Loan terms

Procedure

The usual order of entering the data is:

Enter User Categories.
Enter Copy Categories (these may already be present because the catalogue has been implemented).
Configure the Circulation parameters in Loan Terms.

Note: if the parameters ever need changing, use the Loan Terms domain. Holiday periods when one or more libraries are closed, should be configured using the Calendar so that items do not fall due for return during this time.

User categories

Every user in OLIB must belong to a User Category and at least one User Category must exist.

Caution: decide which User Categories are required in advance, because once a record has been created in this domain it cannot easily be deleted using OLIB Web. If you have a category of "external" users, please avoid creating EXT for their User Category code. The EXT code in OLIB is reserved for special processing.

In the User Categories domain click New Record. The User Category layout has 3 pages – Main, Details and Security. Complete the fields on the Main page:

Field	Instructions
Key ID	Enter a unique code to describe this User Category.
Long and Short Description	Enter meaningful descriptions to describe this User Category.
Privilege Level	If required, edit the default that operates at this User Category. (The OLIB system administration pages give further information on privilege levels).
Login to OLIB Web Allowed?	Depending on your organisation's secure login policy, this should be set to Yes or No. The system administrator sets this as part of Password Management. Contact your local OCLC Support team for additional documentation.
Display CMC Code	CMC codes are the unique circulation message codes (numbers) that appear with messages on the Issues/Returns/Renewals screen, e.g. `This user has charges to pay [cmc020]` You can choose to hide or display CMC codes for library staff at the circulation desk. If this is set to No or if it is not set, the CMC code is not displayed to users on this user category, when alerts are displayed in the Issues/Returns/Renewals screen.
Allow Iss/Ren/Res via SIP?	You can define which users can issue/return/renew items via self-service circulation machines. If set to No, the user will not be able to issue or renew an item using a self-service circulation machine. Instead, the SIPUCATNOISSRENRES or SIPLTNOISSRENRES message will be included in the response message that the OLIB SIP Server returns to the SIP client.
Can Save Searches	Allows Users on this Category to save their search criteria for re-use. Public Searches are those where other users will also be able to view/use the search.
Can Save Public Searches
Can Save Lists?	If set to Yes, then users on this user category will be able to save Lists in Folio based on the contents of their Basket.

Complete these fields on the Details page (the other remaining fields can be defined in the Loan Terms domain):

Field	Instructions
Period Days	Enter a period of membership, that will apply for all users on this User Category. An expiry date is automatically calculated when a new user is assigned to this category. Useful if membership is for a fixed period from joining, e.g. 2 years. Alternatively, a fixed Expiry Date can be entered. Select it from the calendar. This is useful for academic term dates.
Expiry Date
Loan Days	Enter in the Loan Terms records for each combination of User Category / Copy Category. If it is not set in Loan Terms, then the Loan Days here in User Categories will be used instead. If neither the Loan Terms Loan Days or the User Categories Loan Days is set, the return date is set to today's date.
Max. Debt For Renewals	Enter a maximum fine/debt value the users can reach before being prevented from renewing items. This takes effect in OLIB Web, WorldView, SIP, NCIP. In OLIB Web when the Renew All function is used, a message indicates none of the items are renewed and they are listed under Problem Renewals to be dealt with manually.
Reservation Range	Choose a default reservation range for members of this User Category - Global, Local, Area or None.
Subscription	If a charge is levied on members of this User Category, enter the amount of the subscription charge here.
Registration	If a fee is levied on members of this User Category, enter the amount here.
Fine Sequence	Select from the list the default that will apply for this User Category.
Max Debt	Enter an upper fines limit if required. When the limit is reached a warning message is displayed at the Circ. Desk.

Copy categories

Copy Categories are required for Cataloguing and Circulation and at least one Copy Category must exist.

Caution: the following copy categories are provided as standard. They are required by OLIB and should not be deleted:

Key ID	Short Description	Long Description
STAND	Standard	Standard
_JHLD	Jour. Holding	Journal Holding Summary
_MHLD	Mono. Holding	Monograph Holding Summary
_TMPL	Temp. Loan	Temporary Loan
_QCAT	Quick Cat.	Quick Cataloguing
_ILL	ILL Temp Copy	ILL Temporary Copy
_RESL	Resell Copy	Resell Copy

To add a new Copy Category, click New Record:

Field	Instructions
Key ID	Enter a unique code to describe the Copy Category.
Long and Short Description	Enter a meaningful description for this Copy Category.
Banned	If this Copy Category is for loan, set to No. If this Copy Category is not for loan, set to Yes.
Default Copy Status	Select from the drop down, e.g. Available, Unavailable, etc.
Hold Period	Include the default hold period for reservations for this Copy Category. Note: this can also be specified at the level of Location per Copy Category. This is part of Reservations Configuration.
Incl. In Copy Count	You can specify if certain Copy Categories are to be included in the count in the Title Hitlist in OLIB Web. Select Yes for items with this Copy Category to be included in the copy count. Tip: this may be useful if the library buys items which are to be held in Departments, and not in the library.
Hide in OPAC?	Choose Yes/No whether or not copies with this category should be hidden from users in the OPAC [NULL = no]

The Loan Terms field will be populated once the User Categories are saved.

Loan terms

Loan Terms should be refined to reflect the actual loan period for an individual Copy Category in relation to an individual User Category.

In the Loan Terms domain use the Wildcard (%) search to retrieve the list of existing Loan Terms. These will be a combination of User and Copy Category. Select each in turn, and put each record into Modify Mode then edit the Loan Term Details. The Copy Cat and User Cat fields are for display only. Edit the Loan Terms for each combination.

Field	Instructions
Ban	Select Yes, if users in this User Category are not allowed to borrow items with this Copy Category, for example, Reference stock. Select No, if users in this User Category are allowed to borrow items with this Copy Category, for example, Lending stock.
Ban Days	It is possible to ’Ban’ a user automatically after the last overdue notice is sent. Enter the number of days after the final overdue notice has been generated that the automatic ban should be placed. Overdue notices are generated overnight and a day is allowed for them to be despatched. Therefore, if a user is to be banned on the day the notice should reach them (2 days after the item(s) reached the final overdue point) then the ban days should be set to 0; if a longer grace period is to be allowed then ban days should be set with a higher number. If the Ban days field is left blank it means that the user will not be auto-banned following their final overdue. Note: you can also automatically ban Users during the Overdues sequence.
Loan Days	Define the default loan period in days. If this is not set, then OLIB uses Loan Days in User Categories when calculating the return date for an item, If not set in User Categories, then the return date is set to today's date.
Reduced Loan Days	Use this to link recalls to the number of reservations that have been placed against an item, and to then reduce the loan period of the reserved item. Enter the reduced loan period here. This feature also requires configuration in OLIB Defaults: User and Circulation Defaults.
Minimum Loan Days	Enter the minimum an item is on loan before an automatic recall can be made.
Fixed Ret Date	It is possible to select a fixed date from the calendar, which will apply to all subsequent loans for the Copy and User Category regardless of the loan period. This is particularly valuable for temporary changes, for example, to fix a return date before the end of a term. Note: Loan Days, Loan Hours and Fixed Return Date fields are mutually exclusive.
Short Loan? / Variable Time Hours / Round Up / Minutes Before / Fixed Time Days / Fixed Times	These features are for hourly loans and are set as part of short loans configuration.
Maximum Loans	Set the default allowed for this User Category and Copy Category. The number must not exceed the total maximum loans entered in the defaults for the User Category.
Maximum Renewals	Set the default allowed for any one item for this combination of User Category and Copy Category.
Max Unseen Renew	Enter the default maximum unseen renewals allowed for any one item.
Max Total Renew	Enter the default maximum renewals (the count of renewals and unseen renewals)
Reservations Allowed	Enter Yes if reservations are allowed and enter how many in Max Reservations. (Reservation Ratio is not yet implemented).
Max Reservations	The maximum number of reservations permitted for this combination of user / copy category.
Reservation Ratio	Not yet implemented.
Allow Iss/Ren/Res via SIP?	Whether users can issue/return/renew items via self-service circulation machines. If set to No, the user will not be able to issue or renew an item using a self-service circulation machine. Instead, the SIPUCATNOISSRENRES or SIPLTNOISSRENRES message will be included in the response message that the OLIB SIP Server returns to the SIP client.
Fine Sequence	Select the default that applies for this combination of User Category and Copy Category.
Recall Fine Sequence	If an overdue item is recalled, you can replace the default standard fine sequence by entering it here. Note: OLIB automatically initiates the Recall Fine Sequence if both the Overdue Sequence and the Recall Sequence (below) are set.
Issues, Renews, Reservations	If a charge is levied on borrowing, renewing, reserving, for members of this particular User and Copy Category combination, enter the amounts here.
Collections	If a charge is levied on the loan of collections for members of this particular User and Copy Category combination, enter the amount here.
Accrue Beyond Max Debt?	If you set to: No: an accruing fine will stop accruing beyond an amount that would exceed their 'maximum debt' (in User/User Category) record. Yes or null: the fine will continue accruing irrespective of user's current balance and 'maximum debt'.
Terminate at Max Debt?	If you set to: No: an accruing fine will not terminate even if it accrues to an amount taking the user's balance beyond 'maximum debt'. Yes or null: the fine will terminate once it reaches the 'maximum debt'. If both the above max debt fields are set to No (it will stop accruing but will still not terminate) - this will cause the accruing fine to 'pause' when it reaches an amount that would cause the User's balance to exceed maximum debt. The Paused column in the User Charging screen shows whether a fine has been paused in this way. When the User pays off some of the debt, the accruing fine will be 'un-paused' and continue to accrue in the next Daystart (or if a short loan, when the short loan fine is next calculated).
Overdue Sequence	Select the sequences you want to apply to this particular User and Copy Category combination.
Recall Sequence

Short loans

These features are for hourly loans and are set as part of short loans configuration.

Overdue and recall settings at location level

Using the above procedures, a common set of overdues and recalls settings will exist on your system for a given Loan Terms record.

You can optionally configure Overdue Sequence, Recall Sequence, Max Automated Renewals in relation to the Location.

Use the Location-Level Settings sheet to do this.

Go to Circulation Reference Data> Loan Terms.
Search for a User Category or Copy Category to obtain the relevant Loan Terms record .
In modify mode, go to the Location-Level Settings sheet:

Field	Instructions
Location	From the drop down select the Location that the specific settings will relate to.
Overdue Sequence	Optionally, select the preferred sequences in relation to this Location.
Recall Sequence
Max. Automatic Renewals	Optionally, enter the maximum number of automatic renewals permitted for this user category/copy category/location combination.

On completion click >> to populate and update the Loan Term with the new settings. OLIB displays them in Location-Level Settings. Save and close the changes

Tip: to change a location level setting, select the Location from the drop down and enter new values for Overdue/Recall Sequence / Max Automated Renewals. When you click >> OLIB updates the Location-Level Setting with the new values.

After you have configured location specific overdue/recall sequences, when transactions subsequently occur, OLIB checks the settings in the following order until a value is reached for overdue or recall sequence:

→ First, the location that carried out the issue transaction

→ then the location at which the user is registered

→ then the location owning the copy record.

For the auto-renewal limit, OLIB uses the lowest found value for any of the locations involved. (Note that the lowest value here may be higher than that configured for the global loan term).