To access this screen, sign in Service Configuration, open the WMS Circulation left navigation, select Loans, and then select the Loan Policy link.
Use the Loan Policy screen to set loan policies for your patrons.
Select if the policy requires an override when items are checked out. Settings are as follows:
Note: See Circulation Account roles, Overrides for more information.
Specifies how long a patron may keep an item on loan after the item has been checked out.
Loan Period can be restricted by the patron's expiration date, a fixed due date that falls during the loan period, a due date specified by an interlibrary loan system, a due date adjustment, or by a staff member during checkout.
Select an interval to make items due at or before the library's closing hours.
Due date adjustments are applied automatically at checkout and when an item is renewed by your library staff, the patron, or via automatic renewal. Overdue penalties and grace periods begin as soon as the item becomes due according to your policies.
Notes:
Short loans measured in minutes or hours have the following adjustment options:
Due Date Adjustment Options for short loans | Description |
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None (Default) |
The item will be due in the specified number of minutes or hours after checkout. The due date calculation ignores your library's open hours so the item may be due when your library is closed. Note: This adjustment is recommended for short, self-service loans when your patron can pull, checkout, and return items without staff assistance from a location that is accessible to patrons at any time. |
1 hour before closing 45 minutes before closing 30 minutes before closing 15 minutes before closing |
The item will be due in the specified number of minutes or hours after checkout. If the loan period would end when the library is closed, then the item will be due 1 hour or 45, 30, or 15 minutes before the last library closure within the loan period. Your loan period may be shortened to guarantee items are returned before the library closes. An override is required to check out items during the pre-closing period or when your library is closed. If acknowledged, the due date and time will be in the past, and the item will be overdue immediately. Note: Pre-closing adjustments can be used to get your materials back with enough time for library staff to handle returns before closing time. These adjustments are not recommended if patrons may checkout or renew materials while your library is closed. |
At previous closing |
The item will be due in the specified number of minutes or hours after checkout. If the loan period would end when the library is closed, then the item will be due at the last library closure within the loan period. Your loan period may be shortened to guarantee items are returned before the library closes. An override is required to check out items when your library is closed. If acknowledged, the due date and time will be set to the last time your library closed, and the item will be overdue immediately. Note: The at-closing adjustment can be used to get your materials back by closing time. This adjustment is not recommended if patrons may checkout or renew materials while your library is closed. |
At next opening |
The item will be due in the specified number of minutes or hours after checkout. If the loan period would end when the library is closed, then the item will be due the next time that the library opens. Your loan period may be extended to guarantee that the patron has enough time with the item. An override is required if the system can't move the due date because a fixed due date, patron expiry date, etc. will occur before the next time your library opens. Note: Consider pairing a next-opening adjustment with fixed due dates if you want items to be returned before you close for long periods for holidays, academic breaks, building renovations, etc. |
15 minutes after opening 30 minutes after opening 45 minutes after opening 1 hour after opening |
The item will be due in the specified number of minutes or hours after checkout. If the loan period would end when the library is closed, then the item will be due 15, 30, or 45 minutes or 1 hour after the next time that the library opens. Your loan period may be extended to guarantee that the patron has enough time with the item. An override is required if the system can't move the due date because a fixed due date, patron expiry date, etc. will occur before the next time your library opens. Note: Consider pairing a next-opening adjustment with fixed due dates if you want items to be returned before you close for long periods for holidays, academic breaks, building renovations, etc. |
Long loans measured in days, weeks, or months have the following adjustment options:
Due Date Adjustment options for Long loans | Description |
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Midnight (Default) |
The item will be due at 23:59 (11:59 pm) on the calculated due date. If your library is open past midnight, then the item will be due before you close. If the loan period ends on a day when your library is closed, then the due date will be moved to 23:59 of the first open day after that closure. Tip: Leave the loan period field blank to enable permanent or term-based loans. If no other limits exist, an item checked out under a permanent loan policy will not have a due date, won't accrue overdue penalties, and won't send overdue notifications. However, loans will be assigned a due date, etc. if the patron has an expiry date, the policy specifies fixed due dates, or the loan should honor a due date provided by an interlibrary loan system. |
At closing |
The item will be due at closing time on the calculated due date. If your library is open past midnight, then the item will be due on the next calendar date at your configured closing time, e.g., if your open hours are 8:00 am - 2:00 am, then the exact due date will be 2:00 am on Saturday when the item is due on Friday. If the loan period ends on a day when your library is closed, then the due date will be moved to closing time of the first open day after that closure. Tip: To configure a same-day loan, set the loan period to 0 Days adjusted to be due at closing. Items will be due the next time your library closes. Want items back by closing time tomorrow? Set the loan period to 1 Day adjusted to be due at closing. |
Use the Include closed days in loan period? setting to control whether long loan periods measured in days or weeks should elapse only over periods that your library is open. By default, long loan periods will elapse over calendar days with automatic adjustments to ensure materials are not due on a day that you are closed. Your loan period must b e calculated in days or weeks for this option to appear.
This setting will be applied automatically at checkout and when an item is renewed by your library staff, the patron, or automatic renewal. For open hours to be honored at renewal as well as checkout, the renewal period must also be measured in days or weeks. Refer to Open Hours to learn more about configuring normal and special hours.
Note: The system will continue to automatically limit long loan periods. A limit may force a loan to be due when your library is closed. Any of these limits may force an item to be due on a day that your library is closed:
The due date and time of items already on loan will not be adjusted based on any changes made to your loan policies. New adjustments will be honored the next time an item is renewed or checked out under the updated policy.
Set dates items are due at your institution. For example, the last date of the semester. (25 character limit)
Fixed amount applied to the patron's account when items are checked out. Create fixed bills on the Bill Structures screen.
Specifies the additional time that a patron may keep an item on loan after a successful renewal. This period is applied when a staff member or patron renews the item.
Renewals will not allow the new due date to fall when the library is closed.
Click Yes to turn on automatic renewals. Staff or the patron can attempt to manually renew an item that is eligible for automatic renewal. Automation will resume the next time that the item is due.
Scenario | Is the item automatically renewed? |
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There are no pending hold requests. | Yes |
There is a pending hold request but another item can fulfill the request. | Yes |
There is a pending hold request and no other items are available to fulfill the request. However, the item has not been on loan for the Minimum Loan Period. | Yes. |
There is a pending hold request and no other items are available to fulfill the request. The item has been on loan for the Minimum Loan Period. | No. The Recall Notification Policy is sent to the patron. The item's due date is adjusted per the Recall Period and Minimum Loan Period. |
There are multiple hold requests that cannot all be fulfilled by other available items. The item has been on loan for the Minimum Loan Period. | No. The Recall Notification Policy is sent to the patron. The item's due date is adjusted per the Recall Period and Minimum Loan Period. |
The number of automatic renewals is limited to the Automatic Renewal limit. If you selected Yes in the Automatic Renewal field, enter the number of times items can be automatically renewed. If you do not want the field to apply, click the No Limit check box.
Fixed amount applied to the patron's account when items are renewed. Create fixed bills on the Bill Structures screen.
Field | Description |
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Overdue Grace Period |
Specifies how long after the due date that a patron should begin to be penalized for an overdue item.
|
Overdue Fixed Bill | Fixed amount applied to the patron's account when overdue items are returned. Create fixed bills on the Bill Structures screen. |
Overdue Periodic Bill | Amount applied periodically to the patron's account when items checked out to the patron are overdue. Create periodic bills on the Bill Structures screen. |
Overdue Suspension | Select the Suspension Structure for automatically suspending a patron's account. See Suspension Structures. |
Overdue Notification Policy |
Select the overdue notification that will be sent to the patron. Create loan overdue notifications on the Notification Policies screen. |
Accrue bills and/or suspension when closed? |
Select to control if bills and suspensions should accrue for patrons when the library is closed. Library hours are set on the Open Hours screen in the WorldCat registry module. This setting controls if grace periods consider your library closures.
|
Field | Description |
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Recall Period |
Amount of time patron has to return a recalled item. When an item is recalled, the due date and long overdue date are recalculated.
|
Recall Grace Period | Amount of time before fines are assessed for recalled items. |
Minimum Loan Period |
Minimum guaranteed loan period. When an item is recalled, the recall due date will be adjusted so that the item is due after the minimum loan period.
|
Recall Fixed Bill | Fixed amount applied to the patron's account when overdue recalled items are returned. Create fixed bills on the Bill Structures screen. |
Recall Periodic Bill | Amount applied periodically to the patron's account when recalled items are overdue. Create periodic bills on the Bill Structures screen. |
Recall Notification Policy | Recall Notification is sent to a patron when an item is recalled or when automatic renewal fails. Create recall notifications on the Notification Policies screen. |
Use this section to set whether you want to bill patrons when the library is closed for all policies.
Loan policies can only be deleted if they have never been used. Loan policies are tied to historical and statistical data maintained by the system.
Loan Policy depends upon:
Loan Policy is used in: