Circulation
This chapter presents explains the circulation procedures carried out from the staff client.
Patron Records
Searching Patrons
Search one field or combine.
Truncate search terms for more search results.
Include inactive patrons checkbox.
Limit results to patrons in dropdown.
Registering New Patrons
Mandatory fields = Red.
Save and clone user button: the contact info is copied into the next record. Records created using this method
are automatically grouped together with the original record and share the same address, which can only be edited in the original record.
Staff accounts can be added here just like patron accounts.
Clone User from Existing Group Member
Create a new patron record – and patron group member – by cloning an existing patron record:
Open patron record, click Other.
Select Group.
Highlight a group member to clone and right click.
Select Register a New Group Member by Cloning Selected Patrons.
A Register Patron Clone for Group tab will open displaying the Evergreen User Editor.
Enter required patron information.
Click Save User.
After saving the clone record, the User Editor reverts to another clone template; create additional family/group member records.
Close the Register Patron Clone for Group tab.
Updating patron information
Retrieve the patron record
Edit
Finish then click Save User.
Confirmation message, User updating is successful
Extend Account Expiration Date
All patron accounts are set to expire in one year – this allows staff to verify patron contact information annually and update any out-of-date
information.
There is no warning that the account will soon expire.
Loans are NOT shortened if due date is after the account expiration date.
NO loans are possible until the account expiration date is extended.
Access patron account, open Edit function tab.
Click 4. Groups and Permissions
At Account Expiration Date, highlight the year and type the new year
Click 7. Finish, click Save User
Lost Library Cards
Retrieve the patron record.
Click Mark Lost button.
FinishSave User.
A lost card cannot be reinstated (A warning message will display; use the new card to retrieve the user’s
record)
Resetting a Patron's Password
Retrieve the record.
Click Reset Button next to password field
The existing password is not displayed in patron records for security reasons.
Barring a Patron
Select 4: Groups and Permissions. Select the Barred checkbox.
The Alert Message is required.
Click FinishSave User.
Barring a patron from one library bars that patron from all consortium member libraries.
To unbar a patron, uncheck the Barred checkbox and remove the alert message.
Barred: Stops patrons from using their library cards; alerts the staff that the patron is banned/barred from the
library. The "check-out" functionality is disabled for barred patrons (NO option to override – the checkout window is unusable
and the bar must be removed from the account before the patron is able to checkout items). These patrons may still log in to
the OPAC to view their accounts.
Blocked: Often, these are system-generated blocks on patron accounts. Some examples:
Patron exceeds fine threshold
Patron exceeds max checked out item threshold.
A notice appears when a staff person tries to checkout an item to blocked patrons, but staff may be given permissions
to override blocks.
Patron Alerts
There are two types of Patron Alerts:
System-generated alerts: once the cause is resolved (e.g. patron's account has been renewed), the message
will disappear automatically.
View from Messages or OtherDisplay Alerts and
Messages
Staff-generated alerts: must be removed manually. – Yellow background in summary
To insert:
Edit Groups and Permissions
Alert Message field.
Finish and Save User.
To remove:
Click Clear button under the Alert Message box.
Save the record.
A notice appears when a staff person tries to checkout an item to blocked patrons, but staff may be given permissions
to override blocks.
Patron Notes
See Notes message appears
Notes are strictly communicative and may made visible to the patron, via their account on the OPAC.
To insert/remove a note:
Open a patron record, click Other
Select Notes.
Click Add New Note.
Select if notes will be visible for staff only, or visible to the patron when logged into My Account in the OPAC.
Add note Title and content.
Click Add Note
Click OK
To delete a note, go to Other Notes and use the
Delete This Note button under each note.
Merging Patron Records
From the Patron Search screen:
Search by the terms shared by the two records
Select the two records to merge by pressing down the CTRL key and clicking each record.
Click Merge Patrons.
Select the record you want to keep by checking the radio button Lead Record above the appropriate record.
Click the Merge Patrons button.
Once two records have been merged, the notes, bills, holds and outstanding items under the non-lead record
are brought to the lead record. Staff-inserted alert messages are not transferred.
From the Patron Group screen:
Retrieve one of the two patron records you want to merge. Go to Other Group.
The patron record is displayed as a group member. Click Choose Action Move another patron to this
patron group.
At the prompt, scan or type the patron's barcode. Click OK.
Confirm the move by clicking the Move button on top of the screen. Click OK on the confirmation pop-up window.
Both records are displayed as group members. Select both records by pressing the CTRL key and clicking each
record. Click Choose an Action->Merge Selected Patrons.
The merging records window pops up. Choose the lead record and continue to merge records as described in
Step 4.
The merged record will still show under group members. Both members point to the same patron
record.
Circulating Items
Regular circulation: circulation of items in the regular collection.
Pre-cataloged circulation: circulation of items that have a barcode but have not yet been cataloged. These items
may be checked out and then sent to cataloging when returned.
Non-cataloged circulation: circulation of items that are not in the catalog and do not have a barcode.
Check Out (F1)
Regular Items:
Click Check Out button or hit F1 to access Retrieve Patron by Barcode
Scan the patron barcode
Patron Account opens to the Check Out function tab
Scan or enter the item barcode. Click Submit or hit Enter (for manual entries).
Continue to scan barcodes until all items are charged.
When finished, click Done to generate a receipt or to exit patron record, if not printing slip receipts.
Pre-cataloged Items
Pre-cat items are those items that have yet to be added to the database or that have barcode labels, but are not attached to an existing bibliographic record.
ONLY use Pre-Cat Checkout as a last resort, such as when a patron brings the item to the desk from the shelf and MUST have it that day. Otherwise,
ask the patron to wait until you can have the item correctly processed.
From the Check Out screen:
Scan the item barcode.
An alert will appear stating: Mis-scan or non-cataloged item.
To continue with check out, click Pre-cataloged.
Enter title and author information and click Checkout.
Item is added to the list of Check Outs
Checking In Pre-cataloged Items
Scan the item barcode.
An alert will appear stating: "This item needs to be routed to Cataloging"
Click OK.
The item is added to the list of Check Ins, marked with: [barcode number] needs to be cataloged, Route To location = Cataloging and
Status = Cataloging
The item MUST be routed to your holdings maintenance staff to be added to the database before further
check outs.
Non-cataloged Items
Non-cataloged items may be more familiar as Ephemeral items – they are those items that libraries do not wish to catalog,
but do wish to track for circulation statistics.
Items are checked out with a due date but when the due date expires, the items disappear from the
patron's record.
No fines accrue.
Circulation statistics are collected.
From the Check Out screen:
Click Check Out button or hit F1 to access Retrieve Patron by Barcode.
Scan patron barcode.
The Patron Account opens to Check Out function tab.
Click on Barcode to open the non-cataloged items selection list.
Click the type of item, such as Paperback Book; the box for the barcode will become grayed out and labeled
Non-cataloged.
Click Submit.
In the pop-up, enter the number of items being checked out.
Click OK.
The items are added to the Check Out list with a normal due date.
Non-cataloged items do not appear in the list of items out unless you select that option.
Click OK.
Due Dates
Circulation periods are pre-set. When items are checked out, due dates are automatically calculated and
inserted into circulation records if the Due Date is set Normal on the Check Out screen. Different due dates
may be set to override this circulation period.
This process will allow staff to set a non-standard loan period prior to scanning the item in Check Out.
Click Check Out button or hit F1 to Retrieve Patron.
Scan the patron barcode.
Scan the item barcode
In the box labeled Normal, select a pre-set loan period from the list; OR
Highlight Normal and type a specific date in YYYY-MM-DD format
The item is checked out with the special due date.
The special due date applies to all subsequent items until it is changed or the patron record is exited.
Check In (F2)
Regular check in:
Click Check In button or hit F2 to open Item Check In tab.
Scan item barcode.
Continue to scan barcodes until all items are discharged.
Close tab when done.
Backdated Check In
Used for checking items in from bookdrops or for unexpected closings.
Click the Check In button or hit F2.
Enter backdated date in the Effective Date field (YYYY-MM-DD format).
Click outside of the Effective Date field: the top green bar changes to red. The new effective
date displays at the top of the window.
Scan items.
When finishing backdated check-in, change the Effective Date back to the current
date or close tab.
Renewal and Editing Item's Due Date
Checked-out items can be renewed according to library policy. The new due date is calculated from the renewal
date. Existing loans may be extended to a specific date by editing the due date.
Renewal
Retrieve the patron record.
Items Out screen.
Select item(s) to renew.
Select Actions for Selected Items Renew.
To renew all items in the account, click Renew All.
To view the new due date, click Refresh.
Renewal may also be done from the Items Status screen. See .
Editing the Due Date
From the patron record, open Items Out tab
Highlight the item, right click, and select Edit Due Date
To update multiple items highlight the first item, press and hold Ctrl, highlight additional items
In the pop-up, enter the new due date.
Click OK.
Click Refresh to update the list.
Select multiple items by pressing down the CTRL key and clicking each item to edit.
Editing the due date does not affect renewal count.
Marking Items “Lost” and “Claimed Returned”
Lost Items
Retrieve the patron record.
Click Items Out tab.
Select appropriate item(s).
Select Actions for Selected Items Mark Lost (by Patron).
Refresh to reflect changes. Lost item(s) display in the Lost/Claimed Returned/Long Overdue
field.
Marking an item lost will automatically bill the patron the replacement cost of the item, plus a
processing fee, as determined by local policy. If the cost is 0.00, a charge may be manually added to the bill. See the
section called for details
If the lost item is returned, the bill and payment (if bill has been paid) will not be cancelled/refunded automatically.
These bills must be dealt with manually, as per local policy.
Claimed Returned Items
Retrieve the patron record.
Click Items Out.
Select item(s).
Right click, and select Mark Claimed Returned. To update multiple items highlight the first item,
press and hold Ctrl, highlight additional items and select Mark Claimed Returned.
Enter a return date (YYYY-MM-DD format) and click OK.
The “Claimed Returned” item will display in the Lost/Claimed Returned/Long Overdue
field.
If the item is overdue and the claims returned date is before the original due date, the fines disappear.
If the item is overdue and the claims returned date is after the due date, the fines remain.
If you do not enter the date claimed returned, the item is moved to the Claimed returned list, but the fines are not stopped.
Items cannot be un-claimed returned except by checking in the item or marking it lost.
There is a Claims Returned Count in the Edit tab, Groups and Permissions section; this must be manually reset.
There are no alerts indicating claims returned items.
In-house Use (F6)
May be used to record in-house use for both cataloged and non-cataloged items.
Select Circulation Record-In House Use
Cataloged items: Enter item barcode. When recording more than one use of an item, edit the
number in the # of uses box.
Non-cataloged items: choose the appropriate item from the dropdown menu in the Barcode
box and Submit.
The statistics on in-house use are separated from circulation statistics. In-house use count
of cataloged items is not included in the items' total use count.
Item Status (F5)
Many functions may be performed from the Item Status screen. This section will cover circulation-related functions:
checking item status, viewing past circulations, inserting item alert messages, and marking items missing or damaged.
Checking Item Status
Select SearchSearch for copies by Barcode or Circulation
Show Item Status by Barcode.
Enter item barcode.
Current status of the item displays, along with selected other fields. (Use the column picker
to choose which fields to view.)
If an item's status is Available, the displayed due date refers to the previous circulation's due date.
Viewing Past Circulations
Retrieve an item (see above).
Select Actions for Selected ItemsShow Last Few Circulations.
The item’s recent circulation history displays.
To retrieve the last patron to circulate the item, select Retrieve Last Patron.
Patron record will display in a new Tab.
Past circulations can also be retrieved from a patron's Items Out screen.
Marking items damaged or missing
To mark items damaged or missing:
Retrieve the item.
Select the item.
Select Actions for Selected Items Mark Item Damaged or Mark
Item Missing.
This procedure also allows items to be checked in or renewed through the Check in Items and Renew Items options on the
dropdown menu.
Item alerts
The Edit Item Attributes function on Actions for Selected Items allows editing of item records, such as inserting
item alerts.
Retrieve record.
Highlight the item.
Select Actions for Selected Items Edit Item Attributes.
The item record displays in the Copy Editor.
Click Alert Message in the Miscellaneous column.
Type in the message and click Apply.
Click Modify Copies and confirm.
Bills and Payments
Circulation vs. Grocery Bills
There are two types of bills in Evergreen: Circulation bills and Grocery bills.
Circulation bills: system-generated (overdue fines, lost item cost, processing fees, etc.).
Overdue fines are added daily once an item is overdue.
When an item is marked as lost, bills may be automatically generated to cover the item's cost and a processing fee, according to library policy.
Grocery bills: staff-applied to patron accounts.
Making Payments
To collect payments:
Retrieve the patron record.
Bills
When bills are paid, the money applied starts at the top of the list of checked-off bills. To pay a specific bill, uncheck the other boxes.
(Note the presence of the Uncheck All and Check All options.)
Select a payment type.
Enter the amount of payment in the Payment received field.
Apply Payment.
The patron’s bill screen and owed balance will update.
Items marked with red are still checked out. It is possible for a patron to pay a bill while the item is still out and accruing fines.
You may choose to annotate payment and fill in resulting text box according to library policy.
Making Change
Change will be calculated if the payment amount is over the selected bill amount. After typing in a payment amount, click into the
=Change field. The change amount will
display.
Void vs. Forgive
Void clears all history of the bill, while forgive retains the history.
Forgiving Bills:
Retrieve the patron record.
Choose forgive as the payment type
Enter the amount to be forgiven.
Apply Payment.
Voiding Bills
Bills under one transaction are grouped in one bill line. Bills may be voided in part or in whole.
To void the whole amount:
Click Void All Billings
confirm.
To void a partial amount:
Click Full Details for the transaction.
The bill details screen displays.
Select the bill to void.
Void Selected Billings.
Confirm.
Adding New "Grocery" Bills
A grocery bill can be added as a new bill or to an existing bill.
To add a as a new bill:
Retrieve the patron record.
Select Bills.
Click Bill Patron.
Choose appropriate billing type from the drop down menu. (Grocery is the only available transaction type.)
Enter the Amount and Note (as required).
Submit this Bill and confirm.
To add bill to an existing bill line:
Select Bills.
Click Add Billing at the bottom of the correct bill line.
Choose appropriate billing type from the drop down menu. (Grocery is the only available transaction type.)
Enter the Amount and Note (as required).
Submit this Bill and confirm.
The Money Summary will adjust accordingly.
Bill History
The Bill History view includes specific details about the item as well as information about the bill and payments.
To view a patron’s bill history:
From the patron record, open the Bills tab
Click History.
The Bill History window opens.
Highlight a bill in the Bill History pane to view its Item Summary.
For more information, select a bill and click Full Details.
Items may be deleted from the catalog even if a charge for that item is still attached to the patron's record. The charge will remain on the patron's account
after the deletion.
Holds
Items may be deleted from the catalog even if a charge for that item is still attached to the patron's record. The charge will remain on the patron's account
after the deletion.
Viewing Holds
To view holds for a record:
Under Actions for this Record (AltA), select View Holds
(AltS). You can do this from any record view. You do not have to be in
Holdings Maintenance.
The View Holds screen opens.
Placing Holds
Holds may be placed by staff through the staff client or by patrons through the OPAC. This chapter explains placing holds through the client which can be placed for
from several different places.
Holds Levels
Evergreen has four hold levels. Library staff may place holds at all four levels, while patrons may only place Meta-record and Title-level holds.
Hold Levels Explained:
Hold Level
Abbreviation
How To
Used By
Hold Links To
Meta-Record
M
Click Place Hold next to the title. From the Holds Confirmation Screen, click Advanced
Hold Options and select other applicable formats
Patron or staff
Group of records in different formats (book, video, audiobook, etc) with the same title.
Title Record
T
Click Place Hold next to the title
Patron or staff
A single MARC (title) record
Volume
V
Click Place Hold on any item in the holdings list (next to the call number)
Staff
A call-number-specific volume record
Copy
C
Click Details to view the barcode. Select Place Hold (next to the barcode)
Staff
An item barcode
Meta-Record holds: If you select formats as being Acceptable Alternative Formats, the patron’s hold will be filled with the first
available item. If Books is selected, for instance,
a paperback edition could fill the hold, even when the hold is placed on the hardback record. If there are many different records for the same item, books attached to
other records could fill the hold, so this may speed hold fulfillment. If Audiobooks is selected, the patron could also receive the audiobook if that is the first available
version of the item. If audiobooks are selected, the patron could receive a cassette or CD version if Evergreen libraries own both.
Placing Holds from Catalog Records:
Retrieve the desired title record (Search Search the Catalog).
Scan or type patron’s barcode into the Enter recipient barcode field. Click Submit.
Click on an entry to display it’s summary.
Edit the patron hold notification and expiration date fields as required. (A default hold expiration date will
display if the library has set up a default holds expiration period in its library settings.)
Select Advanced Options to create a meta-level hold.
Place Hold and confirm.
Uncaptured holds will not be targeted after their expiration dates. If the Suspend this Hold checkbox is selected, the hold will be suspended and will not
be captured until reactivated.
Placing Holds from Patron Records:
Open the patron record.
Click Holds
Click Place Hold (top left top corner).
The Advanced Search interface opens within the Holds pane.
Enter item search criteria and click Submit Search.
Locate the desired item in the Title Results list and click Place hold
The patron's account information will retrieve automatically.
Verify contact methods and pick up location.
Set the notification and expiration date fields as required.
Click Place Hold and confirm.
Multiple holds may be placed at one time. Select Holds to return to the Holds screen. Select Refresh to
reflect newly placed holds.
If the hold fails, a dialog box will open up indicating that the hold you are trying to place is invalid. For instance, if you try to place a hold on an audiovisual
item where your library has no holdings, or if the patron has reached the limit of holds a person can place.
Managing Holds
Holds may be cancelled at any time by staff or patrons.
Before holds are captured, staff or patrons may:
Suspend or set holds as inactive for a period of time without losing the hold queue position;
Activate suspended holds;
Edit the hold notification method, pick-up location, expiration date, or activation date;
Staff can edit holds from patron records or title records. Patrons may edit holds from their OPAC account.
Managing Holds in Patron Records:
Retrieve the patron record.
Select Holds.
Highlight the appropriate hold record.
Select Actions for Selected Items.
Manage the hold by choosing an action on the list.
Captured holds with statuses of On Hold Self or Ready for Pickup can be cancelled by staff or patrons. The status
of these items will not be change until they are checked in.
Managing Holds in Title Records:
Retrieve and display the appropriate title record through the catalog.
Choose Actions for this Reord View Holds.
By default, only holds with the pickup location of your library are displayed.
Highlight the hold(s) to edit.
Click Actions for Selected Holds and the appropriate action.
Holds may be sorted on the View Holds screen. Click Request Date to find the position of a patron in the hold queue. Use the column
picker to display patron barcodes and names. Columns may be saved for a login using the Save Columns button.
Transferring Holds
To transfer holds from one item to another:
Open the record you need to transfer the hold from in one tab and the record you need to transfer the hold to in another tab.
View the holds on the record where the hold is currently.
You will copy the patron barcode of the hold you need to move. Select Patron barcode in the column picker. Then right click on the
line you need, and select Copy to Clipboard
Click on the patron barcode. Make sure you do not click on the item barcode if it is in your box.
A box will open up telling you what has been copied to the clipboard.
Click OK or press Enter.
You can now use this patron barcode to place a hold.
Go to the tab where you have opened the record where you need to move the hold.
Then you will need to cancel the hold on the first record.
Canceling Holds
To cancel a hold:
View the holds for the item.
Highlight the hold you need to cancel.
Click Actions for Selected Holds (AltS)
Select Cancel Hold (AltC)
A Window will open asking if you are sure you wish to cancel the hold.
If it is the correct hold, click Yes (AltY).
The window will close, and the hold will disappear from the list.
Retargeting Holds
Holds need to be retargeted whenever a new item is added to a record, or after some types of item status changes, for instance when an item is changed from On Order
to In Process. The system does not automatically recognize the newly added items as available to fill holds. This also needs to be done if items marked as Damaged or
Missing or set to other non-circulating statuses are once again made available for circulation.
To Retarget a hold:
View the holds for the item.
highlight all the holds for the record, which have a status of Waiting for Copy. If there are a lot of holds, it may be helpful to sort the
holds by Status.
Click on the head of the status column.
Under Actions for Selected Holds (AltS) select Find Another
Target (AltT)
A window will open asking if you are sure you would like to reset the holds for these items.
Click Yes (AltY). Nothing may appear to happen, or if you are retargeting
a lot of holds at once, your screen may go blank or seem to freeze for a moment while the holds are retargeted.
When the screen refreshes, the holds will be retargeted the system will now recognize the new items and items with a new status as
available for holds.
Holds Pull List
Holds may have one of three statuses: Waiting for Copy, Waiting for Capture, or
Ready for Pickup.
Waiting-for-copy: all copies are checked out or otherwise unavailable.
Waiting-for-capture: an available copy is assigned to the hold. The item displays on the Holds Pull List. Staff must retrieve and capture the hold.
Ready-for-pickup: the hold has been captured and is waiting for patron pickup.
To retrieve the Holds Pull List:
Select Circulation Pull List for Hold Requests.
The Holds Pull List displays.
Sort by clicking the column labels (e.g. Call Number).
To print, click Print Page on the top right of the screen.
The Holds Pull List is updated constantly. Once an item on the list is no longer available or a hold on the list is captured, the items will disappear
from the list.
Capturing Holds
Holds may be captured when a checked-out item is returned (checked in) or when an item on the Holds Pull List is retrieved and captured. When a hold is captured, a
hold slip may be printed and an email notification will be sent out, if enabled for the hold.
To capture a hold:
Select Circulation Capture Holds.
Scan or type barcode and click Submit.
A hold slip prints automatically.
Holds can also be captured on the Circulation Check In Items screen.
If the Auto-Print Hold and Transit Slips checkboxes are selected, hold slips will print automatically.
Holds Shelf List
Items with Ready-for-pickup status are displayed on the Hold Shelf List. Hold Shelf List can help manage items on the hold shelf.
To view the holds shelf list:
Select Circulation Browse Holds Shelf
Actions for Selected Holds are available, as in the patron record.
Expired holds may be deleted from this screen.
If you cancel a ready-for-pickup hold, you must check in the item to make it available for circulation.
Transit Items
Evergreen’s In Transit feature tracks items transferring among branches. It allows patrons to return items at any branch and for holds to be placed on items at other branches.
When will an item go In Transit?
When an item is checked in at a non-owning branch the status changes to In Transit. A transit slip may be printed.
When a hold is captured for an item with a pickup branch other than location at which the hold is captured, the item’s status will be changed to
In Transit. If the hold is captured from the Check In screen, a prompt to print the Transit/Hold slip will display.
If the hold is captured from the Capture Holds screen, a Transit/Hold slip will be printed automatically.
Receiving In Transit Items
All items received through transit must be checked in by the receiving branch. This changes the items' statuses from In Transit to
Reshelving or Ready for Pickup.
Transit List
The Transit List report may be used to as a tool to help manage your incoming and outgoing transits.
To access and use the Transit List report:
Select Admin Local System AdministrationTransit List.
Specify ransit to or Transit from library from the dropdown menu.
Pick a date range in Transit Date falls between fields.
Click Transits Retrieve.
Items with an In Transit status for the selected time period are listed.
Aborting Transits
Transits may be aborted (cancelled) from multiple locations within Evergreen.
Use when processing missing in transit items or a patron requests an item that has just been returned and is in transit to its home library for reshelving.
This procedure can be performed from the Transit List or from the Item Status screen.
Aborting transits from the Transit List screen:
Select the transit(s) to cancel.
Select Actions for Selected Transits Abort Transits.
The transit is cancelled, but will still display in the list.
Click Retrieve Transits. The screen will refresh and the cancelled item(s) will no longer display as transits.
Cancelling Transits at Checkout
Items with a status of in transit trigger a notification when an attempt is made to check them out. To allow in transit
items to be checked out, override the block by clicking Abort Transit on the alert screen. Proceed by clicking Checkout.
Cancelling Transits from Item Status
Items with a status of in transit trigger a notification when an attempt is made to check them out. To allow
in transit items to be checked out, override the block by clicking Abort Transit on the alert screen. Proceed by clicking Checkout.
Aborting transits from the Transit List screen:
Click Item Status or hit F5
Scan Item barcode
Right click on the item and select Abort Transit
At Aborting Transits pop-up, click Yes
The item now has the status Reshelving.