CODI - Horizon 7.3 and 7.4 Circulation Tips and Tricks

Bjorn Bjerkoe, SirsiDynix


Location, itype and btype groups:

Purpose of these is to make your life easier.

The problem is that they haven’t always existed.

Most of us had systems that were configured pre-groups.

Groups are set up in 3 tables:

Location_group table contains the location groupings for the library

Itype_group table contains the itype groupings for the library

Btype_group table contains the btype groupings for the library

Circulation privileges & parameters are based on groups. (not the codes)

The problem is we often call our groups the same as the code.

When we migrated to 7.3, it created groups for each itype.

Itype_group_itype lists which itypes are in which groups.

Circ limit applies each itype in the group, not the group as a whole.

Bib usage statistics for a period of time.

Horizon has the ability to gather 4 types of bib usage statistics for user defined periods of time. Checkouts, in house use, phone renewals, renewals

These statistics are gathered by period#, bib# and location

Defining the period(s): circ control menu: usage statistics period.

Periods cannot overlap.

No item statistics usage.

Set up the periods every year, Bjorn recommends doing a large group of them at a time, as Horizon keeps track of everything in a period until the next period in the list begins, therefore, if you forget to add more periods, the last one keeps building, and building...

Viewing bib usage statistics—search, get a bib, send to bib usage stats

The only way to view bib usage statistics is on a bib-by-bib basis.

Forgotten location parameters

Location specific due dates. Global due dates by location. Fixed or final. Effective time period. Good for school libraries. Publics use it when closing for a renovation or move.

Fixed due date.

Allow transit holds override. If you have an item requested via ILL, and our copy is returned, do we wait for the ILL to arrive, or do we use ours?

Charge for grace days.

Return within grace period, not charged. If item is returned after grace period, then charged for all days.

Hold shelf expiry includes closed days. Set for yes or no.

All items out display type-4 options.

All items out

Suppress ‘cr’ and ‘l’ items

Suppress ‘l’ items

Suppress ‘cr’ items

Not a status—but a patron block of one of these.

Horizon 7.4 introduces “circulation long term history” which is the ability to save a borrower’s history of checked out items. 7.3 saves the prior borrower on the item record.

Options: do not keep circ history, always keep, or allow borrower to choose. [default is yes] examples: can keep for a # of days (90 days) or last 10 items

Viewing a borrower record shows the circ history.

Right now: If you pay or waive in full, status of lost item changes to missing. Link to borrower is GONE.

Overdue timeline:

Circ privileges:

1st notice

notice interval

max # of notices (final notice not counted)

Constants

Final notice (can set to not print)

Item aging to lost

Horizon 7.4 additions

Overdue to lost (days) if you choose to use this setting, re-evaluate your notice timeline cycle.

Some people want to charge fines in addition to the lost book. (?) Lots of people in the room want this. Hmm.

In 7.4 if you do return a lost item, it will charge the fine at that point.

7.4 top circulating titles

gathers top circulating titles for a period of time by collection group.

Does it count 1st checkout, or renewals too? (Bjorn is not sure)

Table editor: collection_group

Define the periods in top_circ_control

DETopC day end process is delivered inactive. You’ll need to activate it to get the top circ stats

7.4 has stats only on itype record option. Some libraries use this instead of hash-marks to record ref questions. Have a barcode on the desk that gets scanned.