your circulation
periods for your patron types.
How to set circulation limits for patron types
1.
From the Policies tab, select the patron type for which you want to establish
limits from the Patron Type list. In the Limits box, choose Edit. The Edit
Patron Limits dialog appears:
The maximum number of checkouts
for this patron type
The maximum amount of unpaid fines
that a patron of this type can accumulate
The maximum number of overdue
items for this patron type
The maximum number
of items that patrons of
this type can have on
hold or on reserve
To use a specific date for check
outs of items belonging to a
circulation type, enter that date
here. Then set the loan period of
that circulation type to Fixed in the
Edit Loan Period dialog (see the
next section).
Make sure to change this date
each year. Circulation Desk does
not do so automatically.
The ceiling date overrides the due date calculated by the system if this date is earlier
than the calculated due date. A commonly used ceiling date is the last day of school
so that all items are due the last day of school, no matter what their calculated due
date would be. Make sure to change this date each year. Circulation Desk increments
the year if needed, but the date may not be correct for your school year.
2.
3.
The default priority for holds
placed by patrons of this
type. The lower the priority
value, the higher the hold is
in the queue. Enter a
number between 1 and 99.
In the text boxes, type the circulation limits that you want applied to patrons
of this type, and then choose Save to return to the Policies tab.
Go back to step 1 and repeat this process for the remaining patron types.
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How to limit loan periods
1.
In the Policies tab, select the patron type you want to establish loan periods
for from the Patron Type list. All of the circulation types appear in the Loan
Periods box. Select the circulation type for which you want to define loan
periods, and then choose Edit in the Loan Periods box. The Edit Loan Period
dialog appears:
The length of checkout (days,
hours, or fixed). If you choose fixed,
all items of this circulation type will
be due on the fixed due date you
established in the patron type limits
for this patron type.
The number of days, or hours, a patron
has to return an overdue without
incurring a fine
Maximum number of renewals
for this circulation type
for this patron type
The maximum fine amount a patron of
this type can be charged for a single
item of this circulation type
The amount charged per day, or
hour, for overdues
Maximum number of checkouts for this circulation type. The number
cannot exceed the maximum checkout limit for this patron type.
Note: The amount you type in the Fine Increment text box should not exceed
the amount you type in the Fine Limit text box.
2.
3.
When you finish establishing the loan period limits for this circulation type
for the selected patron type, choose Save. The Policies tab appears showing
the modified information.
To set up another circulation type for this patron type, select the circulation
type from the Loan Periods box and repeat filling out the Edit Loan Period
dialog. Repeat this process until you have established loan periods for all
circulation types for each patron type.
Note: You cannot set up loan periods for the Noncirculating eBook (*NC)
circulation type. *NC is intended for eBooks, or other electronic resources,
that are noncirculating, noninventoried, and nonholdable.
Setting time limits for items on hold
When a patron places a hold or reserve on an item, it is entered in the
holds/reserves queue.
A hold is ready if the item is available. If it is not, the hold is pending.
A reserve is inactive until the prereserve processing date. When that date
arrives, the reserve is ready if the item is available, pending if it is not.
A pending hold or reserve becomes ready when the item becomes available.
A hold expires according to the time limits you set on this tab.
A reserve automatically expires the day after the end of the reserve period.
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To keep the hold queue from building up with holds that are not retrieved or
fulfilled, System Setup allows you to set time limits on them.
Expiring holds
After the assigned number of days, Circulation Desk expires a hold. By expiring a
ready hold that has not been picked up by the patron, Circulation Desk can make
the next pending hold ready, giving the next patron in the queue the opportunity
to check the item out. By expiring a pending hold, Circulation Desk assumes that,
since a lengthy time has elapsed, the patron no longer wants the item.
You can revive expired holds - that is, make them pending again; Circulation
Desk has not yet deleted them. If you do so, Circulation Desk makes them ready
if and when the item becomes available. You cannot, however, revive reserves.
Deleting holds
To keep expired holds from building up in the queues, System Setup allows you
to assign a time frame for automatically deleting expired holds.
Expired holds are deleted from the system when Circulation Desk is started at
the beginning of each day. Any holds that are deleted are listed on an exception
report. For information about the Daily Holds Processing exception report, see
Interpreting the Daily Holds Processing exception report" on page 171.
Please note:
You can revive expired holds; you cannot revive deleted holds.
You can edit the expiration date of a hold, either before or after it expires.
You can edit the priority of a hold.
Setting up reserves
A reserve is slightly different from a hold. A patron places a hold when he would
like to have the item as soon as possible. For a reserve, a patron specifies a future
date when he would like to have the copy.
The copy's status is unaffected by the reserve until the prereserve processing
date arrives. On that date, when processing reserves, the Daily Holds Processing
initially changes the reserve status to pending. When processing holds, it changes
the reserve status to ready and the copy status to On Hold, if the item is available.
If the item is unavailable, the reserve status remains pending until it is available.
System Setup allows you to set the number of prereserve processing days. This
allows you time to locate the reserved copies, place them on the hold shelf, and
remind the patron to retrieve them.
Example: If you enter 2, the Daily Holds Processing exception report alerts you
to an upcoming reserve 2 days before the reserve date. Because the copy status of
an available item becomes On Hold that day, any attempted transaction on the
reserved item causes Circulation Desk to display an alert message.
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A reserve has a reserve period equal to its loan period. For example, if a patron
reserves an item for March 18th, and the loan period is 10 days (2 weeks) for that
circulation type, the reserve period is March 18-April 1. A reserve automatically
expires a day after the end of the reserve period. For more information about
reserves, see A brief introduction to reserves" on page 166.
Entering the time limits
To set up the time limits for items on hold and the number of processing days
needed for preparing reserves, follow these steps:
1.
From the Circulation tabs in System Setup, select the Holds tab:
The number of days a hold
remains pending before expiring
The number of days a hold
remains ready before expiring
To cancel
changes before
saving
The number of processing days
you need to prepare a reserve
To activate automatic deletion
of expired holds and reserves
The number of days the
expired holds and reserves
remain in the queue before
being deleted
2.
In the Holds tab, set up your time limits for pending and ready holds, and
decide if and when you want Circulation Desk to delete expired holds and
reserves automatically.
3.
Select the number of prereserve processing days that you need to make a
reserve ready for retrieval by the patron. On that day, the Daily Holds
Processing changes the copy status to On Hold and the exception report lists
the upcoming reserve.
4.
When you're finished, choose Save.
See also: For more information about deleting holds manually, extending hold
expiration dates, and processing reserves, see Chapter 12, Managing holds."
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Activating automatic fine calculation and refunds
System Setup lets you decide whether you want to charge fines, and if so, how
they're calculated. Depending on library policy, you may not want all fine
options active.
You can create additional fine types as needed. Unlike the default fine types of
Damaged, Lost, Overdue, and Refund, userdefined fine types are not associated
with copy information.
To set up the fines options, follow these steps:
1.
From the Circulation tabs in System Setup, select the Fines tab:
To activate automatic
calculation of overdue fines
To increment overdue fines,
even on grace days
To increment overdue
fines, even if the library is
closed
To cancel changes
before saving
To generate a refund
whenever a partially paid
fine (overdue, damaged,
lost, or useddefined) is
deleted in Circulation Desk
To use the Fine
Limit, specified in
the Edit Loan
Period dialog, as
the replacement
cost for lost
copies that do not
have a price
recorded in their
copy records
To add a new fine type to the
list, click New. Highlight an ex
isting fine type and click Edit to
change the fine type description
(no duplicates). You cannot edit
default fine types or codes for
userdefined fine types. To edit
a userdefined code, delete the
fine type and create a new fine
type and code.
2.
Select the fine options that correspond to your current policies, and then click
Save. For more information about fine options, see the following table.
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Option
Selected
Cleared
Include grace
days in fine
calculation
Example: A copy is due on Monday,
but not returned until Thursday.
There is a twoday grace period and
a $0.10 fine increment for this
patron type. The patron is charged
$0.30 for the overdue copy.
Example: A copy is due on Monday,
but not returned until Thursday.
There is a twoday grace period and a
$0.10 fine increment for this patron
type. The patron is charged $0.10 for
the overdue copy.
Include closed
days in fine
calculation
Example: You are closed for the
weekend. A copy is due on Friday,
but not returned until Monday. If
there are zero grace days for this
transaction situation, then the
patron is charged $0.30. If there is a
oneday grace period in effect, and
grace days are not included in fines,
the patron is charged $0.20.
Example: You are closed for the
weekend. A copy is due on Friday,
but not returned until Monday. If
there are zero grace days for this
transaction situation, then the
patron is charged $0.10. If there is a
oneday grace period in effect, and
grace days are not included in fines,
there is no charge.
Use fine limit if
the copy price
has not been
entered
The fine limit is the most money a
patron can be charged for a single
copy. If this is selected, and you
choose to show the copy price on
Notices, then the fine limit also
appears on Notices if no copy price
is specified.
No predetermined fine is charged for
a lost copy. You type the amount you
want charged at the time the lost copy
fine is created.
In addition, if this is selected, the
fine limit is used when you create a
lost copy fine if there is no price.
Note: Currency format changes are defined in Windows from the Control Panel |
Regional Settings Properties | Currency tab. On Mac OS, you change the
currency format through the Numbers Control Panel.
Customizing your overdue, bill, and ready hold notices
When you print out a notice, the message at the top of the notice states the reason
you are sending the notice and the urgency with which the recipient should treat
it. Circulation Plus allows you to customize the message. For example, you might
want your overdue notices to include a special message before the summer break
to make sure that all of your overdue items are returned before the break begins.
When Reports creates a notice, it takes the wording that appears at the top of the
notice from a notice template. Circulation Plus comes with three standard
templates. To create your own notice templates and to edit those templates when
needed, use the following instructions.
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To access your templates, select the Notices tab from Circulation in System Setup:
To delete the
highlighted
template
This text appears at the top of a
notice when the highlighted
template is assigned to a notice.
This box shows you which
template is used as the default
when generating a notice. You
can always select a different
template when generating
a notice.
The following table lists the wording of each of the standard notice templates:
Template
Wording
Standard Bill Notice
The following items are long overdue and assumed to be lost.
Please pay the amount listed below as soon as possible.
Standard Overdue Notice
The following items are overdue. Please return them as soon as
possible.
Standard Ready Hold Notice
The items you requested are now available in the library. Please
bring this notice to the library as soon as possible.
You cannot delete or edit any of the standard notice templates. If you want to edit
a standard template, choose Duplicate, and then create a new template based on
the existing wording.
How to change the wording on a notice
1.
Decide how you want to go about changing the wording on a notice:
If you want to change the Default Template assignment, skip to step 3.
If you want to change the wording of a listed template, other than the
standard templates, highlight the template, and then choose Edit. The
Edit Template dialog appears.
If you want to create a new template based on the wording of a listed
template, such as one of the standard templates, highlight the template,
and then choose Duplicate. The Add Template dialog appears.
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If you want to create a new template with completely new wording,
choose New. The Add Template dialog appears.
There is room for approximately
285 words (2000 characters) at
the top of a notice.
2.
After you type in the new wording and name the template, choose Save.
3.
From the list under Template, highlight the name of the template that you
want to assign as the default, and then choose Set Default. The Set Default
Template dialog appears:
4.
In the Set Default Template dialog, select the notice you want to assign your
template to, and then choose Save.
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Chapter 5 Preparing to circulate your collection
Setting your library's hours
Setting up your library hours in System Setup is important because Circulation
Desk uses this information when calculating due dates and fines for hourly
checkouts. Be sure to define opening and closing times for each day of the week
you are open, even if you are only open once a month on that day.
To set up the opening and closing times for your library, follow these steps:
1. From Circulation in System Setup, select the Hours tab.
To cancel changes
before saving
2.
In the Sunday through Saturday text boxes, enter the default opening and
closing times for your library. Remember to add am or pm. When you're
finished, click Save.
Setting up your library's current calendar
You record your library's closed days in the calendar in System Setup.
Circulation Desk uses this calendar to determine due dates, calculate overdues,
and monitor grace periods.
Important: Any changes you make to your calendar take effect when you reopen
Circulation Desk. These changes, however, are not applied
retroactively to checkout due dates. For example, if you close a day
that lies less than two weeks in the future assuming your maximum
circulation period is two weeks copies already checked out that
come due on that day are still due on that day. If a copy is checked in
late because the library was closed on the due date, a fine is still
calculated and assessed based on the settings in the Fines tab.
Make sure that you have hours of operation defined in the Hours tab for each
day you are open. Circulation Desk treats days without defined hours of
operation as if they were closed.
System Setup uses the default annual calendar as a template when you create a
calendar for the new year. You are not required to change any of the settings in
the default annual calendar.
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Circulation Desk also uses the default annual calendar to automatically create a
new calendar year for you when the due date for a checkout extends into the
coming year for which no calendar has been created.
To set up or change your current calendar, follow these steps:
1.
From the Circulation tabs, select the Calendar tab. If a calendar exists for the
current year, the Calendar tab appears. Skip to step 4. If a message appears
informing you that the system was not able to locate the current calendar,
you must set up your default annual calendar. In the warning message,
choose Yes. The Edit New Annual Calendar Defaults dialog appears:
To add a closed day
Weekday check boxes
To remove a closed day
from the default annual
calendar
Closed day selection
list
Note: If you already created a calendar for the current year and then change
the default annual calendar, these changes won't take effect until you
create a calendar for the next year.
2.
Select the weekday check boxes for the days you want to close for the entire
year. Make sure that you do not leave any days open for which you have not
defined Open and Close times in the Hours tab. Circulation Desk treats days
without defined hours of operation as if they were closed.
If there are certain dates on which you know the library will always be
closed such as January 1 or December 25 you can mark them as closed on
the default calendar by closing the individual day. If you want to close an
individual day, choose New. The New Closed Day dialog appears:
3.
From the Closed On dropdown lists, select the month and the day of the
month. Choose OK to add that date to the list of closed days and return to the
Edit New Annual Calendar Defaults dialog. To add another closed day, click
New in the Edit New Annual Calendar Default dialog, and repeat this step.
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When you're finished, choose Save on the Edit New Annual Calendar
Defaults dialog. The Calendar tab appears:
Use the scrolling buttons to move from month
to month or from year to year.
Use the Year forward scroll button to create a calendar for
the coming year based on the default annual calendar.
To edit the default
annual calendar,
choose Defaults
and go back to
step 2.
To open or close a day of the
week for every week of the year,
click on the weekday button.
System Setup uses the first day of
the month as its reference.
For example, if you choose the
Tuesday button, and the first
Tuesday in the month you're
viewing is closed, then all of the
Tuesdays for the entire year are
opened, regardless of the
previous open/closed status.
To open or close a
single day, click on
the date. If the day
was marked closed,
it will now be
cleared, meaning
that it's open.
Warning: You cannot undo your mistakes in the Calendar tab. For example, if
you open the first Saturday of every month, and then accidentally
click the Saturday weekday button, all the Saturdays for the entire
year are closed. You must now reopen those first Saturdays
individually for each month of the year.
4.
Open and close the days in the current month to match your calendar. If you
try to open a day for which no library hours are defined, a message appears.
Use the scroll buttons to move from month to month or year to year.
If you scroll past December and there is no calendar defined for the coming
year, a message appears informing you that the system was not able to locate
the current calendar. You have two options:
If you want to use the current default calendar to set up next year's
calendar, choose Yes in the warning message. Next year's calendar is
created based on the current default calendar.
If you want to edit your default calendar, choose No in the warning
message, and then choose Defaults on the Calendar tab. The Edit New
Annual Calendar Defaults dialog appears. Go back to step 2 to edit your
calendar defaults.
When you're finished, go on to the next setup task, Setting up alert sounds (and
more) for your circulation desk."
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Setting up alert sounds (and more) for your circulation desk
System Setup lets you set up sounds for certain Circulation Desk events
(including block conditions). From the Misc tab, you also set your default
circulation type and, if you want, set an inactivity timeout period for Circulation
Desk. If necessary, you can also adjust your system date from the Misc tab.
Important: The sounds, today's date, and inactivity timeout options are specific
to the current workstation. You must set up these options at each
workstation where you will be using Circulation Desk.
To set up these options, select the Misc tab from the Circulation tabs in System
Setup. Please note that while the options on the Misc tab are identical on Mac OS
and Windows workstations, the way you set up certain options varies:
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89
The sounds you choose will play whenever the
associated event occurs.
Select your most common circulation type.
To clear all the Circulation Desk fields automatically
after a period of inactivity, select this option.
On Mac OS, to select a sound, click the popup button.
To test a sound, click Play.
On Windows, to select a sound, click Edit. From the
Windows Sounds Properties dialog, locate the
Circulation Desk event you want to change, and then
locate and select the sound you want to use.
To include patron information when extracting data, check
this box. For more information, see Extracting Data" on
page 585.
When this check box is checked, patrons will be associated to
transactions recorded in the statistics records. When this check
box is not checked, there will not be a link between statistic
records and patrons.
If today's date isn't correct, click Change. On Windows, the Date/Time Properties dialog appears automatically. On Mac OS, a message appears telling you to go to the Date &
Time Control Panel. After making your changes, click OK to return to the Misc tab.
Important: Changing the date/time changes the operating system date/time, not just the date/time used by the Follett applications.
When you're finished setting up the rest of the options, choose Save.
Important: Windows workstations need a sound card for you to set up sounds for
Circulation Desk. If your workstation doesn't have a sound card,
Circulation Desk plays a beep through the computer speaker each
time one of the specific events occurs.
Important: Changing the Collect Patron Transaction Histories check box will only
affect future statistics records. Statistics currently in the database will
remain the same until you perform Remove Patron History in
Utilities.
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Additional sounds are available on your Follett Software Installation CD. To use
them at your workstation, insert the CD into the CD drive. From the CD, locate
the EXTRAS\SOUNDS folder, and open the folder that matches your
workstation's operating system:
On Windows, drag the sounds you want from the CD to your
FOLLETT\CC40\WMEDIA folder (by default located in C:\PROGRAM
FILES). To set up the new sounds, follow the instructions on page 88.
On Mac OS, locate but don't open your hard drive's System Folder. Drag the
sounds you want from the CD to the System Folder and click OK on the
message that appears. The next time you start System Setup, the new sounds
will be available from the popup buttons (see page 88).
See also: For more information about the Sound Properties, Date/Time
Properties dialogs, or Date & Time Control Panel, please refer to your operating
system's help or documentation. For more information about block conditions,
see Handling block conditions during a transaction" on page 127.
After preparing for circulation
After completing all of the setup tasks in this chapter, you are ready to add
patrons to your database. For instructions, see Chapter 15, Maintaining
individual patron records," and Chapter 17, Importing patron information."
If you purchased Catalog Plus, you also need to complete Chapter 33, Setting up
your search stations."
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Chapter 6 Building your union
A union catalog can mean something very different from one district to the next.
While one district might process and distribute all records from a central location,
the next may rely on catalogers at each member site. No matter what your
situation, this version of Follett's Union Catalog Plus with or without Follett
Data Exchange Server is the most flexible district solution ever. The instructions
in this chapter assume that you have already decided on the type of union
catalog your district needs.
Who should read this?
Building a union catalog is a cooperative effort. No matter what type of union
catalog you're setting up, you'll need to be familiar with the members in your
district. For sites that won't be using Data Exchange (DX, for short), you'll need a
general idea of the quality of each member's MARC records so you can import
the highest quality records first. Setting up DX members not only requires
knowledge of your members' cataloging practices you'll also need to know
their participation preferences. DX members also require some additional, rather
technical, setup tasks, which are explained in the Follett Data Exchange Guide
(fscdx.pdf).
Important: We strongly recommend that you enlist the aid of your technology
coordinator or arrange to have Follett Software Company help you set
up the Follett Data Exchange Server.
Where do we begin?
To help you build your union catalog, we have included the following checklist
to guide you through the process:
Steps for building your union catalog
1. Before you begin, make sure you have all the information you'll need:
If you'll be doing original cataloging at the union catalog, you'll want a list of the
nonDewey call number prefixes used in your district.
If you'll be setting up any nonDX members, make sure you have the current setup
information for each, including the barcode symbology they use for library materials
and any circulation types or categories they use. If you haven't already, this would
also be a good time to request that they export their collections (MARC 21/852 hold
ings format) and send you the files for import. See page 112 for more information.
If you'll be setting up any DX members, make certain each has installed and set up
Circulation Plus/Catalog Plus. The Union Catalog Plus, Follett Data Exchange Server,
and member applications must all be the same version for a new union/DX
installation (currently, v5.0). Determine each member's level of participation (see page
93), and any material types, categories, call number prefixes, or circulation types the
member wants to exclude from the union catalog database (see page 94).
Important: It is critical that all sites (member and union catalog, DX or not) have a full and
short version of their site name and a unique MARC Organization Code.
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Steps for building your union catalog
2. Enter your union catalog's site and cataloging information through the union catalog's
System Setup. For instructions, see page 95.
3. If your union catalog will be using data exchange, the union catalog database and DX
member databases must be linked to a Follett Data Exchange Server before you can add
the DX members to the union catalog. For more information and instructions, see the
Follett Data Exchange Guide (fscdx.pdf). After completing all the steps outlined in the
checklist, continue with the following steps.
4. Enter the site and cataloging information for your nonDX members through the union
catalog's System Setup. For instructions, see page 101.
5. Configure your DX members through the union catalog's System Setup. Instructions be
gin on page 101, with DX member-specific information starting on page 106. Also see the
Follett Data Exchange Guide (fscdx.pdf).
6. To finish building your union catalog, see What's next?" on page 112.
What is data exchange?
The Follett Data Exchange Server lets you make the most of the union catalog's
best cataloging practices. Data Exchange (DX for short) is a behindthescenes
way to transfer collection data between members and the union catalog. Follett
Data Exchange Server's setup options let you customize the flow of data.
By setting participation levels and filtering rules, the union catalog can control
how and what data is exchanged with its member sites. Once these rules are set,
the Follett Data Exchange Server updates district and member data automatically.
Selected Database Sources in Cataloging lets DX members search the union
catalog database for MARC records, even if they choose not to share their data
with the union catalog.
Rather than the union catalog and all members sharing the same static records,
Follett Data Exchange Server lets each member send and receive MARC records
appropriate to its own quality needs automatically. For example, a member site
with an expert cataloger would not have to receive records from other members,
or even the union catalog. With seven levels of participation, union catalogs and
members can share at the level appropriate for each site.
Behindthescenes rules for merge, match, survival, and bounceback determine
which record will be added to a database. Typically, the record with the most
complete information is the one that is saved to the union catalog database and
then transmitted to members. For example, a brief MARC record is sent to the
union catalog, where it encounters a better record. A merged record is created
and that better record of merged" data is bounced back to the sending member
site.
Note: Data exchange transfers bibliographic and copy records. However, within
these records certain tags are not exchanged: 59x (local notes) tags, 9xx tags
(except for the 940 tags), and any WebPath Express bibliographic tags you
may have in your collection.
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Chapter 6 Building your union
Participation levels
Follett Data Exchange Server's seven levels of participation let you explicitly
define the relationship between the union catalog and each member. The
participation levels determine how information moves between the union catalog
and the member. Before setting this option, you need to know how much
partnering of records each member wants to have. Each level is described below.
Level 1 - In this scenario, no data is shared between the union catalog and the
member. This option is intended for sites that want to manually maintain a
central repository of MARC data, but do not want to have that data automatically
transferred between a site and the union catalog. This option requires that data
either be manually entered or imported at the union catalog. It is not
recommended that data for a specific member be exported from the union catalog
and imported into the member since the member will usually have the most
recent record. Importing data does not ensure that the most robust MARC record
survives.
Level 2 - In this scenario, the member sends all of its data to the union catalog,
but the union catalog sends no data to this member. This option ensures that this
member's data is never replaced by MARC or copy updates or additions at the
union catalog. Level 2 might be applied across an entire union catalog in those
situations where the union catalog database acts solely as a resource for union
catalog OPAC search stations. The downside to this option is that more robust
MARC records at the union catalog never find their way down to the member.
For example, if your district were sharing electronic hyperlinks (856 tags) or
curriculum objectives, these tags would not be transferred to the members.
Level 3 - In this scenario, the member sends no data to the union catalog, but the
union catalog sends all of its data to this member. This option would be ideal for
districts that do all cataloging and distribution at the union catalog. This
environment is commonly referred to as central processing. Items are cataloged
and barcoded at the district level and distributed to member sites.
Level 4 - In this scenario, the member sends added MARC records and all copies
to the union catalog. The union catalog, in turn, sends all data to this member.
The union catalog is protected from having MARC data replaced by updated
records from this member. This option is for member sites who have bad data or
who rely on a parttime or volunteer cataloger. It would be appropriate for sites
that do little or no original cataloging but are in charge of managing their own
acquisitions. Level 4 allows the site to create a MARC record and, if a better
record reaches the union catalog later, that record will be sent back down to the
member due to its holdings.
Level 5 - In this scenario, the member sends all data to the union catalog. The
union catalog sends added MARC and copy records to this member. This
member is protected from having its data replaced with records from the union
catalog. It accepts no changes from the district cataloger. This option could be
used in environments where very little original cataloging takes place at the
union catalog, but the member and the union catalog share acquisition
responsibilities. In this situation, the member would be responsible for original
cataloging (if any) and would be charged with managing its own acquisitions.
This option protects the member from any MARC changes from the union
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catalog, but it also prevents better" records from another level 5 member
replacing its own records. For example, if your district were sharing electronic
hyperlinks (856 tags) or curriculum objectives, these tags would not be
transferred to the Level 5 members.
Level 6 - In this scenario, the member sends all data to the union catalog. The
union catalog only sends changes made by the district cataloger. This could be a
member with an expert cataloger who wants to send records to the union catalog
where there is another expert cataloger for the district. This member does not
want to get records from other member sites, however. If a member participates
at Level 6, it receives all of the benefits of Level 7, but does not receive MARC
changes that originate at any other point in the district other than at the union
catalog database. This option might either be appropriate in a district where most
cataloging is done at the union catalog or at a Level 6 member.
Level 7 - In this scenario, all data is shared equally between the union catalog
and this member. This option is recommended for sites that share cataloging and
acquisition responsibilities with the union cataloger. This option is ideal for
districts that want to share all of their MARC information, including data such as
electronic hyperlinks and curriculum objectives.
Levels 3, 4, 6, and 7 assume that there is a professional cataloger at the union
catalog who performs some central processing. Certain types of MARC changes
should be performed at the union catalog if any members participate at these
levels. If, say, an 856 tag changed on a record already in the union catalog
database and a Level 7 member removed that tag and sent the new record to the
union catalog, because the tag wasn't removed at the union catalog, it would be
put back when the record merged with the existing data. Basically, members
participating at these levels agree to accept changes from the union catalog.
Note: Regardless of the participation level chosen, every DX member running
Catalog Plus on Windows has access to the union catalog database through
the Selected Database Sources (on-demand data sharing) feature (see page
247). This feature is not available on Mac OS.
Filtering rules
You also have control over which part of each member collection is shared with
the union catalog. This is done through filtering rules set for each member site.
These filters apply only for membertounion catalog data and are configured on
a memberbymember basis. These filters are MARCspecific: Material Types; and
copyspecific: Categories, Circulation Types, and Call Number Prefixes. The
copyspecific filters for Categories, Circulation Types, and Call Number Prefixes
filter out information a member would not want to share with the union catalog.
If you catalog a record or copy at the union catalog, however, no filters are
applied; all records will go to the member sites if the participation level allows it.
Sharing MARC records depends on MARCspecific and copyspecific filters. A
MARC record is sent to the union catalog if it passes the MARC filters and there
is at least one qualifying (nonfiltered) copy record attached. A record need only
fulfill one filter criterion before it is stopped from being transferred to the union
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Chapter 6 Building your union
catalog. For example, the MARCspecific filter for Material Types could keep a
member's cataloged AV equipment from being transferred to the union catalog.
A copy record is sent if it passes the copyspecific filters and if its associated
MARC record passes the MARCspecific filters. Copy records at the union
catalog are only sent to the member who owns the copy. A scenario for
copyspecific filtering might be a private source of funding cataloged locally as a
Category if the private funding specified that the funds were to purchase
materials to be used only at the site. By filtering this category, the records for
these items could be excluded from the union catalog. Likewise, you may not
want items with a circulation type of Temporary to go up to the union catalog.
How are the best" records created?
Once a record is transferred to the union catalog, some nonconfigurable filters
are used to create the best possible record.
Matching rules determine whether a remote site already contains a record. If no
match is found, the record is added to the destination database. If a match is
found, the rules are applied and a replacement attempt is made. Further rules
determine if replacing the existing record or merging the two records would
produce the best results. This helps ensure that the best record is in the database.
Bounceback rules help the better union catalog record go back to the member. If
the incoming record loses, the winning record is sent back to the sending
database (if allowed by participation and filter rules). If the incoming record
wins, the record is redistributed to other members based on holdings information
and participation rules.
Setting up your union
The first step in building your union catalog is entering your union catalog's site
and cataloging information in System Setup. To help set up your union catalog
quickly and accurately, we recommend that you gather the following information
before starting:
The official name of your union catalog as you would like it to appear on
reports and your union catalog's MARC Organization Code.
A list of the nonDewey call number prefixes you need when cataloging at
the union catalog.
To start System Setup, open the Follett Applications folder on the computer
desktop, and doubleclick the Union System Setup icon. The System Setup
window appears (see page 33).
Note: You can also access the Follett Applications menu from the Windows
Start | Programs menu or from the Mac OS Apple menu.
Important: The first time you launch System Setup, it creates files that are used by
all the other Follett applications. This process may take a few minutes.
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Entering union catalog site information
1.
To enter your union catalog's site information, from the union catalog's
System Setup menu bar, select Setup. If Union is checked, select Site; if it
isn't, select Union, and then select Setup | Site.
If you're using a Site Setup password, a password dialog appears. Enter the
Site Setup password (by default, MAKEITSO) and click OK. The Site tabs
appear with the Identification tab open. Only the tabs you need are enabled:
Your union
catalog's name
These three fields are required.
If you need to obtain a MARC
Organization Code, see page 36
for instructions.
To cancel changes
before saving
The person to whom all union
catalog mailings are directed
Your union catalog's
mailing address.
Some field names
depend on your ad
dress format (e.g.,
State/Province).
Voice phone number for your
contact person (district librarian,
for example)
The number assigned to
you when you purchased
your software
If your union
catalog owns
netLibrary
eBooks, enter
the account
number to
enable previews
and checkouts.
Your union catalog's federal or
state tax exemption number
Important: For nonUS union catalogs, see step 2 before entering your
information.
Enter your information: the Full and Short Union Names and MARC
Organization Code are required. When you're finished, click Save.
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2.
By default, the Identification tab uses the address format for the United
States. To choose a different address format, select the Information tab:
Country where your union
catalog is located. This will
determine the address format
on the Identification tab for
the union catalog and all
members.
To cancel changes
before saving
After selecting your address format, click Save.
3.
For security purposes, Union Catalog Plus lets you change the passwords
you use to access the applications. To change the application passwords,
select the Passwords tab:
To cancel changes
before saving
The System Setup Cataloging
tabs use the Cataloging password.
See also: For a list of the default
application passwords, see
page 41.
You can change any passwords you like. If you don't want to use passwords,
you may delete any or all of them. After making your changes, click Save.
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4.
Through the union catalog's System Setup, you can enter events for patrons
to view in the union catalog OPAC (see page 410) or with WebCollection Plus
for Union (see page 450). To add or maintain events for the district, select the
Events tab:
To add or edit an event,
see the instructions on
page 44.
To delete an event, select
the event and click Delete.
At the message, click Yes
to proceed.
Events entered at the
union catalog cannot be
deleted automatically.
The events you enter here are not shared (exchanged) with members. After
making your changes, click Save.
Entering union cataloging information
1.
To enter your union catalog's cataloging information, from the union
catalog's System Setup menu bar, select Setup. If Union is checked, select
Cataloging; if it isn't, select Union, and then select Setup | Cataloging.
If you are using the Cataloging password option, a password dialog appears.
Enter the Cataloging password (by default MODTITLE) and click OK. The
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Chapter 6 Building your union
Cataloging tabs appear with the Call Numbers tab open. Only the tabs you
need are enabled:
To cancel changes before saving
To save you time when you add
a new copy record, Cataloging
looks in the locations you define
here for a default call number for
the copy record.
This information is also used by
several reports. For more
information, see page 47.
In the Tag and Subfields text boxes, type the most probable locations for the
call number in your MARC bibliographic records, and then choose Save.
2.
To define the call number prefixes for the union catalog, select Call Num
Prefixes:
To add or edit a call number
prefix, see the instructions
on page 50.
Currently defined
call number prefixes
By default, numeric call
numbers are followed by
symbols and alphabetic
prefixes. To control how call
numbers are sorted, see
page 51.
Deletes the selected call
number prefix. Prefixes that
are included in the Custom
sorting list (see page 51)
can't be deleted.
A prefix can contain any three characters except for Dewey numbers
(000-999), periods, and leading or embedded blank spaces. For additional
information on call number prefixes, see page 50.
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3.
System Setup lets you set starting and ending tag numbers to determine if a
record is brief or full from the Brief Records tab:
A brief record has no information
in the specified tag range. For
more information, see page 54.
To cancel changes
before saving
Resets the brief record range to
the defaults: 305 through 899
After making any desired modifications, click Save.
4.
A number of settings are controlled from the Misc tab. For information about
these options, see the table of miscellaneous Cataloging options on page 56:
To cancel changes
before saving
To ignore leading
articles in selected
languages, see
page 57.
To arrange your
member databases
in groups
Make certain to save the changes you made to the Misc tab.
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From the Misc tab, you can also arrange your member databases into groups.
In WebCollection Plus for Union, users can limit their searches to these
groups.
Important: You must set up your members before you can create groups. See
Setting up your members" below for more information.
To group your member databases, click the Group button on the Misc tab.
From the Groups dialog, you can add, edit, or delete groups.
To add a new group, click New. To update
an existing group, select it from the list,
and then click Edit.
Shows the members you can assign
to this group. To assign a member,
highlight it and click Add.
Shows the members assigned to this group. To remove a
member from a group, highlight it and click Remove.
Each group should have a meaningful description. For example, a group
name like Elementary school libraries" would be more meaningful to a
patron than Bob's library group." After assigning (or removing) the
appropriate members, click Save to retain your changes.
If you need to delete a group, just select the description from the Groups list
and click Delete.
After entering your union catalog information, see the following section, Setting
up your members."
Setting up your members
Once your union catalog is set up, you're ready to begin incorporating your
members.
Important: If you're creating a union catalog that will use data exchange, before
you can add any DXenabled members, the union catalog database
and DX member databases must be linked to a Follett Data Exchange
Server. For more information, see the Follett Data Exchange Guide
(fscdx.pdf). After configuring the Follett Data Exchange Server(s), use
the following sections to finish setting up your members.
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You add and maintain members through System Setup. To start System Setup,
from the computer desktop, open the Follett Applications folder and doubleclick
the Union System Setup icon. The System Setup window appears (see page 33).
Note: You can also access the Follett Applications menu from the Windows
Start | Programs menu or from the Mac OS Apple menu.
To add or modify a member, from the System Setup menu bar, select Setup |
Member. The Members dialog appears:
Lets you access a member's site
and cataloging setup. Please
note that you cannot modify this
information for a DX member at
the union catalog.
Removes the selected member,
their copies, and their setup
information. See page 112 for
important information.
This list identifies your defined
members and whether they are
participating in data exchange
(DX) or not (NonDX).
These options only apply to DX
members. For more information,
see Updating DX member
information" on page 112.
From this dialog you can add, update, or remove both DX and nonDX members.
You'll find the instructions for setting up your nonDX members in the following
section, Defining your nonDX members." Instructions for setting up your DX
members begin on page 106.
Important: For information about deleting members, see page 112.
Defining your nonDX members
To add nonDX members to your union catalog, you must enter each member's
site and cataloging information in the union catalog's System Setup. To help set
up your members quickly and accurately, gather the following information
before you start:
Each member's official name, as it should appear on reports, and a short but
recognizable version of their name, which will identify their holdings in the
union catalog's Cataloging, OPAC, and WebCollection Plus applications.
Member contact information.
Each member's MARC Organization Code.
The barcode symbology each member uses for library materials.
A list of each member's circulation types the codes and descriptions they
use to identify their different lending periods (e.g., overnight, oneweek, etc.).
A list of each member's categories the codes and descriptions they use to
group related items in their collections (e.g., new items, reading lists, etc.).
Important: The setup information you enter for the member must match the
setup information at the member's site. If there are differences, you
may encounter problems when you import the member's data.
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Entering member site information
1.
To add a new nonDX member, from the Members dialog (see page 102), click
New. A message appears, asking if this member will participate in automated
data exchange. Click No.
Note: To update the setup information for a nonDX member, select the
member and click Edit.
If you're using a Site Setup password (see page 97), a password dialog
appears. Enter the Site Setup password (by default MAKEITSO) and click
OK. The Site tabs appear with the Identification tab open. Only the tabs you
need are enabled:
Member's name
These three fields are required.
If the member needs to obtain a
MARC Organization Code, see
page 36 for instructions.
The person to whom all
mailings are directed
Voice phone number for your
contact person (head librarian,
for example)
The member's federal or state
tax exemption number
To cancel changes
before saving
The member's
mailing address.
The field names
use the address
format of the union
catalog (see page
97).
If the member
owns netLibrary
eBooks, enter the
account number
to enable
previews and
checkouts.
Enter the member's information: Full and Short Site Names and MARC
Organization Code are required. When you're finished, click Save.
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2.
To define the barcode symbology the member uses for their library materials,
select the Barcodes tab:
Select the symbology
the member uses
for library materials.
To cancel changes
before saving
Only the text boxes that are
appropriate for the selected
symbology are enabled.
To test the symbology,
see page 40.
Each member can use a Follett Classic symbology plus one additional 8 to
14-digit symbology for their library materials. If they do use Follett Classic
and a nonFollett Classic symbology, you only need to specify the nonFollett
Classic symbology. After making and testing your changes, click Save.
See also: For more information, see Setting up your barcode symbologies"
on page 37 and Appendix D, Barcode symbologies."
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Entering member cataloging information
1.
To enter the nonDX member's cataloging information, from the System
Setup menu bar, select Setup | Cataloging.
Note: If you don't already have the member selected, from the Members
dialog (see page 102), select the member and click Edit. When the
member is open, select Setup | Cataloging.
If you are using the Cataloging password option, a password dialog appears.
Enter the Cataloging password (by default MODTITLE) and click OK. The
Cataloging tabs appear with the Circ Types tab open. Only the tabs you need
are enabled:
To add or edit circulation
types, see page 47.
Deletes the selected
circulation type
The number of copies
attributed to each
circulation type
Sets the selected
circulation types as the
default for all new copies
Circulation types are descriptions of the loan periods for items in the
member's collection. From this tab you can add, edit, or delete circulation
types and define one of them as the default. Cataloging automatically assigns
the default when new copies are added or imported to the collection.
Note: You cannot delete or edit the Regular (R), Noncirculating eBook
(*NC), or Temporary (TEM) circulation types. You cannot assign the
Temporary circulation type to a copy through the union catalog
applications.
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2.
If the member uses categories to group related items in their collection, select
the Categories tab:
To add or edit
categories,
see page 53.
Deletes the selected
category
Each member can have
up to 2,000 categories.
From this tab you can add, edit, or delete categories for the member. For
more information about categories, see page 52.
Note: You cannot delete or edit the Temporary category. You cannot assign
the Temporary category to a copy through the union catalog
applications.
If you're building your union catalog, repeat these steps for each nonDX
member in your union catalog. If you need to add any DX members, see the
following section, Defining your DX members." After you add all your
members to the union catalog, see What's next?" on page 112.
Defining your DX members
To add DX members to your union catalog, you must connect the Follett Data
Exchange Server(s) supporting the union catalog's database and each member's
database and set up certain data exchange rules for each member in the union
catalog's System Setup.
Important: Before you can add any DXenabled members, the union catalog
database and each DX member database must be linked to a Follett
Data Exchange Server. For more information, see the Follett Data
Exchange Guide (fscdx.pdf).
Setting up DX members requires knowledge of your members' cataloging
practices and preferences as well as some technical information. To help set up
your members quickly and accurately, we recommend that you gather the
following information before you start:
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Connection information for the Follett Data Exchange Server(s) supporting
the union catalog's database and each member's database, including IP
addresses and any user IDs or passwords that may be required.
Each member's level of participation (see page 93).
Any material types, categories, call number prefixes, or circulation types the
member wants to exclude from the union catalog database (see page 94).
The location where you want to monitor any errors that might occur.
Connecting the Data Exchange Servers
1.
To add a new DX member, from the Members dialog (see page 102), click
New. A message appears, asking if this member will participate in automated
data exchange. Click Yes. Once you confirm that you want to proceed with
the connection, the first Data Exchange Connection Builder dialog for the
union catalog appears:
Enter the IP address of the union
catalog's Data Exchange Server.
Select this option if you want the
application to remember this information
for the next DX member you add.
Enter the IP address of the union catalog's Data Exchange Server, and click
Connect.
2.
The Data Exchange Connection Builder dialog for the member appears:
Enter the IP address of the member's
Data Exchange Server.
Note: If one Follett Data Exchange
Server supports both the union catalog
and the member, the IP address will be
the same for both.
Enter the IP address of the member's Data Exchange Server, and click
Connect.
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3.
If more than one member database is supported by the Data Exchange Server
you specified in step 2, a list of the supported member databases appears:
This list shows all the member
databases linked to this Follett
Data Exchange Server.
Choose the member you want to add to the union catalog and click Select.
The Data Exchange Properties dialog for the selected member appears. To
define how this member participates in the union catalog, see the following
section, Setting the data exchange rules."
Setting the data exchange rules
From the member's Data Exchange Properties dialog, you specify exactly how
the member participates in the union catalog.
Important: To avoid unnecessary network traffic, we recommend that you click
Save only after all of your setup options have been selected.
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1.
To define the relationship between the member and the union catalog, select
one of the options on the Level of Participation tab. This selection determines
what information moves between the member and union catalog databases:
2.
If there are any material types, categories, call number prefixes, or circulation
types the member wants to exclude from the union catalog database, select
them from the Filter Rules tab:
When you select an option, a brief
explanation appears on the dialog.
For a complete explanation of the
levels of participation, see page 93.
Highlighted items will not be sent to the
union catalog database. If necessary,
you can select multiple items from
each list.
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Note: Since filter rules prevent records from being sent to the union catalog,
reports run at the union catalog may not exactly reflect the member's
collection.
3.
From the Error Logging tab, you specify the types of errors that should be
logged and where to log them. Where you choose to log the errors depends
on the availability and location of your district's technical personnel:
If communications fail, any pending transactions
will simply wait until communications resume.
Error messages usually indicate a transaction
that couldn't be completed (e.g., the record was
in use by the partnering database).
Data Exchange will automatically attempt to
resend these transactions in the next batch of
updates.
Errors are logged at the specified Follett Data
Exchange Server in the Windows NT/2000 Event
Viewer's Application Log (see the Follett Data
Exchange Guide (fscdx.pdf)).
Note: If one Follett Data Exchange Server
supports both the union catalog and the member,
select only one location.
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4.
From the Connection tab, you specify the member's connection type:
Currently, a fulltime connection to the union
catalog (i.e., a LAN or a WAN) is the only
supported connection type.
5.
To save your settings, click Save. A message appears, asking if you want to
reload the data from the member. If you've just added the member, click Yes.
Note: If you're editing a member's connection, we recommend reloading the
data if you changed the participation level or filters.
Once the DX member's information has loaded, you can view (but not edit) their
site and cataloging information. From the Members dialog (see page 102), select
the DX member, and click View. Any changes the member makes to this
information will be reflected at the union catalog. For information on the site and
cataloging information, see page 103.
To obtain a brief summary of the DX information, generate a System Information
Report at the union. For the union catalog, it lists the number of DX records in the
transfer queue, the database ID, the retry time, and the IP address of the union
catalog's Data Exchange Server. In the Member Information section are the full
site name, MOC, member ID, the member's Data Exchange Server IP address,
participation levels, and filters of each DX member. The information for each
non-DX member is limited to the full site name, MOC, and member ID. For more
information about this report, see page 581.
If you're building your union catalog, repeat these steps (starting with
Connecting the Data Exchange servers" on page 107) for each DX member in
your union catalog. Once all your members have been added to the union
catalog, see What's next?" on page 112.
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Updating DX member information
At some point, you may need or want to update a DX member's information:
To change a member's participation level or filtering rules, from the
Members dialog (see page 102), select the member and click Connect. The
member's Data Exchange Properties dialog appears. See Setting the Data
Exchange rules," starting on page 108.
If a DX member needed to restore their database from a backup, you'll want
to reload the member's data so that the union catalog database remains
accurate. To reload the member's data, from the Members dialog (see page
102), select the member and click Reload.
When you reload a member, the member's holdings are deleted from the union
catalog database and then reloaded using their current participation level and
filters.
Important: Reloading a member's data, either by selecting Reload or after making
changes to their connection information, happens automatically, but
the process may take several hours to complete.
Deleting a member
You can remove a member from the union catalog database through System
Setup. However, while deleting a member will remove the member's holdings, it
won't affect the title record. After deleting a member, you may find titles in the
union catalog database without any copies. To delete these records, run the
Global Delete Titles Without Copies feature in Cataloging (see page 335), or,
before you delete the member, export their holdings (see page 317) and select the
Delete Titles/Copies After Export option. Only titles that aren't held by another
member are deleted.
To delete a member, from the Members dialog (see page 102), select the member
and click Delete. A message asking you to confirm your choice appears. To
proceed, click Yes.
Warning: Deleting a member removes all of that member's holdings and their
setup information from the union catalog database. This process may
take a long time. Once confirmed, the process cannot be stopped.
Important: To completely remove a DX member from the union catalog, after you
delete them in System Setup, the link between their database and
their Follett Data Exchange Server must also be deleted. For
instructions, see the Follett Data Exchange Guide (fscdx.pdf).
What's next?
Now that you've finished setting up your union catalog and all your members,
there are still a few tasks to complete:
Import the records from your nonDX sites. To ensure that your union catalog
contains the best MARC records possible, you'll need to import all of your
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nonDX members' full records before importing any brief records. You also
need a general idea of the quality of each member's MARC records and
attempt to import the highest quality records first:
1.
Have your nonDX members export all their full records and then export
all their brief records. Make certain they include copies with both and
indicate which export file is which.
2.
Once you have the records from all your members and have decided
which files to import first, you can import them into your union catalog
database through Cataloging. For instructions, see page 295. Make
certain to select the options to skip existing MARC records and barcodes,
unless you want the imported records to overwrite records in the union
catalog database. If you're not certain that your nonDX members set up
a MARC Organization Code before exporting, choose the option to
Assign copies to member," and then click Select member to choose the
appropriate member.
If you have search stations for the union catalog OPAC, there are many
features you can customize. For details, see Chapter 33, Setting up your
search stations."
Prior to v4.x of the Follett applications, vendors were identified by a code. As
of v4.x, each vendor can be identified by a 30character description instead.
If you want to replace vendor codes with descriptions, use Cataloging's
Global Update Copy. For instructions, see page 326.
Considerations for nonDX members and unions
If your union catalog isn't using data exchange for some or all of your members,
you'll periodically need to update their holdings if you want to maintain an
accurate union catalog. Either of the following options requires some extra effort
and cooperation on the part of both the union catalog and the nonDX members:
Have your nonDX members export their records (with copies) by Title Date
Added/Updated on a regular basis and send you the file to import.
However, importing this file won't reflect any copies that have been removed
from the member's collection. Ask your nonDX members to track and report
any copies they delete. Cataloging does generate an exception report with a
barcode whenever a copy is deleted; you could suggest that your members
save these reports and send them to you with the import file. You could then
delete these holdings from the union catalog database.
Have your nonDX members periodically export all their records (with
copies) and send you the file. You could then export all their holdings,
selecting the Delete Titles/Copies After Export option (see page 317), and
repeat the build process (see the bullets on page 112). If you choose this
option, remember that you want to import the highest quality records first.
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Notes
115
Circulation Desk
Chapter 7 Circulation Desk basics
The basic features of Circulation Desk discussed in this chapter include the
following: starting Circulation Desk; limiting access for Circulation Desk
workstations; configuring your Receipt Printer (Transaction Tracker); displaying
patron pictures; basic Circulation Desk transactions typing or scanning
barcodes, selecting patrons or copies with the Find Patron and Find Title buttons;
handling block conditions; viewing and printing patron information; viewing the
status of a copy; and designating items as at the bindery or on interlibrary loan.
What is Circulation Desk?
The Circulation Desk is a software equivalent of your library or media center
circulation desk. From the Circulation Desk application, you perform all the same
functions by computer as you would manually from your physical circulation
desk. Checking out copies, renewing, checking in, placing copies on hold or
reserve, managing patrons, and assessing fines are all done from the Circulation
Desk windows.
Note: Before you begin using Circulation Desk, you must complete all of the
tasks in Chapter 2, Setting up your site," Chapter 3, Preparing to catalog
your collection," and Chapter 5, Preparing to circulate your collection."
These chapters contain instructions for setting up your site information,
patron types, and circulation types and policies. You must also create or
import all of your patron records and MARC bibliographic records and
copies. See the Patrons and Cataloging units for more information.
Starting Circulation Desk
To start Circulation Desk, from the computer desktop, open the Follett
Applications folder and doubleclick the Circulation Desk icon. If you defined a
password for Circulation Desk in System Setup, a password dialog appears. The
default password for Circulation Desk is CHECKITOUT. Type the password in
the text box and choose OK.
Note: You can also access the Follett Applications menu from the Windows
Start | Programs menu or from the Mac OS Apple menu.
If this is the first time you've started Circulation Desk on the current date, a
message appears asking you to confirm the system date and time. If you're
running Circulation Desk on:
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Windows: To accept the date and time stated in the message, click No. To
change the system date or time, click Yes and the Windows Date/Time
Properties dialog appears. After you make your changes, the date/time
confirmation message displays the new settings. You can change the system
date/time again, if necessary. Otherwise, choose No to continue.
Mac OS: To accept the date and time stated in the message, click OK. To
change the date or time, from the Mac OS Apple menu, select Control Panels
| Date & Time. After making your changes, click OK to close the message.
Important: Changing the date/time changes the operating system date/time,
not just the date/time used by Circulation Desk.
When you start Circulation Desk for the first time each day, Circulation Desk
does a few housekeeping tasks. If there are any events in the system and you
specified automatic deletion for expired events (see page 43), the system checks
the date of all events. Any deleted events are indicated on the Daily Events
Processing progress dialog.
If there are any holds or reserves in the system, the Daily Holds Processing
progress dialog appears after Circulation Desk processes the events. If
Circulation Desk takes any action on a hold, such as readying or deleting a hold,
this information is sent to the Daily Holds Processing exception report. If the
pre-reserve processing date for a reserve has arrived, information about the
items you need to retrieve is included in the Daily Holds Processing exception
report. For more information about the Daily Holds Processing exception report,
see page 171.
After you respond to all the startup messages, Circulation Desk opens at the
Check Out window. The following shows the Check Out window after a
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successful checkout and describes the basic elements of many of the Circulation
Desk windows:
Menu bar
Find Patron and Find Title buttons
Circulation Desk toolbar
(the depressed button, which
is darker, indicates the active
window)
To get help on the current window
The Special Due
Date is active if a
date appears here.
The barcode you type
or scan appears here.
The patron information box
appears here in the Check
Out, Holds/Reserves, Fines,
and Lost Copies windows.
When File | Show
Patron Picture is
selected, the
Patron Picture
window displays
the photo attached
to the patron's
record.
Your library's
name
Current patron statistics, including number of checkouts, number of overdue items,
number of holds and reserves ready, and cumulative fine amount, not including refunds.
The Renew button is enabled
when the patron has copies checked out.
To print receipts for patron transactions
if you have the Transaction Tracker installed.
To view or print detailed patron information.
To access the Edit Patron dialog.
Brief patron information, including Name, Barcode, Patron ID, and Location 1.
The prompt for Location 1 can be customized in System Setup.
From the menu bar, you can access the following submenus and help:
File Contains the commands for setting up receipt printing, showing or
hiding patron pictures, and limiting or restoring access to Circulation Desk.
Use the Exit/Quit command to close Circulation Desk. On Mac OS, it also
contains a Page Setup command.
Circulation Use these commands to switch between the Circulation Desk
windows, find a patron or title, add or edit a patron, preview due dates, or
set a special due date.
Help Contains the commands used to access the help topic, menus, and
glossary. From the About dialog you can see product information, the current
number of patrons, titles, and copies in the system, and run the System
Circulation Statistics and System Information Reports (see Chapter 39,
System reports").
To switch between the Circulation Desk windows, select the toolbar button that
corresponds to the activity you want to perform, or select it from the Circulation
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menu on the menu bar. You can also switch between windows by using the key
combinations on the Circulation menu. When you switch windows, Circulation
Desk retains the current patron. Because it does so, if you discover during a
renewal that the patron owes a fine, you can switch to the Fines window and
record a payment without scanning or entering the patron barcode again.
Pressing ESC clears the current patron.
To switch between circulation functions without using a mouse or keyboard, you
can use the laminated Circulation Desk Command Sheet. Scan the barcode of the
function you would like to perform and then continue with the operation.
Important: Scanning command barcodes works only when you are in the Check
Out, Check In, Holds/Reserves, Fines, Renewals, Lost Copies, or
Copy Status windows.
Circulation Desk security
Circulation Desk provides several ways of ensuring security:
There are three passwords that you define in System Setup for protecting
Circulation Desk: a password for starting Circulation Desk, a password for
overriding block conditions, and a password for changing the Circulation
setup options (see page 40).
Pressing the ESC key clears all patron and title information from any
Circulation Desk window. You can also set up an inactivity timeout option in
System Setup to automatically clear all patron and title information from a
Circulation Desk window after a specified period of time (see page 88). You
can use both of these features to protect patron information.
If you want to limit the access that student helpers or aides have to your
system, you can configure the individual Circulation Desk workstations for
limited operation. You can limit access to Check Out, Check In, or both. You
can also limit the ability to search for a patron or title. For more information,
see the next section, Limiting and restoring access to Circulation Desk."
Limiting and restoring access to Circulation Desk
When you want to limit the access that your student helpers or aides have in
Circulation Desk, you can configure the individual workstations they use by
doing the following:
1.
From the File menu, select File | Limit Circulation Desk Access. To set up
limited access, you must define a password for Circulation Desk in System
Setup. Type the password in the text box and choose OK.
Important: You cannot continue with this feature until you set up a
Circulation Desk password in System Setup.
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2.
Once you enter the password, the Limit Circulation Desk Access dialog
appears:
Starts the Limited Access
mode. Once access has
been limited, the Circulation
Desk password will be
required to restore full
access.
Select one or both circulation operations.
If neither is selected, a message appears.
Check these boxes when you want patrons
to be able to search for patrons or titles.
When these boxes are unchecked, patrons
must use a barcode to find a patron or title.
Lets user view, edit, or delete important
messages.
Displays any circulation note
entered in the copy editor.
Lets user print a receipt for circulation
transactions (only available if
Transaction Tracker is installed).
Note: Since the Limited Access options are applied to the individual
workstations, you must set up each workstation separately.
Limiting access to Circulation Desk affects certain features:
Special Due Date If you wish to use a Special Due Date for your check out
transactions, the date must be set before entering Limited Access mode. The
Special Due Date button is disabled in Limited Access mode.
Renewals When you enter the Limited Access mode, the Renewals button is
disabled. However, you can renew items by simply checking them out again.
Record InLibrary Usage During checkin, if you want to record the inhouse
usage of books not checked out, make sure that Record InLibrary Usage is
selected on the Check In window before you enter the Limited Access mode.
For more information, see Reshelving items"on page 152.
Block Conditions To stop workstation users from clearing all block
conditions, even in Limited Access mode, you must set up the Circulation
Desk Override password in System Setup (see page 40).
Add/Edit Patron The Add and Edit Patron funtions are disabled while in
Limited Access Mode.
Patron Pictures To show or hide patron pictures, the File menu choice must
be made before entering Limited Access mode.
Patron Information Patron information such as address, fine history, and
holds, is never available from the Limited Access mode.
When you want to restore the workstation to full operation, do the following:
1.
From the File menu, select File | Restore Full Access. In the password dialog,
type the password you defined for Circulation Desk in System Setup and
then choose OK.
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Important: You cannot continue with this process until the correct password
is entered.
2.
Once you enter the password, full access to Circulation Desk is restored.
Receipt Printer (Transaction Tracker) setup and printing
If your library prints receipts for patrons, you can customize the information
printed on the receipts. These options are only available if you have purchased
and installed the Transaction Tracker for Circulation Plus. You also need to install
a printer driver. For Mac OS workstations, there isn't a driver to install; however,
the Transaction Tracker must be connected directly to the computer.
Note: Since the Transaction Tracker setup options are applied to the individual
workstations, you must set up each workstation separately.
See also: For more information about how to install the Receipt Printer
(Transaction Tracker) software and driver, see the Installation Guide.
From the Circulation Desk File menu, choose Receipt Printer Setup.
Saves the Transaction
Tracker settings
Select the items you wish to
appear on the printed receipt.
When these items are
selected, they will not be
printed on the receipt.
Prints at the top of
each receipt
Prints at the bottom
of each receipt
When this option is selected,
the site information prints on
the receipt.
Select the printer that has
been set up to print receipts
On Mac OS, select the port
to which the printer is
attached.
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Chapter 7 Circulation Desk basics
Receipts can be printed from several areas of the Circulation Desk, including
Check Out, Holds/Reserves, Fines, and Lost Copies. Each receipt will be printed
based on the setup defined. The following graphic is an example of a receipt:
Follett High School
55 North Street
McHenry, Illinois 99999
03/29/2002 @ 12:01pm
Reading is Fun!
Adams, Michael
P 2135430
Today’s Check Outs
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Tom Sawyer
Barcode: T 100029
Due Date: 04/12/2002
Overdue
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Huckleberry Finn
Barcode: T 100031
Due Date: 03/25/2002
Pending Fine: $0.40
Note: Pending fines are calculated as of
the report date, and reflect fines that
may be charged if overdue items were
returned on this date.
Outstanding Fines
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Ten little circus mice
Barcode: T 102347
Fine Type: DAMAGED
Fined On: 03/04/2002
Amount Due: $1.25
Total Fines Due: $1.25
Holds/Reserves
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
The bears’ Christmas
Placed On: T 100004
Expires: 04/30/2002
Status: Pending
A B Cedar : an alphabet of trees
Placed On: T 4939
Expires: 06/15/2002
Status: Reserved 05/15/2002–05/29/2002
Remember – all library books are due by
7/1/2002.
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Showing and hiding patron pictures
If your library has patron pictures for patron records, you will have the option to
show those pictures.
See also: For information on attaching pictures to patron records, see page 189.
From the Circulation Desk File menu, choose Show Patron Picture.
The patron's picture appears in the lower right corner of the Circulation Desk.
The Patron Picture window can be moved to a different location on the desktop.
Note: If no patron picture is available when Show Patron Pictures is selected, the
patron picture window will display the message, No picture available."
To stop displaying patron pictures on the Circulation Desk, choose Hide Patron
Picture from the Circulation Desk File menu.
Transactions 101
The basic transactions you can perform using Circulation Desk include: checking
out and checking in copies, renewing copies, creating fines and collecting fine
payment, marking copies lost, and placing holds and reserves for patrons.
To perform any transaction, you need to retrieve a patron, a copy, or both. There
are three ways to retrieve the patron or title you want:
Scan a barcode label in the Type or Scan a Barcode text box.
Select the patron or title using the Find Patron and Find Title buttons to the
right of the Type or Scan a Barcode text box.
Type a barcode in the Type or Scan a Barcode text box. To look up a patron by
their ID number, type a /" followed by the patron's ID.
To ensure that you retrieve all of your patrons and copies quickly and accurately,
we recommend you use a scanner.
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Chapter 7 Circulation Desk basics
Typing or scanning barcodes
When you successfully scan a barcode, it immediately appears in the Type or
Scan a Barcode text box.
Note: If you type your barcodes and are using a Follett Classic barcode
symbology for both patrons and copies, we recommend that you type the
preceding P" or T" (the type identifier). If you do not, there could be
confusion between patron and library material barcodes.
If the barcode matches the symbology defined in System Setup, but doesn't
match a patron or a copy in your database, a message appears asking if you want
to add the title or patron, depending on the situation.
While in the Check Out window, if you have already scanned a patron
successfully, and then scan a barcode that Circulation Desk cannot identify as
either a patron or a copy, the Unrecognized Barcode message box appears:
To add a new title or patron
Select what you want to add.
See also: For information about adding titles from Circulation Desk, see
Adding a title during a checkout" on page 139. To add patrons from Circulation
Desk, see Adding or editing a patron" on page 139.
Finding patrons or copies
If a barcode is damaged, or not present, you can still search for patrons or library
materials using the Find Patron and Find Title buttons.
Circulation Desk allows you to search for patrons by name, barcode, patron ID
number, and by a phonetic equivalent of the last name (name sounds like).
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From the Circulation Desk window, select the Find Patron button. The Find
Patron dialog appears:
From the Whose drop
down list, select the type of
search you want to
perform. If searching by
name, type the name as
Last, First. If searching by
Name sounds like, type in
the closest phonetic
equivalent of the patron's
last name.
If you have trouble finding a
patron one way, try another
type of search.
You can use the up and down
arrow keys to navigate through
the list of patrons. The HOME
key takes you to the top of the
list, and the END key takes
you to the end of the list.
To initiate the
search
Type the search
string here.
To select the
highlighted patron
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Chapter 7 Circulation Desk basics
From the Circulation Desk window, select the Find Title button. The Find Title
dialog appears:
From the Whose list, select the type of search you want to perform.
If you have trouble finding a title one way, try another type of search.
Type the search string in the text box
and choose Find.
To initiate the
search
You can use the up
and down arrow keys
to navigate through
the list of titles and
copies.
The HOME key
takes you to the top
of the list, and the
END key takes you
to the end of the list.
From the list of
titles, highlight the
desired title and
choose Select.
The list of titles
changes to show
a list of copies for
the title.
Highlight the
desired copy
and choose
Select.
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Important messages for patrons
Once a patron is selected by scanning, typing, or using the Find Patron dialog, if
an important message exists for the patron, this message is displayed. An
important message must be created for the patron in Patron Maintenance or from
the Edit Patron button in Circulation Desk (see How to add or edit an important
message or a note," page 189).
To close the Important
Message and return to
the Circulation Desk
window, click OK.
To remove the Important
Message from the
patron's record, click
Delete. If a password
has been defined for
Patron Maintenance,
enter the password.
To edit the Important
Message, click Edit. If
a password has been
defined for Patron
Maintenance, enter
the password. Edit the
message, and then
click Save.
To remove the message from
the patron's record, click Clear
and then click Save.
Sounds
The following table describes the reasons that sounds might occur when you scan
or type a barcode in Circulation Desk. These sound events are defined in System
Setup and are intended to help you monitor transactions without having to keep
your eyes constantly focused on your computer screen. More than one of these
sounds can occur when you scan a barcode. For information about setting up
sounds for Circulation Desk, see Setting up alert sounds (and more) for your
circulation desk" on page 88.
Note: If your Circulation Desk workstation does not have a sound card, you
cannot define sounds for these events. However, even if you do not have a
sound card, there are default sounds associated with these events that are
emitted by your system speaker.
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Chapter 7 Circulation Desk basics
Circulation Desk barcode scanning sounds
Circulation Desk sound event
Cause for sound
Successful Barcode Entry
Each time you scan a valid barcode, and successfully
retrieve the patron or copy, you hear this sound. If you
are scanning barcodes, this sound plays in addition to
the beep from the scanner.
Block Condition
If you try to perform a transaction that violates the
circulation policies you define in System Setup, you
hear this sound.
Checkout of NonStandard Circ Type
If you check out a copy with a circulation type that is
different than the Standard Circ Type defined in System
Setup (see page 88), you hear this sound.
Patron has Fines or Overdues
If this sound is defined, when you scan a patron's
barcode, you hear this sound if the patron has any
overdue copies or any fines.
Checkin Readies Hold/Reserve
If this sound is defined, when you scan a copy's
barcode, you hear this sound if the copy readies
a hold or reserve.
Checkin Creates Fine
If this sound is defined, when you scan a copy's
barcode, you hear this sound if the copy generates
a fine.
Checkin for In-Library Usage
If this sound is defined, when you scan a copy's
barcode, you hear this sound if the copy checked in
is In-Library Usage.
Checkin of Non-Standard Copy Status
If this sound is defined, when you scan a copy's
barcode, you hear this sound if the copy has a
non-standard copy status.
Checkin of Temporary Item
If this sound is defined, when you scan a copy's
barcode, you hear this sound if the copy is a
temporary item.
Note: A checkin of an item with a non-standard copy status includes an item that
has a status of At The Bindery," Loaned Out," Missing," Lost," or
Refund Due." It also includes the checkin of an item that is not checked
out when In-Library Usage is turned off.
Handling block conditions during a transaction
The circulation policies you define in System Setup regulate transactions in
Circulation Desk with the help of block conditions. Whenever a patron violates a
policy, a message appears listing the policy or policies that the patron has
violated. The following table describes the block messages:
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Transaction block conditions
Message
Cause
Checkout limit reached
The patron is attempting to exceed the maximum number of
copies allowed to this patron type.
The Checkout limit may be set to 0". You can change it in
System Setup.
Checkout limit reached for this
circ type. Proceeding with the
transaction will override the max
imum limit for ALL circ types.
The patron is attempting to exceed the maximum number of
copies allowed to the circulation type set up for this patron
type.
Expired library card
The patron's library card has expired.
Fine threshold reached
The patron's accumulated fines have reached the fine thresh
old defined for this patron type.
The Fine threshold may be set to 0". You can change it in
System Setup.
Holds limit reached
The patron has attempted to place more holds than is allowed
by this patron type definition.
The Holds limit may be set to 0". You can change it in Sys
tem Setup.
Inactive or restricted patron
This patron has a status of inactive or restricted. This usually
means that you have restricted or suspended the patron's
borrowing privileges.
Overdue limit reached
The patron is trying to check out or renew more copies after
reaching the patron type limit for number of overdue copies.
The Overdue limit may be set to 0". You can change it in
System Setup.
Renewal limit reached
The patron is trying to renew a copy that has already been
renewed before and has reached the renewal limit. The
Renewal limit may be set to 0". Change it in System Setup.
Special due date now obsolete
The special due date is in the past. If you override this block,
anything you check out or renew for this patron is automati
cally overdue.
(barcode: ) is a
Non-circulating copy
Non-circulating eBook (*NC) is a special Circulation Type.
You cannot circulate this circulation type nor override the
block condition message. If you wish to check out this copy,
you must first change its circulation type in Cataloging.
If a block condition exists for a patron, a block condition informational message
will appear each time you attempt to perform a transaction for that patron. In
order to complete the transaction, you need to override the block condition. Once
the block condition has been overridden, the block condition message will not
appear again during the current checkout session. If you perform transactions for
other patrons, returning to the patron with block conditions will begin a new
session, and the block condition messages will again appear until overridden.
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Chapter 7 Circulation Desk basics
If you prefer greater control over the ability to override block conditions, then
you may want to define the Circulation Desk Override password. Once you have
defined the Circulation Desk Override password in System Setup, you must enter
the password to complete the transaction.
Note: You cannot override the block condition, (barcode: . . . ) is a
Noncirculating copy."
See also: For more information about setting up the block condition password,
see Protecting your Follett applications with passwords" on page 40.
If block conditions appear too frequently while checking out or renewing copies,
you might want to reevaluate and update your circulation policies in System
Setup. For information about setting your circulation policies, see Circulation
policies: who can have what and for how long" on page 76.
Adding or editing a patron record
You can add a new patron from the Checkouts, Holds/Reserves, Fines, or Lost
Copies window by selecting Add Patron from the Circulation menu and defining
the patron information exactly the same way you would when adding a patron in
Patron Maintenance. If a scanned patron barcode is not associated with a patron
in your patron list, Circulation Desk prompts you to add the patron and opens
the Add Patron dialog if you choose to do so. For information about adding
patrons, see How to add or edit a patron record" on page 187.
To edit a patron you must first select a patron from the Find Patron dialog, or by
scanning a patron barcode, then select Edit Patron from the Circulation menu or
click the Edit Patron button to the right of the Patron Group Box. You are
presented with the Edit Patron dialog where you can make your changes.
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Viewing and printing patron information
You can view the following information about a patron from either Circulation
Desk or Patron Maintenance: current checkouts; transaction statistics including
current and accumulated counts; personal information including addresses, and
location and user fields; current and pending fines; current holds and reserves;
and any patron note or important message that has been entered for the patron.
You can print the following information about a patron from either Circulation
Desk or Patron Maintenance: current checkouts, overdues, holds, and reserves;
pending fines, assessed fines; and circulation statistics.
To view or print detailed patron information from a Circulation Desk window,
select a patron and choose Patron Info in the patron information box. The Patron
Information dialog appears with the Checkouts tab open:
Basic patron identification
always appears at the top.
To view the various types of
patron information, select the
corresponding tab.
The Checkouts tab shows a list
of the patron's current checkouts
sorted by due date.
To print
checkouts,
overdues,
holds,
reserves, and
fines
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Chapter 7 Circulation Desk basics
Each tab shows detailed information about the patron:
The Stats tab shows the current transaction counts, the circulation limits
defined in System Setup, and some cumulative circulation statistics.
This column shows the limits defined for
patrons of this patron type. These limits are
defined in the Policies tab in System Setup.
Click to view or print circulation statistics for the
selected patron. For information about the Patron
Circulation Statistics dialog, see page 133.
The Personal tab shows detailed personal
information, including primary and
secondary addresses and phone numbers.
The Fines tab shows a list of the
patron's current assessed fines,
including the balance due for each
fine. If the fine has a note,
doubleclick on the fine to display the
note.
If you chose to automatically
calculate overdue fines in System
Setup and the patron has overdue
items, a note at the bottom of this tab
contains the current pending fine
amount for those overdue items.
The Holds tab shows a list of the
patron's current holds and reserves,
including the current status; when it
expires; and whether it is on the first
available copy or a specific copy.
The Message tab displays any important
message you created in Patron Maintenance.
This message displays each time a patron is
selected in Circulation Desk.
The Note tab
displays any note
you created in
Patron Maintenance
for this patron. This
is the only place this
patron note displays
in Circulation Desk.
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Note: If the Collect Patron Transaction Histories check box in System Setup is
unchecked and you have removed patron history in Utilities, no statistical
information will be displayed on the Stats tab.
To take action on any checkouts, fines, holds, or reserves, switch to the
appropriate Circulation Desk window.
To print patron information from one of the tabs, choose Print on the Patron
Information dialog. The Print Patron Information dialog appears:
The patron's name and barcode
appear at the top of the printout.
Select what information you
want to show on the printout.
If you select this check box, the patron's phone
number does not appear on the printout.
If you select this check box, no
titles appear on the printout.
The following sample shows what the printout might look like:
Springtree Montessori
10/14/2002 @ 03:21 pm
Patron Information
Page 1
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Name: Mulder, Dana
Barcode: P 20
CHECKED OUT
Barcode
Due Date
Call #
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Artificial intelligence, fulfilling the dream.
T 21054
10/21/2002
VIS 006.3
Everyday life in Bible times.
T 88008
10/28/2002
REF 220.9
Semantics: studies in the science of meaning,
T 21103
10/28/2002
412
OVERDUE
Barcode
Due Date
Est. Fine
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Patron does not have overdue items.
FINES OWED
Barcode
Fined On
Amount
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Area handbook for Japan.
T 21081
09/16/2002
10.00
Artificial intelligence : opposing viewpoints
T 21056
09/27/2002
2.00
Semantics: studies in the science of meaning,
T 21103
09/18/2002
10.00CR
HOLDS/RESERVES
Placed On
Expires
Status
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Metaphor and meaning.
T 21127
10/21/2002
Pending
Poetry, language, thought.
T 20531
09/10/2002
Expired
The key.
T 8053
10/20/2002
Reserved
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Chapter 7 Circulation Desk basics
To view the number of circulation and holds transactions recorded for the
selected patron during a given time period, select the Details button on the Stats
tab. The Patron Circulation Statistics dialog appears:
List includes hours,
days, months, and
years.
Enter a number
from 1 to 90.
Updates the
current data with
the patron's
circulation
statistics for the
selected period.
Prints the patron's
circulation
statistics.
Note: If the Collect Patron Transaction Histories check box in System Setup is
unchecked and you have removed patron history in Utilities, no statistical
information will be displayed in this dialog.
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Viewing the current status of a copy
From the Copy Status window you can retrieve the status of any copy in your
collection by scanning its barcode or by selecting it using the Find Title button.
This feature enables you to find out quickly when a copy is due. The Copy Status
window appears as follows:
You can access and manage the hold queue from the Copy Status window by
choosing the Holds/Reserves button in the Copy Status window. For more
information about the hold queue, see page 165.
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Chapter 7 Circulation Desk basics
To view the recent checkouts of a copy, choose Checkouts in the Copy Status
window. The Checkouts dialog appears:
To view circulation and hold statistics for the selected copy, choose Copy Details.
To view circulation and hold statistics for the title, choose Title Details.
List includes hours, days,
months, and years.
Updates the current data
with the system's
circulation statistics for the
selected period.
Prints the circulation
statistics for the title
or copy selected.
Sending items to the bindery or on interlibrary loan
Circulation Desk does not track items that you loan to other libraries or items that
you send to a bindery for repairs. You must create your own manual tracking
system for these situations. However, you can change the copy status of an item
in Cataloging to At the Bindery or On Loan to indicate the location of the item.
When the items return, you can check them in in Circulation Desk to change the
copy status back to Available. Items that have a copy status of At the Bindery or
On Loan will have a status of OUT in the OPAC.
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Troubleshooting
This table lists some problems that may occur while using Circulation Desk:
Basic troubleshooting for Circulation Desk
Problem
Suggestion
Copy barcode won't scan
Patron barcode won't scan
If a barcode won't scan properly, try cleaning your scanner
head, then consult the documentation that came with your
scanner, or see the Appendix.
If you receive a message stating that the barcode is invalid,
test the patron or copy barcode in System Setup | Setup |
Site | Barcodes to verify that the symbology is valid for your
system.
Can't find the patron
If you're searching for a patron and you've only tried
searching by Name, try searching by barcode and typing the
barcode that appears on the patron's library card. If that fails,
try searching by Patron ID. You can also try searching by the
phonetic equivalent of the last name (Name sounds like).
Can't find the title
If you can't find the title from Circulation Desk using the
Find Title button, which allows you to search by title, author,
subject and series, try switching to Cataloging and using a
different search method, such as by call number.
The following table lists some error messages that might appear while starting
Circulation Desk or while searching for a copy.
Circulation Desk startup and Find Title error messages
Message
Cause
The end of the year is
approaching. Be sure to create a
calendar for ...
You need to create a calendar for the coming year in System
Setup. See also: Setting up your library's current calendar"
on page 85.
There are no copies for this title.
This message appears in the Find Title dialog when you are
attempting to select a title for which there are no copies.
There are no loan periods
defined. You will not be able to
circulate until loan periods have
been defined in System Setup |
Setup | Circulation | Policies.
In order to perform any checkouts or renewals, you must
start System Setup from Start | Programs | Follett
Applications and define your loan periods for all of your
patron types for each of your circulation types.
See also: For information about setting up your loan policies,
see Circulation policies: who can have what and for how
long" on page 76.
Unable to locate ... calendar.
Circulation Desk was not able to locate the calendar for the
Create a calendar in System Setup current year during startup. Exit Circulation Desk before
| Setup | Circulation | Calendar. creating a calendar in System Setup. You should not try to
perform any checkouts or renewals until you set up your
calendar.
See also: For information about creating a calendar, see
Setting up your library's current calendar" on page 85.
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Chapter 8 Checking out items
This chapter provides instructions for checking out copies, adding or editing
patrons during a checkout, adding titles during a checkout, handling
noncirculating items, showing due dates, and setting special due dates for
checkouts and renewals.
Important: It is very important to set up your calendar in System Setup for the
coming year before you check out items in Circulation Desk that will
be due after year's end. If you don't have a calendar defined,
Circulation Desk creates a new calendar for you based on your
default annual calendar. For more information about defining a
calendar, see Setting up your library's current calendar" on page 85.
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How to check out a copy
The basic checkout procedure involves entering two barcodes: the patron barcode
and the copy barcode:
Type or scan the patron barcode. If the patron
barcode is missing or damaged, use the Find
Patron button.
When Circulation Desk retrieves the patron
successfully, the Important Message dialog
displays (if there is a message) and brief
patron information appears in the patron
information box.
To know more about important messages, see
Important messages for patrons," page 126.
Next, scan the copy barcode. If the copy
barcode is damaged or missing, use the
Find Title Button.
Block messages appear if the patron has
violated any circulation policies. If the
Circulation Desk Override password is
defined in System Setup, you must enter
that password to complete the transaction.
To see the current patron's fines or holds and
reserves, select the appropriate toolbar
button.
To get information about a copy's previous
checkouts, choose Copy Status. See View
ing the current status of a copy," page 134.
Before checking out or renewing copies,
check to see if a special due date is active.
To print a receipt for the patron's current
transaction
See Receipt Printing setup and printing on
page 120 for more information.
To view and print detailed information about
the current patron
To access the Edit Patron dialog
When Show Patron Picture is selected from
the File menu, a picture displays if a photo
is attached to the patron's record.
If the checkout is successful, relevant copy
information appears in the title information box.
If no special due date is active, the due date for the checkout is determined by the
circulation policies defined in System Setup (see page 77). If a ceiling date was used to
determine the due date, Ceiling Date Used appears next to the Due Date.
If the copy you are checking out requires special attention, a circulation note may
appear. Circulation notes are attached to the copy record in Cataloging. For more
information about circulation notes, see Chapter 24, Working with copies."
If Circulation Desk cannot find the patron or the title in your database, you can
add them during a checkout. For more information, see Adding or editing a
patron" and Adding a title during a checkout," both on page 139.
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Chapter 8 Checking out items
If the loan period for the copy is defined as zero, a message appears stating that
the copy is noncirculating. For more information about noncirculating copies,
see Handling noncirculating copies" on page 141.
If you try to check out or renew a copy that has a pending or ready hold or
reserve on it for another patron, a message appears asking you to confirm this
action. Since this message does not require a password to override it, you may
want to communicate your policy regarding holds and reserves to your staff.
If you try to check out a copy that has a future reserve on it, and the normal
circulation period would overlap the reserve period, Circulation Desk alerts you
with a message. It also automatically shortens the loan period so that the item is
due on the day before the pre-reserve processing date.
If the reserving patron retrieves the item before the reserve period, you need to
delete the reserve before checking out the item. This avoids any loan-period
shortening intended to protect the reserve.
See also: For more information about searching for patrons or copies, see
Finding patrons or copies" on page 123.
See also: For more information about block conditions, see Handling block
conditions during a transaction" on page 127.
Adding or editing a patron
You can add a new patron from the Circulation Desk main window by selecting
Add Patron from the Circulation menu and defining the patron information
exactly the same way you would when adding a patron in Patron Maintenance.
You return to the Check Out window upon saving the patron record. You can also
add a patron from the Holds/Reserves, Fines, and Lost Copies windows.
Additionally, if a scanned patron barcode is not associated with a patron
currently in your patron list, you are prompted to add the patron and taken to the
Add Patron dialog if you choose to do so. For information about adding patrons,
see How to add or edit a patron record" on page 187.
To edit a patron you must first select a patron from the Find Patron dialog, or by
scanning a patron barcode, then select Edit Patron from the Circulation menu or
click the Edit Patron button to the right of the Patron Group Box. You are
presented with the Edit Patron dialog where you can make your changes. As
when adding a patron, you return to the Check Out window upon saving the
patron record.
Note: You can turn off the ability to add or edit patrons during checkout by using
the Limit Circulation Desk Access function. See Limiting and restoring
access to Circulation Desk" on page 118 for more information. You must
still use Patron Maintenance to delete patrons.
Adding a title during a checkout
When adding titles during checkout, Circulation Desk gives you the option of
creating temporary or permanent records. Whether you add a temporary or a
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permanent record, Circulation Desk assigns a material type of Book (Monograph)
to all titles created during a checkout.
A temporary title record is for titles that change frequently or have short
circulation periods. For example, you might use temporary title records to
circulate paperbacks and unbound magazines. Note, however, that you cannot
change temporary records to permanent records later.
When you create a temporary title, Circulation Desk automatically assigns the
Temporary category and circulation type and the TEM call number prefix to it.
Circulation Desk does this so that you can collect circulation statistics on
temporary copies. In addition, Circulation Desk does not create keywords for
temporary titles when you save the record, and temporary titles cannot be
exported or enhanced with Alliance Plus.
The temporary title and its copy are deleted when the copy is checked in. If,
however, there are any fines or holds on the temporary copy, the temporary title
and copy are not deleted until all pending transactions have been addressed.
Tip: If you intend to add temporary titles from Circulation Desk, you may want
to keep a stack of cards with unused barcodes at the circulation desk. When
you check out a temporary copy, you paperclip the card to the temporary
item. When the item is checked in again, and Circulation Desk deletes the
temporary title and its copy, you can put the card back into the stack so that
it can be reused with the next temporary item.
The option to add permanent title records allows you to quickly create a brief title
record without leaving Circulation Desk and disrupting the checkout procedure.
Note, however, that when you create a permanent title record during a checkout,
Circulation Desk checks to see if the bibliographic record you are adding is a
duplicate if you enter an LCCN, ISBN, or ISSN. If you enter one of these
numbers, Circulation Desk only checks for duplicate titles by looking for records
that contain an identical title and identical LCCN, ISBN, or ISSN. While it is
convenient to add brief records from Circulation Desk, this feature is probably
best used for temporary records. If you do catalog permanent title records from
Circulation Desk, we recommend that you periodically run a Brief Records
Report and enhance your brief records in Cataloging. For more information about
the Brief Records Report, please refer to Chapter 37, Cataloging reports."
Tip: Instead of adding brief records during a checkout, if you use the multiuser
Follett applications and have Cataloging available from your Circulation
Desk workstation, you can open Cataloging to create a full record. If
Cataloging has already been started, you can press ALT + TAB to switch to it.
See also: For more information about cataloging brief and full records, see
Chapter 23, Using the MARC Editor."
Note: You can turn off the ability to add titles during checkout by using the Limit
Circulation Desk Access function. See Limiting and restoring access to
Circulation Desk" on page 118 for more information.
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Chapter 8 Checking out items
1.
In the Type or Scan a Barcode text box, type or scan an unassigned barcode. If
your patron and copy barcodes are distinct, a message appears asking you if
you want to add a title. If Circulation Desk cannot distinguish your patron
from your copy barcodes, a message box appears, giving you the option of
creating a patron or a title record. In either case, if you choose to add a title,
the Add Title dialog appears:
To save the MARC
bibliographic and copy
record.
Select what type of record
to create.
To change the barcode to the
next highest available
barcode. For more
information, see Assigning
barcodes" on page 652.
The unassigned barcode you
scanned appears here.
Only a barcode and a title are
required to create a temporary
title and copy.
If you enter an LCCN, ISBN, or ISSN, Circulation Desk checks
for duplicate MARC records based on the number and the title.
Duplicates are determined by an exact match of the title and
LCCN/ISBN/ISSN. If you do not enter one of these numbers,
Circulation Desk cannot check for duplicates.
Note: With a properly configured scanner, you can scan the
ISBN barcode. For more information, see Appendix H,
Configuring scanners."
2.
When you finish defining the title/copy information, select Save.
If Circulation Desk determines that you may be adding a duplicate MARC
record when you are adding a permanent title, a message appears giving you
the option of either adding a copy to the existing title or adding a new title
and copy to your collection. Choose the appropriate option and select Save to
save the record or Cancel to return to the Add Title dialog.
Handling noncirculating copies
When defining your circulation policies in System Setup, you may decide that
certain materials in your collection, such as reference books, bound periodicals,
or eBooks, should not circulate. There are two ways to handle these items:
You can create a circulation type (in System Setup/Cataloging/Circ Types) and
then edit its loan period (in System Setup/Circulation/Policies), entering 0 (zero)
days. Assuming that there is no special due date in effect, whenever a patron tries
to check out a copy that has a loan period of zero, a message appears, asking you
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if you want to check out the noncirculating copy. If you choose Yes, the
NonCirculating Due Date dialog appears:
To proceed with the checkout
Enter the date and time on
which you want the
noncirculating item to return.
The date and time default to
the current date and time.
If you proceed with the checkout, the noncirculating due date you defined
appears in the title information box on the Check Out window as the due date of
the copy.
Note: Since there is no option to define a password for checking out or renewing
noncirculating copies, you may want to communicate your library policy
regarding noncirculating copies to your library staff.
The second method for handling non-circulating items is to use the
Non-circulating eBook (*NC) circulation type. *NC is a default circulation type
intended for, but not limited to, electronic resources. Its loan period is fixed at 0
(zero) days. Assigning this circulation type to a copy has several effects:
You cannot circulate the copy. When scanning its barcode in the Checkout
window, a block condition message appears. You cannot override the
message, nor enter a non-circulating due date as shown above.
You cannot place a hold, reserve, or fine on the copy. When attempting to do
so, a non-overridable message appears.
You do not inventory the copy. Its inventory status is always Marked.
See also: For information about electronic resource copies, see page 365.
See also: For information about setting up loan policies, see Circulation
policies: who can have what and for how long" on page 76.
Showing due dates
If you want to check the length of time a patron type can check out an item, you
can do so by using the Show Date Window option. This allows you to view the
loan policies set up for your patron types.
See also: For more information about setting up your default patron type,
circulation types, and patron loan periods, see Chapter 5, Preparing to circulate
your collection."
04/04
Chapter 8 Checking out items
From the Circulation menu, select the Show Date Window option. The Date
Window displays:
Select the patron type from list.
Non-circulating eBooks
cannot be checked out.
These dates are based on
the corresponding loan
policies you set up for the
selected patron type.
Note: If a Ceiling Date is being used, the Grace Date is based on the Ceiling Date.
Special Due Dates do not affect the Due Dates shown for a given
Circulation Type.
Special due dates for checkouts and renewals
If you want to override all loan periods (except that for Non-circulating eBooks)
defined in the Policies tab in System Setup, you can do so by using a special due
date. For example, you might want to check out a collection of reference materials
to a teacher for the entire semester for him/her to have in the classroom.
Important: Once activated, the special due date applies to every copy checked out
or renewed afterwards. Be sure to turn it off when you finish checking
out and renewing copies with the special due date.
When a special due date is in effect, a date appears in red in the text box
underneath the Help button on the Circulation Desk toolbar:
Special due date
Be sure to glance at this text box before checking out or renewing copies.
From the Check Out or Renewals windows, select the Special Due Date button.
The Special Due Date dialog appears:
To activate the Special Due
Date, select the check box, and
then type the due date and time
below. The date and time default
to the current date and time.
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Important: If you try to save a special due date that has already passed, an alert
box appears giving you the option of correcting it.
To turn off the special due date, clear the Use Special Due Date check box, and
choose Save.
Troubleshooting
The following table lists some of the error messages you might see in Check Out:
Check Out error messages
Message
Cause
A copy that was at the bindery
According to Circulation Desk, the copy the patron is attempt
must be checked in before it can ing to check out is at the bindery. You must check in the copy
circulate.
before you can check it out. If you keep any records on items
that you send to the bindery, you should update them now.
A copy that was loaned out
According to Circulation Desk, the copy the patron is
must be checked in before it can attempting to check out is loaned out to another institution.
circulate.
You must check in the copy before you can check it out. If you
keep any records on items that you lend to other institutions,
you should update them now.
Deleted temporary ... Barcode
... can now be reused.
This message only appears when you create a temporary copy,
but the transaction was not completed, for example, because
you decided to discontinue a transaction in response to a block
condition. Since the transaction fails, there is no reason for
Circulation Desk to create the temporary title and copy.
Fine threshold reached.
The total net amount of the patron's fines (not including
refunds) is greater than the amount you selected in System
Setup | Setup | Circulation | Policies | Fines Threshold.
Hourly due date is beyond
today. Allow?
The patron is checking out a copy that has an hourly circulation
period, and the calculated due time extends beyond the
library's open hours for today. If you choose Yes, Circulation
Desk continues calculating the due time beginning with the
opening time on the library's next open day. If you choose No,
the closing time on the current date becomes the due time.
is a
non-circulating copy.
Check it out anyway?
The copy is non-circulating because the loan period for the
circulation type/patron type combination is 0 (zero).
See also: For information about setting up your circulation
policies, see page 76.
is a *NC
non-circulating copy.
The copy is non-circulation because its circulation type is *NC.
To check out this copy, you must first change the circ type.
No loan period set up for patron
type ..., circulation type ...
This copy cannot be checked
out until the loan period is
defined in System Setup |
Setup | Circulation | Policies.
This message indicates that not all of your circulation policies
have been defined in System Setup. The transaction cannot
proceed.
See also: For information about setting up your circulation
policies, see Circulation policies: who can have what and for
how long" on page 76.
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Chapter 8 Checking out items
Check Out error messages (Cont.)
Message
Cause
There are pending holds on ...
Are you sure you want to check
it out to ... instead?
The copy the patron is renewing could satisfy a pending hold.
If you continue with the renewal, the hold remains pending
and could possibly expire before it becomes ready. If you do not
continue, check the copy in to ready the hold.
There is no fixed due date
defined for patron type ...
This message indicates that the patron is checking out a copy
that has a loan period type of fixed. However, there is no fixed
due date defined for the patron type in System Setup. The
transaction cannot proceed.
This copy has been missing
since ...
The copy the patron is checking out was not accounted for
during the inventory for the specified year. After you
acknowledge the message, the checkout proceeds.
When you check out a copy that was missing, the copy status
changes from missing to checked out and the inventory status
changes from missing to marked.
See also: For more information, see Chapter 19, Inventory
basics."
This copy is checked out to ...
Proceed?
The copy the patron is checking out is currently checked out to
someone else. This could indicate that the item was reshelved
before it was checked in. It could also indicate that the barcode
was entered improperly. Make sure the correct barcode has
been entered.
If you allow the checkout, Circulation Desk checks in the copy
and checks it out to the current patron. If you do not allow the
checkout, the copy remains checked out to the previous patron.
This copy is on hold for ... If
you override the hold and
proceed with the checkout, the
hold status will revert to
pending" and will become
ready" again at a later date.
Proceed with the checkout?
The copy this patron is attempting to check out is intended for
the patron who placed a hold on it. If you proceed with the
checkout, the status of the hold changes from ready back to
pending. When the patron who placed the hold comes to
retrieve the copy, you must explain that the hold will be ready
again when a copy returns.
This copy is on reserve for
by and
must be returned by .
Due date has been adjusted.
Proceed with checkout?
The copy this patron is attempting to check out has had a
reserve for a future date placed on it. If you proceed with the
checkout, the loan period is automatically shortened to
accommodate the reserve.
This copy was lost.
The copy the patron is checking out or renewing had a copy
status of lost. This means that someone reported the copy lost
and was most likely assessed a lost copy fine. If so, and if the
patron has paid all or part of the fine, Circulation Desk
generates a refund. If the patron has not made payment on the
fine, then Circulation Desk deletes the fine.
Unable to locate default
calendar. Create a calendar in
System Setup | Setup |
Circulation | Calendar.
This message appears if you have not set up a calendar in
System Setup | Setup | Circulation | Calendar.
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Notes
147
Chapter 9 Renewing items
In Circulation Desk, you can renew some or all of a patron's checkouts from the
Check Out window. You can also renew stacks of copies quickly from the
Renewals window, even if they're checked out to different patrons. This chapter
provides instructions for both renewal procedures.
Renewing all (or some) of a patron's checkouts
The most common way to renew copies is from the Check Out window. After
retrieving a patron, if the patron has any checkouts, the Renew button in the
patron information box is activated:
Check to see if a
special due date
is in effect before
renewing.
Patron information box
To renew all, or
some, of the
current patron's
checkouts
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When you choose Renew, the Renew dialog appears:
To renew all or just
the selected copies
Choose Renew Selected Copies
if only renewing some copies.
If Overdue or Renewal Limit
icons appear here, block
conditions appear if you try to
renew these copies. If the Hold
Pending icon appears here, a
message appears asking you
to confirm that you want to
renew this checkout.
List of patron's current checkouts.
If only renewing some copies,
highlight them on this list.
When you choose Renew in the Renew dialog, the Checkout Renewal progress
dialog appears. If Circulation Desk encounters any block conditions during the
renewal process, a block message appears. When renewal processing is complete,
you can review the new due dates in the Renew dialog. To return to the Check
Out window, choose Cancel in the Renew dialog.
If overdue fines are generated during renewal processing, a message appears
when processing is complete showing the total of the new fines. You can record
payment for those fines by switching to the Fines window. For information about
recording fine payments, see Chapter 11, Dealing with fines and lost copies."
If you try to renew a copy that has a hold pending on it, a message appears
asking you to confirm this action. Since there is no option to define a password
for overriding holds, you may want to communicate your policy regarding holds
to your library staff.
If you try to renew a copy that has a reserve on it, and the normal circulation
period would overlap the reserve date, Circulation Desk automatically shortens
the loan period so that the renewal is due the day before the pre-reserve
processing date. If the processing date has passed and the reserve is pending, a
message appears asking you to confirm the renewal.
See also: For more information about block conditions, see Handling block
conditions during a transaction" on page 127.
04/04
Chapter 9 Renewing items
How to renew a single copy or stack of copies
If a patron, such as a teacher, brings a stack of items to the circulation desk and
wants to renew them, you can renew them quickly without retrieving the patron
information for each item. To do this, switch to the Renewals window and scan
the copy barcode:
Scan or type the copy barcode
here.
Brief copy information appears in
the title information box.
Check to see if a
special due date
is in effect before
renewing.
Brief patron information appears
in the patron information box.
If any block conditions apply to the patron who is trying to renew the item, a
block message appears. For more information about block conditions, see
Handling block conditions during a transaction" on page 127.
If the copy you're renewing requires special attention, a circulation note may
appear. Circulation notes are attached to the copy record in Cataloging. For more
information about circulation notes, see Chapter 24, Working with copies."
If the copy you are renewing is overdue, and if a fine is generated, a message
appears. You can record a fine payment by switching to the Fines window. For
information about recording fine payments, see Chapter 11, Dealing with fines
and lost copies."
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Troubleshooting
The following table lists some messages that might appear while renewing copies
from the Renewals window. For other messages that appear while renewing
copies, see Troubleshooting at the end of Chapter 8, Checking out items."
Renewal error messages
Message
Cause
This copy is at the bindery and
cannot be renewed. Please
check it in.
According to Circulation Desk, the patron is attempting to re
new a copy that is at the bindery. This might indicate the item
was not checked in when it came back from the bindery. To
proceed, check the copy in. A message similar to this one ap
pears. Make a note that the copy has returned from the bindery.
You can now check the copy out to the patron.
This copy is lost and cannot be
renewed. Please check it in.
This message might indicate the patron has found a copy that
he has previously reported lost and is trying to renew it. To
proceed with the transaction, check it in. A message similar to
this one appears. You can now check the copy out to the patron.
Note: When you check in the copy, if the patron has paid all or
part of the lost copy fine, Circulation Desk generates a refund
for the amount paid. If the patron has not made payment on
the fine, then Circulation Desk deletes the lost copy fine.
This copy is missing and cannot
be renewed. Please check it in.
The patron is attempting to renew a copy that was not ac
counted for during a previous inventory. To proceed, check the
copy in, then switch to the Check Out window, and check the
copy out to the patron.
This copy is not checked out
and cannot be renewed.
According to Circulation Desk, the patron is attempting to re
new a copy that hasn't been checked out. This could indicate
that the barcode didn't scan properly. Try scanning the barcode
again.
This copy is on hold for ...
Since the copy is not checked
out, it cannot be renewed.
According to Circulation Desk, the copy should have been on
the hold shelf. If you want to allow the transaction, switch to
the Check Out window and check the copy out to the patron.
This copy is on loan and cannot
be renewed. Please check it in.
According to Circulation Desk, someone is trying to renew a
copy that is loaned out. If you want to allow this transaction,
check the copy in and then check it out to the patron. Be sure to
inform the borrowing library that the item has returned, and
update your records.
Recirculating temporary
material. Proceed?
The copy the patron is renewing is a temporary copy, meaning
that you intended this copy to have a limited circulation life. If
you renew this copy for the patron, the temporary title and
copy will remain in the system until the copy is checked in.
See also: For information about temporary copies, see Adding
a title during a checkout" on page 139.
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Chapter 10 Checking in items
This chapter provides instructions for checking in copies and handling items on
hold or on reserve.
How to check in a copy
Circulation Desk prompts you for the copy barcode at the start of a checkin:
When you scan or type the copy barcode, it appears here.
If the copy's barcode is missing or damaged, try searching for the copy by
title. For information about the Find Title dialog, see page 125.
This records circulation
statistics for items used in
the library even though
they were not checked
out.
See Reshelving items"
on page 152 for more
information.
When the copy
checks in, brief copy
information appears
in the title
information box.
Brief information
about the patron who
had the copy
checked out appears
in the patron
information box.
If Circulation Desk
assesses an overdue fine
for the copy, a message
appears after the Due Date,
displaying the amount.
To view or print more
detailed patron
information
To edit the patron record
If the copy you are checking in requires special attention, a circulation note may
appear. Circulation notes are attached to the copy record in Cataloging. For more
information about circulation notes, see Chapter 24, Working with copies."
If Circulation Desk creates a refund for a copy that had been marked lost, or if the
copy you just checked in satisfies a hold or reserve, a message appears.
If you check in an overdue copy, a message appears after the Due Date in the title
information box. If the patron is at the circulation desk and wants to pay the fine,
you can record fine payment by switching to the Fines window.
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If you want to be alerted by sound when a copy that was checked in readies a
hold or reserve, creates a fine, represents In-Library Usage, has a non-standard
copy status, or was a temporary item, see the section on setting up alert sounds
on page 88.
See also: For information about recording a fine payment, see Chapter 11,
Dealing with fines and lost copies."
See also: For information about recording items scanned with a PHD for
reshelving, see Chapter 13, Circulating items with a PHD."
Handling items on hold or reserve
When a patron returns a copy, Circulation Desk checks the hold/reserve queue
for any pending holds or reserves on the copy or the title. If it finds either, the
copy status for the copy just checked in changes to On Hold and a message
appears stating that the hold (or reserve) is ready for the requesting patron. Place
the copy on the hold shelf and notify the waiting patron. You can print Ready
Hold Notices in Reports.
If you want to be alerted by sound when a copy that was checked in readies a
hold or reserve, see the section on setting up alert sounds on page 88.
If you check out, to another patron, a copy that has a hold on it, a message
appears, asking you to confirm the checkout. If you do so, the hold status of that
item changes back to pending.
If you check out, to another patron, a copy that has a reserve on it, and the
normal circulation period would overlap the reserve date, Circulation Desk
automatically shortens the loan period so that the item is due on the day before
the pre-reserve processing date. If the processing date has passed and the reserve
is pending, a message appears asking you to confirm the checkout. If you do so,
the reserve status of that item changes back to pending.
See also: For more information about holds and reserves, see Chapter 12,
Managing holds."
Reshelving items
Record InLibrary Usage lets you track items that have been used in your library
but not checked out before you reshelve them. The usage statistics are
incremented for each item that is scanned to show that the item was used, even
though it was not checked out.
If you want to be alerted by sound when a copy that was checked in represents
In-Library Usage, see the section on setting up alert sounds on page 88.
If you deselect the Record InLibrary Usage check box, you cannot check in an
item that has not been checked out. A message appears when you try to check in
such an item, stating that the item has not been checked out.
Troubleshooting
The following table lists some other messages that can appear during a checkin.
04/04
Chapter 10 Checking in items
Message
Cause
The copy cannot be checked
in. It has not been checked
out.
This message might appear if you are checking in copies that had
not been checked out. You do not need to check these copies in
before reshelving them.
Note: You do not receive this message if Record InLibrary Usage
check box is selected.
Fine threshold reached.
The total net amount of the patron's fines (not including
refunds) is greater than the amount you selected in System Setup
| Setup | Circulation | Policies | Fines Threshold.
... paid a fine for the lost
book and will be credited
with a refund of $ ...
If a patron pays a fine for a lost copy, and the copy is later
checked in, Circulation Desk generates a refund for the amount
paid when the item is checked in. If this message appears during
checkin, and if the patron is there to collect the refund, you can
pay the refund by switching to the Fines window.
See also: For more information about paying refunds, see
Giving refunds" on page 161.
Temporary ... cannot be de
leted because there is a fine on
it, or there is a hold. Do not re
use barcode ...
The copy you checked in is a temporary copy. Since there are
fines or holds pending on this copy, Circulation Desk cannot
delete the temporary title or its copy. The temporary title and
copy will be deleted when the fine or hold has been addressed.
See also: For more information about temporary titles and their
copies, see Adding a title during a checkout" on page 139.
Temporary ... deleted. You
can now reuse barcode ...
The copy you checked in is a temporary copy. Since there are no
fines or holds pending on this copy, Circulation Desk deletes the
temporary title and its copy.
See also: For more information about temporary titles and their
copies, see Adding a title during a checkout" on page 139.
This copy has been missing
since ...
The copy being checked in was not accounted for during the
inventory for the specified year. The copy status changes from
Missing to Available and the inventory status changes from
Missing to Marked.
This copy is on hold and
should be placed on the hold
shelf.
This message appears when you try to check in a copy that is not
checked out and has a copy status of On Hold. To find out who is
waiting to retrieve the hold, you can switch to the Copy Status
window and check the hold queue.
See also: For more information about viewing the hold queue
from the Copy Status window, see Viewing the current status of
a copy" on page 134.
This copy of ... is on hold for:
... (Barcode: ...)
This message appears when you check in a copy that fulfills a
hold. You should place the copy on the hold shelf and send the
patron a Hold Notice as soon as possible.
See also: For more information about generating a Hold Notice,
see Generating Hold Notices" on page 553.
This copy was at the bindery.
The copy being checked in was at the bindery. Since you
probably keep track of copies you send to the bindery, you
should update your paperwork before you check in these copies.
The copy status changes from At The Bindery to Available.
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Message
Cause
This copy was loaned out.
Please update your records.
The copy being checked in was loaned out to another library.
Since you probably keep track of copies you loan to other
libraries, you should update your paperwork before you check in
these copies. The copy status changes from Loaned Out to
Available.
This copy was lost.
The copy being checked in was reported lost by a patron. The
patron was probably charged a lost copy fine. A message may
appear if a refund is generated. The copy status changes from
Lost to Available.
155
Chapter 11 Dealing with fines and lost copies
This chapter contains a brief explanation of the kinds of fines you can create in
Circulation Desk and instructions for the following: recording payment for a
single fine or for the total current fine balance; creating fines for damaged and
overdue copies; editing fines; giving refunds; marking checked out copies lost
and generating a fine for a lost copy.
Crime and punishment: the types of fines
Circulation Desk lets you create fines for your four default fine types as well as
any userdefined fine types you have set up:
Overdue fines are the most common and can be automatically generated
during a checkin. When you set up your Follett applications, you can decide
whether or not to have Circulation Desk automatically calculate overdue
fines. Even if you don't enable automatic overdue fine calculation, you can
still create damaged, lost, and overdue fines manually.
Note: The way overdue fines are calculated depends on how you selected
your options in the Fines tab in System Setup. For more information
about the fines option in System Setup, see Activating automatic fine
calculation and refunds" on page 81.
Lost copy fines can be charged when a patron reports losing a copy. You must
first mark the copy lost, then charge the patron for the copy. For more
information about lost copy fines, see Marking a patron's checkout lost" on
page 161.
Damaged copy fines can be charged when a returned copy shows signs of
careless handling by the patron.
Refunds can be tracked from the circulation desk. Refunds can be paid on a
lost copy that has been found after the fine has been paid, for instance. For
more information about lost copy fines, see Marking a patron's checkout
lost" on page 161.
Note: Userdefined fine types are not associated to copy information.
You can switch to the Fines window from any other window at any time to take
action on a patron's fines. If you have a sound card at your circulation desk, you
can define a sound event in System Setup to alert you when you retrieve a patron
who has fines or overdues.
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The following shows the Fines window and describes its features:
Scan or type the patron barcode.
An important message may
appear. See Important mes
sages for patrons" on page 126.
If enabled, the patron's picture
displays.
To print a receipt for the patron,
choose Print Receipt.
See Receipt Printer (Transaction
Tracker) setup and printing" on
page 120 for more information.
Brief patron information
appears in the patron
information box.
To create a damaged, overdue,
or userdefined fine
All of the patron's current
fines and refunds appear
in the fines list.
Userdefined fine types
will display a description
instead of a title.
Use the legend to identify
the type of fine charged to
the patron and whether the
fine contains a note.
Userdefined fines display
no icon.
To edit the amount owed for
the highlighted fine
To delete the highlighted fine
To record payment against
the highlighted fine
To record payment against the
balance of all fines, excluding
refunds
A CR" after the amount due also indicates that the patron is owed a refund.
Tracking fine payments
Except in the case of lost copy fines, Circulation Desk does not keep a history of a
fine after it has been paid in full or deleted. Information about a lost copy fine is
retained in the event that the copy returns. To keep a history of a patron's paid
fines, you'll need to track fines some other way.
Whenever you create, edit, or apply payment to a fine or the fine balance,
Circulation Desk lets you print a receipt with the patron's fine, payment, and
balance to your workstation's default printer. Each 8.5" x 11" page contains two
copies of the receipt, one for the patron and one for your records. The following
shows a patron's receipt after applying payment to a fine balance (see page 157):
Sky View School Library
Receipt for paid fines (patron copy)
10/13/2001 @ 3:10pm
Page 1
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Receipt to John Arnold for the following:
BARCODE
TITLE
PREV BAL AMT PAID WAIVED NEW BAL
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
T 11971
100 greatest basketball players
$10.95
$8.00
$2.95
T 7845
Barefoot book of giants, ghosts
$5.00
$1.00
$0.00
$4.00
T 1302
The glorious flight: across the
$0.80
$0.80
$0.00
Band uniform rental
$10.00
$0.00
$0.00
$10.00
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
TOTAL:
$26.75
$9.80
$2.95
$14.00
04/04
Chapter 11 Dealing with fines and lost copies
For more information on printing fine receipts, see the following sections.
See also: For an example of a refund receipt, see page 161. For information about
printing a patron's current fines, see page 130.
Recording payment against the fine balance
Tip: Since Circulation Desk doesn't deduct refunds from the total fine amount,
apply any refunds to the individual fines before accepting payment on the
remaining balance. For more information on applying refunds, see page 161.
If a patron wants to pay some or all of his/her fines, you can apply payment by
choosing Balance in the Fines window. The Pay Balance dialog appears:
Type the amount of payment here. Do not
enter an amount greater than the Amt Due.
Type the amount you want to waive, if any,
here. Make sure that the total of the
Payment and Waive amounts is not greater
than the Amt Due.
To print a receipt for paid fines, select this option. When you click Save,
the receipt prints at this workstation's default printer.
When you click Save, the Applying Payment progress dialog appears. Since you
do not have to pay the entire balance, Circulation Desk applies payment to the
oldest fines first and continues applying payments to each fine until the entire
payment is used. When Circulation Desk finishes applying payment, you return
to the Fines window. When a fine is paid in full, Circulation Desk deletes it from
the patron's record. Any note associated with the fine is also deleted.
If you selected the Print Fine Receipt Upon Save option, a receipt prints to your
workstation's default printer. Each 8.5" x 11" page contains two copies of the
receipt, one for the patron and one for your records. For a sample of the patron's
receipt, see page 156.
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Recording payment for a single fine
To record payment for a single fine, select the fine the patron wants to pay from
the list of fines in the Fines window and choose Pay. The Pay Fine dialog appears:
To print a receipt for the paid fine,
select this option. When you click
Save, the receipt prints at this
workstation's default printer.
Type the amount of payment
here. Do not enter an amount
greater than the Amt Due.
Type the amount you want to
waive, if any, here. Make sure
that the total of the Payment
and Waive amounts is not
greater than the Amt Due.
Choose Save to update the patron's record. If the fine is paid in full, Circulation
Desk deletes it from the patron's record. Any associated note is also deleted.
If the Print Fine Receipt Upon Save option is selected, a receipt prints to your
workstation's default printer. Each 8.5" x 11" page contains two copies of the
receipt, one for the patron and one for your records. For a sample of the patron's
receipt, see page 156.
Creating fines
Circulation Desk allows you to create several types of fines manually from the
Fines window. You can create new fines for the defaulted fine types of Overdue
and Damaged. You can create fines for any userdefined fine types you have
added from System Setup as well, but these fines types will not be associated
with copy information. Remember, Circulation Desk can automatically generate
overdue fines for you.
If you want to be alerted by sound when a copy that was checked in creates a
fine, see the section on setting up alert sounds on page 88.
For information about creating lost copy fines, see the section titled Marking a
patron's checkout lost" later in this chapter. For information about changing your
fines options, see Activating automatic fine calculation and refunds" on page 81.
04/04
Chapter 11 Dealing with fines and lost copies
To create fines manually, choose New from the Fines window. The New Fine
dialog appears:
To print a receipt for the fine, select this option. When you click Save, the
receipt prints at this workstation's default printer.
Select the type of fine you want
to create. Choose from the list.
Type the amount you
want to charge here.
Scan or type the barcode of
the copy for which you want to
create the fine. If you cannot
scan the barcode, click Find to
search for the copy.
If you want to apply
payment or waive part
of the fine at this time,
enter the amounts here.
If you are creating an overdue
fine and want to record when
the copy was due and when it
was returned, enter the dates
and times here. This
information is not required.
A fully editable text box for
any finespecific notes
When you finish creating the fine, choose Save. If the Print Fine Receipt Upon
Save option is selected, a receipt prints to your workstation's default printer.
Each 8.5" x 11" page contains two copies of the receipt, one for the patron and
one for your records. For a sample of the patron's receipt, see page 156.
Note: If you are creating an overdue fine, you cannot create the fine for more
than the Fine Limit amount defined in the Policies tab in System Setup.
You can exceed the Fine Limit for a damaged fine, but you must confirm
that you want to do so. For information about setting the Fine Limit, see
How to limit loan periods" on page 78.
Note: You cannot create a fine for a copy with the Circulation Type of
Noncirculating eBook (*NC).
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Editing fines
After creating a fine, you can change the amount of the fine, the amount paid, or
the amount waived.
To edit a fine, highlight the fine you want to edit from the list of fines in the Fines
window and choose Edit. The Edit Fine dialog appears:
To print a receipt for the fine, select this option. When you click Save,
the receipt prints at this workstation's default printer.
Type the corrected amounts
in the Amount, Paid, or
Waived text boxes.
The Amt Due is updated
automatically.
When you finish editing the fine, choose Save. If the Amt Due is reduced to zero,
Circulation Desk deletes the fine from the patron's record. If the Print Fine
Receipt Upon Save option is selected, a receipt prints to your workstation's
default printer. Each 8.5" x 11" page contains two copies of the receipt, one for the
patron and one for your records. A sample of the patron's receipt is on page 156.
Note: If you are editing an overdue fine, you cannot charge a fine that is greater
than the Fine Limit amount defined in the Policies tab in System Setup.
You can exceed the Fine Limit for a damaged or lost fine, but you must
confirm that you want to do so. For information about setting the Fine
Limit, see How to limit loan periods" on page 78.
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Chapter 11 Dealing with fines and lost copies
Giving refunds
Circulation Desk only generates refunds in two situations:
If a patron has reported a lost copy and has made payment on the lost copy
fine, Circulation Desk generates a refund equaling the amount paid if the
copy is checked in.
If the Generate a refund when a partially paid fine is deleted check box on
the Fines tab in System Setup is selected, Circulation Desk generates a refund
for the amount already paid on a fine if it is deleted.
Before you give a patron a refund, however, check to see if the patron owes any
fines. Refunds are not deducted from the total current fine amount. Therefore, if
you are giving a patron a refund and if the patron has any outstanding fines, you
should delete the refund and apply the refund amount as payment toward
individual fines before giving the patron any money.
To give a patron a refund, highlight the refund, marked CR in the Fines window,
and then choose Pay. Circulation Desk asks you to confirm this refund. If you
choose Yes, the refund is deleted from the patron record. Refund is also available
as a fine type from the Pay Fine and New Fine windows.
When you issue a refund, you're given the option to print a refund receipt. Click
Yes to print a receipt to the workstation's default printer. Each 8.5" x 11" page
contains two copies of the receipt, one for the patron and one for your records.
Sunnydale Junior High Library
Receipt for refund (patron copy)
10/13/2000 @ 3:10pm
Page 1
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Receipt to Adam Albers for the following:
BARCODE
TITLE
AMOUNT
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
T 1077
Cats from away
$12.56
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
TOTAL: $12.56
Marking a patron's checkout lost
When a patron reports losing one of the items he/she has checked out, you can
mark the copy lost, and then decide whether or not to charge the patron for the
copy. If you mark a copy lost, please note the following:
If you mark a patron's checkout lost, Circulation Desk changes the copy
status from Checked Out to Lost. However, the inventory status of a lost
copy remains Marked because the copy is still checked out. Circulation Desk
does not consider the copy to be missing because you know who had the
copy checked out, and the item might return in the future. Lost copies,
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therefore, do not show up as missing on an inventory report. For more
information about copy status and inventory status, see Overview of an
Inventory" on page 209.
If you mark a patron's checkout Lost, and the copy is checked in later,
Circulation Desk automatically generates a refund for the amount paid for
the lost copy fine. A message appears when the copy is checked in alerting
you that Circulation Desk is generating a refund for a lost copy. If the patron
has not made any payment on the lost copy fine, then the fine is just deleted.
The copy status changes to Available.
Note: You cannot mark a copy Lost without knowing who has checked it out. If a
copy shows up as available in the system but cannot be found in your
library, you can change the inventory status to Missing in Cataloging. Once
this change is saved, the copy status will change to Missing.
To mark a patron's checkout Lost, select Lost Copies from the toolbar:
Marks the highlighted
checkout lost
This list shows the patron's
current checkouts.
When you choose Mark as Lost, a message appears asking you to confirm that
you want to mark the copy Lost. Choose Yes. Another message appears asking
you if you want to create a fine for the patron who lost the copy. If you choose
No, you return to the Lost Copies window. If you choose Yes, continue with the
next section, Charging a fine for the lost copy."
See also: For more information about printing a list of lost copies, see
Generating a Copy List by Status on page 551.
To globally delete lost copies from your database, see page 330.
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Chapter 11 Dealing with fines and lost copies
Charging a fine for the lost copy
While marking a copy lost, if you choose to create a fine for a lost copy, the New
Fine dialog appears:
To print a receipt for the fine, select this option. When you click Save,
the receipt prints at this workstation's default printer.
The amount in the Amount
text box normally comes from
the copy information or the
Fine Limit. See the following
note for more information.
If you want to apply payment
or waive part of the fine at this
time, enter the amounts here.
The Amt Due is updated
automatically.
Note: The amount in the Amount text box normally comes from the copy
information. The Fine Limit defined in the Policies tab in System
Setup appears in the Amount text box if: 1) there is no price defined for
the copy in the copy information, and 2) the Use Fine Limit if the copy
price has not been entered check box in the Fines tab in System Setup is
selected. If both the copy price and the Fine Limit are undefined, you must
manually enter the amount of the lost copy fine.
When you finish creating the lost copy fine, choose Save. If the Print Fine Receipt
Upon Save option is selected, a receipt prints to your workstation's default
printer. Each 8.5" x 11" page contains two copies of the receipt, one for the patron
and one for your records. For a sample of the patron's receipt, see page 156.
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Troubleshooting
If you want to disable the automatic fine calculation, or change the way fines are
calculated, see Activating automatic fine calculation and refunds" on page 81.
The following table lists some error messages that might appear while creating,
editing, or paying fines:
Error messages associated with fines
Message
Cause
Amounts waived and/or paid
This message appears if the total of the Waived and Paid text
cannot exceed the amount of the boxes exceeds the Amount text box. Even if the patron gives
fine.
you more money than the Amount, you cannot enter that value
here because Circulation Desk does not keep track of change
due.
The fine amount cannot be zero. You cannot create a fine of $0.00. To cancel creation of a fine,
choose Cancel.
The fines for this patron have
been altered since you began
applying payment. Please re
view this patron's fines and try
again.
This message might appear while applying payment toward a
patron's fine balance and indicates that the patron's fines have
changed since you began applying payment. This can only
happen in a multiuser environment when the patron is being
edited at two different Circulation Desk workstations.
Temporary ... deleted. You can
now reuse barcode ...
This message appears if a fine on a temporary copy is paid in
full or deleted. The temporary title and its copy are deleted
from your collection.
165
Chapter 12 Managing holds
This chapter contains instructions for placing holds and reserves, managing and
editing holds and reserves, and interpreting the Daily Holds Processing
exception report. Circulation Desk allows you to place holds and reserves for
patrons; OPAC allows patrons to place holds and reserves for themselves.
See also: For more information on allowing patrons to place their own holds and
reserves, see page 74 to set up Patron Empowerment and page 472 to use it.
A brief introduction to holds
Circulation Desk allows you to place a hold for a patron on any copy or a specific
copy. The following scenarios provide examples for the use of a hold:
A patron wants a certain copy and goes to the OPAC only to discover that the
copy isn't available. His library has enabled Patron Empowerment so he logs
on and places a hold for the copy he wants. During his next library period, he
logs on and checks his Patron Information to see if his hold has become
ready.
Another patron calls or sends an email message about a particular title. A
copy is available, but the patron can't get to the library until tomorrow
afternoon. To ensure that the patron gets the item he wants, you create a hold
for him. The next day, the patron retrieves the copy.
Placing a hold on a copy that is checked out, at the bindery, or loaned out, results
in a pending hold. Placing a hold on an available copy results in a ready hold.
You cannot place a hold, however, on copies that are already checked out or on
hold to that patron, or that are missing or lost, or have a circulation type of *NC.
When you check in a copy with a pending hold, the hold status changes to ready
and Circulation Desk alerts you about the hold. This allows you to place the copy
on the hold shelf so that it won't be reshelved. You can then tell the patron that
the hold is ready. You can print Ready Hold Notices in the Reports module.
If you want to be alerted by sound when a copy that was checked in readies a
hold or reserve, see the section on setting up alert sounds on page 88.
Holds can also become ready during the Daily Holds Processing when you start
Circulation Desk at the beginning of the day. When this happens, a message on
the Daily Holds Processing exception report informs you that the hold is ready.
If the patron does not retrieve the copy in the time allotted, the ready hold
expires. If a certain item is popular, a pending hold can expire before a copy
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04/04
becomes available. Circulation Desk allows you to extend the expiration date of a
hold at any time.
A brief introduction to reserves
Circulation Desk allows you to place a reserve for a patron. A reserve is basically
a hold for a specific copy for a specific future date. The following scenarios
provide examples for the use of a reserve:
A student wants to have a certain book for a class presentation two weeks
from now. Her library has enabled Patron Empowerment so she logs on to
her OPAC, locates the item, and places a reserve for the copy she wants. Two
weeks later, she returns to pick up the copy.
Another patron, a faculty member, would like you to set aside several books
he needs for his lesson plan in two months. To ensure that the teacher gets
the items he wants, you create reserves for him. Two months later, the teacher
retrieves the copies that have circulated in the interim.
You can place a reserve on copies that are available, on hold, checked out, at the
bindery, or loaned out. You cannot place a reserve on copies that are missing, lost
or temporary, or have a circulation type of *NC. You can place a reserve for any
date in the future that the library is open.
When reserving an item, you specify a copy and the date that the patron wants
the item. The copy is then reserved for the length of the loan period. Note that the
shortest reserve period is one day; items with an hourly loan period would use
this minimum reserve period.
Example: If a patron reserves an item for March 18th, and the loan period is 10
days (2 weeks), the reserve period is March 18-April 1.
Readying reserves
To ensure that the reserved item is ready for pickup, you select, in System Setup
| Setup | Circulation | Holds, the number of pre-reserve processing days that
you need. If you set it to, say 2, then two days before a reserve date, Circulation
Desk performs the following actions:
The Daily Holds Processing changes the hold status of the reserved item to
Pending. After further processing, if the item is available, the hold status
changes to Ready and its copy status becomes On Hold.
The Daily Holds Processing exception report lists the reserved items that are
processed each day. You have those two days to locate the copies, place them
on the hold shelf, and remind the patrons to pick them up. For more
information, see Interpreting the Daily Holds Processing exception report"
on page 171.
Circulating reserves
Because the copy status of a reserved item does not change until the processing
date, it is available for circulation until then. If another patron checks out a
04/04
Chapter 12 Managing holds
reserved item, and the normal loan period would overlap the reserve period,
Circulation Desk automatically shortens the loan period so that the item is due
the day before the processing date. In addition, Circulation Desk does not allow
another patron to place a reserve on the same item for a date that is within the
existing reserve period. These measures help to ensure that the reserving patron
receives their copy when needed.
If the reserving patron retrieves the item before the processing date, you need to
delete the reserve before checking out the item. This avoids any loan-period
shortening intended to protect the reserve.
If the patron does not retrieve the reserved copy in the time allotted, the reserve
automatically expires the day after the end of the reserve period. Circulation
Desk does not allow you to revive a reserve. Because the reserve is for a specific
date, and that date has passed, Circulation Desk assumes the patron no longer
needs the item.
Additionally, you cannot change the priority of a reserve. In the queue, a reserve
always has priority over a hold.
See also: Define the number of pre-reserve processing days that you need in
System Setup | Setup | Circulation | Holds. For more information, see page 79.
Generate a pick list for upcoming reserves with the Hold Transactions Report
sorted by call number ( see page 557).
Getting around the Holds/Reserves window
The Holds/Reserves window shows a list of the current patron's holds and
reserves. The following shows an example of the Holds/Reserves window for a
patron who has a reserve, a ready hold, a pending hold, and an expired hold:
The number of ready holds
and reserves waiting to be
picked up appears in the
patron information box each
time you retrieve the patron.
The patron
information box
To place a hold or reserve
for the current patron
The patron's current
holds and reserves,
arranged
alphabetically by title
To edit the expiration date
or priority of a hold or
to view a reserve
To delete the highlighted
hold or reserve
To view the Hold Queue
A hold can be placed on the first available copy (Any) or on a
specific copy (Copy). A reserve is for a specific copy only.
The expiration date
The current status
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Circulation Desk
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You can view the status of a hold or reserve from the Holds/Reserves window or
the Hold Queue. The queue lists all the patrons waiting to receive a copy of an
item. You can get to the Hold Queue from either the Holds/Reserves window or
the Copy Status window (see page 134) by clicking Holds/Reserves.
Placing a hold or reserve for a patron
To place a hold or reserve for a patron, follow these steps:
1.
In the Holds/Reserves window, click New. The New Hold/Reserve dialog
appears:
The Specific Copy box is
disabled until you select a title.
2.
To select the type of hold or reserve, click the appropriate radio button. For a
reserve, enter the date that the patron needs the item.
3.
To select the title on which to place the hold, click the Select button under
Title. The Find Title dialog appears:
Type the search
string here.
4.
Click Find to start the search.
After locating the title, highlight it and click Select. If you are placing a hold
on the first available (any) copy, click Save on the New Hold/Reserve dialog.
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Chapter 12 Managing holds
5.
To place a hold on a specific copy or to reserve it for a future date, click the
Select button under Specific Copy. The Select Copy dialog appears. Highlight
the desired copy, and click Select.
Highlight the desired copy
and click Select.
6.
To create the hold or reserve, click Save. A message appears informing you of
the hold or reserve's expiration date. For a hold, the message includes its
position in the queue. A reserve is always at the top of the queue.
When a copy that fulfills a pending hold is checked in, Circulation Desk alerts
you to place the copy on the hold shelf. When the processing date for a reserve
arrives, the Daily Holds Processing exception report lists the reserved items so
that you can retrieve them and place them on the hold shelf.
See also: For information about placing holds and reserves in OPAC, see page
473.
Managing holds
Circulation Desk allows you to edit the expiration date of a hold. You can also
move a hold up or down in the queue by changing its priority.
Circulation Desk does not allow you to revive a reserve by editing its expiration
date. Because the reserve is for a specific date, and that date has passed,
Circulation Desk assumes that the patron no longer needs the item. In addition,
Circulation Desk does not allow you to change the priority of a reserve. Once the
pre-reserve processing date arrives, a reserve has priority over any hold. You
can, of course, delete a reserve and create a new one.
Extending the life of a hold
The most common reason to extend the expiration date of a hold is that the hold
has expired and you want to make it pending again.
When an expired hold becomes pending again, Circulation Desk assigns it a new
position in the Hold Queue. The new position is based upon the hold's priority at
the time it expired and the date that the hold was placed originally, not the date
that the hold becomes pending again.
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To extend the expiration date of a hold, from the Holds/Reserves window (see
page 167), highlight the hold and click View/Edit. The Edit Hold dialog appears:
Enter the new expiration
date, and click Save.
Note: If the hold expired
and copies are now
available, a message
appears asking you to
confirm that you want to
revive the hold.
The priority helps control placement of a hold in the hold queue.
Even if the copy is available when an expired hold is made pending, the hold will
not become ready until you start Circulation Desk the next day. The holds that
have been made ready will be listed on the Daily Holds Processing exception
report. For more information, see Interpreting the Daily Holds Processing
exception report" on page 171.
See also: Define your hold expiration settings for each patron type in System
Setup | Setup | Circulation | Holds. For more information, see Setting time
limits for items on hold" on page 78.
Changing the priority of a hold
The Hold Queue lists all the patrons waiting to receive a copy of a specified title.
You can open the queue from either the Holds/Reserves or Copy Status window.
From the Holds/Reserves window (see page 167), highlight the desired title and
click the Holds/Reserves button. From the Copy Status window (see page 134),
scan or select the copy, and click the Holds/Reserves button. The Hold Queue
dialog appears:
The lower the number, the higher the position in the queue. Reserves are always at the top.
To edit the priority or
expiration date of a hold,
or to view a reserve,
click View/Edit.
The date range of a
reserve is the normal
loan period for that item.
A hold can be placed on any available
copy or on a specific copy.
A reserve must be on a specific copy.
The expiration
date
The current status: reserved,
expired, ready, or pending
The queue is sorted as follows: Reserves are always at the top, in order of reserve
date. Below reserves are the holds, sorted by status: expired holds first, ready
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Chapter 12 Managing holds
holds second, and pending holds last. Holds with the same status are sorted in
ascending order according to priority and the date placed. The lower the priority
value, the higher the hold's position is in the queue.
To change the priority of a patron's hold, highlight the hold that you want to edit
and click View/Edit. The Edit Hold dialog appears:
Type the new priority value, and
click Save.
A message appears informing you of
the hold's new position in the queue.
If you move a hold to the top of the pending holds by changing its priority, it will
be the next hold made ready. However, you cannot change a hold's status.
Circulation Desk changes the status from pending to ready when a copy becomes
available. To change an expired hold's status to pending, you must edit its
expiration date. See Extending the life of a hold" on page 169.
See also: Define the default priority for each patron type in System Setup |
Setup | Circulation | Policies. For more information, see How to set circulation
limits for patron types" on page 77.
Interpreting the Daily Holds Processing exception report
Circulation Desk processes holds and reserves the first time you start Circulation
Desk on a given date if there are any holds or reserves in the system. As
Circulation Desk processes them, it sends information about any actions it takes
to the Daily Holds Processing exception report. This report is available by
opening the Exception Report folder within your Follett folder. Although most
hold situations are addressed as they occur throughout the day, Circulation Desk
processes holds and reserves on a daily basis for the following reasons:
When the prereserve processing date arrives for a reserve, Circulation Desk
must notify you so that you can retrieve the reserved item and place it on the
hold shelf.
If you chose, in System Setup, to delete expired holds and reserves
automatically, Circulation Desk does so during the Daily Holds Processing.
When copies are added or imported, they may fulfill a pending anycopy
hold. Circulation Desk looks at all copies in your collection during the Daily
Holds Processing to see if there are any new copies that might have become
available to fulfill a pending hold. This might also happen if a Missing or
Lost copy is returned.
In the rare event that all the copies for a title were deleted, Circulation Desk
must delete any holds or reserves for that item during the Daily Holds
Processing. If there are no copies, Circulation Desk cannot fulfill a hold.
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The Daily Holds Processing exception report will help you maintain your ready
hold shelf and keep patrons informed of the status of their holds.
Note: If you are unfamiliar with the terms Ready," Pending," and Expired,"
please refer to the first sections in this chapter, starting on page 165.
The following is an example of the Daily Holds Processing exception report:
Daily Holds Processing
10/13/2001 @ 10:09am
Reserves Processed:
–––––––––––––––––––
PENDING:
A reserve for Lee Ancrum, Barcode # 43, on “Babe Ruth”,
barcode # T 564472, has been processed. A hold for the
item has been created and should be readied in the
“Pending Holds Readied:” section below.
Pending Holds Expired:
––––––––––––––––––––––
EXPIRE:
The pending hold for Eric Michael Ramus, barcode # P 6, on
“Arabic”, has expired.
Ready Holds Expired:
––––––––––––––––––––
EXPIRE:
The ready hold for Gwynneth Fraser, barcode # P 7, on
“Coyote : a trickster tale from the American Southwest”,
barcode # T 915234, has expired.
EXPIRE:
The ready hold for Robert Adam Green, barcode # P 5, on
“Karate”, barcode # T 22779, has expired.
Pending Holds Readied:
––––––––––––––––––––––
READY
The pending hold for Lee Ancrum, Barcode # 43, on “Babe
Ruth”, barcode # T 564472, has been readied. Please notify
the patron.
Daily holds processing has completed. To generate a more complete
listing of your holds or reserves, open the Circulation Reports tab in
the Reports module and highlight Hold Transactions. You can specify
holds and/or reserves, and limit it to those that are reserved,
pending, ready, or expired.
Reserves Processed:
Illegal Holds Deleted:
Pending Holds Expired:
Ready Holds Expired:
Expired Holds Deleted:
Pending Holds Readied:
Failures:
Total Holds:
1
0
1
2
0
1
0
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Chapter 12 Managing holds
The exception report is divided into sections that show what action Circulation
Desk has taken on the holds and reserves. The following table describes the cause
of each message and gives recommended actions:
Followup for the Daily Holds Processing exception report
Holds processing section
Cause
Illegal Holds Deleted
Circulation Desk rarely encounters illegal hold situations. As an
example, if you place a hold and then delete all of the copies of an
item, Circulation Desk can never fulfill the hold. This can also occur if
all of the copies of a title are marked Lost or Missing after a hold is
placed.
Reserves Processed
Circulation Desk processes a reserve on the pre-reserve processing
date (selected in System Setup). It temporarily sets the hold status to
pending. If the copy is available, the report also lists the copy under
Pending Holds Readied (see below).
Pending Holds Expired
Circulation Desk expires a pending hold or reserve if the current date
is beyond its expiration.
Since an expired hold is never made ready, you can extend the
expiration date, making it pending again. You cannot extend the
expiration date of a reserve. If expired holds and reserves are not
automatically deleted, you need to delete them manually.
Ready Holds Expired
Circulation Desk expires a ready hold or reserve if the current date is
beyond its expiration date.
Since the patron did not retrieve the ready hold, you can extend the
expiration date, making it ready again. You cannot extend the
expiration date of a reserve. If expired holds and reserves are not
automatically deleted, you need to delete them manually.
Expired Holds Deleted
If you chose, in System Setup, to delete expired holds and reserves
automatically, Circulation Desk does so, after the specified number of
days, during the Daily Holds Processing. If you chose not to delete
them automatically, they remain in the system until you manually
delete them.
See also: For more information about deleting expired holds and
reserves automatically, see Setting time limits for items on hold" on
page 78.
Pending Holds Readied
If a copy becomes available to fulfill a pending hold, Circulation Desk
makes the hold ready and changes the copy status to On Hold.
If a reserved copy is available, and the processing date is today,
Circulation Desk makes the reserve ready and changes the copy status
to On Hold.
When a hold or reserve is readied, inform the patron as soon as
possible so that the hold (or reserve) does not expire before the patron
retrieves it. You may also need to retrieve the copy that fulfills the hold
or reserve from your shelves.
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Troubleshooting
The following table lists messages that might appear while creating, editing,
deleting, or managing your holds and reserves:
Hold and reserve error messages
Message
Cause
All copies are lost, missing, or are
Non-circulating eBooks a hold cannot
be placed.
There are no holdable copies available. For a copy to be
holdable, the copy status must be Available, Checked out,
At The Bindery, Loaned out, or On Hold. Copies with a
circulation type of Non-circulating eBook (*NC) are not
holdable.
There are no holdable copies available to
this patron.
Holds/reserves limit reached.
The patron's number of pending holds, ready holds, and
reserves is greater than or equal to the value you defined
in System Setup | Setup | Circulation | Policies | Max
Holds/Reserves.
Patron has a copy checked out
hold cannot be placed.
A patron is not allowed to place a hold on an item if he
already has a copy of the same title checked out.
Patron already has a copy hold
hold cannot be placed.
In all of these cases, the patron cannot place the hold
because she already has a hold on the same item or one of
its copies. A patron is only allowed one hold per title.
Patron already has a hold on this copy
hold cannot be placed.
Patron already has a hold on this title
hold cannot be placed.
There are no holdable copies available to
this patron.
Temporary ... deleted. You can now reuse
barcode # ...
If you delete a hold that was on a temporary copy, this
message appears if no other transactions are pending on
the copy. The temporary title and its copy are deleted from
your collection.
Temporary ... cannot be deleted because
there is a fine on it, or there is a hold. Do
not reuse barcode # ...
If you delete a hold that was on a temporary copy, this
message appears if there are transactions pending on the
copy. You are advised not to reuse the barcode. When the
pending transactions have been addressed, a message
appears informing you that you can reuse the barcode.
There are no copies available for the
reservation period.
You have attempted to reserve a copy that is checked out
and has a due date later than the selected reserve date, or
the selected reserve date conflicts with an existing reserve
on the copy, or the copy is a temporary copy.
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Chapter 13 Circulating items with a PHD
This chapter starts with a brief explanation of why you would want to use a PHD
to circulate your collection and some suggestions regarding what to do before
you start. After that you'll find instructions for processing your remote
circulation data and for interpreting the resulting exception report.
Note: The term PHD" is a generic term for all of the portable handheld devices
sold by the Follett Software Company: the PHD+, PHD+II, PHD Laser+,
and the PHD Dolphin+.
Why use a PHD to circulate your collection
In addition to being a valuable tool during an inventory, you can also use a PHD
to circulate your collection. This is called remote circulation because you can
record checkins, checkouts, and renewals outside your library or resource center
using a PHD.
When you use a PHD to circulate, you do not see any block conditions or error
messages as you would when circulating using Circulation Desk. Since your
PHD does not contain your patron records or your circulation policies, it won't
warn you when a patron is violating a circulation policy.
For this reason, we recommend that you transfer the transaction data you collect
with your PHD as soon as you return to your Circulation Desk workstation.
Circulation Desk generates an exception report that alerts you to any situations
where a patron has violated your library's circulation policies.
Here are some suggested situations for using a PHD to circulate copies:
If you have a bookmobile, take a PHD with you on your rounds.
Take part of your collection on a book cart to a classroom.
Use a PHD to record transactions in the event that Circulation Desk is
unavailable.
Use a PHD to record the inlibrary usage of items not checked out before you
reshelve them.
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Before recording transactions with a PHD
Because your PHD does not store information about your patrons, if you use it to
circulate your collection, transactions that would normally produce block
conditions continue as if the patron had violated none of your loan policies. You
can help reduce the size of the Remote Circulation exception report by printing
the following reports from Reports and using them to monitor transactions
before you record them with your PHD:
Patron Name List You should print two of these: one that shows patrons
that have a status of restricted, and one that shows patrons that have
graduated or are inactive. You probably do not want to check out or renew
any copies to restricted patrons. It is also unlikely that you want to circulate
items to patrons who have graduated. For more information, see page 575.
Checkouts/Fines Transactions This report is sorted according to patron
name and shows every overdue and fine each patron currently has. Using
this report to monitor patrons as they check out and renew copies is the
equivalent of the block conditions that would normally appear in Circulation
Desk during a transaction. For more information, see page 540.
Recording transactions with a PHD
Follett Software currently supports four PHD models. For instructions on
recording transactions with the PHD+, PHD+ II, or PHD Laser+, see Recording
remote circulations" on page 661. To record transactions with a PHD Dolphin+,
see Collecting circulation information" on page 674. When you finish collecting
transactions, connect your PHD to your computer.
See also: For more information about using your PHD, please see the
manufacturer's user documentation as well as Appendix E, Using a PHD+,
PHD+ II, or PHD Laser+," or Appendix F, Using a PHD Dolphin+."
Processing remote circulation transactions
Before Circulation Desk can process your scans, you must decide how to process
problematic transactions.
An example of a problematic transaction would be a checkout where either the
patron barcode or the copy barcode does not exist in your database. Anytime
Circulation Desk encounters a problem while processing the remote circulation
data, it sends a message to the exception report. The above example would also
cause the transaction to fail.
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Chapter 13 Circulating items with a PHD
To make sure that the scans you collect with your PHD are processed the way
you want, follow these steps:
1.
From the toolbar in the Circulation Desk window, select Remote Circ. The
Remote Circulation window appears:
Records the use of
items that weren't
checked out
These instructions
change based on
the PHD you choose.
Select the PHD model
you're using.
To change the transfer
settings, see step 6.
2.
Select the Record InLibrary Usage option to include the use of any items not
checked out but not on the shelves in your circulation statistics.
See also: You can also collect circulation statistics for all the items in your
library that get used, even if they aren't checked out, when you check them in
from the Check In window. See Reshelving items" on page 152.
3.
The circulation type/patron type combinations represent the circulation
policies defined in System Setup. For each patron type, you define a loan
period for each circulation type. If you have many patron types and many
circulation types, you might not have defined all of the combinations. In
cases where Circulation Desk cannot find a defined loan period, it uses the
number of days you enter in the Remote Circulation window as the loan
period. To avoid this situation, check your policies in System Setup to make
sure that all loan periods are defined for each patron type before transferring
the scans. For information about setting up your loan periods, see
Circulation policies: who can have what and for how long" on page 76.
Important: If an undefined patron type/circulation type combination is
encountered during processing, Circulation Desk defines the
policies for this combination. It sets the fine limit at $25.00 and the
fine increment at $0.10 for this patron type/circulation type
combination. It sets all other maximum limits to zero.
4.
Under If Copy Does Not Exist, choose how you want to handle nonexistent
copies:
To fail all transactions involving copies not found in the database, choose
Fail the transaction.
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To create a temporary title record and copy for each copy not found in
the database during processing, choose Create a temporary copy.
Note: All temporary title records created during remote circulation data
processing have the title: Temporary created by Remote Circ on
MM/DD/YYYY," where the date is the date on which you transfer
the data from your PHD to a workstation. Each time a copy cannot
be found, a temporary title and copy are created with identical title
information. For more information about temporary copies, see
Adding a title during a checkout" on page 139.
5.
6.
Under Report Options, choose an option for presenting the remote circulation
data in the exception report.
If you want the exception report to contain only those transactions that
produced exceptions, or caused problems during processing and require
followup, choose Print exceptions only.
If you want the exception report to contain every transaction that
occurred, choose Print all transactions.
Select the PHD model you're using. If you do not want to change the transfer
settings, skip to step 7. Otherwise, choose Edit. The PHD Settings dialog
appears:
Select the port you use to attach your
PHD to your computer, and then...
...select the highest speed available for
that port. The PHD Dolphin+ only com
municates at a speed of 9600 baud.
Set the port and speed for your PHD, and click Save. You return to the
Remote Circulation window.
7.
Once you've selected the correct PHD model and adjusted the PHD settings
as desired, simply follow the instructions displayed on the dialog.
Once the scans are transferred, the Remote Circulation Processing progress
dialog appears. When processing is complete, click Close. A message appears
asking if you want to view the exception report. Choose Yes. A report viewer
window appears containing the Remote Circulation Processing exception
report. Make sure you save or print the exception report. When you are
finished, select File | Exit. The Remote Circulation window reappears. After
you are finished processing the remote circulation data, you can erase the
scans.
See also: For instructions on erasing scans from a PHD+, PHD+ II, or PHD
Laser+, see page 664. To erase them from a PHD Dolphin+, see page 679.
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Chapter 13 Circulating items with a PHD
Interpreting the Remote Circulation Processing exception report
If there were any exceptions encountered during processing, the Remote
Circulation Processing exception report appears in the report viewer. The
following shows how the beginning of this exception report might appear:
Remote Circulation Processing
10/13/2000 @ 3:20pm
Patron information always
appears above transac
tion information.
Alicia Hicks (Barcode: P 12), performed the following transactions:
SUCCESSFUL: “Charlotte’s web”, Barcode # T 34523 was renewed for the
patron.
This copy was overdue. A fine of $2.00 was assessed.
SUCCESSFUL: “Debussy; musician of France”, Barcode # T 43297 was checked
out to the patron.
Patron checkout limit was exceeded.
SUCCESSFUL: “The magician’s nephew”, Barcode # T 62659 was checked out to
the patron.
Patron checkout limit was exceeded.
A block condition message
can appear after each
transaction after a policy
has been violated.
This copy was not checked out – No patron information:
FAILED: “Mozart”, barcode # T 9170 could not be checked in.
This copy cannot be checked in. It has not been checked out.
Each transaction is classified
as either SUCCESSFUL or
FAILED.
Dana Mulder (Barcode: P 20), performed the following transactions:
SUCCESSFUL: “Matilda”, barcode # T 887769, was checked in for the
patron.
This copy was overdue. A fine of $3.00 was assessed.
This copy is now on hold for Danelle White (Barcode: P 35)
The Remote Circulation exception report always ends with a summary, such as
the following:
================================================================================
Remote Circulation Summary
================================================================================
Total transactions...... 6
Titles
Titles
Titles
Failed
checked out....
checked in.....
renewed........
transactions...
Holds made ready........ 1
Fines assessed........
Total fines...........
Refunds created.......
Total refunds.........
2
1
1
2
2
5.00
0
0.00
The transaction information on the exception report is always presented in the
same way: patron information followed by any conditions that apply to the
patron, then transaction information, including its success or failure, followed by
any conditions that apply to the transaction.
This exception report resides in the Exception Report folder within your Follett
Applications folder.
The word FAILED or SUCCESSFUL appears to the left of the transaction
information. A successful transaction is just that: a checkout, renewal, or check-in
for which both the copy barcode and the patron barcode are found in your
database. A transaction fails if either or both of these are unknown.
The following table lists the remote circulation exception messages that may
require followup:
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Message
Cause
Ceiling date used (MM/DD/YY).
The ceiling date was used to determine the due date for
this copy.
Circulation type checkout limit
reached.
The patron checked out an item when their number of
checkouts for a specific Circ Type is already at the
maximum limit set in System Setup.
Copy barcode is invalid.
The symbology of the copy barcode you scanned does
not match the symbology defined for your library
materials in System Setup.
If you are certain that the patron barcode scanned is
valid, try contacting the patron to ask what she checked
out or checked in.
Copy barcode was not found.
The symbology of the copy barcode you scanned
matches the symbology you defined for your library
materials in System Setup, but the barcode does not
correspond to a copy in your database.
This message only appears if you selected the Fail the
transaction" option in Remote Circulation window (see
page 177). It appears after the failed checkin or a checkout. Review the transactions that precede or follow this
transaction and try to verify that the copy exists in your
collection.
This copy is now on hold for ...
The copy that was checked in satisfies a pending hold
or reserve. The copy status changes from checked out to
on hold. Put the copy on the hold shelf and send the
patron a Hold Notice.
See also: For information about Hold Notices, see
Generating Hold Notices" on page 553.
This copy is on hold and should be
placed on the hold shelf.
The copy being checked in is already a ready hold for
someone else. Nothing is done with the circulation
counts.
This copy is on reserve for by . The due date is past
the requested reserve date.
The copy that was checked out had a reserve placed on
it for a date within the current checkout's circulation
period. You may want to retrieve the copy or notify the
reserving patron of its unavailability.
This copy was at the bindery.
A copy that was at the bindery has been checked in.
The copy status changes from at the bindery to
available. If you keep records on copies that you have
sent to the bindery, make sure to update them.
The copy was loaned out. Please update
your records.
A copy that was on loan to another library has been
checked in. The copy status changes from on loan to
available. If you keep records on copies loaned out to
other institutions, make sure you update them.
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Chapter 13 Circulating items with a PHD
Message
Cause
This copy was on hold for ... The hold
status has been changed to pending"
and will become ready" again at a lat
er date.
The copy that was checked out was a pending hold for
another patron. You might want to extend the
expiration date of the hold to make sure that it does not
expire before becoming ready.
See also: For more information about extending holds,
see Extending the life of a hold" on page 169.
This copy was overdue. A fine of $ ...
was assessed.
The patron that checked in or renewed this copy now
owes a fine for an overdue copy. Be sure to generate an
Overdue/Bill Notice.
See also: For information about the Overdue/Bill
Notices Report, see Generating Overdue/Bill Notices"
on page 561.
Library hours are not set up; cannot cal
culate due date.
This message indicates that there are no hours of
operation defined in the Hours tab in System Setup.
Since Circulation Desk cannot calculate due dates for
checkouts and renewals unless the library hours are
defined, items will be due at the beginning of the next
open day.
Be sure to set up your hours in the Hours tab in System
Setup before circulating with your PHD again.
See also: For information about setting up library
hours, see Setting your library's hours" on page 85.
No copies for this patron.
This message usually indicates that two patron
barcodes were scanned consecutively during a
checkout, or that a patron barcode was scanned and
then your PHD was switched to Check-in. Followup
isn't required unless you know the patron checked out
a copy.
Patron barcode/ID was not found
items will be marked Missing.
The symbology of the patron barcode matches your
barcode setup, but the barcode does not correspond to a
patron in your database. Circulation Desk changes the
copy and inventory statuses of the copies checked out
to this patron to Missing.
Keep a list of the copy barcodes, and if possible, try to
follow up as soon as possible with the patron to see if
there is a problem with the barcode on her library card.
Patron barcode was invalid items will
be marked Missing.
The symbology of the patron barcode you scanned with
your PHD does not match the symbology defined for
your patrons in System Setup. Circulation Desk
changes the copy and inventory statuses of the copies
checked out to this patron to Missing.
Keep a list of the copy barcodes, and if possible, try to
follow up as soon as possible with the patron to see if
there is a problem with the barcode on her library card.
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Message
Cause
This patron is restricted.
This patron has a restricted status. This usually
indicates that you do not want to check out or renew
any copies to this patron.
To prevent this message from appearing, print out a list
of restricted patrons from Reports before circulating
with your PHD. Use this list to monitor transactions.
See also: For more information about printing patron
lists, see Generating a Patron Name List" on page 575.
This patron's card has expired.
The patron has not renewed his library card. This
usually indicates that this patron would normally not
be allowed to checkout or renew any copies.
To prevent this message from appearing, print out a list
of patrons with expired library cards from Reports be
fore circulating with your PHD. Use the list to monitor
transactions.
See also: For more information about printing patron
lists, see Generating a Patron Name List" on page 575.
The temporary copy cannot be deleted
because there is a fine on it, or there is a
hold. Do not reuse the barcode.
A temporary copy has been checked in. Since there are
fines or holds pending on this copy, Circulation Desk
cannot delete the temporary title or its copy. The
temporary title and copy will be deleted when the fine
or hold has been addressed.
If you reuse your barcodes for temporary items, make
sure that you do not reuse this barcode until the fines or
holds have been addressed.
See also: For more information about temporary titles
and their copies, see Adding a title during a checkout"
on page 139.
There are pending holds on this copy.
The copy that was checked out or renewed had
pending holds associated with it. You may want to
extend the expiration date of these holds to make sure
that they do not expire before becoming ready.
See also: For more information about extending holds,
see How to extend the life of a hold" on page 169.
There is no loan period defined ...
This message indicates that there is no loan period
defined for this transaction type in the Policies tab in
System Setup. Circulation Desk will use the loan period
defined in the Remote Circulation window.
Be sure to set up your circulation policies in the Policies
tab in System Setup before circulating with your PHD
again.
See also: For information about setting up loan periods,
see How to limit loan periods" on page 78.
Troubleshooting
The most common problems encountered with the PHD involve battery or
scanner tip problems. If you have problems using the PHD, please see the
manufacturer's user documentation as well as Appendix E, Using a PHD+,
PHD+ II, or PHD Laser+," or Appendix F, Using a PHD Dolphin+."
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Patrons
Chapter 14 Patron Maintenance basics
This chapter contains general information and instructions for using Patron
Maintenance, including searching for patron records.
See also: For information about how to prepare for Patron Maintenance by
setting the default patron type or changing the prompts in userdefined fields,
see Making it easier to create new patrons" on page 72.
About Patron Maintenance
Patron Maintenance provides librarians and library staff with an easy way to
maintain the patron database. With Patron Maintenance, you can add new patron
records by creating or importing them. You can update or delete patron records
individually or in groups. You can also import patron pictures. From Patron
Maintenance and Circulation Desk, you can view, add, or edit patrons and print a
summary of information about your patron's checkouts, transaction statistics,
holds, fines, and personal information.
See also: For more information about viewing and printing patron information
from within Circulation Desk and Patron Maintenance, see Viewing and
printing patron information" on page 130.
Using Patron Maintenance
From the computer desktop, open the Follett Applications folder and
doubleclick the Patron Maintenance icon.
Note: You can also access the Follett Applications menu from the Windows Start
| Programs menu or from the Mac OS Apple menu.
If you are using the password protection option in the System Setup module to
limit access to the Patron Maintenance module, a password dialog appears. Type
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the password and click OK. The Patron Maintenance default password is
MODPATRON. The Patron Maintenance main window appears:
Menu bar
From the Patron Maintenance main window, you can choose to search for a
record, create a record, edit or delete existing records once they are found, or
access the menu bar. From the menu bar, you can access each of the following
submenus, as well as the online help features:
File Menu Contains the commands to import and export patron
information and to close Patron Maintenance.
Edit menu Contains five options for maintaining patrons globally,
individually, and with a PHD.
Search menu Contains four options for finding patron records.
Help menu Contains options for finding the help pertaining to Patron
Maintenance, and the About dialog. From the About dialog, you can see
product information for the application, the current number of patrons, titles,
and copies in the system, and run the System Circulation Statistics and
System Information Reports (see Chapter 39, System reports").
Searching for patron records
Although you can search for patron records at any time, you'll need to search for
a patron record before you can edit or delete it. Both the toolbar and the Search
menu provide quick access to search strategies. The Patron search options table
describes the search strategy associated with each search button on the Patron
Maintenance toolbar and gives examples of the data needed for each search.
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Chapter 14 Patron Maintenance basics
Patron search options
Button
Description
Search using the patron's last name.
Example: Schmidt, Betty or Schmidt
When you're not sure of the spelling, start the search with a name that sounds like
the patron's last name. Type at least the first two letters for a truncated search.
Example: To search for a patron named Nowles, type
No or Noles
Search using the patron's barcode.
Example: 70900934532110
Search using the patron's ID number, which is often the social security number or
student number.
Example: If you are using social security numbers for the ID, type 630-98-1823
How to search for a patron record
1.
On the Patron Maintenance toolbar, click one of the search buttons or select a
search option, such as by Name, from the Search menu. A Patron Search
dialog appears, similar to the following example:
It's okay to enter partial
names, but numbers must
be exact.
2.
In the text box, depending upon which method you chose, type the last
name, barcode number, ID number, or the soundslike" version of the name,
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and then click Search. Patron Maintenance displays a list of patrons in the
Patron Maintenance main window, with the patron's name highlighted:
Use the arrow keys to move
up or down the list. Use the
HOME key to go to the top
of the list, or the END key to
go to the bottom.
What happens if the patron isn't found
When a search doesn't result in an exact match, Patron Maintenance displays one
of the following:
A list of patrons with the closest matching patron name highlighted for name
or soundslike" searches. If one of the displayed names isn't correct, try
another search entry.
A message informing you that the number you entered is not valid for the
barcode or alternate ID searches. Click OK to close the box and try again.
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Chapter 15 Maintaining individual patron records
This chapter contains general information about maintaining individual patron
records and specific instructions for the following maintenance tasks: adding and
editing a patron record; adding, editing, and deleting addresses; adding and
editing an important message or a note; adding, replacing, and removing patron
pictures; and deleting individual patron records.
About maintaining individual patron records
Depending on your settings in System Setup, each patron record requires a last
name and barcode or identification number. All other fields are optional. You can
add patrons, edit and delete the primary or secondary address information, and
delete patrons in Patron Maintenance. You can also add or edit patron records
from Circulation Desk (see Adding or editing a patron" on page 139).
See also: For information about the global maintenance of records, see Chapter
16, Maintaining patron records in batches."
How to add or edit a patron record
1.
To add a patron record in Patron Maintenance, click New on the Patron
Maintenance main window. To edit an existing patron record, first find the
patron's record by using any search method. Select the appropriate patron in
the list, and click Edit. The desired dialog appears:
These are required fields. Use the barcode,
ID, or both, as specified in System Setup.
Click to assign the next barcode
number available.
To add, edit, and delete
addresses (see page
188)
To add a new message or
note for the current patron
(see page 189)
Only available on Edit Pa
tron dialog, Info opens the
Patron Information tabs.
To add, replace, or
remove a patron's photo
to the currently displayed
record (see page 189)
Prompt names are based on your settings in System Setup.
2.
Only available on Edit Patron dialog
Fill in the new or updated information. To save the record, click Save. If you
are adding patrons, the dialog clears so you can add more patrons.
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How to add, edit, and delete addresses
Patrons can have up to two addresses in their records. You can add addresses
when you are creating a patron record or later when you are editing the record.
When there is more than one address, the address identified as the patron's
primary address will be used for patron notices. You can also edit the address or
delete one or both of the addresses.
1.
By default, the first address
entered is the primary address.
To select the other address,
select it and click Select as
Primary Address.
On the Add Patron or Edit Patron dialog, click Addresses. The Addresses
dialog appears:
Deletes the
selected
address
2.
Click New to add a new address or Edit to change the highlighted address.
The Add Address or Edit Address dialog appears:
3.
In the dialog, add or edit the necessary information. A complete address for
one location can include two lines of street address (such as street number
and name on the first line and the rural route or postal box number on the
second line) and two phone numbers. When you're finished, click OK. The
Addresses dialog reappears, displaying the address information you entered.
Click OK to return to the Add or Edit Patron dialog, and then click Save.
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Chapter 15 Maintaining individual patron records
How to add or edit an important message or a note
To display miscellaneous information about a patron when his or her record is
accessed, Patron Maintenance lets you attach important messages and notes to
patron records.
An important message appears automatically when anyone accesses the patron's
record in Circulation Desk and Patron Maintenance (see Important messages for
patrons," page 126). Use an important message to alert library staff to special
issues regarding individual patrons, such as having a large fine or a change in
borrowing privileges.
A note appears only when the Note tab is selected from the Patron Information
dialog (see Viewing and printing patron information," page 130). Use a note to
inform the staff of noncritical information about a patron, such as a reminder
that the patron is looking for literature about organized bicycle rides in Iowa.
1.
From the Add or Edit Patron dialog, click Message or Note. The appropriate
dialog appears:
To delete an important mes
sage or note, select Clear. At
the message, click Yes.
The text field is fully
editable for a message
and note.
2.
When you finish adding, editing, or clearing the information, click Save.
Once the Add or Edit Patron dialog reappears, click Save.
How to add, replace, or remove a patron picture
Once a patron's picture is added to a record, any time the patron's information
displays in a window, the patron picture will also appear in a floating window
that the user can move around. In Circulation Desk, the picture displays when
the patron's record is accessed for Checkouts, Checkins, Ready Holds, Fines
attached, Renewals, Copy Status, and Lost Copies.
Note: A Show Patron Picture/Hide Patron Picture toggle is available from the
File menu in Circulation Desk (see page 122).
See also: For information about importing patron pictures, see page 204.
1.
To add a patron picture, from the Add or Edit Patron dialog, click Picture.
The Add Patron Picture dialog appears. Select the file that contains the
patron's photograph and click Open. The image is added to the Patron
Picture window. If the image can't be loaded, a message appears. Make sure
your pictures meet the format, color, and size requirements outlined in the
table on page 190. To save the image in the patron database, click Save on the
Add or Edit Patron dialog.
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Patron picture format requirements
Picture Property
Valid specifications
Windows file formats
JPEG File Interchange Format (*.jpg), Windows Bitmap (*.bmp), Tagged
Image File Format (*.tif), and PC Paintbrush (*.pcx).
Mac file formats
Windows (.bmp), Graphics Interchange (.gif), JPEG/JFIF compliant (.jif,
.jpg, .jpeg), MacPaint painting (.mac), Photoshop (R) file (.psd), PICT
(.pct), Portable Network Graphics (.png), QuickDraw GX image, Quick
Time image file (.qti), Silicon graphics image (.sgi), TIFF, Targa (.tga).
Colors
Only 8-bit (256 color) or 24-bit pictures are allowed (no 1bit or 4bit).
Size
No greater than 100K. We do not support LZW compression.
2.
To replace an existing patron picture, open the patron's record from the Add
or Edit Patron dialog and follow the instructions in step 1. To remove the
patron's picture from the database, open the patron's record from the Add or
Edit Patron dialog and click Clear.
How to delete individual patron records
Use any search method to locate the desired patron. The patron list appears in the
Patron Maintenance window:
Highlight the patron
you want to delete.
Click Delete. A warning
message appears, asking
you to verify that you've
selected the correct pa
tron. Click Yes to pro
ceed.
Warning: Once you
confirm the deletion,
you cannot stop or
undo the process.
Highlight the patron, and click Delete. A confirmation message appears. If
overdues, holds, fines, or checkouts still exist for the patron, the message displays
the totals for the checkouts, fines, and refunds. To continue with the deletion,
click Yes. The patron's record is then completely deleted from the database.
Important: The copy status of any copy currently checked out to the deleted
patron is changed from Checked Out to Lost. Any holds placed on
lost copies are deleted during the next morning's daily startup.
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Chapter 16 Maintaining patron records in batches
This chapter provides general information about globally editing patron records.
It also provides instructions for making sequential and global updates, making
updates using a PHD, making global deletes, and deleting patrons with a PHD.
The chapter also contains explanations for the exception reports that may result
when the system processes the data stored in a PHD.
About global maintenance
Global maintenance lets you make the same changes to a group of patron records.
The patron records in the group are selected either by a common element, such as
patron type or homeroom, or from a PHD file of barcode scans. The contents of
certain fields in the patron records can then be changed, or the records
themselves deleted. In addition, individual records can be updated sequentially.
Global maintenance functions include: Global Update; Update via PHD; Global
Delete; Delete via PHD; and Individual Update.
Global Update is a search and replace feature you can apply to a group of patron
records. You first select the patron records to update (e.g., all seniors, or all
patrons with a certain Location 2). You then select which field in the record to
update. You can use Update via PHD to update patrons whose barcodes are
stored in your PHD.
You can use Global Delete to delete all patrons whose library cards expired or
who graduated in a certain year or who have a certain status or patron type. You
can use Delete Patrons via PHD to delete all patrons whose barcodes are
currently stored in your PHD.
Individual Update lets you update multiple fields at once for individual patrons.
The individual patrons are identified by typing or scanning the patron barcodes.
This saves you the time you'd otherwise spend editing each individual record.
Globally updating batches of patrons
Editing a group of patron records at one time is a twopart procedure. First,
identify the group of patron records to update. You can use the following patron
record fields as the basis for a global change: Status, Patron Type, Location 1 or 2,
or User Field 1 or 2. Then, select the field that you want changed and what you
want the contents of that field to be. Patron Maintenance will find every record in
the group and update the contents of the field selected.
Warning: All changes are immediate. You cannot undo them by canceling the
process.
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1.
On the Patron Maintenance main window, open the Edit menu and select
Global Update. The Global Update dialog appears.
2.
From the Whose and Is lists, select the name and contents of the patron field
that you want to use as a basis for the change. This selection determines
which records will be updated. (The prompt names of the location and user
fields are based on what you entered in System Setup.)
The selections in this field are:
Status, Patron Type, Location
1, Location 2, User Field 1,
and User Field 2.
3.
From the Change list, select the name of the field that you want to change in
the patron records. In the To combo box, select or type the new contents.
4.
When you finish making your selections, click Update. A confirmation
message appears next. To start the update, click Yes. The Global Update
progress dialog appears. When the process is complete, Cancel changes to
Close. Select Close, then Cancel to exit to the Global Update dialog.
Example: You want to change the name of one of the 2nd period teachers.
You've entered teacher names in the User Field 1 (and changed the prompt to
2nd Period") of the patron records, and you want to update them all at once.
From the Whose list, select 2nd Period." From the Is list, select Miss Blake."
From the Change list, select 2nd Period." In the To combo box, type Mrs.
White. Click Update. Patron Maintenance will find all patron records with
Miss Blake" in the 2nd Period" field, and change the 2nd Period" field to
contain Mrs. White."
Updating information for a few individual patrons
When you want to update one or more fields in a few individual patron records,
use Individual Update. Again, let's say you want to change the classroom
assignments for part of one grade to Room 204.
Warning: All changes are immediate and can only be reversed manually.
1.
On the Patron Maintenance main window, open the Edit menu and select
Edit | Individual Update. The Individual Update dialog appears.
2.
In the left column, select Change, Do Not Change, or Clear from the list box
for the fields that apply to these patrons. If you select Change, a list box
appears to the right. In this box, select or type the new contents of the field.
You can select and change any or all of the fields listed at the same time.
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Chapter 16 Maintaining patron records in batches
Scan or type the patron's
barcode number after
making the choices below.
Selecting Change
displays and
activates these
To list boxes.
Do Not Change is the
default.
If you select Change, a
list of possible values for
that field appears.
These prompts
depend on the
entry made in
System Setup.
Clear deletes any data
in the field.
3.
Click in the Barcode text box. Scan or type a patron's barcode number, and
then select Update. As the record is processed, the patron's name, ID number,
and barcode number appear under Last Patron Processed.
4.
Scan or type the remaining barcodes to change and update the information as
needed.
Example: For Homeroom (Location 1), select Change and type 204 in the To
combo box. Click in the Barcode text box. Type P 962 and click Update.
Continue entering individual barcodes. For every barcode you scan, the
Homeroom of that patron changes to 204.
Updating patron records using a PHD
You can quickly change Patron Status, Patron Type, User Field 1 or 2, or Location
1 or 2 for a group of patrons scanned into your PHD. Only one field can be
updated at a time. If you want to change several different fields, process the data
once for each field you want to change.
Warning: All changes are immediate. You cannot undo them by canceling the
process. Remember to erase any previous scans in your PHD so that
no patron record is unintentionally updated. To erase scans from a
PHD+, PHD+ II, or PHD Laser+, see page 664. For a PHD Dolphin+,
see page 679.
Example: A class moves to a new homeroom and you need to update the patron
records with the new Location 1. Using your PHD, you could scan the barcodes
on all of the students' cards, select the information you want changed, and then
update the selected patron information for all students in the classroom at once.
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1.
With your PHD, scan the barcodes of the patrons you want to update. For
instructions on collecting patron scans with the PHD+, PHD+ II, or PHD
Laser+, see Collecting inventory, copy, or patron data" on page 663. To
collect patron scans with a PHD Dolphin+, see page 676.
When you finish collecting scans, connect your PHD to your computer. See
the manufacturer's documentation or Appendix E, Using a PHD+, PHD+ II,
or PHD Laser+," or Appendix F, Using a PHD Dolphin+," for instructions.
Note: To make sure you have scanned the correct barcodes, generate a list of
the patron names stored in your PHD before updating their records.
(See Generating a Patron Name List" on page 575.)
2.
From the Patron Maintenance main window, select Edit | Update via PHD.
The Update Patrons via PHD dialog appears. From the Change list, select the
name of the field you want to update. Then select or type the new contents
for that field in the To combo box.
The field choices are: Status,
Patron Type, Location 1,
Location 2, User Field 1,
and User Field 2.
Select the PHD model you're
using.
To change the transfer set
tings, click Edit.
These instructions change based on the PHD you choose.
Warning: To protect your equipment, make sure you turn off your PHD
and computer before connecting or disconnecting the PHD.
3.
Select the PHD model you're using. If you don't need to change the transfer
settings, go to step 4. Otherwise, click Edit. The PHD Settings dialog appears:
Select the port you use to attach your
PHD to your computer, and then...
...select the highest speed available for
that port. The PHD Dolphin+ only com
municates at a speed of 9600 baud.
Set the port and speed for your PHD, and click Save.
4.
Once you've selected the correct PHD model and adjusted the PHD settings
as desired, simply follow the instructions displayed on the screen.
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Chapter 16 Maintaining patron records in batches
When you click Update, a confirmation message appears. To continue, click
Yes. Once the data transfer process begins, a progress dialog appears. If any
problems occurred during the patron update process, an exception report is
generated. Carefully check the report. It is located in the Exception Reports
folder within your Follett folder.
Globally deleting patrons
With Global Delete, you can delete multiple patron records at one time. This is
especially useful when a large number of patrons are no longer associated with
your library. You can delete patrons based on their Graduation Year, Card
Expiration Date, Patron Status, or Patron Type. You can also choose whether or
not to delete those patrons with outstanding checkouts, fines, refunds, or holds. If
you choose to do so, any copies checked out to them are marked as lost, and any
fines, refunds, or holds are deleted.
Warning: All deletions are immediate. You cannot undo them by canceling the
process. The data cannot be recovered.
1.
On the Patron Maintenance main window, open the Edit menu and select
Edit | Global Delete. The dialog appears. Select the field (Graduation Year,
Card Expiration Date, Status, or Patron Type) on which you want to base the
deletions, and then specify your criteria:
To delete patrons based on their
Graduation Year, select the year and
the patron type.
To delete patrons based on their Card Expiration
Date, type the starting and ending dates and select
the patron type.
To delete patrons based on their
Status or Patron Type, select the
appropriate setting from the list.
If you want to keep patrons that have active check
outs, holds, fines, or refunds due, clear this option.
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2.
After you make your selections, click Delete. A confirmation message
appears. Click OK. While deleting the selected patrons, Patron Maintenance
displays a progress dialog. When the delete process ends, Patron
Maintenance produces an exception report that lists, for each patron meeting
the criteria, the patron name, barcode number, ID number, and whether the
patron was deleted or skipped (and the reason). If you chose to delete
patrons with active transactions, any copies that were checked out are
marked as lost, and any fines, refunds, or holds are deleted.
Deleting patrons with a PHD
This feature lets you delete multiple patron records based on barcode data that is
stored in a PHD. You can also determine whether you are going to delete patrons
with outstanding checkouts, fines, refunds, or holds.
Warning: All deletions are immediate. You cannot undo them by canceling the
process. The data cannot be recovered. Remember to erase any
previous scans in your PHD so that no patron records are
unintentionally deleted. To erase scans from a PHD+, PHD+ II, or
PHD Laser+, see page 664. For a PHD Dolphin+, see page 679.
1.
With your PHD, scan the barcodes of the patrons you want to delete. For
instructions on collecting patron scans with the PHD+, PHD+ II, or PHD
Laser+, see Collecting inventory, copy, or patron data" on page 663. To
collect patron barcodes with a PHD Dolphin+, see page 676.
When you finish collecting scans, connect your PHD to your computer. See
the manufacturer's documentation or Appendix E, Using a PHD+, PHD+ II,
or PHD Laser+," or Appendix F, Using a PHD Dolphin+," for instructions.
Note: To make sure you have scanned the correct barcodes, generate a list of
the patron names stored in your PHD before deleting their records.
(See Generating a Patron Name List" on page 575.)
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Chapter 16 Maintaining patron records in batches
2.
From the Patron Maintenance main window, select Edit | Delete Patrons via
PHD. The following dialog appears:
If you want to keep patrons
that have active checkouts,
holds, fines, or refunds due,
clear this option.
Select the PHD model you're
using.
To change the transfer set
tings, click Edit.
These instructions change based on the PHD you choose.
Warning: To protect your equipment, make sure you turn off your PHD
and computer before connecting or disconnecting the PHD.
3.
Decide if you want to delete patrons with active transactions, and then select
the PHD model you're using. If you don't need to change the transfer
settings, go to step 4. Otherwise, click Edit. The PHD Settings dialog appears:
Select the port you use to attach your
PHD to your computer, and then...
...select the highest speed available for
that port. The PHD Dolphin+ only com
municates at a speed of 9600 baud.
Set the port and speed for your PHD, and click Save.
4.
Once you've selected the correct PHD model and adjusted the PHD settings
as desired, simply follow the instructions displayed on the screen.
When you click Delete, a confirmation message appears. Click OK. While
deleting the selected patrons, Patron Maintenance displays a progress dialog.
When the delete process ends, Patron Maintenance produces an exception
report that lists, for each patron barcode scanned, the patron name, barcode
number, ID number, and whether the patron was deleted or skipped (and the
reason). If you chose to delete patrons with active transactions, any copies
that were checked out are marked as lost, and any fines, refunds, or holds are
deleted.
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Interpreting the exception report
The following table lists messages that may be generated when the system checks
your patron barcodes during the processing of your PHD data:
Patron Maintenance exception messages
Exception message
Meaning
Barcode
not found
Patron barcode transferred from your PHD for processing cannot be
found in system database.
Invalid barcode
Patron barcode does not follow the symbology defined in Barcode
Setup for patrons.
Verify Barcode Setup is valid for symbology used.
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Chapter 17 Importing patron information
This chapter contains general information about importing patron records and
patron pictures, formatting information, getting ready to import, importing
patron records, importing patron pictures, and interpreting the exception report.
About importing patron records
If your administration sends you disks containing new patron records, you can
decrease the amount of time required for annual updating. You can use the
Import Patrons option on the Patron Maintenance File menu to add new patron
records or to update existing records.
To be imported successfully, the source file must be in the correct format. If the
patron information you want to import was exported from a preUnison database
or from another vendor, you can either use the Patron Conversion Utility or
create your own import file with a text editor. For instructions on using the
Patron Conversion Utility, see the Patron Conversion Guide. If you prefer to create
your own import file, the following section explains the formatting for a patron
import file.
If you already have a properly formatted file and are ready to import, skip the
following section and go to Importing patron records" on page 202.
Formatting information for the librarian's technical personnel
The following patron file format information is provided to help you or your
technical personnel prepare a patron file for import into Patron Maintenance. If
you don't have experience creating or editing commadelimited text files, you
may want to seek additional assistance.
Follett's patron import data file formats
This type of file can be created with any text editor, such as the Windows
Notepad application. You can also export patron records using the Export
Patrons function, modify the data in a text editor, and then reimport the data
(choosing to replace existing records).
The import file format is flat ASCII text, commadelimited. Each patron record
takes up one line of the file. Each line in the file must end with a carriage return.
String fields in the record are surrounded by quotes (e.g., Smith"). Numbers,
including dates, are the actual numeric value. Each field is separated from the
one after it by a comma. Empty fields contain no characters.
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Header portion of the file
The first line in the import file must be a header line. The third field, Patron file
format version, must contain 4.00 if the file is in the 31field format described in
Patron record portion of the file." Do not enter the current application version
that you are running. Although it is not required that the other header fields
contain data, each field, listed in the following table, must exist in the header.
Field
Format
Maximum length
Example
School name
String
30
Anytown Elementary"
Program name
String
20
Patron Maintenance"
Patron file
format version
String
10
4.00"
Date created
Num, YYYYMMDD
8 (exactly)
19990901
Patron count
Num
4 (exactly, zeropadded)
0009
Disk number
Num
2 (exactly, zeropadded)
01
Final disk?
String, Y or N
1
Y"
The following example of a file header indicates that patrons from Anytown
Elementary were exported by Patron Maintenance module version 4.00 on Sept.
1, 1999 (19990901). There are 9 (0009) patron records. This is the first disk (01) in
the series and is also the last disk (Y") in the series.
“Anytown Elementary”,“Patron Maintenance”,“4.00”,19990901,0009,01,“Y”
Patron record portion of the file
The remaining lines in the import file are patron records. Each record must
contain all of the 31 fields, whether or not they contain data. String fields must be
surrounded by quotation marks, and all fields are separated (delimited) by
commas. Each record must end with a hard return; there must not be any trailing
space after the last field.
The Last Name field must contain data. In addition, the Barcode and/or
Alternate ID field(s) must contain data. This second requirement depends on
your preference. Refer to your System Setup | Patron Maintenance | Patron
Defaults for your required patron field(s).
The following table contains the specific information for each field:
Patron fields
Field
Format
Maximum length
Example
Barcode
String
14
P 52"
Alternate ID
String
20
241661234"
Last name
String
20
Sellers"
First name
String
20
Patty"
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Chapter 17 Importing patron information
Patron fields (Cont.)
Field
Format
Maximum length
Example
Middle name
String
10
Jo"
Card expiration date
Num
YYYYMMDD
8 (exactly)
20050630
Graduation year
Num, YYYY
4 (exactly)
2005
Birth date
Num
YYYYMMDD
8 (exactly)
19880214
Gender
String
1 (M, F, U, or blank)
F"
Patron Type
String
3 (all caps)
S"
Patron status
String
1 (A, I, or R)
A"
Location 1
String
15
Johnson"
Location 2
String
15
Gymnasium"
User field 1
String
15
4th Period"
User field 2
String
15
ESL"
Address 1 Line 1
String
32
19 Ridge St"
Address 1 Line 2
String
32
Route 3"
Address 1 Line 3 / City
String
32
Sycamore"
Address 1 Line 4
State/Province
String
32
Illinois"
Address 1 Zip/Postal Code
String
20
60987"
Address 1 Email
String
32
pjo@aol.com"
Address 1 Phone 1
String
28
815-828-9598"
Address 1 Phone 2
String
28
(895) 982-8518"
Address 2 Line 1
String
32
1037 Tame Rd"
Address 2 Line 2
String
32
P O Box 1972"
Address 2 Line 3 / City
String
32
McHenry"
Address 2 Line 4
State/Province
String
32
Wisconsin"
Address 2 Zip/Postal Code
String
20
70998"
Address 2 Email
String
32
red@school.org"
Address 2 Phone 1
String
28
(724) 737-8487"
Address 2 Phone 2
String
28
724-887-3754"
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The patron in the following example is Patty Sellers, whose record data is the
same as that shown in the above table. In the export file, this record would
appear as a single line terminated by a hard return. Please note that there are no
trailing spaces at the end of the record.
P52",241661234",Sellers",Patty",Jo",20050630,2005,19880214,F",S",A",Johnson",Gymnasium",4th Period",ESL",
19 Ridge St",Route 3",Sycamore",Illinois",60987",pjo@aol.com",815-828-9598",(895) 982-8518",1037 Tame Rd",P
O Box 1972",McHenry",Wisconsin",70998",red@school.org",(724) 737-8487",724-887-3754",
Note: The paragraph symbol ( ) in the previous example is being used to show
the hard return at the end of the record. It would not normally be visible.
Error checking in importing
Import checks the maximum length of each field. Any field larger than the
maximum length is truncated when imported.
Any trailing spaces in string fields are deleted. Leading spaces are not.
Barcodes may not be longer than 14 characters.
All date fields are stored as numbers, YYYYMMDD. Standard month/day
checking is applied. Years must be between 1900 and 2037.
Any record that is invalid generates a line in the exception report listing the
patron name (if possible) and a brief error message.
Importing patron records
Before you start, it is very important to check four factors that impact the
importing of your data. If they are not correctly set up, your records will not be
imported successfully.
Check the barcodes used in the records being imported. They must match the
barcode symbology set up for patrons in System Setup | Site | Barcodes,
including the Type Identifier character(s).
Check the default patron type in System Setup | Patron Maintenance. If you
are importing patron records that don't have patron types, Patron
Maintenance assigns this default patron type to the records being imported.
Check the required patron fields in System Setup | Patron Maintenance. If
the records in the import file do not contain the field(s) specified, the import
will fail.
Check the file format used for the records. Make sure that the records were
sent to you in the Follett patron file format. If they're not in the Follett format,
Patron Maintenance will not import them into your database. For
information on creating a file in the correct format, see the previous sections.
1.
On the Patron Maintenance main window, open the File menu and select
Import Patrons. The Import Patrons dialog appears. Select a basis for
detecting duplicates, and then select the subsequent action, either Skip,
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Chapter 17 Importing patron information
Merge, or Replace, that Patron Maintenance executes when a duplicate
record is found.
Select barcode or ID as specified in
System Setup for identifying your
patrons. Barcode is the default.
Typically used when adding new
patron records. Skips incoming
records if they exist in database.
Typically used when updating
existing records. All nonblank
fields from the incoming record
replace the corresponding fields in
the existing record.
Other fields remain as is.
Recommended when importing
records that contain new area
codes or other specific data.
Typically used when updating
existing records. Recommended
only when importing records that
contain complete patron
information. Replaces all existing
fields with incoming fields.
2.
If you are importing patrons from a floppy disk, insert the disk into the
floppy drive of your computer. On the Import Patrons dialog, click Import.
The Open dialog of your operating system appears.
3.
Select the patron file you want to import from the disk, and click Open. The
system begins to import the records, displaying the progress of the import in
the Patron Import progress window. To interrupt the import at any time, click
Cancel on the progress window.
4.
When the import is complete, a message appears asking if you want to
import another file. When you are finished importing, click Close. The
application generates an exception report with the number of patron records
processed and a description of any errors encountered.
Interpreting the exception report
Any errors encountered during the import patron process are entered into an
exception report. The exception report resides within the Follett folder in
Exception Reports. This table lists the possible errors and their meanings.
Patron Maintenance errors during a patron import
Error message
Meaning
Barcode is not a
valid patron barcode.
Patron barcode does not follow the symbology defined for patrons in
System Setup. Verify that the barcode setup is valid for the
symbology used.
Birth date field invalid:
Defaulted to blank.
Invalid birth dates are set to 0.
Card expiration date field
invalid: Defaulted to
blank.
Invalid card expiration dates are set to 0.
Duplicate : exists.
A duplicate record was found and since duplicates are to be
skipped, this record is so noted. Verify duplicates.
field too
long. Truncated.
One of the fields is longer than the maximum length allowed. The
data is truncated to the maximum length during import. Check
Follett's patron import data file formats, starting on page 199.
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Patron Maintenance errors during a patron import (Cont.)
Error message
Meaning
Graduation year field in
valid: Defaulted to blank.
All blank and invalid dates are set to (blank).
Graduation year field two
digit year adjusted to .
If only 2 digits are provided for the graduation year, it is converted
to a 4digit date: 19 is prefixed to 38-99, 20 is prefixed to 00-37.
The import record does not
contain the proper number
of fields.
Patron record does not contain the proper number of fields. Check
Follett's patron import data file formats, starting on page 199.
Invalid patron gender:
Set to (U) unknown.
The patron's gender is not M" (male), F" (female), U"
(unknown), or blank. If none exists or entry is incorrect, the gender
is set to U." Verify patron's gender.
Invalid patron status:
Set to Inactive.
The valid patron status types are: Active (A), Inactive (I), and
Restricted (R). If none exists, the status is set as Inactive during
import. Verify the patron's status.
may not be blank.
Patron record does not contain a last name, barcode, or ID as
defined for patrons in System Setup.
Verify the name field and your patron type defaults as described in
Making it easier to create new patrons" on page 72.
is
invalid: Defaulted to
blank.
The library Address Format is set as United States, Canada, or Other
Countries, and the Zip Code/Postal Code field does not match the
format defined in System Setup. The field is left blank during
import. Verify zip/postal code.
Importing patron pictures
When you want to import a file of patron pictures into your existing patron
records, use Import Patron Pictures. You can import a group of patron photos
that were compiled into a database file by another company, such as Lifetouch
National School Studios or Herff Jones.
Important: Before you start, make sure the import file is formatted correctly. Each
patron picture takes up one line of the file. Each line of the file must
contain: " ,
Source Exif Data:
File Type : PDF
File Type Extension : pdf
MIME Type : application/pdf
PDF Version : 1.4
Linearized : Yes
Encryption : Standard V1.2 (40-bit)
User Access : Print, Copy, Fill forms, Extract, Assemble, Print high-res
Create Date : 2004:03:01 14:11:10Z
Modify Date : 2004:03:03 13:41:37-06:00
Page Count : 730
Page Mode : UseOutlines
Creation Date : 2004:03:01 14:11:10Z
Producer : Acrobat Distiller 3.01 for Windows
Author : Follett Software Company
Mod Date : 2004:03:03 13:41:37-06:00
Metadata Date : 2004:03:03 13:41:37-06:00
Creator : Follett Software Company
Title : User's Guide version 6.00
Has XFA : No
EXIF Metadata provided by EXIF.tools