Higher Education Libraries of Massachusetts: Circulation

Fines -- Overdue Materials -  Fines will only accrue for Reserve items 
Bills will display under the fines tab after 14 days overdue.
Copier fees
Sundry 
New Card (MCC does not use)
Account management fee (MCC does not use)

Lost  (1) - When are materials designated as lost?
Long Overdue  (2) -  Helm will set at 14 days after it is due.
Lost and paid (3) - set when a patron pays for an item.  The item is then removed from the patron check out screen.
Missing (4) - policy dictates staff must change as needed.

Question: Current system allows for a closed date editor that interfaces with the fines table.  Does the Koha system have anything like this? Yes there is a calendar feature in the tools section that can be linked to a specific branch (library).  Although closed we will not add Saturday or Sunday to our calendar as it impacts when items are due.

Question: Does this system have a function to recall the last few patrons transactions at the circ desk? No

Question: Does the system remember and display the last patron who checked out the item?  There is a setting to remember the last patron.

Question: Does the system have a function to record in house use? (Committees are working on setting something up)

Question: Does the system have an offline module? yes

Question: Is there a report/method for circ staff to easily check on current requests for items?

Question: Is there a way to have alert message display at certain times at the circ desk?  I may want a message to display when I check out and item but not when I check in or anytime a patron comes to the desk.  Messages can be set by item type but what about other situations?  Messages included in the Messages for item type show at checkin only.  

Question: Will there be an attempt to consolidate loan rules and types within HELM? Yes there has been an effort to consolidate rules.

Question: How will Helm libraries deal with a patron from another school who may not have a student id, library card or barcode?

Question: How does Koha deal with College Blocks?  Patron account flags are set in the Koha system.  Not sure how they work or how much control we have...

Borrowers:

The starred items are mandatory. (For initial testing, a csv or other delimited file of borrowers will do.)

•          *patronid/cardnumber
•          *firstname
•          *lastname
•          *Primary Address: street, city, state, zip in separate fields
•          Secondary Address, if exists: street, city, state, zip in separate fields
•          *Email
•          Phone
•          Mobile number
•          Other contact numbers?
•          Date of birth
•          *patron category
•          *date enrolled – we can default these dates
•          *expiration date – we can default these dates
•          notes: borrower notes of any kind
•          Gender