1 .. include:: images.rst
6 Circulation functions can be accessed in several different ways. On the
7 main page of the staff client there are some quick links in the center
8 of the page to check items out, in or transfer them. For a complete
9 listing of Circulation functions you can visit the Circulation page
10 which is linked from the top left of every page or from the center of
13 Before circulating your collection you will want to set your `Global
14 System Preferences <#globalsysprefs>`__, `Basic
15 Parameters <#basicparams>`__ and `Patrons & Circulation
18 While in Circulation you can jump between the tabs on the quick search
19 box at the top of the screen by using the following hot keys:
21 - jump to the catalog search with Alt+Q
23 - jump to the checkout with Alt+U
25 - this will not work for Mac users
27 - jump to the checkin with Alt+R
31 Mac users use the OPTION button in place of ALT
33 `Check Out (Issuing) <#checkingout>`__
34 --------------------------------------
36 To begin the checkout process you must enter the patron barcode or part
37 of their name. The checkout option appears in three main places:
39 - Check out option on the top of the main staff client
41 Check out box on main Koha Staff Client page
44 - Check out option on the patron record
46 Check out tab on a patron record
49 - If you have enabled `batch checkouts <#batchcheckoutprefs>`__ then
50 click the batch check out option on the patron recordBatch checkout
52 - Check out option on the quick search bar on the circulation page
54 Check out tab on quick search bar
57 `Checking Items Out <#checkitemout>`__
58 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
60 To check an item out to a patron, first search for that patron using one
61 of the many options listed above. You will then be presented with the
67 If you have chosen to 'Always show checkouts immediately' then you will
68 see the list of checkouts below the check out box.
73 At the top of the Check Out screen is a box for you to type or scan the
78 Many modern barcode scanners will send a 'return' to the browser,
79 making it so that the 'Check Out' button is automatically clicked
81 - If the barcode is not found you will be prompted to use fast
82 cataloging to add the item. Learn more about `fast
83 cataloging <#fastaddcat>`__ later in this manual.
86 `itemBarcodeFallbackSearch <#itemBarcodeFallbackSearch>`__ set to
87 'Enable' then you can enter a keyword search in this box instead of
88 just a barcode (this will make it possible to check out using title
91 To see more checkout options click the 'Checkout settings' link to
92 expand the checkout area.Checkout settings
94 Below the box for the barcode there may be options for you to override
95 the default due date for the item.
97 - This option will only appear if you have set the
98 `SpecifyDueDate <#SpecifyDueDate>`__ system preference to allow staff
99 to override the due date
101 Below the box for the barcode you will see a checkbox for 'Automatic
102 renewal'. This will allow this item to automatically renew if the
103 `appropriate cron job <#autorenewcron>`__ is running and there are no
106 Next is an option to no decrease the loan length based on holds. This
107 overrides the `decreaseLoanHighHolds <#decreaseLoanHighHolds>`__
110 If you're allowing the `checkout of items on site <#OnSiteCheckouts>`__
111 to patrons (these are usually items that are not for loan that you would
112 like to check for in library use) then you will see the 'On-site
113 checkout' checkbox after clicking the 'Checkout settings' link to expand
114 your circulation options.On-site checkout
116 At the bottom of the page there is a summary of the patron's current
117 checked out items along with the due date (and time if the item is an
118 hourly loan), items checked out today will appear at the top.
122 Items that are hourly loan items will include the time with the due
125 Patron's checkout summary
128 If you checked out an item for on site use you will see that highlighted
129 in red in the checkout summary.
131 Patron's on-site checkout
134 If you have set your `ExportWithCsvProfile <#ExportWithCsvProfile>`__
135 preference, you will also see the option to export the patron's current
136 checkout information using a CSV Profile or ISO2709 (MARC21) format.
138 Export patron's checkout information
141 Also at the bottom of the page is the list of items the patron has on
144 Holds summary on check out screen
147 From the holds list you can suspend or resume patrons holds using the
148 options at the bottom of the list if you have the
149 `SuspendHoldsIntranet <#SuspendHoldsIntranet>`__ preference set to
155 `AutoResumeSuspendedHolds <#AutoResumeSuspendedHolds>`__ preference
156 set to "Don't allow" then you will not have the option to put an end
157 date on the hold suspension
159 If there are notes on the patron record these will appear to the right
162 Patron notes on check out screen
165 If the patron has a hold waiting at the library that too will appear to
166 the right of the check out box making it easy for the circulation
167 librarian to see that there is another item to give the patron
169 Hold waiting message on check out screen
172 The details of the checkouts will appear on the bib detail page in the
173 staff client as well.
175 Circulation information on holdings tab
178 `Printing Receipts <#printcircreceipt>`__
179 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
181 Once you have checked out all of the items for the patron you can print
182 them a receipt by choosing one of two methods.
184 If you have the `CircAutoPrintQuickSlip <#CircAutoPrintQuickSlip>`__
185 preference set to 'open a print quick slip window' you can simply hit
186 enter on your keyboard or scan a blank piece of paper with your barcode
187 scanner. The idea being that you're "checking out" a blank barcode which
188 triggers Koha to print the 'Quick slip.'
190 You can also click the Print button at the top of the screen and choose
191 'Print slip' or 'Print quick slip'.
193 Print receipt to slip printer
196 If you choose 'Print slip' it will print all of the items the patron has
197 checked out, including those they checked out at an earlier date.
198 Choosing 'Print quick slip' will print only the items that were checked
201 'Print summary' will generate a full page summary for the patron's
202 circulation information and 'Print overdues' will print out a slip that
203 lists all items that are overdue.
205 What prints on the slips can be customized by altering the slip
206 templates under the `Notices & Slips <#notices>`__ tool.
208 `Clear Patron Information <#clearpatroninfo>`__
209 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
211 When you're done checking an item out if you have the
212 `DisplayClearScreenButton <#DisplayClearScreenButton>`__ preference set
213 to 'Show' you can clear the current patron by clicking the X in the top
214 right of the patron's info to remove the current patron from the screen
220 If you have the `CircAutoPrintQuickSlip <#CircAutoPrintQuickSlip>`__
221 preference set to 'clear the screen' then you simply need to hit enter
222 or scan a blank barcode and the screen will be cleared of the current
225 `Batch Checkouts <#batchcheckout>`__
226 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
228 If you would like to perform a batch check out you can do so by turning
229 on the `BatchCheckouts <#BatchCheckouts>`__ system preference and
230 assigning the proper patron categories via the
231 `BatchCheckoutsValidCategories <#BatchCheckoutsValidCategories>`__
232 preference. This will allow you to use an RFID pad that reads multiple
233 barcodes or perform a batch check out for training internal use.Batch
236 From this screen you can scan several barcodes or load a file of
237 barcodes. If those items cannot be checked out they will provide a
238 warning on the following screen
240 Batch checkout warnings
243 If you are using a statistical patron type then you'll see that local
244 use was recorded for each item you scanned.
249 `Check Out Messages <#checkoutmsg>`__
250 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
252 If you check out an item that has multiple pieces and you have cataloged
253 that information in subfield 3 of the item record (in MARC21) a message
254 will pop up when you check out that item telling you how many pieces
257 Materials in the checked out item
260 There are times when Koha will prevent the librarian from being able to
261 check out items to a patron. When this happens a warning will appear
262 notifying the librarian of why the patron cannot check items out.
264 - Patron owes too much in fines
266 Patron owes too much in fines
269 - You can set the amount at which patron checkouts are blocked with
270 the `noissuescharge <#noissuescharge>`__ system preference
272 - Patron has a restriction on their account
274 Patron account restricted
277 - This can be set by the librarian editing a patron record and
278 adding a `restriction <#patronflags>`__ or by the `Overdue/Notice
279 Status Triggers <#noticetriggers>`__
281 - If the staff member has the right permission they can override the
282 restriction temporarily
284 Patron account restricted
287 - Patron needs to confirm their address
289 Patron's address warning
292 - This can be set by the librarian editing a patron record and
293 adding a `flag <#patronflags>`__
295 - Patrons has lost their library card
297 Lost patron card warning
300 - This can be set by the librarian editing a patron record and
301 adding a `flag <#patronflags>`__
303 `Check Out Warnings <#checkoutwarn>`__
304 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
306 Sometimes checkouts will trigger warning messages that will appear in a
307 yellow box above the check out field. These warnings need to be
308 acknowledged before you will be able to continue checking items out.
310 - Patron has outstanding fines
315 - Item on hold for someone else
317 Item is on hold for someone else
320 - Item should be on the hold shelf waiting for someone else
322 Item is on hold shelf waiting for someone else
325 - Item already checked out to this patron
327 Item is currently checked out to this patron
330 - Item checked out to another patron
332 Item checked out to another patron
335 - This warning will allow you to place a hold on the item for the
336 patron you're trying to check it out to.
340 Item is not normally for loan
343 - Patron has too many things checked out and
344 `AllowTooManyOverride <#AllowTooManyOverride>`__ is set to 'Allow'
349 - Patron has too many things checked out and
350 `AllowTooManyOverride <#AllowTooManyOverride>`__ is set to "Don't
356 - Item cannot be renewed
361 - This can be overridden with the
362 `AllowRenewalLimitOverride <#AllowRenewalLimitOverride>`__ system
370 - Learn more about `fast cataloging <#fastaddcat>`__ later in this
373 - Item being checked out is marked as 'lost'
375 - Depending on the value in your `IssueLostItem <#IssueLostItem>`__
376 preference, you may just see a warning
378 Warning that item is lost
381 or a confirmation box
383 Confirm checkout of lost item
386 - Item being checked out is not recommended for a patron of this age
391 - Item being checked out meets the
392 `decreaseLoanHighHolds <#decreaseLoanHighHolds>`__ system preference
398 `Renewing <#circrenew>`__
399 -------------------------
401 Checked out items can be renewed (checked out for another period of
402 time) based on your `circulation rules <#circfinerules>`__ and `renewal
403 preferences <#RenewalPeriodBase>`__.
405 If `you allow it <#OpacRenewalAllowed>`__, patrons can renew their own
406 items via the OPAC, but sometimes you'll need to help them by renewing
407 their items via the staff client.
409 To renew items checked out to a patron, you can do one of two things.
411 The first is to visit their details page or checkout page and review
412 their checkout summary at the bottom.
417 In the Renew column you will see how many times each item has been
418 renewed and a checkbox to renew the item for the patron. Check the boxed
419 of the items you would like to renew and click the 'Renew or Return
420 checked items' button, or to renew all items checked out to the patron
421 simply click the 'Renew all' button.
426 Sometimes renewals will be blocked based on your circulation rules, to
427 override this block you must have your
428 `AllowRenewalLimitOverride <#AllowRenewalLimitOverride>`__ preference
429 set to 'Allow'. If you allow renewal limit overrides, you will see a
430 checkbox at the bottom left of the circulation summary. Check that box
431 and then choose the items you would like to renew.
433 Override renewal limit
436 Checking that box will add checkboxes in the renew column above where
437 before the item was not renewable.
439 The second option is to visit the 'Renew' page found under the
445 And scan the barcodes of the items you would like to renew.
450 If the item is renewed you will receive a confirmation message.
455 If the barcode is not found you will be presented with an error.
460 If the item is not actually checked out you will also receive an error.
465 `Check In (Returning) <#checkingin>`__
466 --------------------------------------
468 Checking in items can be performed from various different locations
470 - The check in box on the top of the main staff client
472 Check out box on main Koha Staff Client page
475 - The check in option on the quick search bar on the Circulation page
477 Check in tab on quick search bar
480 - The check in link on the patron's checkout summary (and on the
481 checkout summary page)
483 Patron checkout summary includes 'Check In' link
486 - The Check in page under the Circulation menu
488 Check in link on Circulation Module
491 `Checking Items In <#checkitemin>`__
492 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
494 To check an item in scan the barcode for the item into the box provided.
495 A summary of all items checked in will appear below the checkin box
500 If you are checking items in that were put in the book drop while the
501 library was closed you can check the 'Book drop mode' box before
502 scanning items. This will effectively roll back the returned date to the
503 last date the library was open.
505 - This requires that you have your closings added to the `Holidays &
506 Calendar Tool <#calholidays>`__
508 You can also choose to forgive all overdue charges for items you are
509 checking in by checking the 'Forgive overdue charges' box before
512 If you have the `SpecifyReturnDate <#SpecifyReturnDate>`__ preference
513 set to 'Allow' you will be able to arbitrarily set the return date from
514 below the check in box.Specify check in date
516 `Check In Messages <#checkinmsg>`__
517 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
519 There are several messages that can appear when checking items in:
521 - If you are checking an item in at a library other than the home
522 branch, a message will appear asking you to transfer the book to the
525 Check in Transfer Message
528 - After this item is checked in the status of the item will be
529 changed in the catalog to 'in transit'
534 - To mark an item as back at the home branch, check the item in at
537 Check In Transferred Item
540 - A message will appear tell you that the item is not checked
541 out, but the status will now say available in the catalog. This
542 step is necessary to mark items as received by the home branch.
544 - If you are checking in an item that should have multiple parts or
545 pieces a message will appear warning you about the number of pieces
546 you should have in your hand
551 - If you're checking an item in that has a hold on it, you will be
552 prompted to confirm the hold
554 Hold Found Check In Message
557 - Clicking the Confirm hold button will mark the item as waiting for
558 pickup from the library
560 Hold waiting at the library
563 - Clicking the Print Slip and Confirm button will mark the item as
564 waiting for pickup at the library and present the library with a
565 receipt to print and place on the book with the patron's
568 - Ignoring the hold will leave the item on hold, but leave its
569 status as Available (it will not cancel the hold)
571 - If you're checking in an item that has a hold on it at another branch
572 you will be prompted to confirm and transfer the item
574 Hold found for another branch
577 - Clicking the Confirm hold and Transfer button will mark the item
578 as in transit to the library where the hold was placed
580 In transit hold status
583 - Clicking the Print Slip, Transfer and Confirm button will mark the
584 item as in transit to the library where the hold was placed and
585 present the library with a receipt to print and place on the book
586 with the patron's information
588 - Ignoring the hold will leave the item on hold, but leave its
589 status as Available (it will not cancel the hold)
591 - If you have the system showing you fines at the time of checkin
592 (`FineNotifyAtCheckin <#FineNotifyAtCheckin>`__) you will see a
593 message telling you about the fine and providing you a link to the
594 payment page for that patron
599 `Circulation Messages <#circmessages>`__
600 ----------------------------------------
602 Circulation messages are short messages that librarians can leave for
603 their patrons or their colleagues that will appear at the time of
606 `Setting up Messages <#setcircmsg>`__
607 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
609 Circulation messages are set up as `Authorized
610 Values <#authorizedvalues>`__. To add or edit Circulation Messages you
611 want to work with the `BOR\_NOTES <#bornotes>`__ value.
613 BOR\_NOTES Authorized Values
616 The 'Description' field can hold a canned message that you would like to
617 appear on the patron's record.
621 The 'Description' field is limited to 80 characters, but the patron
622 message field can hold more than that. Enter 80 characters in the
623 'Description' field and then type the rest on the patron record.
625 `Adding a Message <#addcircmsg>`__
626 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
628 When on the patron's check out tab you will see a link to 'Add a new
629 message' to the right of the check out box and a button at the top to
632 Circulation Message in Staff Client
635 When you click either of these options you will be asked to choose if
636 the message is for the librarians or the patron and the message you
639 Leave a Circulation Message
644 A message for the patron will also show to the library staff.
646 `Viewing Messages <#viewcircmsg>`__
647 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
649 Circulation messages meant for the staff and/or the patron will appear
650 on the patron's checkout screen to the right of the checkout box.
651 Messages in bold and red are meant for the library staff only, whereas
652 messages in regular italics font are meant for the patron and the
655 Circulation Message in Staff Client
658 Circulation messages meant for the patron will also appear when they log
661 Circulation Message in OPAC
667 Koha allows patrons to put things on hold. A 'Hold' is a way to reserve
668 an item. Depending on your `circulation and fine
669 rules <#circfinerules>`__ and `hold preference <#circholdspolicy>`__
670 settings patrons will be able to place items on hold for pickup at the
671 library at a later date/time.
673 `Placing Holds in Staff Client <#holdsinstaff>`__
674 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
676 There are several ways to place holds from the staff client. The most
677 obvious is using the 'Place Hold' button at the top of any bibliographic
680 Place Hold Button on Bib Record
683 You can also click the smaller 'Place Hold' link found at the top of
684 your catalog search results, or the 'Holds' link found below each
687 Hold options on search results
690 You will be asked to search for a patron by barcode or any part of their
691 name to start the hold process.
696 If you'd like to search for the patron first and then the bib record for
697 the hold, you can open the patron record and click on the 'Search to
698 Hold' button at the top of the patron record.
700 Search to Hold on Patron Record
703 After clicking the button you will be brought to the catalog search page
704 where you can find the book(s) you want to place a hold on. Under each
705 title on the results you'll see an option to 'Hold for Patron Name.'
707 Hold for Patron links on Search Results
710 If you want to place a hold on multiple items, simply check the boxes to
711 the left of them and click the arrow to the right of the 'Place Hold'
714 Hold Multiple Items for Patron
717 Depending on how many items you choose to place a hold on at once you
718 will see a different place hold form. If you are placing a hold on one
719 bibliographic record you will see a list of all of the items you can
725 - Enter any notes that might apply to this hold
727 - Choose the library where the patron will pick up the item
730 `AllowHoldItemTypeSelection <#AllowHoldItemTypeSelection>`__
731 preference set to 'Allow' and the record had more than one item type
732 attached you will see an option to choose to limit the hold to a
733 specific item typeAllowHoldItemTypeSelection
735 - If the patron wants the hold to start on a date other than today,
736 enter that in the 'Hold starts on date' field
738 - This option will only appear if the
739 `AllowHoldDateInFuture <#AllowHoldDateInFuture>`__ system
740 preference is set to 'Allow'
742 - If the patron has specified that they don't want the item after a
743 certain date, or if you have limits on hold lengths, you can enter an
744 expiration date for the hold in the 'Hold expires on date'
746 - To have expired holds canceled automatically you will need to have
747 the `Expired Holds <#expiredholdscron>`__ cron job set to run on a
750 - Next choose if you want to place a hold on the next available item or
751 a specific item by clicking the radio button next to an individual
754 If you're placing a hold on multiple items you will be presented with
755 the next available option for all titles. If no items are available for
756 hold it will say so on the confirmation screen.
758 Place multiple items on hold
761 Once your hold is placed, if you'd like to have Koha forget that you
762 used the 'Search to Hold' function, you can choose to have Koha 'forget'
763 the patron's name by clicking the arrow to the right of the 'Place Hold'
764 button on the search results and choosing the 'Forget' option.
766 Forget Search to Hold Option
769 `Managing Holds <#manageholds>`__
770 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
772 Holds can be altered and canceled from the Holds tab found on the left
773 of the bibliographic record.
775 Bibliographic Record Tabs
778 From the list of holds you can change the order of the holds, the pickup
779 location, suspend and/or cancel the hold.
787 `AutoResumeSuspendedHolds <#AutoResumeSuspendedHolds>`__ preference
788 set to "Don't allow" then you will not have the option to put an end
789 date on the hold suspension
793 Depending on how you have your `HidePatronName <#HidePatronName>`__
794 system preference set the list may show card numbers instead of
795 names in the Patron column like in the image above.
797 To rearrange or delete holds, simply make a selection from the
798 'Priority' pull down or click the arrows to the right of the priority
804 If you use the priority pull down to rearrange or delete holds you will
805 need to click the 'Update hold(s)' button to save your changes.
807 Clicking the down arrow to the right of the hold will stick the hold at
808 the bottom of the list even if more requests are made.
810 For example, your library has home-bound patrons that are allowed to
811 keep books out for months at a time. It would not be fair to other
812 patrons if a home-bound patron were able to check out a brand new book
813 and keep it for months. For this reason, the home-bound patron's hold
814 request would stay at the bottom of the queue until everyone else who
815 wanted to read that book has already done so.
817 Lowest Priority & Delete Options for Holds
820 If a patron asks to have their hold suspended and you have the
821 `SuspendHoldsIntranet <#SuspendHoldsIntranet>`__ system preference set
822 to 'allow' you can do so by clicking the Suspend button to far right. If
823 the patron gives you a date for the items to become unsuspended you can
824 enter that in the date box and click the 'Update hold(s)' button to save
827 Hold suspension column
830 To delete or cancel a hold click the red 'X' to the right of the hold
831 line. To delete/cancel a bunch of holds you can choose 'del' from pull
832 down to the left of each line and then click 'Update hold(s)' at the
838 `Receiving Holds <#receiveholds>`__
839 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
841 When items that are on hold are `checked in <#checkingin>`__ or
842 `out <#checkingout>`__ the system will remind the circulation librarian
843 that the item is on hold and offer them options for managing the hold.
845 When you check in an item that has a hold on it the system will ask you
846 to either confirm and transfer the item
848 Confirm Hold & Transfer
851 or just confirm the hold
856 Clicking the Confirm button will mark the item as on hold for the
857 patron. If the item needs to be transferred the item will also be marked
858 as in transit to the proper branch. Clicking 'Ignore' will retain the
859 hold, but allow you to check the item out to another patron. Choosing to
860 confirm and print will present you with a printable page that you can
861 slip inside the book with the necessary hold and/or transfer
864 Once confirmed the hold will show on the patron record and on the
865 checkout screen under the 'Hold' tab.
867 Hold on Patron Record
870 From here if the patron would like you suspend their holds you can do so
871 one by one or in bulk.
873 The item record will also show that the item is on hold.
878 In some cases a patron may come in to pick up a hold for their partner
879 (or someone else in their household). In this case you want to make sure
880 that the hold is cancelled when you check the item out to someone else.
881 When trying to check out an item that is already waiting for someone
882 else you will be presented with a warning message.
884 Hold waiting for someone else
887 From here you can check the item out to the patron at the desk and
888 cancel the hold for the patron.
890 `Transfers <#transfers>`__
891 --------------------------
893 If you work in a multi-branch system you can transfer items from one
894 library to another by using the Transfer tool.
896 - *Get there*: Circulation > Transfer
900 - Click 'Transfer' on the Circulation page
905 - Enter the library you would like to transfer the item to
907 - Scan or type the barcode on the item you would like to transfer
914 - The item will now say that it is in transit
919 - When the item arrives at the other branch the librarian must check
920 the item in to acknowledge that it is no longer in transit
922 - The item will not be permanently moved to the new library
927 - The item shows the same 'Home Library' but has updated the
928 'Current Location' to note where it resides at this time
930 `Set Library <#setlibrary>`__
931 -----------------------------
933 By default you will enter the staff client as if you are at your home
934 library. This library will appear in the top right of the Staff Client.
939 This is the library that all circulation transactions will take place
940 at. If you are at another library (or on a bookmobile) you will want to
941 set your library before you start circulating items. To do this you can
942 click 'Set' at the top right or on the Circulation page.
947 Once you have saved your changes you new library will appear in the top
950 `Fast Add Cataloging <#fastaddcat>`__
951 -------------------------------------
953 Sometimes circulation librarians need to quickly add a record to the
954 system for an item they are about to check out. This is called 'Fast
955 Add.' To allow circulation librarians access to the Fast Add Cataloging
956 tool, simply make sure they have the
957 `fast\_cataloging <#fastaddpermissions>`__ permissions. There are two
958 ways to add titles via fast add. If you know that you're about to check
959 out an item that isn't in you catalog you can go to the Circulation
960 module and click 'Fast cataloging.'
965 The cataloging interface will open up with the short cataloging record:
970 After adding your cataloging data you will be asked to enter item data.
971 Enter the items barcode, collection code, etc and save the item before
974 The other way to fast catalog is from the checkout screen. When you
975 enter a barcode at checkout that Koha can't find, it will prompt you to
976 use fast cataloging to add the item to Koha and check it out.
981 Clicking 'Fast cataloging' will bring you to the fast cataloging form
982 where you can enter the title information
987 After clicking 'Save' you will be brought to the item record where the
988 barcode will already be filled in with the barcode you're trying to
991 Fast cataloging item record
994 After clicking the 'Add item' button the item will automatically be
995 checked out the patron you were trying to check the book out to
1001 `Circulation Reports <#circreports>`__
1002 --------------------------------------
1004 Most reports can be found via the Reports module, but some of the more
1005 common circulation reports are available right from the Circulation
1008 - *Get there*: Circulation > Circulation reports
1010 `Holds Queue <#holdsqueue>`__
1011 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1013 This report will show you all of the holds at your library.
1018 To generate this report, you must have the `Build Holds Queue cron
1019 job <#buildholdscron>`__ running. This cron job is a script that should
1020 be run periodically if your library system allows borrowers to place
1021 on-shelf holds. This script decides which library should be responsible
1022 for fulfilling a given hold request.
1024 It's behavior is controlled by the system preferences
1025 `StaticHoldsQueueWeight <#holdqueueweight>`__ and
1026 `RandomizeHoldsQueueWeight <#holdqueueweight>`__.
1028 If you do not want all of your libraries to participate in the on-shelf
1029 holds fulfillment process, you should list the libraries that \*do\*
1030 participate in the process here by inputting all the participating
1031 library's branchcodes, separated by commas ( e.g. "MPL,CPL,SPL,BML" etc.
1034 By default, the holds queue will be generated such that the system will
1035 first attempt to hold fulfillment using items already at the pickup
1036 library if possible. If there are no items available at the pickup
1037 library to fill a hold, build\_holds\_queue.pl will then use the list of
1038 libraries defined in StaticHoldsQueueWeight. If
1039 RandomizeHoldsQueueWeight is disabled ( which it is by default ), the
1040 script will assign fulfillment requests in the order the branches are
1041 placed in the StaticHoldsQueueWeight system preference.
1043 For example, if your system has three libraries, of varying sizes (
1044 small, medium and large ) and you want the burden of holds fulfillment
1045 to be on larger libraries before smaller libraries, you would want
1046 StaticHoldsQueueWeight to look something like "LRG,MED,SML".
1048 If you want the burden of holds fulfillment to be spread out equally
1049 throughout your library system, simply enable RandomizeHoldsQueueWeight.
1050 When this system preference is enabled, the order in which libraries
1051 will be requested to fulfill an on-shelf hold will be randomized each
1052 time the list is regenerated.
1054 Leaving StaticHoldsQueueWeight empty is contraindicated at this time.
1055 Doing so will cause the build\_holds\_queue script to ignore
1056 RandomizeHoldsQueueWeight, causing the script to request hold
1057 fulfillment not randomly, but by alphabetical order.
1059 `Holds to pull <#holdspull>`__
1060 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1062 This report will show you all of the items that have holds on them that
1063 are available at the library for pulling. If the items are available at
1064 multiple branches then all branches with that item available will see
1065 the hold to pull until one library triggers the hold.
1070 You can limit the results you see by using the Refine box on the left
1073 Refine Holds to Pull Report
1076 `Holds awaiting pickup <#holdspickup>`__
1077 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1079 This report will show all of the holds that are waiting for patrons to
1082 Holds Awaiting Pickup
1085 Items that have been on the hold shelf longer than you normally allow
1086 (based on the `ReservesMaxPickUpDelay <#ReservesMaxPickUpDelay>`__
1087 preference value) will appear on the 'Holds Over' tab, they will not
1088 automatically be cancelled unless you have set the `cron
1089 job <#expiredholdscron>`__ to do that for you, but you can cancel all
1090 holds using the button at the top of the list.
1092 Items waiting on the hold shelf too long
1095 `Hold ratios <#holdratios>`__
1096 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1098 Hold ratios help with collection development. Using this report you will
1099 be able to see how many of your patrons have holds on items and whether
1100 you should buy more. By default it will be set to the library needing 3
1101 items per hold that has been placed. The report will tell you how many
1102 additional items need to be purchased to meet this quota.
1107 `Transfers to receive <#transferstoreceive>`__
1108 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1110 This report will list all of the items that Koha thinks are in transit
1113 Transfers to Receive
1116 If your transfers are late in arriving at your library you will see a
1117 message stating how late your items are.
1119 Late transfers include warning messages
1124 An item is considered late based on the number of days you have
1126 `TransfersMaxDaysWarning <#TransfersMaxDaysWarning>`__ system
1129 `Overdues <#overduesreport>`__
1130 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1134 For libraries with a large patron base, this report may take a
1135 significant amount of time to run.
1139 Large libraries can choose to filter the report before it runs by
1141 `FilterBeforeOverdueReport <#FilterBeforeOverdueReport>`__ system
1142 preference to 'Require'.
1144 This report will list all items that are overdue at your library.
1149 The report can be filtered using the menu options found on the left of
1154 The 'Show any items currently checked out' checkbox basically
1155 switches this from a report of overdues to a report of checkouts. It
1156 will show all titles checked out regardless of due date.
1158 `Overdues with fines <#overduesfines>`__
1159 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1161 This report will show you any overdues at your library that have accrued
1167 If you would like to limit the report you can use the pull down menu at
1168 the top to limit to a specific shelving location at your branch. To see
1169 overdues with fines at other branches you will have to `change your
1170 branch <#setlibrary>`__ or log in at that branch.
1174 If you do not charge fines and/or don't have the `fines cron
1175 job <#finescronjob>`__ running you will see no data on this report.
1177 `Pending on-site checkouts <#pendingonsite>`__
1178 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1180 If you are using the on site checkouts functionality
1181 (`OnSiteCheckouts <#OnSiteCheckouts>`__) then you'll have a report to
1182 view all items that are currently checked out on site.Pending onsite
1185 This will list the due date (overdues in red), who has the item, item
1186 information and what library the item is at.
1188 `Tracking In house Use <#trackinhouse>`__
1189 -----------------------------------------
1191 Many libraries track the use of items within the library.
1195 This is different from tracking on site usage. In house use is the
1196 use of items in the library by patrons without them having to check
1197 them out. On site use is the use of items on site that must first be
1198 checked out. To learn more about on site usage please review the
1199 `OnSiteCheckouts <#OnSiteCheckouts>`__ preference.
1201 Tracking the use of items in the library without checking them out can
1202 be done in Koha one of two ways. The first is to create one or more
1203 `Statistical Patrons <#addstatspatron>`__. When collecting items that
1204 have been used within the library, you will want to check them out to
1205 your statistical patron:
1207 Check Out Items to Stats Patron
1210 Instead of marking the item as 'checked out' the system will record that
1211 the item was used in house:
1216 Repeat these steps for all items that have been used within the library
1217 to keep accurate statistics for item use.
1219 The other way to record local use of items is to set your
1220 `RecordLocalUseOnReturn <#RecordLocalUseOnReturn>`__ preference to
1221 'Record.' Then whenever you check an item in that is not checked out and
1222 not on hold a local use will be recorded.
1229 If you have `RecordLocalUseOnReturn <#RecordLocalUseOnReturn>`__ set
1230 to 'Record' you can still use your statistical patrons to record
1233 `In Processing / Book Cart Locations <#processinglocations>`__
1234 --------------------------------------------------------------
1236 Koha allows for handling temporary locations like the processing center
1237 and/or book carts throughout the library. For this feature to work you
1238 must first make sure you have `authorized values <#authorizedvalues>`__
1239 set in the `LOC <#shelvelocvals>`__ category for PROC (Processing
1240 Center) and CART (Book Cart).
1242 CART & PROC values in LOC
1245 Next you need to set the
1246 `NewItemsDefaultLocation <#NewItemsDefaultLocation>`__ system preference
1247 to PROC. This will set the new items to the Processing Center as their
1250 When creating items you enter in their desired final shelving location
1251 and Koha will temporarily change that to PROC. If
1252 `InProcessingToShelvingCart <#InProcessingToShelvingCart>`__ is set to
1253 "Don't move" then when an item with a location of PROC is checked in it
1254 will either automatically update the item to use the permanent location.
1255 If `InProcessingToShelvingCart <#InProcessingToShelvingCart>`__ is set
1256 to "Move" then when an item is checked in the location is changed from
1259 A `cron job <#proccartcron>`__ is then set to run at specified intervals
1260 to age items from CART to the permanent shelving location. (For example,
1261 an hourly cron entry of cart\_to\_shelf.pl --hours 3 where --hours is
1262 the amount of time an item should spend on the cart before aging to its
1263 permanent location.)
1267 If the `ReturnToShelvingCart <#ReturnToShelvingCart>`__ system
1268 preference is set to "Move", any newly checked-in item is also
1269 automatically put into the shelving cart, to be covered by the
1274 Checkins with confirmed holds will not go into the shelving cart.
1275 If items on the shelving cart are checked out, the cart location
1278 `Self Checkout <#selfcheckout>`__
1279 ---------------------------------
1281 Koha comes with a very basic self checkout module. To enable this module
1282 you need to set the `WebBasedSelfCheck <#WebBasedSelfCheck>`__
1283 preference to 'Enable.' To use this module you have to log in as a
1284 `staff member <#addstaffpatron>`__ with `circulation
1285 permissions <#patronpermissions>`__.
1289 Create a `staff patron <#addstaffpatron>`__ specifically for this
1290 action so that you don't leave a real staff client logged into a
1293 There is no link to the Self Checkout module, but a simple addition to
1294 the `IntranetUserJS <#intranetuserjs>`__ system preference can add one.
1298 $(document).ready(function(){ $("#login
1299 #submit").parent().after("<p><a
1300 href=\"http://YOUR_KOHA_OPAC_URL/cgi-bin/koha/sco/sco-main.pl\"
1301 target=\"_blank\">Self-Checkout</a></p>"); });
1305 The code above has line breaks added to make it more readable,
1306 please be sure to enter the above as one line in when putting it in
1307 the system preference.
1309 The link will then appear at the bottom of the log in page:
1311 Self Checkout Link on Staff Login
1314 You can also access this module by going to :
1315 http://YOUR\_KOHA\_OPAC\_URL/cgi-bin/koha/sco/sco-main.pl
1317 When on the self checkout page depending on your value in the
1318 `SelfCheckoutByLogin <#SelfCheckoutByLogin>`__ preference you will be
1319 asked to enter you cardnumber
1321 Self Checkout Patron Card Number
1324 or your username and password:
1326 Shelf checkout by login
1329 Once you're logged in to the self check module you will be asked to scan
1330 the items you are checking out
1335 As you scan items they will appear below the barcode box
1337 Self Checkout Summary
1340 When you are finished scanning items it is important to click the
1341 'Finish' button. This will prompt you to print a receipt and log you out
1342 of the self check module.
1344 Self Checkout Receipt
1347 When attempting to check items out there are some instances where error
1348 messages will appear and the patron will be directed to the librarian.
1349 This will happen even if you are allowing overrides on circulation
1350 functions. Only a librarian can override a circulation block and so
1351 patrons must go to the librarian for help in these situations.
1353 Self Checkout Error Message
1356 `Offline Circulation Utilities <#offlinecirc>`__
1357 ------------------------------------------------
1359 Koha allows for you to continue circulation actions while offline by
1360 using any one of three utilities.
1362 `Offline Circulation in Koha <#kohaofflinecirc>`__
1363 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1365 If the `AllowOfflineCirculation <#AllowOfflineCirculation>`__ preference
1366 is set to 'Enable' the library staff can continue to perform circulation
1367 actions within Koha when the system is offline. You will want to visit
1368 http://your-koha-staff-client-url/cgi-bin/koha/circ/offline.pl at least
1369 once while online and bookmark that page. That is the page you will go
1370 to when you are offline.
1374 The offline interface uses HTML LocalStorage, which depending on the
1375 browser and user setting, is limited to 2.5MB or 5MB per domain.
1376 This means that larger systems will not be able to synchronize their
1377 data and are recommended to use either the
1378 `Firefox <#firefoxofflinecirc>`__ or
1379 `Windows <#windowsofflinecirc>`__ application for offline
1382 `Setup <#kohaofflinesetup>`__
1383 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
1385 Before the first time the system goes offline go to Circulation and
1386 choose 'Built-in offline circulation interface'
1388 Built-in offline circulation interface
1391 And synchronize your data on every circulation computer by clicking the
1392 'Synchronize' link on the right of the screen.
1399 The offline interface uses HTML LocalStorage, which depending on the
1400 browser and user setting, is limited to 2.5MB or 5MB per domain.
1401 This means that larger systems will not be able to synchronize their
1402 data and are recommended to use either the
1403 `Firefox <#firefoxofflinecirc>`__ or
1404 `Windows <#windowsofflinecirc>`__ application for offline
1407 This will allow you download a local copy of your patrons and
1408 circulation data. Click the 'Download records' link at the top of the
1409 page to synchronize your data.
1411 Download records for offline use
1414 Once your data is downloaded you will see the dates your data was last
1415 synced to the right of each data set.Synced offline dataThis should be
1416 done regularly in preparation for any unexpected connection losses.
1418 `Circulating <#kohaofflinecirculating>`__
1419 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
1421 When your system goes offline visit the Offline Circulation page
1422 (http://your-koha-staff-client-url/cgi-bin/koha/circ/offline.pl) in Koha
1423 and click 'Check out' or 'Check in' to perform offline actions.
1425 Checking out is done by searching for the patron by barcode or name at
1426 the top of the 'Check out' screen. After selecting a patron you will be
1427 presented with the synced patron info, including fines and check outs.
1432 Scan the barcode of the item you would like to check out and enter a due
1433 date. If you don't enter a due date Koha will prompt you for one.
1438 Once the item is checked out it will appear below the patron's info.
1443 `Koha Offline Uploading <#kohaofflineupload>`__
1444 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
1446 Once the system is back online visit the Synchronize page on the Offline
1447 Circulation module and click 'Upload transactions'
1452 After the files are uploaded you can click 'View pending offline
1453 circulation actions' on the right.
1455 View pending offline circulation actions
1458 After clicking 'View pending offline circulation actions' you will be
1459 brought to a summary of all of the actions you loaded in to Koha in your
1465 - Once all of the logs from all of the circulation computers are loaded
1466 you will be able to check them all or select just those you want to
1469 - Click on the Process button and Koha will record every stored
1470 transaction one by one. For each transaction, the status will change
1473 - "Success." if the transaction was processed correctly
1475 - "Borrower not found." if the borrower card number is incorrect
1477 - "Item not found." if the item barcode is wrong
1479 - "Item not issued." if you checked in an available item
1481 Once finished you will have a summary of all of your transactions
1483 Offline Circulation Summary
1486 `Firefox Plugin <#firefoxofflinecirc>`__
1487 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1489 There is an offline circulation tool that you can add to your Firefox
1490 browser as an addon. To do so, just go to
1491 https://addons.mozilla.org/en/firefox/addon/koct/ page and click on the
1492 "install now" button. You may have to confirm the installation, just
1493 click on "install now" and then restart Firefox to complete the
1496 Once you have installed the plugins and restarted Firefox, you will see
1497 the Koha logo in the download bar at the bottom right of Firefox.
1499 Koha Icon on Add-on Bar
1502 A click on the logo will open the tool in its own window.
1504 Koha Offline Circ Tool
1507 The plugin consists of four tabs:
1509 - The Check Out tab is where you check out items
1511 - The Check In tab is where you check in items
1513 - The Log tab keeps track of every transaction done while in offline
1516 - The log will keep information until you empty it. Each time you
1517 open the plugin and it contains data in the log it will warn you
1519 Koha Offline Circ Warning
1522 If you'd like to clear the log, check the 'I want to delete rows'
1523 box before hitting the 'OK' button. Otherwise clicking 'OK' will
1524 keep the items in the log and let you continue working with the
1527 - The Param tab is to set up the plugin
1529 The first thing you want to do then is to set up the plugin. Go to the
1530 Param tab to set up the plugin
1532 Koha Offline CIrc Params
1535 Answer the 4 questions presented:
1537 - Server = the URL of the librarian interface
1539 - Branch Code = the code for the branch where you are located
1541 - Username = your staff account login
1543 - Password = your staff account password
1547 To save the settings, you will have to close the plugin window and
1548 re-open it by clicking again on the Koha logo in the add-on bar.
1552 You can create a staff account dedicated to the offline circulation.
1553 So that, no matter who is at the circulation desk, they can all use
1554 the same login. Along those lines, you can use a group login that
1555 you already have in place for circulation as well.
1557 Once you have everything set up you can start checking items in and out.
1561 Koha Offline Circulation Check Out
1564 - Go to the Check Out tab
1566 - Scan the patron barcode
1568 - Scan the item barcode
1574 Koha Offline Circulation Check In
1577 - Go to the Check In tab
1579 - Scan the item barcode
1583 Each time, you check out or check in an item, a new transaction is
1584 recorded in the local plugin database and you will see, at the bottom of
1585 the plugin how many transactions has been made during the offline
1586 circulation. For example, "10 Row(s) Added" means you did 10
1589 Koha Offline Circulation Tool Count
1592 Then, if you want an overview of every transaction, go to the Log tab.
1593 This tab will show you the transactions in the plugin database
1595 Koha Offline Circulation Log
1600 The status will be "Local." as long as you are offline and don't
1601 process the transactions into Koha.
1603 When your Internet connection comes back up you will want to get these
1604 transactions in to Koha. Before processing these transactions you should
1605 be aware of a few issues.
1607 Because you are not connected to your Koha database when using this
1608 plugin holds will need additional processing. If an item you check in
1609 while offline has a hold, the hold is kept on the item. Since, you can't
1610 confirm holds found during the processing of every check in, the holds
1611 stay on the item and will need to be managed later. If you only checked
1612 in a few items you can just keep a record of them all. If you checked in
1613 a lot of items you can use the Holds Queue once it rebuilds to see what
1614 holds made it to the shelf erroneously.
1616 Similarly, if an patron card was expired, the offline circulation tool
1617 won't know about it, so the checkout will be recorded regardless of the
1618 patron's account being blocked normally.
1620 You have two options for adding this data to Koha
1624 - If you checked in/out on more than one computer at the same time,
1625 what you want is to process every transaction consistently. Let's
1626 say for instance that one patron checked a book out on one
1627 computer and then checked the same book in on another computer. To
1628 be consistent, you need to record the check out first and then the
1629 check in. Not the opposite! To do so, you need to group every
1630 transaction in one place, sort them all and then, process
1631 everything. So, you need to use the "Commit to Koha" option from
1632 every plugin/computer you worked with. This way, the log will go
1633 to Koha and be accessible from the Offline Circulation page.
1638 - *Get there:* Circulation > Pending offline circulation actions
1643 - Once all of the logs from all of the circulation computers are
1644 loaded you will be able to check them all or select just those you
1645 want to process into Koha.
1647 - Click on the Process button and Koha will record every stored
1648 transaction one by one. For each transaction, the status will
1651 - "Success." if the transaction was processed correctly
1653 - "Borrower not found." if the borrower card number is incorrect
1655 - "Item not found." if the item barcode is wrong
1657 - "Item not issued." if you checked in an available item
1659 - Once finished you will have a summary of all of your transactions
1661 Offline Circulation Summary
1666 - If you performed all of the circulation actions on one computer
1667 then everything is sorted already so you can choose to "Apply
1670 - The status column will be updated to let you know if the
1671 transactions were applied
1673 - "Success." if the transaction was processed correctly
1675 - "Borrower not found." if the borrower card number is incorrect
1677 - "Item not found." if the item barcode is wrong
1679 - "Item not issued." if you checked in an available item
1681 - Once you're finished you can review all of the items right in the
1684 Koha Offline Circulation Apply Directly
1687 Once you are done you can clear the log by clicking Clear. If you don't
1688 you will be warned the next time you open the Offline Circulation tool.
1690 Koha Offline Circulation Tool Warning
1693 `Offline Circ Tool for Windows <#windowsofflinecirc>`__
1694 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1696 The Offline Circulation Utility can be downloaded at:
1697 https://github.com/bywatersolutions/koha-offline-circulation/releases
1699 To generate a borrowers.db file for loading in to the Windows tool you
1700 will need to run the `file generator via a cron
1701 job <#offlinecirccron>`__.
1703 `Upload Offline Circ File <#uploadofflinecirc>`__
1704 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
1706 The `offline circulation tool for Windows <#windowsofflinecirc>`__ will
1707 generate a KOC file that you can upload into Koha once your system comes
1710 On the Circulation menu click 'Upload offline circulation file (.koc)'
1715 Browse your computer for the \*.koc file
1720 Once the file is uploaded, click the process the file
1722 Process offline circulation file
1725 When this is complete you'll be able to upload another file or tend to
1726 pending offline circulation actions.
1728 Summary of offline actions
1731 After clicking 'View pending offline circulation actions' you will be
1732 brought to a summary of all of the actions you loaded in to Koha in your
1738 - Once all of the logs from all of the circulation computers are loaded
1739 you will be able to check them all or select just those you want to
1742 - Click on the Process button and Koha will record every stored
1743 transaction one by one. For each transaction, the status will change
1746 - "Success." if the transaction was processed correctly
1748 - "Borrower not found." if the borrower card number is incorrect
1750 - "Item not found." if the item barcode is wrong
1752 - "Item not issued." if you checked in an available item
1754 Once finished you will have a summary of all of your transactions
1756 Offline Circulation Summary