CIRCULATION WINDOW
The Circulation window consists of three panes displaying patron, item, and trans- action information, offering a panoramic view of all circulation functions. MARC fields and font characteristics can be modified for each transaction mode and in each window pane. Library staff can configure the window to display as much or as little information as desired. For security, a time-out period can be chosen that clears the window after a selected number of seconds has expired.
SOUND CUES
Configurable sound cues accompany each circulation transaction. M3 signals the completion of a transaction by a notice on the status bar that reads, for example, “Loan Operation Successful,” accompanied by a tone. The user can select specific words upon completion of a transaction, such as “Loan!” and “Reserve!”
CIRCULATION CALENDAR
The Circulation calendar is used to set up loan period rules, library hours, and hol- idays. The calendar has the ability to backdate the circulation date (helpful for evening book drops) and temporarily override typical loan periods to process cir- culation exceptions. Loan periods can consist of any period of time, including hours. The calendar can adjust loan periods to accommodate holidays and closed hours.
FINE CALCULATION
An overdue item’s status changes from “Overdue Loan” to “Fine” when the item is returned. Fines are then calculated by the system. Closed days can be excluded from fine calculations. Patrons can pay the full fine amount, make a partial pay- ment, or exclude an item from payment until a future date. Librarians have the ability to forgive or increase fines, and add a processing fee. The system calculates the amount of change back from a fine paid. Fines can be marked as previously paid if the patron claims that the fine was already paid. M3 allows item status to be changed to “Lost,” “Claimed Returned,” or “Claimed Never Had” to accommo- date those situations. Librarians can issue refunds. M3 keeps a fine history for each patron that can be displayed from the payment screen.
QUICK RETURNS
Quick Return is designed for situations such as book drop returns. Patron mes- sages are not displayed since it is assumed that patrons are not present. Quick Return does alert when a hold is attached to an item.
IN-HOUSE CIRCULATION RETURNS
In-House Circulation is designed to “return” items that were removed from shelf positions and left on library tables or desks, presumably used at the library though not checked out. This feature is used to track in-library usage of the collection.
SELF-CHECK/SELF-RETURNS
M3 allows self-check and self-return transactions without the assistance of a librarian. For system security, in either mode, the patron cannot perform any other type of circulation transaction; the patron’s only options are self-check, self- return, or log out. Self mode can be set up so patron and item transactions do not display.
TRANSACTION BARCODES SHEET
The laminated barcode sheet, included with the M3 Core Package, allows users to select the most common transaction modes without using the Circulation toolbar or menu bar. This sheet can be used to conduct basic transactions using a portable barcode scanner, or as a shortcut using the barcode scanner at the circulation desk. The barcodes sheet is a useful bookmobile solution. The following transac- tion modes can be accessed from the barcodes sheet:
• Loan Mode • Quick Return Mode • Upload Barcodes
• Return Mode • Claimed Returned • Print Patron
• Renew Mode • Claimed Never Had • Print Item
• Reserve Mode • Lost Item • Print Transactions
• Status Mode • Damaged Item • Sound Off
• In-House Circulation
Mode
• Back Date • Sound On
ON-THE-FLY TRANSACTION/PATRON PROCESSING
Librarians can create temporary records to permit circulation of library materials that are not yet in the bibliographic database. At check in, the system alerts the operator that the temporary record exists, allowing the operator to route the item for proper cataloging. Patrons records can also be created on-the-fly.
LOAN OR RETURN MULTIPLE ITEMS
Librarians can check out or return multiple items after entering a single patron without having to re-enter the patron barcode for each item.
ITEM AND PATRON HISTORY
Librarians can display the transaction history of an item or patron. If privacy is an issue, this feature can be disabled.
ITEM AND PATRON STATUS
Items can be searched, and the current location or condition of a particular item can be displayed. Any number of customized statuses can be created to accommo- date local needs. Patron status can also be created and assigned.
BOOKING
This feature is used to reserve an item such as a conference room or piece of equipment for a future day and/or time. Booking is available for a single day, a range of days, or for specific hours. Items and pieces of equipment can be grouped into sets for ease of circulation. The system maintains equipment holding records including information concerning date added, collection, item type, storage loca- tion, serial number, inventory number, equipment price, date purchased, last ser- vice, next service, condition, and notes. Room holding records include room collection, item type, size, capacity, handicap access, elevator access, media equipment assigned to the room, and notes.
HOLDS
M3 alerts library staff when materials on reserve are returned and placed on hold, displaying the name of the patron who reserved the item and instructions to notify the patron. You can also configure M3 to automatically send the patron an e-mail notification.
M3 can print a hold form to be placed with the item. The system allows library staff to specify a last acceptable date for a hold, after which time the material is no longer needed. The system clears holds not filled by such dates and automatically readjusts the holding queue.
MESSAGING
One or more free-form text messages, or blocks, can be attached to a patron or item record. These messages appear to library staff whenever the patron or item record is accessed. Each message created must be assigned a circulation-intrusive block type. Each block type is described below. Messages can be created or edited during a transaction or “on-the-fly.” Messages and their use are defined by the library. The library staff ’s authority privileges determines the staff ’s override capabilities. Old, unused item and patron messages can be deleted.
Information block – The user can bypass this low-level block by clicking anywhere in the window.
Blocking block – The user must select an option in the message dialog box in order to proceed. The user must have authority granted by the administrator to override this mid-level block.
Nudge block – When a nudge block message appears the first time, the message acts like a blocking block until overridden by the administrator, then the message behaves like an information block.
Privilege block – The user must type a password to bypass the message dialog box. The user must have authority granted by the administrator to override this high- level block.
TRANSACTION REPORTS UTILITY
Circulation provides transaction reports to monitor library status and activity. The types of transactions reported consist of loans, fines, holds, reserves, bookings, overdue loans, or all transactions. Reported transactions can be displayed for the current day, a specified number of days, or all transactions. In addition, bookings can be displayed for the future. Overdue loan transactions can be displayed for all transactions or a specified number of days. Additional reports can be printed using ReportTool. For more information about ReportTool, see page 6-1.
STATISTICAL RECORD SUBFIELDS
Tables 4.1 through 4.3 are subfields from Statistical field 993 in patron, biblio- graphic, and holding records. These subfields can be accessed to provide circula- tion statistics and printed using ReportTool. For more information about ReportTool, see page 6-1.
TABLE 4.1
Subfield Circulation Statistics from Patron Record
|
Sub
|
Name
|
Description
|
|
a
|
Loan count
|
Number of items a patron has borrowed
|
|
b
|
Hold count
|
Number of holds a patron has placed
|
|
c
|
Reserve count
|
Number of reserves a patron has placed
|
|
d
|
Renewal count
|
Number of renewals a patron has placed
|
|
e
|
Recall count
|
Number of recalls a patron has placed
|
|
f
|
ILL count
|
Number of ILL requests a patron has placed
|
|
g
|
Booking count
|
Number of booking requests a patron has placed
|
|
i
|
Fines count
|
Number of overdues for a patron
|
|
j
|
Fines total
|
Total dollar amount of fines generated by a patron
|
|
k
|
Fines forgiven count
|
Number of fines forgiven for a patron
|
|
l
|
Fines forgiven total
|
Total dollar amount of fines forgiven
|
|
m
|
Lost count
|
|
|
n
|
Lost total ($)
|
|
|
o
|
Lost forgiven count
|
|
|
p
|
Lost forgiven total
|
|
|
q
|
Damaged count
|
|
|
r
|
Damaged total
|
|
|
s
|
Unpaid count
|
|
|
t
|
Unpaid total
|
|
|
u
|
Claimed never had count
|
|
|
v
|
Claimed returned count
|
|
|
w
|
Claimed paid count
|
|
|
x
|
Current loan count
|
|
|
y
|
Current hold count
|
|
|
z
|
Current reserve count
|
|
|
1
|
Current renewal count
|
|
|
2
|
Current fines count
|
|
|
3
|
Last subject borrowed
|
ISN of the last item borrowed
|
|
7
|
Current due amount
|
|
TABLE 4.2
Subfield Circulation Statistics from Bibliographic Record
|
Sub
|
Name
|
Description
|
|
c
|
Reserve count
|
|
|
d
|
Current reserve count
|
|
|
e
|
Purchase request count
|
|
TABLE 4.3
Subfield Circulation Statistics from Holding Record
|
Sub
|
Name
|
Description
|
|
a
|
Loan count
|
Number of times an item was loaned
|
|
b
|
Hold count
|
Number of times an item was placed on hold
|
|
c
|
Reserve count
|
Number of times an item was reserved
|
|
d
|
Renewal count
|
Number of times an item was renewed
|
|
e
|
Recall count
|
Number of times an item was recalled
|
|
f
|
ILL count
|
Number of times an item was requested
|
|
g
|
Booking count
|
Number of times an item was booked
|
|
h
|
Table charge count
|
Number of table charges for an item
|
|
i
|
Fines count
|
Number of overdues for an item
|
|
j
|
Fines total
|
Total dollar amount of overdues generated by item
|
|
k
|
Fines forgiven count
|
Number of fines forgiven for an item
|
|
l
|
Fines forgiven total
|
Total dollar amount of fines forgiven
|
|
m
|
Lost count
|
|
|
n
|
Lost total
|
|
|
o
|
Lost forgiven count
|
|
|
p
|
Lost forgiven total
|
|
|
q
|
Damaged count
|
|
|
r
|
Damaged total
|
|
|
s
|
Unpaid count
|
|
|
t
|
Unpaid total
|
|
|
u
|
Claimed never had count
|
|
|
v
|
Claimed returned count
|
|
|
w
|
Claimed paid count
|
|
|
x
|
Current loan count
|
|
|
y
|
Current hold count
|
|
|
z
|
Current reserve count
|
|
|
1
|
Current renewal count
|
|
|
2
|
Current fines count
|
|
|
3
|
Last borrower
|
|
|
4
|
Purchase request count
|
|
|
5
|
Inhouse loan count
|
|
|
6
|
Due date
|
|
|
7
|
Current due amount
|
|
