Circulation messages

Messages

Most circulation transactions carried out at the Circ. Desk in OLIB will be straightforward issues, returns or renewals. However, for each transaction the underlying parameters and reference data tables are checked for exceptions.  

If an exception is found for a user or an item, a circulation message will be displayed, prompting a response. In some cases you can choose whether or not to proceed with the transaction .

Amend and override circulation messages

Circulation Messages can be viewed, amended or a set of options can be set. For example, you can amend the text of the circulation message displayed or you can determine whether library staff can override the message or not.

The standard Circulation Messages can be accessed from the menu: Circulation Reference Data> Circulation Messages. Run a wildcard search (%) to display a full list of the circulation messages.

The Circulation Message details are displayed in the results list.

To amend a circulation message, use the modify record function as normal.

1. The CMC Code field displays the unique circulation message code which now appears on screen in the Circ. Desk screen. You are advised not to change the code in this field. The code should be quoted if you need to report a problem with a message to OCLC Support.
2. The text of the message which appears in OLIB Web can be altered by amending the text displayed in the OLIB Web Settings: Message Text field as required.
3. You can also amend the text of the circulation message that a user will see in Folio. For example, if a user is trying to renew items through Folio. Amend or add a customised message in the OPAC Settings: Message Text field.
4. Save the changes made.

Whether or not messages should display

You can determine whether or not the circulation message should display in the Issues/Returns/Renewals screen. It is advised that you read the information in the Usage field before amending the display / override settings – some settings have override set to N when the system is installed – and the Usage information advises whether this can be changed or not, e.g. NONLOANCOPYONLOAN:

Raised when you attempt to do a Non-Loan Return on a copy which is on loan
(transaction type = 'L' and copies.loanst = 'O'). Display? is set to Yes
and Allow Override? is set to No by default. Do not change.

1. If you do not want the circulation message to appear at the Circ. Desk set the Display? field to No. If you do not amend this field (or set it to No) then the assumption is that the circulation message will display.
2. You can determine whether library staff can override the message displayed or not. Amend the Allow Override? field to Yes or No as required. If you do not amend this field (or set it to Yes) then the assumption is that the circulation message can be overridden at the Circ. Desk.
3. Save the changes made.

Distinguish between user categories and transaction types

For each message, you can apply different settings for different User Categories. For example, you may wish to set up The User is Banned message so that Library Staff cannot override the message at the Circ. Desk but Library Managers can. Set the Allow Override? field to No. for Library Staff.

You can also allow changes in behaviour based on the Transaction Type:

1. To allow the Library Manager to override the message, select the Library Manager user category from the drop down list in the User Cat.-Level Settings field.
2. Set Display? and Allow Override? to Yes.
3. Click the >> button to add the settings to the record as shown:

In the above example, the Library Manager can now log in at the Circ. Desk and can override the circulation message should they wish to, and resolve the problem.

You can further refine by Transaction Type. In the above example, all other users can return items if this message is raised, but they cannot issue items if this message is raised. This could be used e.g. with cmc024 COPYNOTATTHISLOCATION, (The library manager is configured to override all transaction types; all other users can override COPYNOTATTHISLOCATION for a Return, but not override it for an Issue).

OPAC transactions

If you allow users to issue, return, renew or reserve items via the OPAC you can determine whether any of these functions are allowed if a circulation message is present against the copy and /or user. For example, you may wish users to still be able to renew items even though they have charges to pay. In this example, amend the This user has charges to pay circulation message as follows:

1. Set the Allow Issue? field to Yes to allow users to issue items via the OPAC even though they have charges to pay.
2. Set the Allow Return? field to Yes to allow users to return items via the OPAC even though they have charges to pay.
3. Set the Allow Reservation? field to Yes to allow users to reserve items via the OPAC even though they have charges to pay.
4. Set the Allow Renewal? field to Yes to allow users to renew items via the OPAC even though they have charges to pay. The Display if Raised? field allows you to determine whether or not the renewal should be allowed and if the message should be displayed.

The system will behave as follows:

• Allow Renewal = No; Display if Raised? = Yes – the message is displayed and the renewal is not allowed.
• Allow Renewal = No; Display if Raised? = No – the renewal is not allowed, but the message is not displayed – instead the generic renewal failure message is displayed.
• Allow Renewal = Yes – the renewal is allowed and the Display if Raised? flag is ignored.

Hide CMC codes

These are the unique circulation message codes that appear with messages on the Circ. Desk screen:

This user has one or more items waiting for collection [cmc021]
This user has charges to pay [cmc020]
User's account has expired [cmc013]

You can choose to hide or display CMC codes for library staff at the circulation desk. This is configured in the User Categories domain - you can decide which staff categories can see the codes. This determines whether or not OLIB shows the codes to the currently logged in user at the circulation desk. For example, you may only want the codes to display for system administrators.

1. Go to User Management Reference Data> User Categories.
2. Obtain the relevant staff category, e.g. System Manager.
3. In Display CMC Code?, set to Y if you want the code to be visible.
4. Save the changes.

If Display CMC Code? 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 Circ. Desk screen.