Sagebrush InfoCentre Library Manager. User Guide

Transcription

1 Sagebrush InfoCentre Library Manager User Guide

2 2006 Sagebrush Corporation, Minneapolis, Minnesota. All Rights Reserved. This documentation and the software described in it are copyrighted with all rights reserved. Under copyright laws, this documentation or the software may not be copied, reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language or computer language, in any form or by any means, in whole or in part, without the prior written permission of Sagebrush Corporation, except as set forth in your License Agreement with Sagebrush Corporation. The same proprietary and copyright notices must be affixed to any permitted copies as were affixed to the original. Various trademarks and registered trademarks are referred to in this document. Such references do not imply any endorsement of, or other affiliations with, this documentation. Where trademarks or registered trademarks are referred to, every effort has been made to adhere to the holder s preferred style of spelling and capitalization. All products mentioned are the property of their respective copyright holders and are used purely for educational purposes without intent to infringe on the rights of the trademark holder. The information in this documentation is believed to be correct as of the date of publication. However, it is subject to change without notice, and does not represent a commitment on the part of Sagebrush Corporation. Trademark acknowledgements InfoCentre, Athena, Spectrum, and In-Hand are trademarks of Sagebrush Corporation. Adobe and Acrobat Reader are trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated. Apple, Mac, and Macintosh are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. HotSync is a registered trademark of Palm, Inc. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

3 Contents Introduction... ix 1 Circulation...1 Introduction to Circulation... 2 How do I know which circulation desk I m using?...2 The Standard Circulation Desk...2 The Spectrum Circulation Desk...3 How can I change my circulation desk?...3 Command barcodes...4 Find Patron and Find Copy buttons...4 Circulating Copies Standard Circulation Desk... 5 Checking out a copy...5 Checking out a copy when an override password is required...6 Renewing a copy...7 Checking in a copy...8 Responding to the Pay Fine window during regular check in...9 Checking in a copy using Fast Check In...10 Changing the Check In Date before checking in copies...11 Checking in a Lost copy and changing its status...12 Circulating Copies Spectrum Circulation Desk Checking out a copy (Spectrum Circ Desk)...14 Checking out a copy when an override password is required...14 Renewing a copy...15 Checking in a copy...17 Responding to the Pay Fine window during check in...18 Changing the Check In Date before checking in copies...19 Checking in a Lost copy and changing its status...20

4 ii Contents Circulating ebooks Step 1: Check out...21 Checking out ebooks from an InfoCentre client...21 Checking out ebooks from patron search stations...21 Step 2: Download the ebook...21 About check in...21 About holds, bookings, and renewals...21 Managing Patrons Adding a new patron to InfoCentre...22 Editing a patron record...24 Importing patron records from a student information system (SIS)...24 Before importing...24 Importing...25 Step 1: provide basic information about the import file...25 Step 2: separate the patron record fields...26 Step 3: label fields...28 Step 4: import data...28 Step 5: view import results...29 Importing patron records from another InfoCentre Library...30 Before importing...30 Importing...30 After importing...30 Importing patron photos...31 Requirements...31 Exporting patron records from InfoCentre...32 Creating a Patron List report...33 Printing patron barcodes...34 Using Batch Process Patrons to edit patron records...37 Step 1: specify the patrons to be processed...37 Step 2: specify the Replace the Field action...38 Step 3: preview changes...39 Step 4: process records...40 Using Batch Process Patrons to delete patron records...41 Step 1: specify the patrons to be deleted...41 Step 2: specify the Delete the Patron action...43 Step 3: preview changes...43 Step 4: delete records...44 Deleting patron checkout history at the end of the school year...45

5 Contents iii Managing Lost Copies Marking a copy as Lost...46 Marking a copy as Lost and Paid For...48 Checking in a lost copy...48 Creating a list of lost copies...49 Managing Overdues Overdue List and Overdue Notices...51 Creating an Overdue List...52 Creating Overdue Notices...53 Managing Fines Paying a fine...55 Paying a fine during regular check in - Standard Circulation Desk...57 Paying a fine during check in Spectrum Circulation Desk...57 Adjusting a fine...57 Adding a fine...59 Creating Fine Notices...60 Creating Overdue Notices that include fines...61 Managing Holds Placing a hold...62 Removing a hold...63 Making a hold available...64 How do I know when a hold is available?...64 What should I do when a hold is available?...66 What happens when a different patron tries to check out an available hold?...66 Creating a Copies on Hold report...67 Managing Bookings Creating a booking...69 Removing a booking...71 Responding to booking messages...72 Creating a Bookings Pick List...73 Tracking In-Library Use Stand-alone Circulation When do I use stand-alone circulation?...77 Checking out and checking in copies...77 Processing stand-alone transactions...79 Remote Circulation with In-Hand Extracting titles and patrons...80 Processing In-Hand checkout and checkin transactions...83

6 iv Contents 2 Cataloging...85 Introduction to Cataloging Adding Titles and Copies Automatically assigning copy IDs...87 Importing MARC records...87 Adding a new title and copy...89 Using Authority Browse during cataloging...92 Adding a new copy to an existing title...94 Printing copy barcodes...95 Printing Spectrum 14-digit barcodes...97 Printing spine labels...97 Adding a new title and copy using zmarc...99 Creating a Shelf List report Editing Titles and Copies Enhancing a title record using zmarc Editing an author s name using Batch Process Titles Step 1: specify the titles to be processed Step 2: specify the Replace the Field action Step 3: preview changes Step 4: process records Editing call number patterns using Batch Process Copies Step 1: specify the copies to be processed Step 2: specify the actions Step 3: preview changes Step 4: process records Deleting Titles and Copies Deleting an individual title Deleting an individual copy Deleting titles and copies using Batch Process Copies Part I: place weeded copies on a book cart Part II: delete all copies in the book cart Step 1: specify the copies to be processed Step 2: specify the Delete copy action Step 3: preview changes Step 4: process records...117

7 Contents v Book Carts Introduction to Book Carts Creating a book cart Creating loan periods and limits for a book cart Putting items on a book cart Taking items off a book cart Creating an Entry Collection book cart Creating a loan period for an entry collection book cart Importing MARC records into an entry collection book cart Reviewing records in an entry collection book cart Moving records from an entry collection book cart into the collection Using Title Merge Using Maintain Authority to Create Authority Records and See and See Also References Inventory Introduction to Inventory Why should I do inventory? Inventory FAQs Should I weed my library before doing inventory? Should I inventory the whole library at once or should I do a section at a time? Can I continue to check out books while an inventory is in progress? What happens if I don t finish inventory in one day and I have to log out of InfoCentre? How does InfoCentre know what books are on my shelf? How do I scan barcodes and load them into InfoCentre? What does InfoCentre do with items that are missing? Will InfoCentre automatically delete the records for lost books? What happens if I find a book that was marked as Lost in Inventory? What happens if I find a book that was missing in Inventory and that I placed on a book cart for missing items?134 Starting Inventory Loading Copies Scanning directly into Inventory Copies screen Scanning into text file and using Load File button Scanning with In-Hand and using Load In-Hand button Managing the List of Inventoried Copies Using the Inventory Conflicts Report to Resolve Inventory Conflicts Using the Copies Missing from Inventory Report to Confirm Missing Copies Managing Missing Copies Marking missing copies as lost Adding missing copies to a book cart Finishing Inventory

8 vi Contents 4 Searching Introduction to Searching Searching with the Search Station Performing a Quick Search Performing an Advanced Search Performing a Visual Search Performing a Reading Program Search Performing an Other Libraries Search Performing a Standards Search How Standards Search works Working with the search results Basic title information Detailed title and copy information Adding to a list, placing a hold, or booking Using Circulation Features in the Patron Search Station Logging in to My Library Info Renewing copies in My Library Info Placing a hold in the patron search station Removing a hold in the patron search station Placing a booking in the patron search station Removing a booking in the patron search station Using Additional Features of the Patron Search Station Using the My List feature Using the Staff View Feature Using Reading Lists Working with ebooks How it works About check in Detailed instructions Reference Topics Introduction to Reference Topics Creating a Database Backup Copying the backup Restoring a backup Using the Find Patron Button Using the Find Copy Button...191

9 Contents vii Using the Find or Find Title Button Printing and Using Command Barcodes Using Shortcut Keys Viewing, Saving, Printing, or ing Report Results File Formats Using Select and Sort By Options in Reports Sorting reports Limiting reports Using Limit To Options in Reports Adding, Removing, Reordering, or Editing Fields in a Report Using your customized report Selecting Barcode Label Settings Creating a Title List Updating WebMARC Updating Cross-Reference Exporting MARC records Adding a Notice Board Message Making Changes to an Existing Visual Search Button Administration Patron types Copy types Schedules Creating a loan period Limits Setting up InfoCentre for ebooks Step 1: Add copy types for ebooks Step 2: Provide patron types with ebook checkout privileges (optional) Step 3: Enable ebooks on patron search stations (optional) Step 4: Disable automatic override password Step 5: Create loan period(s) for ebooks Step 6: Create limit(s) for ebooks Step 7: Catalog ebooks Glossary...239

10 viii Contents Appendix Appendix A: Title/Copy Structure Copy information fields Appendix B: Import Options for MARC Records Import File Name and Location MARC record matching Using call number patterns to assign copy types I: Refresh titles only II: Import new copies and refresh existing title records III: Import title information and add copies using default copy values IV: Import new titles and copies but overwrite imported copy ID V: Import new and existing titles and copies that have not been barcoded and do not have copy IDs assigned VI: Import records using Spectrum 14-digit barcodes Appendix C: Patron Import Format and InfoCentre Patron Record Fields Formats for patron data exported from a student information system Delimited ASCII format Fixed-width ASCII format InfoCentre patron record fields...270

11 Introduction

12 x Introduction Welcome to the User Guide for Sagebrush InfoCentre Library Manager v2.3. The User Guide includes chapters on circulation, cataloging, inventory, and searching. A detailed table of contents as well as a list of major sections at the beginning of each chapter will help you to find the topic that you need. If you are using the Guide online, you can click a topic in the table of contents to jump directly to that topic. The topics covered have been carefully chosen to address the most commonly performed library tasks. Each topic includes a brief introduction and step-by-step instructions for the task. Many topics also include a case study that provides an example of how the task can be used. Complex tasks such as batch processes and importing MARC records have been broken down into separate topics that provide specific instructions for a common use of those features. For example, the User Guide has separate topics for using Batch Process Patrons to edit patron records or delete patron records. Likewise, instructions for importing MARC records have been divided according to common import scenarios. The User Guide also contains reference topics, a glossary, and appendix. Reference topics cover features that are available throughout the program, such as using the Find Copy button. It also contains topics on fundamentals such as database backups, command barcodes, and the Admin tab. The glossary provides definitions of commonly used terms. As you use the User Guide, remember to check the glossary if you want more information about a term. The appendix provides additional information about title/copy structure, import options for MARC records, and patron import formats and patron record fields. In order to show how the different parts of InfoCentre relate to one another, this User Guide makes extensive use of cross-references: one topic will contain a reference to another related topic. Cross-references to other topics appear in italics. If you are using the Guide online, you can click the cross-reference to jump directly to that topic. Throughout the User Guide, you ll notice the following icons to help you find important information quickly. You get to choose. These sections flag instances where InfoCentre s administrative settings allow you to choose your preference, whether it s a default setting, or the way InfoCentre functions in a particular situation. These sections include information about where to find the relevant settings on the Admin tab. Did you know? These sections provide background information about InfoCentre, such as where a particular feature is set up, as well as suggestions about using certain features of the program. Case Study These sections provide an example of how an InfoCentre feature is used in a library setting. Important These sections provide information you need to know before you proceed with a set of instructions.

13 Introduction xi We hope that the User Guide is helpful. You can also contact Technical Support between 7 AM and 7 PM Central Time, Monday through Friday: By phone at By to support@sagebrushcorp.com. We value your feedback. Please send any comments or suggestions about the User Guide to training@sagebrushcorp.com.

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15 Circulation Introduction to Circulation...2 Circulating Copies Standard Circulation Desk...5 Circulating Copies Spectrum Circulation Desk Circulating ebooks Managing Patrons Managing Lost Copies Managing Overdues Managing Fines Managing Holds Managing Bookings Tracking In-Library Use Stand-alone Circulation Remote Circulation with In-Hand... 80

16 2 Chapter 1: Circulation Introduction to Circulation Circulation includes all functions in InfoCentre that process and record your patrons use of your library holdings: checking out, checking in, renewing, and, depending on your library s policies, placing holds and bookings and paying fines. Circulation also includes the management of patron records. These various functions are located on InfoCentre s Circulation tab. Related tasks and settings are located in the Circulation section of the Admin tab. InfoCentre offers you two options for the layout of circulation functions on the Circulation tab: the Standard Circulation Desk and the Spectrum Circulation Desk. The first two sections of this Circulation chapter are divided according to these two options use the section that corresponds to the circulation desk used in your library. The remaining sections of the Circulation chapter apply to both circulation desks. How do I know which circulation desk I m using? The Standard Circulation Desk and the Spectrum Circulation Desk can be easily identified by their appearance. The Standard Circulation Desk The Standard Circulation Desk takes its name from the fact that this is the default option. In other words, when you first purchase and install InfoCentre, it is set to use the Standard Circulation Desk. On the Standard Circulation Desk, each circulation function has its own button and opens on its own screen. Standard Circulation Desk

17 Chapter 1: Circulation 3 The Spectrum Circulation Desk The Spectrum Circulation Desk takes its name from its similarity to the circulation module in Sagebrush Spectrum. Former Spectrum customers may prefer this option. On the Spectrum Circulation Desk, you can perform checkouts, checkins, and renewals from the same screen. The Spectrum Circulation Desk also allows you to process more than one copy at a time. Spectrum Circulation Desk How can I change my circulation desk? Your circulation desk is chosen on the Admin tab, in Circulation s Miscellaneous Settings. The choice you make affects your workstation only in other words, you will need to change the settings on each workstation in your library that you use for circulation. This also means that you can have a different circulation desk on each of your workstations. To choose your circulation desk You choose the circulation desk you want to use by turning the Spectrum Circulation Desk option on or off. 1 From the Admin tab, click Circulation. Then choose Miscellaneous Settings. 2 Scroll down to the Spectrum Circulation Desk Settings section.

18 4 Chapter 1: Circulation Choose Yes or No beside the Use The Spectrum Circulation Desk option. 3 To use the Standard Circulation Desk, select No beside the Use The Spectrum Circulation Desk option. --or-- To use the Spectrum Circulation Desk, select Yes beside the Use The Spectrum Circulation Desk option. 4 Click Save. A window appears explaining that InfoCentre will reset to use the circulation desk you selected. Click OK. InfoCentre will automatically display the circulation desk you selected. Command barcodes Both the Standard Circulation Desk and the Spectrum Circulation Desk allow you to use command barcodes. These are barcodes that you scan with your circulation scanner in order to open certain screens or perform certain actions. For more information, see Printing and Using Command Barcodes. Find Patron and Find Copy buttons Most circulation functions require you to enter a patron ID or copy ID. The easiest way to do this is to scan the patron or copy barcode. You can also type the patron ID or copy ID. InfoCentre provides Find Patron and Find Copy buttons throughout Circulation. You can use these buttons to look up a patron or copy when you don t have the barcode easily available. For more information, see Using the Find Patron Button and Using the Find Copy Button.

19 Chapter 1: Circulation 5 Circulating Copies Standard Circulation Desk This section covers basic circulation activities on the Standard Circulation Desk. If you re not sure whether you are using the Standard Circulation Desk, see How do I know which circulation desk I m using? On the Standard Circulation Desk, each circulation function has its own button and opens on its own screen. You can have a patron record move with you from one circulation function to another. From the Admin tab, click Circulation and select Miscellaneous Settings. In the Standard Circulation Desk Settings section, select Yes beside Remember Current Patron. Checking out a copy To check out a copy 1 From the Circulation tab, click Check Out. The Check Out screen appears. 2 Scan the patron's barcode label. --or-- Type the patron's ID and click Find Patron. InfoCentre updates the screen to include the patron s information. 3 Scan the copy's barcode label. --or-- Type the copy ID in the box provided and click Find Copy. 4 If the patron is checking out more than one copy, follow the same procedure to identify the remaining copies. 5 When you have finished checking out copies to this patron, click Next Patron. You can enter a Patron ID or Copy ID by scanning or typing it into the box. If you don t have the Patron or Copy ID available, you can use the Find Patron or Find Copy button to look up the ID. For more information, see Using the Find Patron Button and Using the Find Copy Button.

20 6 Chapter 1: Circulation Checking out a copy when an override password is required When the patron checking out a copy has exceeded a fine limit, checkout limit, or renewal limit, InfoCentre displays an Override Required message. You can choose one of two options, depending on your library s policy regarding patrons who have exceeded circulation limits: Continue with the checkout process by supplying the override password and then clicking OK. Stop the checkout process by clicking Cancel. Depending on how InfoCentre is set up, the override password can be automatically supplied or you may have to enter it manually. This is the Override Required message when InfoCentre is set up to automatically supply the override password. Click OK to continue with the check out or click Cancel to stop the checkout process. This is the Override Required message when InfoCentre is set up to prompt you for the override password. Enter the Override password and click OK to continue with the check out, or click Cancel to stop the checkout process. Fine limits are set for each Patron Type. Checkout and renewal limits are set in Limits. Separate limits can be created for each patron type, or one limit can apply to all patron types. If you don t know your override password, you can see what it is by checking the Circulation Override Password section of Miscellaneous Settings, in the Circulation section of the Admin tab. If you don t have access to this part of Administration, ask your InfoCentre Administrator to supply you with the override password. You set up InfoCentre either to prompt you for the override password or to automatically supply it. From the Admin tab, click Circulation and select Miscellaneous Settings. Scroll down to the Circulation Override Password section. Select Yes or No beside Automatically Use Override Password. Whatever your choice, make sure that the password is entered in the Override Password box.

21 Chapter 1: Circulation 7 Renewing a copy InfoCentre offers several options for renewing copies. The two renewal methods described here are the simplest ones to perform. Choose the method that is most convenient and that accommodates your library s policies regarding renewals as well as the display of a patron s current checkouts. To renew a copy by checking it out Access the Check Out screen, identify the patron, and check out the copy, just as you would for a normal checkout. InfoCentre recalculates the due date based on today s date. (If you specified a special due date, InfoCentre uses that instead of the calculated due date.) To renew a copy by selecting it from a list 1 Access the Check Out screen and identify the patron, just as you would for a normal checkout. InfoCentre displays a list of the copies currently checked out to the patron. Copies checked out to this patron Renew button 2 Use your mouse to select the copy or copies that you want to renew. (To select a single copy, click it. To select multiple copies, hold down the Ctrl key (Windows) or the Command key (Macintosh) and click each of the copies that you want to select.) To renew all copies, click Select All. 3 Click Renew. You can choose whether or not a patron s current checkouts are displayed on the Check Out screen. Some libraries prefer not to display current checkouts for privacy reasons. From the Admin tab, click Circulation and select Miscellaneous Settings. Select Yes beside Display Current Checkouts if you want a patron s checked out items to appear on the Check Out screen. Select No if you do not want checked out items to appear. Your library s policy about renewing items requires that the patron show you that she has the library item she wants to renew and that it is in good condition. For this reason, your library will only renew a copy when the patron brings it in to be checked out again.

22 8 Chapter 1: Circulation Checking in a copy Do not check in an ebook. Since InfoCentre automatically checks in ebooks at the end of their loan periods, manual check in is not necessary. It can also cause InfoCentre to incorrectly show the ebook as available for check out (status of In) when in reality an ebook cannot be checked out again until the end of its loan period. For more information about ebooks, see Setting up InfoCentre for ebooks and Working with ebooks. To check in a copy 1 From the Circulation tab, click Check In. The Check In screen appears. 2 Scan the copy's barcode label. --or-- Type the copy ID and click Find Copy. If the copy has a fine, InfoCentre displays a Pay Fine window. The fine can be paid during check in, or it can be added to the patron s record to be paid later. For more information, see Responding to the Pay Fine window during regular check in. If the copy has a hold on it, InfoCentre displays a message. You can put the copy aside and notify the relevant patron. For more information, see Making a hold available. If the copy was previously marked as Lost, InfoCentre displays a message and asks if you want to proceed. To check in the copy and change its status from Lost to In, click OK. For more information, see Checking in a Lost copy and changing its status.

23 Chapter 1: Circulation 9 Responding to the Pay Fine window during regular check in If you are checking in overdue items that have accrued fines, a Pay Fine window may appear during the checkin process. The Pay Fine window gives you the option of having the patron pay the fine at the time of check in or to add the fine to the patron s record to be paid later. Fines that are not paid during check in can be viewed on the Patron Status screen. For more information, see Paying a fine. To respond to the Pay Fine window during regular check in 1 If the patron is making a fine payment, enter the amount in Payment Amount box. Then, in the Note box, enter a brief description of the fine transaction. --or-- If the patron does not want to make a payment, enter 0 in the Payment Amount box. 2 Click Done. You can use the Note box on the Pay Fine window to record information about the fine payment, such as the check number or the method of payment. You can choose whether or not the Pay Fine window appears during check in. If patrons rarely pay their fines during check in at your library, it will speed up the checkin process if this window does not appear. From the Admin tab, click Circulation and select Miscellaneous Settings. Select Yes beside Allow Fine Payments At Check In if you want the Pay Fine window to appear during check in. Select No if you do not want the Pay Fine window to appear during check in.

24 10 Chapter 1: Circulation Checking in a copy using Fast Check In InfoCentre s Fast Check In option offers an alternative checkin process. Instead of interrupting the checkin process by displaying the Pay Fines or Display Hold window, InfoCentre logs this information and makes it available in a Check In Exception List. This list can be viewed and printed when you have finished checking in copies. To check in a copy using Fast Check In 1 From the Circulation tab, click Check In. The Check In screen appears. Fast Check In option 2 Select the Fast Check In option. Then click the Enter a Copy ID box. 3 Scan the copy's barcode label. --or-- Type the copy ID in the box provided and click Find Copy. When you check in a copy, InfoCentre displays information about the transaction in the lower portion of the screen. The word View indicates that there is a message associated with this transaction. Print Exceptions button If there is a message associated with a particular checkin transaction, InfoCentre displays the word View in the Exceptions column. You can display the message by clicking this word. Once the message has been displayed, InfoCentre removes it from the exception log; it cannot be retrieved again. Instead of viewing messages individually, you can print the Exceptions list by clicking Print Exceptions. InfoCentre produces a report listing any messages from the current checkin session that have not yet been viewed. Once the report has been generated, InfoCentre removes all messages from the exception log; they cannot be printed or viewed again.

25 Chapter 1: Circulation 11 The exceptions log is deleted when you exit the Check In screen. If you wish to view messages or print the Exceptions list, you must do so before exiting the Check In screen. You can set up InfoCentre so that the Fast Check In option is automatically selected. From the Admin tab, click Circulation and select Miscellaneous Settings. Scroll down to the Standard Circulation Desk Settings section. Select Yes beside Fast Check In if you want it to be automatically selected when you open the Check In screen. Select No if you do not want it to be automatically selected. You can view exceptions onscreen by clicking View in the Exception column. However, once you view the exception, it disappears from the screen and this information is no longer available. Changing the Check In Date before checking in copies InfoCentre gives you the option to change the checkin date before checking in copies. This is useful if your library has an unscheduled closure and you do not want patrons to be charged a fine for the day or days closed. To change the check in date 1 From the Check In screen, click Change Date. The Change Check In Date window appears. 2 Use the calendar to select the new date. 3 To specify a particular checkin time, select the Check In Time check box, and enter the desired time. Use a 12-hour format and specify AM or PM (for example, 10:15 PM). 4 Click OK. To reset the check in date to the current date and time 1 From the Check In screen, click Change Date. The Change Check In Date window appears. 2 Click Use Today. Your school was closed for a day because of bad weather. On the day the school reopens, you gather materials from the book drop. You are concerned that patrons whose due dates are the same as the day the school was closed will be charged a fine for this day. Before you check in the book drop items, you change the checkin date to the day the school was closed. By doing this, patrons will not be charged a fine for returning items a day late.

26 12 Chapter 1: Circulation Checking in a Lost copy and changing its status If a lost item is returned to your library, you can change its status from Lost to In by checking in the item. To check in a lost copy (Regular Check In) and change its status to In 1 From the Circulation tab, click Check In. The Check In screen appears. 2 Scan the copy's barcode label. --or-- Type the copy ID in the Enter a Copy ID box. Then click Find Copy. 3 InfoCentre displays a message telling you that the copy was lost and asks if you want to proceed. Click OK. To check in a lost copy (Fast Check In) 1 From the Circulation tab, click Check In. The Check In screen appears. 2 If you have not already done so, select the Fast Check In option. Then click the Enter a Copy ID box. 3 Scan the copy's barcode label. --or-- Type the copy ID and click Find Copy. 4 InfoCentre enters information about this checkin transaction in the lower portion of the screen. Notice that the checkin transaction for this copy has the word View in the Exception column. 5 Click the word View. InfoCentre displays a message telling you that the copy was lost and asks if you want to proceed. 6 Click OK. A student has found a book that was marked as lost several months ago. You check in the book and change its status from Lost to In. According to your library s policy, you refund the student the amount he was fined when he reported the book as lost. You use the Fines History report to determine how much the fine and payment were.

27 Chapter 1: Circulation 13 Circulating Copies Spectrum Circulation Desk This section covers basic circulation activities on the Spectrum Circulation Desk. If you re not sure whether you are using the Spectrum Circulation Desk, see How do I know which circulation desk I m using? On the Spectrum Circulation Desk, you can perform checkouts, checkins, and renewals from the same screen. The Spectrum Circulation Desk also allows you to process more than one copy at a time. Scan or type copy and patron IDs in this box. Information about the current patron is shown here. Copies checked out list. These copies are already checked out to the patron. Copies entered list. These copies have not yet been processed. You can have a patron record remain onscreen after a circulation transaction. From the Admin tab, click Circulation and choose Miscellaneous Settings. Scroll down to the Spectrum Circulation Desk Settings section. Select No beside Clear Patron Information After Each Complete Transaction if you want the patron record to remain onscreen after a circulation transaction. Select Yes if you do not want patron information to stay onscreen.

28 14 Chapter 1: Circulation Checking out a copy (Spectrum Circ Desk) To check out a copy 1 From the Spectrum Circulation Desk screen, scan the patron's barcode label. --or-- Type the patron's ID in the box near the top of the screen. Then press the Enter or Return key. 2 Scan the copy's barcode label. --or-- Type the copy ID in the box near the top of the screen. Then press the Enter or Return key. InfoCentre adds the copy to the Copies entered list section of the screen. 3 If the patron is checking out more than one copy, follow the same procedure to identify the remaining copies. 4 Click Check Out. InfoCentre checks out all copies. If you do not want to check out all the copies in the Copies entered list, use your mouse to select the copies that you want to check out. (To select a single copy, click it. To select multiple copies, hold down the Ctrl key (Windows) or the Command key (Macintosh) and click each of the copies that you want to select.) Then click Check Out. InfoCentre checks out the selected copies. You can enter a Patron ID or Copy ID by scanning or typing it into the box. If you don t have the Patron or Copy ID available, you can use the Find Patron or Find Copy button to look up the ID. For more information, see Using the Find Patron Button and Using the Find Copy Button. Checking out a copy when an override password is required When the patron checking out a copy has exceeded a fine limit, checkout limit, or renewal limit, InfoCentre displays an Override Required message. You can choose one of two options, depending on your library s policy regarding patrons who have exceeded circulation limits: Continue with the checkout process by supplying the override password and then clicking OK. Stop the checkout process by clicking Cancel. Depending on how InfoCentre is set up, the override password can be automatically supplied or you may have to enter it manually. This is the Override Required message when InfoCentre is set up to automatically supply the override password. Click OK to continue with the check out or click Cancel to stop the checkout process.

29 Chapter 1: Circulation 15 This is the Override Required message when InfoCentre is set up to prompt you for the override password. Enter the Override password and click OK to continue with the check out, or click Cancel to stop the checkout process. Fine limits are set for each Patron Type. Checkout and renewal limits are set in Limits. Separate limits can be created for each patron type, or one limit can apply to all patron types. If you don t know your override password, you can see what it is by checking the Circulation Override Password section of Miscellaneous Settings, in the Circulation section of the Admin tab. If you don t have access to this part of Administration, ask your InfoCentre Administrator to supply you with the override password. You set up InfoCentre either to prompt you for the override password or to automatically supply it. From the Admin tab, click Circulation and select Miscellaneous Settings. Scroll down to the Circulation Override Password section. Select Yes or No beside Automatically Use Override Password. Whatever your choice, make sure that the password is entered in the Override Password box. Renewing a copy InfoCentre offers several options for renewing copies. The two renewal methods described here are the simplest ones to perform. Choose the method that is most convenient and that accommodates your library s policies regarding renewals as well as the display of a patron s current checkouts. To renew a copy without identifying the patron 1 From the Spectrum Circulation Desk screen, scan the copy's barcode label. --or-- Type the copy's ID in the box near the top of the screen. Then press the Enter or Return key. InfoCentre adds the copy to the Copies entered list section of the screen. 2 If you want to renew more than one copy, follow the same procedure to identify the remaining copies. 3 Click Renew. InfoCentre renews the copies. If you do not want to renew all the copies in the Copies entered list, use your mouse to select the copies that you want to renew. (To select a single copy, click it. To select multiple copies, hold down the Ctrl key (Windows) or the Command key (Macintosh) and click each of the copies that you want to select.) Then click Renew. InfoCentre renews the selected copies.

30 16 Chapter 1: Circulation To renew a copy by selecting it from the Copies checked out list 1 From the Spectrum Circulation Desk screen, scan the patron's barcode label. --or-- Type the patron's ID in the box near the top of the screen. Then press the Enter or Return key. InfoCentre displays basic information about the patron, and also shows a list of copies currently checked out to this patron. Renew button Copies checked out to this patron 2 In the Copies checked out list, use your mouse to select the copy or copies that you want to renew. (To select a single copy, click it. To select multiple copies, hold down the Ctrl key (Windows) or the Command key (Macintosh) and click each of the copies that you want to select.) 3 Click Renew. You can choose whether or not a patron s current checkouts are displayed on the Check Out screen. Some libraries prefer not to display current checkouts for privacy reasons. From the Admin tab, click Circulation and select Miscellaneous Settings. Select Yes beside Display Current Checkouts if you want a patron s checked out items to appear on the Check Out screen. Select No if you do not want checked out items to appear. Your library s policy about renewing items requires that the patron show you that she still has the library item she wants to renew and that it is still in good condition. For this reason, your library will only renew a copy when the patron brings it in to be checked out again.

31 Chapter 1: Circulation 17 Checking in a copy In order for the Check In window to appear after a copy is checked in, you must have this option turned on. From the Admin tab, click Circulation, and then choose Miscellaneous Settings. In the Spectrum Circulation Desk Settings section, select Yes beside Display Additional copy Information After Check In. Do not check in an ebook. Since InfoCentre automatically checks in ebooks at the end of their loan periods, manual check in is not necessary. It can also cause InfoCentre to incorrectly show the ebook as available for check out (status of In) when in reality an ebook cannot be checked out again until the end of its loan period. For more information about ebooks, see Setting up InfoCentre for ebooks and Working with ebooks. To check in a copy 1 From the Spectrum Circulation Desk screen, scan the copy's barcode label. --or-- Type the copy's ID in the box near the top of the screen. Then press the Enter or Return key. InfoCentre adds the copy to the Copies entered list section of the screen. 2 If you want to check in more than one copy, follow the same procedure to identify the remaining copies. 3 In the Copies entered list, use your mouse to select the copy or copies that you want to check in. (To select a single copy, click it. To select multiple copies, hold down the Ctrl key (Windows) or the Command key (Macintosh) and click each of the copies that you want to select.) 4 Click Check In. The Check In window appears showing the copies that have been checked in. The word View indicates that there is a message associated with this transaction. Print Exceptions button 5 If the copy has a hold on it or if there is something else unusual about the checkin transaction, InfoCentre displays the word View in the exceptions column for the transaction. Display the message by clicking the word View. Once the message has been displayed, it cannot be retrieved again. --or-- Instead of viewing messages individually, you can print the Exceptions list by clicking Print Exceptions. InfoCentre produces a report listing any messages from the current batch of checkins. Logged messages are deleted when you exit the Check In window. If you wish to view messages or print the Exceptions list, you must do so before exiting the Check In window. 6 After viewing any messages or printing the Exceptions list, click Close. You can view exceptions onscreen by clicking View in the Exception column. However, once you view the exception, it disappears from the screen and this information is no longer available.

32 18 Chapter 1: Circulation Responding to the Pay Fine window during check in If you are checking in overdue items that have accrued fines, an exception will appear in the list of checked in copies. When you view this exception, a Pay Fine window appears. You have the option of having the patron pay the fine at the time of check in or adding the fine to the patron s record to be paid later. Fines that are not paid during check in can be viewed on the Patron Status screen. For more information, see Paying a fine. To respond to the Pay Fine window 1 In the Exception column, click the word View. If the copy is overdue and a fine has been applied, the Pay Fine window appears. 2 If the patron is making a fine payment, enter the amount in Payment Amount box. Then, in the Note box, enter a brief description of the fine transaction. --or-- If the patron does not want to make a payment, enter 0 in the Payment Amount box. 3 Click Done. You can use the Note box on the Pay Fine window to record information about the fine payment, such as the check number or the method of payment. You can choose whether or not InfoCentre lists an exception for copies with fines during check in. If patrons rarely pay their fines during check in at your library, it may speed up the checkin process if an exception is not listed when a copy has a fine. From the Admin tab, click Circulation and choose Miscellaneous Settings. Select Yes beside Allow Fine Payments At Check In if you want an exception to appear during check in. Select No if you do not want an exception to appear during check in.

33 Chapter 1: Circulation 19 Changing the Check In Date before checking in copies InfoCentre gives you the option to change the check in date before checking in copies. This is useful if your library has an unscheduled closure and you do not want patrons to be charged a fine for the day or days closed. To change the check in date 1 From the Spectrum Circulation Desk screen, click Check In Date. The Change Check In Date window appears. 2 Use the calendar to select the new date. 3 To specify a particular checkin time, select the Check In Time check box, and enter the desired time. Use a 12-hour format and specify AM or PM (for example, 10:15 PM). 4 Click OK. To reset the check in date to the current date and time 1 From the Spectrum Circulation Desk screen, click Check In Date. The Change Check In Date window appears. 2 Click Use Today. Your school was closed for a day because of bad weather. On the day the school reopens, you gather materials from the book drop. You are concerned that patrons whose due dates are the same as the day the school was closed will be charged a fine for this day. Before you check in the book drop items, you change the checkin date to the day the school was closed. By doing this, patrons will not be charged a fine for returning items a day late.

34 20 Chapter 1: Circulation Checking in a Lost copy and changing its status If a lost item is returned to your library, you can change its status from Lost to In by checking in the item. To check in a lost copy 1 From the Spectrum Circulation Desk screen, scan the copy's barcode label. --or-- Type the copy's ID in the box near the top of the screen. Then press the Enter or Return key. InfoCentre adds the copy to the Copies entered list. 2 Click Check In. The Check In window appears showing the checkin transaction. The word View indicates that there is a message associated with this transaction. 3 In the check in transaction for the copy, click the word View (in the Exception column). InfoCentre displays a message telling you that the copy was lost and asks if you want to proceed. To check in the copy and change its status from Lost to In, click OK. 4 Click Close to close the Check In window. A student has found a book that was marked as lost several months ago. You check in the book and change its status from Lost to In. According to your library s policy, you refund the student the amount he was fined when he reported the book as lost. You use the Fines History report to determine how much the fine and payment were. The Lost report includes copies marked as lost during inventory as well as copies whose status is changed to Lost in Circulation.

35 Chapter 1: Circulation 21 Circulating ebooks Circulating ebooks is a two-step process. First the ebook must be checked out. Then, it must be downloaded. Before circulating ebooks, make sure that you have performed the setup tasks described in Setting up InfoCentre for ebooks. Step 1: Check out You can check out ebooks from any InfoCentre client. In addition, patrons can check out ebooks themselves from patron search stations. Checking out ebooks from an InfoCentre client You can check out ebooks just as you would any other library material. For help checking out materials using the Standard Circulation Desk, see Checking out a copy. For help checking out materials using the Spectrum Circulation Desk, see Checking out a copy (Spectrum Circ Desk). When checking out an ebook, you will probably not have access to a copy barcode label. Instead of identifying the ebook by scanning its barcode label, use the Identify Copy window to identify it by title or some other piece of information. For instructions, see Using the Find Copy Button. Checking out ebooks from patron search stations If the Enable ebook Checkouts option has been set to On from the Miscellaneous Settings screen (Searching), patrons can check out ebooks themselves. They simply perform a search from any patron search station, display the ebook's copy information, and then click the desired copy's Check Out button. For detailed instructions, see Working with ebooks. Only patron types with the Search Station Access: ebooks option selected, can check out ebooks. Step 2: Download the ebook After check out, patrons must download the ebook from the My Library Info tab of a patron search station. For instructions, see To download an ebook. Patrons should download ebooks from the same computer that they will use to read the them. This is because for each check out, an ebook can be downloaded only once and to only a single computer. About check in When the loan period ends, InfoCentre automatically checks in the ebook. At this point, the ebook expires and cannot be viewed by the patron until it is checked out again. Do not check in an ebook manually. Since InfoCentre automatically checks in ebooks at the end of their loan periods, manual check in is not necessary. It can also cause InfoCentre to incorrectly show the ebook as available for check out (status of In) when in reality the ebook cannot be checked out again until the end of its loan period. About holds, bookings, and renewals Unlike traditional library materials, ebooks cannot be renewed, booked, or placed on hold.

36 22 Chapter 1: Circulation Managing Patrons Managing patrons involves the creation, maintenance, and organization of information about your patrons. Each patron s information is stored in a patron record. A patron record has four required fields: Patron ID a unique identifying number within InfoCentre. This patron ID can be printed as a barcode label which is scanned when the patron performs certain circulation activities. Patron Type the category of patrons to which the individual patron record belongs. Patron types are used for creating loan periods and limits, and can be used in reports. For more information, see Patron types. Privileges Expire the date the patron s library privileges expire. This date is set for each patron type. Surname the patron s last name. Patron records record other types of information about each patron, such as grade, homeroom, and address. InfoCentre also offers user-defined fields which can be customized to record specific types of information. Patron records can be entered individually or imported from a file. Patron records can also be edited individually or by using a batch process. Adding a new patron to InfoCentre You can use the Maintain Patrons feature to manually add a new patron to InfoCentre. This method is most useful for adding individual patrons. It can also be used when importing records from an outside application is not an option. You add and edit patron information from the Maintain Patrons screen on the Circulation tab.