Tell me about:

• General Layout
• What is a circulation?
• What is a reservation?
• What is an advanced booking?
• Limitations and Restrictions
• Hyperlink Actions
• Persistent Menu Options
• Managerial vs. OPAC Circulations
• Basic circulations configuration

How to:

• Display a reader record
• Display an item record
• Circulate an item
• Re-circulate an item
• Return an item
• Reserve an item
• Remove a reservation
• Book an Item
• Remove a booking

In order to display an Item record in the circulations dialog, either a single or a two-stage operation is required, based upon whether an exact search match is immediately possible or whether more than one operation has been identified.

To begin the pattern match, enter either the HID or title into the first field of the Item area of the dialog. In order to prevent repeated and unneccesary queries of the database, this field is time linked - as long as confident, continuous typing is performed or the required HID or title is scanned in electronically (such as via a barcode reader), no attempt is made to search the database. The first attempt that is made to perform a pattern match begins when data entry halts for more that one-quarter of a second.

Once a database query is made, the results are loaded into the drop-down list box beneath the pattern-matching field. If only a single match is made, the Item is immediately loaded into the details listbox of the Item area and is made 'current'.

If more than one match is made, the user must manually select the required Item from the drop-down list.

If an Item is matched that is is use (such as a current circulation), the relevant Reader is automatically loaded into the Reader area ready for further operations.

Once an Item has been selected and made 'current', a summary of details regarding the Item is displayed in the heirarchical list box in the Item area. The details are grouped into logical collections - some of these collections match the tabbed panel areas within the Manage Items dialog, while some of them are specifically associated with the Circulations functions. The Circulations related groups include:

The Reservations group displays a list of Reader that have a reservation placed on this Item.

The advanced booking group displays a list of Reader that have booking currently in place for this Item.

Many of the details displayed in the details list box are displayed with an underline, marking them as hyper-links. By double-clicking the link, the Circulations dialog displays the most appropriate dialog connected with that type of data. Double-clicking data related to circulations functions, modifies the circulations dialog in readiness for that type of operation.

Once an Reader and Item have been loaded into the circulations dialog, it is possible to circulate the Item to the Reader. In order to do so, select the tabbed panel titled 'Circulation' in order to trigger the loading and calculation of the circulation rules. At the same time, the command buttons will reconfigure to reflect the operations possible on the selected tabbed panel.

The circulations tabbed panel contains three data entry fields and a single list box. The three fields display the current base date (from which the circulation will be calculated), a calculated duration, and a calculated due date. The rules that were utilised in calculating the duration and due date are listed in the right-hand list box. Any rule that results in a absolute restriction is indicated in bold.

It is possible after calculation of the rules that the circulation will be prevented - this may be caused by either a limitation resulting in too short a loan duration, or because of an absolute restriction.

In most cases, the internal calculation should be taken as a golden rule and obeyed explicitly - the calculation of the duration should have been created using rules designed to cater for all eventualities within the library. If for whatever reason a circulation must be made by overriding these rules, then individual conditions may 'turned-off' by simply unchecking the checkbox next to the relevant condition.

It is also possible to explicity set a due date by entering the date directly into the relevant field. As soon as any of these fields are modified manually however, the list box containg the circulation conditions is locked. This is as a result of the conditions now no longer having any direct relation to the duration or due date. In order to return the circulations panel to normal and allow access to the conditions once again, simply reselect the circulations panel after selecting another.

Once the calculation has been made (which should have been made automatically as soon as the tabbed panel was selected), the circulation can be made by selecting the [Issue] command button at the bottom of the dialog.

On occasion, it may be necessary to re-circulate an Item that is already on loan to an Reader. This is most often done in order to extend the duration of an existing circulation.

In order to re-circulate the Item, select the Reader and then the Item required in order to make them both active. As with a normal circulation, the circulation tabbed panel will automatically calculate the appropriate due date and re-configure the command buttons. In this case however, the fact that the Item is already in circulation will result in the command buttons re-configuring for re-circulation (Re-Issue) mode rather than circulation (Issue).

From this point on however, re-circulation is identical to a circulation. Select the [Re-Issue] command button in order to accept the circulations conditions and issue the Item.

Any selection of an Item record alone, but which is already on loan to an Reader, will result in the Reader automatically being displayed without the need to manually select it. Selection of an Item with a different Reader displayed (such as an attempt to issue an Item, not realising that it is already on loan) will result in a warning to the user and an offer to automatically select the correct Reader to allow the Item to be returned. A refusal at this point will lock the circulations command buttons - other functions however, such as reservations and bookings, remain accessible.

In order to return an Item to the library, select the Reader and then the Item required in order to make them both active. As with a normal circulation, the circulation tabbed panel will automatically calculate the appropriate due date and re-configure the command buttons as if a re-circulation was due to take place.

In this case however, select the [Return] command button in order to return the Item to the library and make it available for further use. If any reservation is in place for the Item, a reminder will be displayed with the name of the Reader requiring it.

Any selection of an Item record alone, but which is already on loan to an Reader, will result in the Reader automatically being displayed without the need to manually select it. Selection of an Item with a different Reader displayed (such as an attempt to issue an Item, not realising that it is already on loan) will result in a warning to the user and an offer to automatically select the correct Reader to allow the Item to be returned. A refusal at this point will lock the circulations command buttons - other functions however, such as reservations and bookings, remain accessible.

In order to reserve an Item for an Reader, select the Reader and then the Item required in order to make them both active. If not already selected, select the tabbed panel titled 'Reservations'. On selection, two fields are automatically populated - the expiry date of the reservation, and the reservation type

The expiry date of the reservation is set to the date at which the Item selected is no longer available. As a result, it is possible that this date is far in the future, and will effectively be 'non-expiring'. If the user wants a date within the near future, either enter the date directly or use the [?] button to display a selectable date dialog. If the date is reached before the reservation is collected, the reservation is automatically deleted.

The reservation type is automatically set to 'by title'. Placing a reservation of this type will mean that the first Item to become free with this title will be explicitly selected as the reservation. Two other types are available - exact reservation, in which the Item currently on screen is the only one that will be accepted, and reservation by serial number (e.g. ISBN) in which case the first Item with the matching serial number the becomes available will be explicitly selected as the reservation.

Selection of an Item that is already on loan will result in an offer being made to switch the currently displayed Reader (the one requiring the reservation) to the Reader with the Item, with the intention that a re-issue or return take place. In order to continue with the reservation, ensure that the offer is refused.

In order to remove an existing reservation, select the Reader or the Item invovled in the reservation and ensure that the [Reservations] tabbed page is selected. Once it is selected, select (click once) the reservation in the Reader or Item details (whichever was selected). The [Remove] command button will then become available.

Select the [Remove] button to remove the reservation from the system. Note that if a reservation is selected in both the Reader and Item details, the reservation in the Item details will always take priority for removal.

Selection of an Item that is already on loan will result in an offer being made to switch the currently displayed Reader (the one subject to the reservation) to the Reader with the Item, with the intention that a re-issue or return take place. In order to continue with removal of the reservation, ensure that the offer is refused.

In order to book an Item for an Reader, select the Reader and then the Item required in order to make them both active. If not already selected, select the tabbed panel titled 'Bookings'. On selection, four fields are made available - a start date and time combination, an end date and time combination, a drop-down pick list containing all of the possible pickup / delivery methods available, and a list-box containing all of the current bookings for this Item.

Either enter start and end dates into the fields selected or select the appropriate [?] button in order to select the date and time from a date-selection dialog, then choose the pickup method from the drop-down. When placing bookings, the list of existing books is not utilised.

Once all three fields are suitably configured, select [Book] in order to place the booking.

Selection of an Item that is already on loan will result in an offer being made to switch the currently displayed Reader (the one requiring the reservation) to the Reader with the Item, with the intention that a re-issue or return take place. In order to continue with the booking, ensure that the offer is refused.

In order to remove a booking, select the Reader and Item required in order to make then active. If not already selected, select the tabbed panel titled 'Bookings'. On selection, the most important field required for this operation is the list-box containing all of the current bookings for this Item.

Select the booking that should be removed from the list - on selection, the [Remove] command button should be made available for use. Select the [remove] button in order to remove the selected booking from the database.

Selection of an Item that is already on loan will result in an offer being made to switch the currently displayed Reader (the one requiring the reservation) to the Reader with the Item, with the intention that a re-issue or return take place. In order to continue with the booking, ensure that the offer is refused.