The rules are applied from most specific to less specific, using the
first found in this order:
-- same library, same patron type, same item type
+- same library, same patron category, same item type
-- same library, same patron type, all item type
+- same library, same patron category, all item types
-- same library, all patron types, same item type
+- same library, all patron categories, same item type
-- same library, all patron types, all item types
+- same library, all patron categories, all item types
-- default (all libraries), same patron type, same item type
+- default (all libraries), same patron category, same item type
-- default (all libraries), same patron type, all item types
+- default (all libraries), same patron category, all item types
-- default (all libraries), all patron types, same item type
+- default (all libraries), all patron categories, same item type
-- default (all libraries), all patron types, all item types
+- default (all libraries), all patron categories, all item types
The :ref:`CircControl` and
:ref:`HomeOrHoldingBranch` also come in to play when
the logged in library, the item cannot be checked out unless you are
a :ref:`superlibrarian <patron-permissions-defined-label>`.
- **Note**
-
- If you are a single library system choose your branch name before
- creating rules (sometimes having only rules for the 'all libraries'
- option can cause issues with holds)
-
**Important**
At the very least you will need to set a default circulation rule.
This rule should be set for all item types, all libraries and all
patron categories. That will catch all instances that do not match a
specific rule. When checking out if you do not have a rule for all
- libraries, all item types and all patron types then you may see
- patrons getting blocked from placing holds. You will also want a
- rule for your specific library set for all item types and all patron
- types to avoid this holds issue. Koha needs to know what rule to
- fall back on.
+ libraries, all item types and all patron categories then you may see
+ patrons getting blocked from placing holds.
-.. _default-circulation-rules-label:
+.. _defining-circulation-rules-label:
-Default circulation rules
+Defining circulation rules
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Using the issuing rules matrix you can define rules that depend on
-patron/item type combos. To set your rules, choose a library from the
-pull down (or 'all libraries' if you want to apply these rules to all
+patron category/item type combos. To set your rules, choose a library from the
+pull down (or 'Standard rules for all libraries' if you want to apply these rules to all
branches):
|image156|
- First choose which patron category you'd like the rule to be applied
to. If you leave this to 'All' it will apply to all patron categories
-- Choose the 'Item type' you would like this rule to apply to. If you
+- Choose the item type you would like this rule to apply to. If you
leave this to 'All' it will apply to all item types
+
+- Add notes about your circulation rule into the notes field. This can
+ be helpful to remember why and when something was last changed.
- Limit the number of items a patron can have checked out at the same
- time by entering a number in the 'Current checkouts allowed' field
+ time by entering a number in the 'Current checkouts allowed' field.
- If you're allowing :ref:`OnSiteCheckouts` then you
may also want to set a limit on the number of items patron's can have
entering the number of units (days or hours) in the 'Loan period'
box.
-- Choose which unit of time, Days or Hours, that the loan period and
+- Choose which unit of time, days or hours, that the loan period and
fines will be calculated in in the 'Unit' column
- You can also define a hard due date for a specific patron category
- and item type. A hard due date ignores your usual circulation rules
- and makes it so that all items of the type defined are due on, before
- or after the date you specify.
+ and item type. The hard due date offers three options:
+
+ - Exactly on: The due date of any item checked out with this rule
+ will be set to the hard due date.
+
+ - Before: Koha will calculate the normal loan period. If the calculated
+ due date would be after or on the hard due date, the hard due date
+ will be used instead.
+
+ - After: Koha will calculate the normal loan period. If the calculated
+ due date would be before the hard due date, the hard due date will
+ be used instead.
- 'Fine amount' should have the amount you would like to charge for
- overdue items
+ overdue items.
- **Important**
Enter only numbers and decimal points (no currency symbols).
- Enter the 'Fine charging interval' in the unit you set (ex. charge
- fines every 1 day, or every 2 hours)
+ fines every 1 day, or every 2 hours). The :ref:`finesCalendar`system
+ preference controls wether the days the library is closed will be taken
+ into account or not.
- 'When to charge' is most handy in libraries that have a fine charging
interval of more than 1 day.
- - End of interval
+ - End of interval: Given a grace period of 2 days and a fine interval of 7 days,
+ the first fine will appear 7 days after the due date, it will
+ always take one fine interval (7 days), before the first fine
+ is charged.
- - Given a grace period of 2 days and a fine interval of 7 days,
- the first fine will appear 7 days after the due date, it will
- always take one fine interval (7 days), before the first fine
- is charged
-
- - Start of interval
-
- - Given a grace period of 2 days and a fine interval of 7 days,
- the first fine will appear 2 days after the due date and the
- second fine 7 days after the due date.
+ - Start of interval: Given a grace period of 2 days and a fine interval of 7 days,
+ the first fine will appear 2 days after the due date and the
+ second fine 7 days after the due date.
- The 'Fine grace period' is the period of time an item can be overdue
- before you start charging fines.
+ before you start charging fines. The :ref:`FinesIncludeGracePeriod`
+ system preference controls if the grace period will be included when
+ calculating the fine or not.
- **Important**
This can only be set for the Day unit, not in Hours
-- The 'Overdue fines cap' is the maximum fine for this patron and item
- combination
+- The 'Overdue fines cap' is the maximum fine per item for this patron
+ and item type combination.
- **Important**
- If your library 'fines' patrons by suspending their account you can
enter the number of days their fine should be suspended in the
- 'Suspension in days' field
+ 'Suspension in days' field.
- **Important**
- This can only be set for the Day unit, not in Hours
+ This can only be set for the Day unit, not in Hours-
- You can also define the maximum number of days a patron will be
- suspended in the 'Max suspension duration' setting
+ suspended in the 'Max suspension duration' setting-
- Next decide if the patron can renew this item type and if so, enter
- how many times they can renew it in the 'Renewals allowed' box
+ how many times they can renew it in the 'Renewals allowed' box.
- If you're allowing renewals you can control how long the renewal loan
period will be (in the units you have chosen) in the 'Renewal period'
- box
+ box.
- If you're allowing renewals you can control how soon before the due
date patrons can renew their materials with the 'No renewals before'
- You can enable automatic renewals for certain items/patrons if you'd
like. This will renew automatically following your circulation rules
- unless there is a hold on the item
+ unless there is a hold on the item.
- **Important**
- **Important**
This feature needs to have the "no renewal before" column
- filled in or it will auto renew everyday after the due date
+ filled in or it will auto renew everyday after the due date.
+
+- If you are using automatic renewals, you can use the 'No automatic
+ renewals after' to limit the time a patron can have the item independent:
+ Exampple: Don't allow automatic renewals after a checkout period of 80 days.
+
+- Similar to the hard due date setting, you can also stop automatic renwals
+ after a specific date using the 'No automatic renwal after (hard limit)'
+ setting.
- If the patron can place holds on this item type, enter the total
numbers of items (of this type) that can be put on hold in the 'Holds
- allowed' field
+ allowed' field.
+
+- You can also set a daily limit on the number of holds a patron can place.
+
+- While the two settings before limit the holds that can be placed across
+ various records, the next setting is used to limit the number of holds
+ that can be placed on one record at the same time.
+ Example: For fiction books you might want to allow only one item to be placed
+ on hold at the same time by the same user. But for serials where items
+ represent different issues more than one hold at the same time is fine.
+
+- Next you can decide how the availability of items influences the ability
+ to place a hold. The 'On shelf holds allowed' option has three settings:
+
+ - Yes: This will allow to place holds on items at all times. It doesn't
+ matter if they are available or checked out.
-- Next you can decide if this patron/item combo are allowed to place
- holds on items that are on the shelf (or available in the library) or
- not. If you choose 'no' then items can only be placed on hold if
- checked out
+ - If any unavailable: This will allow to place a hold as soon as one
+ or more items of the record are checked out. It doesn't matter if
+ there are still one or more items available on the shelf.
+
+ - If all unavailable: This will allow to place a hold as soon as all
+ items on the record are checked out that could fill the hold. This is
+ especially useful for libraries that don't offer the service of getting items
+ placed on hold off the shelf for patrons.
- You can also decide if patrons are allowed to place item specific
holds on the item type in question. The options are:
- Allow: Will allow patrons the option to choose next available or
- item specific
+ a specific item.
+
+ - Don't allow: Will only allow patrons to choose next available item.
+
+ - Force: Will only allow patrons to choose a specific item.
+
+- If you want to allow patrons to be able to place article requests, you
- - Don't allow: Will only allow patrons to choose next available
+ - **Important**
- - Force: Will only allow patrons to choose an specific item
+ If you want to use the article request functionality
+ you need to enable it using the :ref:`ArticleRequests` system
+ preference and configure the form using the other related preferences.
- Finally, if you charge a `rental fee <#rentalcharge>`__ for the item
type and want to give a specific patron type a discount on that fee,
enter the percentage discount (without the % symbol) in the 'Rental
- Discount' field
+ discount' field
-When finished, click 'Add' to save your changes. To modify a rule,
-simply click the 'Edit' link to the right of the fule and edit the
-values that appear filled in at the bottom of the form.
+When finished, click 'Save' to save your changes. To modify a rule,
+simply click the 'Edit' link at the beginning or at the end of the row
+and edit the values that appear filled in at the bottom of the form.
|image158|
-If you would like to delete your rule, click the 'Delete' link to the
-right of the rule.
+If you would like to delete your rule, click the 'Delete' link at the beginning
+or at the end of the rule row.
To save time you can clone rules from one library to another by choosing
-the clone option above the rules matrix.
+the clone option above the rules matrix. Please note that this will overwrite
+all rules already configured for that library.
|image159|
projects / kohadocs.git / commitdiff
