Interaction of OpenOPAC with Amlib
Memos
Any memo where “Show” is set to “O” will display in the Borrower’s My Details screen where specified. This includes all automatically generated memos and memos manually input by staff. If there is a memo on a borrowers record you do not want displayed then use “N” in the show column. If staff want to see it then set this to “Y”
Y = It now only shows in the Amlib client as a Pop-up BUT not display in OpenOPAC
N = No Pop-up appears, but is visible in memo list for borrower in the Amlib Client
O = Pop-up in Library AND Appears in OpenOPAC
If you need to change the setting for Show, highlight it and type in the desired setting, O, Y or N > F3Save
Renewals
There are two factors to be considered regarding allowing renewals in OpenOPAC:
- The Circulation parameters, and
- The Supervisor Installation parameters
Supervisor Installation parameters that will control who is able to renew their item
Circulation Parameters
- Borrower Type must be allowed to renew items
- Borrower Types also limit the number of times someone can renew
- Items may be reserved by another borrower (and therefore unable to be renewed)
- Items cannot be renewed the same day they were borrowed
- Item may exceed maximum number of days overdue
please Note: The Renew All option is ONLY available when all items borrowed, meet all renewal criteria.
Reservations
Loan Parameters
Set the maximum number of reservations per borrower type, as well as per Form/Stats Code.
- Launch the Amlib client
- Go to Main > Borrowers > BorrowerTypes – the Borrower Types screen will display:
- Set the Max No. Of Reserves for each Type – for example: 5
- Click the F3 Save button when complete
- Then highlight a particular Type (for example: A – Adult), and click the F7 Loan button – the Loan Parameters and Borrower Types screen will display:
- For each Form (or Stats) Code listed, set the Can Rsve (Y/N) and Rsve Qty values – for example:
- Books: Can Rsve (Y/N) = Y | Rsve Qty = 3
NOTE: Once a change had been made for a charge for a specific form type and borrower type – You MUST to go into Configuration select > Upload tab > Select > Reset Memory button > SAVE for the new changes to be pushed through.
Requests for an Item Not Held
This feature allows borrowers to submit requests for items that the library currently does not hold. There are two types available:
- Interlibrary loans requests
- Purchase requests
The form is filled out and submitted by library patrons on OpenOPAC, which then becomes available in the Supervisor screen. There are mandatory fields in the request form on OpenOPAC, that need to be filled in before it can be sent – The title and author must be given, a location for pick up, a format and the type of request must all be selected – before it will be submitted successfully. Therefore a request will not come though into the supervisor module unless these filed shave been correctly filled in.
To check recent requests made, you need to go through Main > Supervisor > Opacs > OpacSuggests:
When making Purchase and Ills requests, the additional information added is now passing to Amlib, so that the librarians can see any extra information provided when they check for request in the OpacSuggest Screen in Amlib.
From here you can XReference into either InterLibraryLoans or Orders.
Inter Library Loans
When XReferencing into InterLibraryLoans from the Opac User Suggestions screen, a response is automatically created for the borrower to see in their messages and the ILL screen is filled out from the details entered by the borrower.
Borrower Changes Online
- You can also view any online changes made to your current borrower details in here: Main > Borrowers > Borrower > Application > BorrowerOnline Changes. [See extra guide on Borrower Changes Online for more information]
- In this screen also you will find changes made by Patrons in OpenOPAC in Blue and you can update these borrowers from here once you have checked their changed details.
- By Selecting > F3Update you can save these borrowers changes into a file to use at a later date [or you can skip this step]
- If you select > F3Update again, all the borrowers information in the table is updated in the Borrower module and in OpenOPAC automatically > To clear the table after an update select > F5Query
- If you select F6Calculate it refreshes the ‘change type’ in the table and you can see the borrower has been existing or updated etc.
- Note: New join-online Borrowers do not appear on this table
- If you want to collect all these NEW borrowers into a file, you can also run a ‘Borrower Where’ search for BarCode Like TEMP and save these to a file
- You will also be able to run or schedule an OPENReports report, to give you a report of new borrowers regularly if you wish.
Note: When editing details via Change My Details under Borrower details, one phone field is now compulsory - so that one phone field must be filled in when adjusting an existing address. There is a warning message informing patrons, when no phone fields are filled in and changes cannot be saved. If there are any other compulsory fields not filled in a warning message will be displayed, explaining what is still required, before information can be changed & saved.
Restricted Access
You can control what your patrons can do on OpenOPAC by using the Borrower Type function in the Amlib Client.
- Reservation of items, making requests, renewing or changing details options can all be restricted by selecting a specific borrower type.
- The trolley is removed when borrower has restricted access. If they are banned or blacklisted etc… then they will only get limited online access to their account and OpenOPAC.
- They will be able to still search, see their current loans and reserves, create lists and carts etc… but will not be able to reserve items, make requests or change their details. When they log in there is a warning “Your online access is restricted - see library staff for further information items”