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Bulk renew items

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Learn how to renew a batch of items using WorldShare Circulation Bulk Renewal.

WorldShare Circulation Bulk Renewal can be used to adjust the due dates of a set of items already on loan. The bulk renewal client accepts a CSV file of loans that you wish to renew. To ensure that the new due date you specify is applied, the client will bypass your library’s normal circulation policies during processing. Processing will skip items that are no longer on loan to the specified patron.

The bulk renewal client utilizes an encrypted connection to the WMS SIP2 Service to process the renewals. Therefore, a user with the CIRCULATION_ADMIN role will need to access OCLC Service Configuration to set up appropriate SIP2 configuration each time that you wish to process a batch of renewals. See Account roles and Offline client for more information.

For information about renewing individual items from the patron record, see Renew items.

Guidelines

  • The WorldShare Circulation Bulk Renewal is available to download from the OCLC Community Center. 
  • You must have an internet connection and appropriate configuration for the WMS SIP2 Service to process transactions.
  • The bulk renewal client will generate a new username and password for each session. The SIP2 IP Address configuration will need to be updated by a user with the CIRCULATION_ADMIN role for each use of the client. See SIP2 IP Address for more information.
  • Any unprocessed transactions will be lost if you exit the client during renewal processing or cancel processing. You can input these transactions in a subsequent file.
  • The bulk renewal client can only renew items that are already on loan to a patron. 
    • Items will be renewed even if the patron has exceeded Patron Type Policy, Loan Limit Policies, or restrictions set in the Loan Policy.
    • Items will be renewed even if they are needed to fulfil a hold or item schedule.
      • Recalled items cannot be renewed. To extend the due date for a recalled item, you must delete the recalling hold, check the item into the system, check the item out again to the same patron with the desired due date, and recreate the hold.
    • Items will be renewed if they are not yet due, overdue, or long overdue.
    • Renewing an overdue or long overdue item may result in overdue bills or suspension being applied to the patron’s account per the Loan Policy. To avoid penalties:
      • Option 1: Temporarily remove links to bill structures and/or suspension structures in your Loan Policies.
      • Option 2: Create a special closure in your library’s Open Hours and update Loan Policies to not accrue bills and/or suspension when the library is closed. See Open Hours for more information.
  • If your library has configured Automatic Email Due Date Receipts , patrons will receive a receipt email to confirm the new item due dates. Automatic email receipts are sent every hour at the top of the hour.  See Additional Patron Notifications, Automatic Email Receipts for more information.

Step 1: Build a file of items to renew

The bulk renewal client requires a CSV file of the loans that you wish to renew.

  • Use the All Checked Out Items Report to get a list of items on loan as-of the end of the previous day.  See All Checked Out Items Report for more information.
  • Remove any items that you do not wish to renew.
  • Create a CSV file with the following three columns headers:
    • patron_barcode: Patron barcode of the user with the item on loan
    • item_barcode: Item barcode of the item on loan
    • due_date: The new due date/time that you wish to apply to the loan
      • Each item in the file may specify a different due date
      • Due dates should be provided in ISO format in the appropriate time zone, e.g. 2030-12-31T23:59:59

 Notes: 

  • Libraries with WorldShare Report Designer can use the Circulation Item Status universe to build a customized list of items on loan. Item status data is updated each night.  See Circulation Item Status universe for more information.
  • Processing will skip items that are no longer on loan to the specified patron or have been recalled. The system will not check the item out to a patron who has already returned that item.

Step 2: Download the bulk renewal client

You must download the client from the OCLC Community Center.

Download the bulk renewal client

  1. Sign into the OCLC Community Center.
  2. Navigate to the WorldShare Circulation community and select the Bulk Renewal Client link under Quick links.
  3. Select the version of the client for your operating system, i.e. Windows or macOS
  4. Save the bulk renewal client to your workstation. 
    • Select a location that is easy to find and known to the staff who will be using the client.

No additional installation is required.

System requirements

  • Windows 7 or later
  • macOS 
  • Internet connection with a static IP address for the duration of processing

Step 3: Configure WMS SIP2

Once you have downloaded the bulk renewal client, you must configure the WMS SIP2 Service to accept renewal messages from your machine.

 Note: You will need access to OCLC Service Configuration to proceed. See Circulation account roles to learn more about accessing Service Configuration.

Run the bulk renewal client

  1. Locate the program file from the Start menu (Windows) or using Launchpad (Mac).
  2. Run the program by double-clicking the program file: WorldShare Circulation Bulk Renewal 1.0.0.exe (Windows) or WorldShare Circulation Bulk Renewal 1.0.0.dmg (Mac).
  3. On the client’s welcome screen, click Get Started.
  4. On the SIP2 Server Details screen:
    1. Select your institution’s data centre. If you’re not sure, contact OCLC Customer Support for assistance.
    2. Make note of the Local IP Address, SIP2 Username, and SIP2 Password and the username and password provided by the client.

       Caution:  Do not close the bulk renewal client at this point. Closing the tool or clicking the ‘Back’ button will generate a new username and password.

Configure a library branch to use the WMS SIP2 Service

Verify the SIP2 Configuration settings for the renewing branch. The renewing branch will be recorded for reporting purposes.

  1. In OCLC Service Configuration, navigate to WMS Circulation > Integrations > SIP2 Configuration.
  2. Click on the entry for the event branch where the renewals should be recorded.
  3. Set the following parameters:
    1. Number of Retries Allowed = 3
    2. Timeout Period in Seconds = 15
    3. Supported Messages
      1. Renew = Enabled – Authentication not required
      2. Login = Enabled
      3. Offline Mode = Enabled
      4. ACS Status = Enabled
      5. Request SC Resend = Enabled
  4. At the bottom of the screen, click Save to apply your changes.
  5. From the branch list, verify that the branch status is set to Configured.

Configure the WMS SIP2 Service to accept messages from your IP address

In OCLC Service Configuration, navigate to WMS Circulation > Integrations > SIP2 IP Addresses.

  1. If an entry already exists for the IP address provided by the bulk renewal client:
    1. Enter the SIP2 Username from the client into the username field.
    2. Click the ‘Reset Password?’ option and enter the SIP2 Password provided by the client into both password fields.

       Note: You can easily copy the data provided by the client by clicking the copy icon next to each field.

  2. If an entry does not exist for the IP address provided by the bulk renewal client:
    1. Create a new entry
    2. Select the Activate checkbox.
    3. Enter the Local IP Address provided by the client in the IP address field.
    4. Enter the SIP2 Username from the client in the username field.
    5. Enter the SIP2 Password from the client into both password fields.

       Note: You can easily copy the data provided by the bulk renewal client by clicking the copy icon next to each field.

  3. Verify that the SIP2 IP Address entry has the correct settings for:
    1. Branch: The event branch where the renewals will be registered for reporting purposes.

       Note: If your library has not used SIP2 in the past, you may need to activate the branch in the SIP2 Configuration section of Service Configuration. See above.

    2. Vendor = Default
    3. Group Resolution: Select if you will be processing temporary items created by interlibrary loan integration OR if your library participates in group circulation.

Validate the SIP2 connection to the bulk renewal client

  1. Go back to the SIP2 Server Details page in the WorldShare Circulation Bulk Renewal and click Next.
  2. If validation fails, an error message will appear to assist you. 
    1. Verify that the SIP2 IP Address, Username, and Password in the client match an entry in SIP2 IP Address configuration in Service Configuration. See above.
    2. If you need further assistance, contact OCLC Support.

 Note: The bulk renewal client will generate a new username and password every time you reopen the client or navigate back to the SIP2 Server Details screen. Also, your IP address may change over time. Be sure to update Service Configuration with any changes, and consider removing any IP addresses that are no longer valid.

Step 4: Process renewals

  1. On the Renewal Details screen:
    1. Select the time zone of the due dates that you specified in the CSV file created in Step 1.
      1. The client will default to the time zone used by your operating system.
    2. Use the Browse for File button to locate the CSV file created in Step 1.
      1. Select the file and wait for the client to validate if the file conforms to the required format.
      2. If valid, a confirmation message and data preview will appear for the first entry in your file. Verify that the data is correct.
      3. If invalid, an error message will appear. Fix any issues and try to input the file again. 
  2. Click Next on the Renewal Details screen to continue to the confirmation page.
  3. On the Input Confirmation screen, verify that the information about your institution and CSV file are accurate.
  4. Click Start to begin processing renewals in WorldShare Circulation.
    1. If your library has configured Automatic Email Due Date Receipts, patrons will receive a receipt email to confirm the new due dates. Automatic email receipts are sent every hour at the top of the hour.
  5. On the Renewal Progress screen, track the progress of your renewals.
    1. The bulk renewal client will provide a percent complete as well as the number of successful and failed renewals.
    2. The ten most recent renewal attempts will appear on the screen for reference.
    3. Use the Cancel button to end processing if a large percentage of renewals are failing. Review your CSV file and try again.
      1. Note: Use the Export Details button to get a CSV with details about the attempted renewals including success and failure messages.
    4. Note: Processing time may vary depending on the number of loans you wish to renew, etc.
    5. Note: Closing the client while renewals are processing will cause any unprocessed items to not be renewed. You will also lose any details about the successful or failed transactions that have already processed. Use the Cancel button if you wish to end processing.
  6. When processing is complete:
    1. The Export Details option will appear. Click Export Details to get a CSV with details about the attempted renewals including success and failure messages.
    2. The Start Over option will take you back to the SIP2 Server Details page if you wish to input another file. 
    3. Note: Before processing a new file, you must update the SIP2 IP Address configuration with the new username and password generated by the bulk renewal client.

 Note: If you are processing bulk renewals from home or from any machine that does not have a static IP address, consider removing or deactivating the SIP2 IP Address configuration created for the bulk renewal client after processing is complete. This will reduce the risk of unwanted access to the WMS SIP2 Service.