Circulation Window

From COMPanion


This section documents functionality that is nearly identical to both Alexandria and Textbook Tracker. Therefore, the contents of this page will use generic terms and images (from both Windows and Macintosh versions) except when describing features that are unique to one or the other.

The Circulation window is the primary window of the program and of all offline and online client workstations; it may not be closed while the program is running.

Use the Circulation window to perform general library activities such as issuing books, placing hold requests and reservations, processing fees, fines, payments, and renewing books. You may also perform special functions such as inventory, cataloging, record updating and viewing.

Although the main Circulation window is always open and active, there may be times when it loses focus, gets pushed to the background, or becomes minimized.

You may use any of the following methods to re-display the Circulation window:

Select Circulation from the Show menu.
Press <Ctrl+t> (PC) or <Cmnd+t> (Macintosh) on the keyboard.
Select Circulation from the Windows menu.
Click here for a complete list of circulation commands.

The Circulation window can be divided into three distinct, yet integrated, sections:

Modes, Commands, and Help

The top section of the Circulation window contains the primary Actions menu, the selected Circulation Mode (both drop-down menu), the command line, and the Wiki Help button.

Primary Actions Menu

The Actions (“

”) drop-down menu (represented by a gear/cog icon) contains uncommon circulation functions that are not frequently used, such as the Advanced Bookings and Process Pending Bookings commands.

Toggle Mode Help—This Alexandria-only selection toggles a real-time Circulation Mode drop-down menu help section, which explains what each Circulation Mode from the drop-down menu does.

Start Bookdrop (Ctrl+1) (+1)—Use the Bookdrop command to check in items for one or for many patrons. This selection performs the same functionality as entering “ B ” into the command line.
Make Charges/Payments (Ctrl+2) (+2)—Opens the Charges of the main Circulation window tab to view, edit, and create charges assigned to a patron for overdue items or fees assigned for special circumstances (such as lost items or loan fees). This selection performs the same functionality as entering “ F ” into the command line. A current patron is required in order to make this selection—otherwise it appears grayed out.

Show Patron Details (Ctrl+3) (+3)—This selection displays the details for the current patron. This selection performs the same functionality as entering “ Q ” into the command line. Another way of displaying Details for the current patron is to click on Details in the gray strips located below the Current Patron pane. A current patron is required in order to make this selection—otherwise it appears grayed out.
Show Patron History (Ctrl+Shift+H) (++H)—This selection is essentially the same as the printing an individual Patron History report—containing the history of patron transactions; if the Keep Patron History checkbox (see Statistics tab) is not checked, only payment and fine history are archived and stored for future evaluations. Essentially, this report is similar to selecting Show History from the Patrons Management window's Actions menu or pressing the Show History button in the Statistics tab. A current patron is required in order to make this selection—otherwise it appears grayed out.
Remove Patron Holds (Ctrl+4) (+4)— This selection displays the items that have holds placed on them by the current patron. This selection performs the same functionality as selecting the Patron holds subtab of the main Circulation window, allowing you to remove a patron hold. A current patron with holds is required in order to make this selection—otherwise it appears grayed out.
Remove Patron Reservations (Ctrl+5) (+5)—This selection displays the items that have reservations placed on them by the current patron. This selection performs the same functionality as selecting the Patron reservations subtab of the main Circulation window, allowing you to remove a patron reservation. A current patron with reservations is required in order to make this selection—otherwise it appears grayed out.

Show Item Details (Ctrl+6) (+6)—This selection displays the details for the current items. This selection performs the same functionality as entering “ Q ” into the command line. Another way of displaying Details for the current item is to click on Details in the gray strips located below the Current Item pane. A current item is required in order to make this selection—otherwise it appears grayed out.
Adjust Item Holds (Ctrl+7) (+7)—This selection displays the items that have holds placed on them by the current patron. This selection performs the same functionality as selecting the Item Holds subtab of the main Circulation window, allowing you to adjust a patron hold. A current item with a hold is required in order to make this selection—otherwise it appears grayed out.
Remove Copy Reservations (Ctrl+8) (+8)—This selection displays reservations placed on the current item. This selection performs the same functionality as selecting the Item reservations subtab of the main Circulation window, allowing you to remove an item reservation. A current item with a reservation is required in order to make this selection—otherwise it appears grayed out.
Renew Patron Items (Ctrl+R) (+R)—Use this selection to renew all items checked out to the current patron. This selection performs the same functionality as selecting the Renew All button in the Renewals subtab of the main Circulation window. A current patron with items checked out is required in order to make this selection—otherwise it appears grayed out.

Broadcast message to clients—This selection allows you to broadcast a message to every Librarian client connected to the Data Station.

Open transaction log—This selection opens the current Transaction Log in a VWP document, similar to entering “ +++ ” into the command line.
Open transaction log folder—This selection will open the directory where all your archived log data is stored.

On Macintosh OSX machines, this folder is located in the following directory:

Hard Drive > Users > Shared > Library > Application Support > Alexandria Support > Log

On a Windows XP, 2K, or 2K3 machine, the log folder should be located here:

Hard Drive (typically C:) > Documents and Settings > All Users > Documents > Alexandria Support > Log

On a Windows 7 and Vista machine, the log folder should be located here:

Hard Drive (typically C:) > ProgramData > Alexandria Support > Log

Advanced Bookings—This will open the Advanced Bookings window, which allows you to process reservations that begin on or between two selected dates.
Process pending bookings—This selection performs the Process Pending Bookings command, which checks to see if any of the unavailable items have recently become available. If they have, they're automatically assigned to the requesting patron.

Circulation Mode Drop-Down Menu

Circulation Mode menu.

You may select the current Circulation Mode from the corresponding drop-down menu, located at the top-left of the Circulation Window above the Current Patron pane. A Circulation Mode, quite simply, is the function that will be performed when patron/item barcodes are typed or scanned; useful when you are required to process multiple patrons or items. A few examples of modes are Bookdrop (B), Check Out (.), Hold (H), and Renewal (R).

Command Help (?)—This selection displays information about program commands and how to use them. This selection performs the same functionality as selecting the Command Help tab of the main Circulation window.

Bookdrop (B)—Use the bookdrop mode to check in items for one or for many patrons.
Change Destination Mode (NT)—The Change Destination (NT) mode will change the destination of copies whose Status is currently In Transit to something else.
Check Out (.)—What the Check Out (.) mode does depends on two things: the Check Out Options preference (which allows you to change the behavior of Check Out (.) mode); and the “status” of the patron and the item.
Discard Mode (DM)—Use the discard mode to move several copies to the Discarded Copies System Patron and provide a note for each on why they are being discarded.
Hold (H)—In Hold (H) mode, all the item barcodes you scan (or enter) are placed on hold.
Hold Copy (HC)—The Hold Copy (HC) mode places a hold on a particular copy of a title for the Current Patron.
Inventory (I)—The Inventory (I) mode and will update the Inventory Date for each copy that is scanned.
Inventory Bookdrop (IB)—The selection places the Circulation window into Inventory Bookdrop (IB) mode.
Inventory Bookdrop Suppressed (IBS)—This selection places the Circulation window into Inventory Bookdrop Suppressed (IBS) mode and will update the Inventory Date for each copy that is scanned and changes the Status to Available.
Inventory Suppressed (IS)—This selection places the Circulation window into Inventory Suppressed (IS) mode and will update the Inventory Date for each copy that is scanned.
In Transit Mode (IT)—This Alexandria-only selection places the Circulation window into In Transit mode; copies checked out will be assigned to the In Transit System Patron (barcode 9), then the copy will be placed In Transit to its home library (whichever library is specified in the copy's Copy Site field)
Item Res Checkout (GG)—This selection sets the Item Res Checkout (GG) mode which places the Circulation window into a special mode of operation used for checking out reserved items.
Patron Res Checkout (GPP)—This selection sets the Patron Res Checkout (GPP) mode which places the Circulation window into a special mode of operation used for checking out reserved items.
Patron Reservations (GP)—This selection will activate Patron Reservations (GP) mode which is time-savingly useful when several patrons wish to place a reservation on the same item.
Renewal (R)—This selection places the Circulation window into Renewal (R) mode to renew currently checked out items.
Reservations (G)—Similar to the Patron Reservations (GP) mode, the Reservations (G) mode allows an operator to place reservations on multiple items for the Current Patron.
Reserve (J)—The Reserve (J) mode functions to place specific copies “on reserve”.
Self-Service (AS)—While the program is in Self-Service (AS) mode, it operates in a highly limited mode in which only check out can be performed.
Transfer (.X)—The Transfer (.X) mode works exactly like the Check Out (.) mode, with one exception: when the copy that is scanned is checked out to a patron other than your Current Patron, instead of allowing you to bookdrop the copy, the copy will be transferred to the Current Patron.

Command Line

The Command Line, located at the top-middle of the Circulation Window, is where you enter barcode numbers for patrons/items, or where you may enter circulation commands. If you enter only a barcode, the current mode (shown to the left of the command line) will determine the action that is performed.

Override Date

An Override Date will appear immediately after the Command Line—but only if conjured by the user. The function of the override date depends on the current Circulation Mode. See the Override Date Command section for more information.

Wiki Help Button

Click the round Help (“

”) button to open your default web browser to the related on-line Wiki Help file. Alternately, you may use the Command Help tab on the bottom half of the Circulation window, which contains a list of available commands and an explanation of how to use each one; alternatively, you can click here for an extensive list (and explanation) of circulation commands.

Current Patron and Item Panes

Just below the Modes, Commands, and Help section of the Circulation window is where general information about the Current Patron and Current Item is displayed. These sections are nicknamed the Patron Card and Item Card, respectively.

- NOTE -
Many Alexandria/Textbook Tracker functions and commands depend on the Current Patron/Item. For example, you must have a Current Patron to check out, hold, or reserve an item.

Depending on preferences, the Current Patron pane can display the patron's current Lexile score; also shown: number of items checked out and fines or credits they have accrued.

If available, click the Details subtab in the Current Patron/Item panes to view more detailed information about the patron/item.

If available, click the Notes subtab in the Current Patron/Item panes to view notes entered for a particular patron/item. You may provide the notes for a patron in the Notes tab of the Patron Management Window. You may provide notes for an item in the Copy Notes tab of the Item Management window (Copy Information tab).

You can also select Show Patron/Item Details from the Circulation window's top-left Actions drop-down menu to view the same information as the Details button.

Alternately, you can select Notes from the Actions drop-down menus located in the bottom-right corners of both the Current Patron and Current Item panes.

If the Current Item is a title copy, you can view individual Copy Stats by clicking the subtab.

This is the same as clicking the Copy Stats tab of the Item Management window (Copy Information tab).

Click the Lookup subtab opens the Patron/Item Lookup Window, respectively.

If you have vendors active in the Vendors Window, a Vendor icon will appear to the left of the Actions drop-down menu.

Current Patron Pane

The Current Patron pane consists of two areas. The white area contains information on the current patron—patron name, barcode, policy, homeroom, picture, and a short summary of the number of items checked out, on hold, reserved, with reservations, overdue and the total fine amount; other things, such as the patron's current Lexile measurement, can be displayed here if you have your system preferences set correctly. The second area is a grey strip at the bottom of the pane where the buttons for patron Details, patron Notes, patron Lookup, and patron Reserves are located; the Actions (“”) drop-down menu located at the bottom-right of the pane contains identical (and some exclusive) selections.

Patron Details—The patron Details shows the status of the current patron's account. Includes barcodes, titles, and due dates of items that are checked out, holds and their expiration dates, reservations and their starting and ending dates, and all charges, fines, and attachments for this patron.

Patron Notes—Use the Notes button to quickly view whether the current patron has contact, alert, or general notes, etc. Clicking this button opens the Patron Notes window—essentially a combination of all the “notes” fields that exist in the Contact Info and Notes tabs of the Patron Management window. Once unlocked, you can add new patron notes using this window. For more information on the individual notes fields, follow the links above.

Lookup—Opens the Patron Lookup window, allowing you to browse your patrons; performs the same action as using the “L” command.

Reserves—If available, selecting Reserves from the Actions (“”) drop-down menu will bring the Patron Reserves window into view.

Patron History—This selection is essentially the same as the printing an individual Patron History report—containing the history of patron transactions; if the Keep Patron History checkbox (see Statistics tab) is not checked, only payment and fine history are archived and stored for future evaluations. Essentially, this report is similar to selecting Show History from the Patrons Management window's Actions menu or pressing the Show History button in the Statistics tab. A current patron is required in order to make this selection—otherwise it appears grayed out.

Current Item Pane

The Current Item pane consists of two areas. The white area contains the information on the current item—item title, barcode, policy, call number, status, picture, and a short summary of the number of items for the title and number available. The second area is a grey strip at the bottom of the pane where the buttons for item Details, item Copy Stats, item Notes, and item Lookup; the Actions (“”) drop-down menu located at the bottom-right of the pane contains identical (and some exclusive) selections.

Vendors—This selection opens a secondary menu containing a list of Alexandria partners that, when selected, link to their respective websites. These can be enabled or disabled using the Vendors management window.

Item Details—The Details button displays the status of all copies of this item. Includes all copies, their status, if checked out the patron who has each copy and the due date, the bibliographic record, and any attachments.

Copy Stats—Clicking on this button opens the Item Copy Data window with the Copy Stats tab in focus. Use this icon to see the last three patrons to have checked out the item.

Copy Notes—This button becomes available when the current item has either an alert note, a copy general note, or a summary.

Item Lookup—Opens the Item Lookup window, allowing you to browse through cataloged items; performs the same action as using the “ST” command.

Reserves—If available, selecting Reserves from the Actions (“”) drop-down menu will bring the Patron Reserves window into view.

Show Map—If an operator-created map (created in the Map Editor window) falls within a Call Number range that corresponds to the current item's Call Number, the Show Map selection will open a VWP document containing the map where the item is located in your library.

Circulation Window tabs

The second half of the Circulation window contains a series of seven tabs that are helpful for daily circulation activities and the management of your library information. Each tab has at least two subtabs from which to select and these subtabs change what is seen on that tab. To bring a particular tab into view, click on the tab; then, click on the appropriate subtab to view the desired pane for that tab.

Click on the links below to view these tabs in more detail: