Before You Begin

Make sure you have set up these views:

Location. (For instructions, see “Library Locations” in the “General Setup” chapter of the System Administration Guide.)
Btype. (For instructions, see Defining a Borrower Circulation Type (BTYPE).)

To set up or edit a block type

View: block

1 In these fields, do the following:

Field

Action

Block Type

Enter a code that identifies the block type.

This code can contain up to seven characters.

Description

Enter a description for the block type code.

This description should be unique for each block.

Action

Mark the appropriate button to specify what action is taken when the block is assigned to a borrower:

None. No action. (Mark this option if you want to send invoices for fees or for SMS hold notifications.)
Print. Causes Horizon to print a notice about the block or create an e‑mail message to send to the borrower.
Review. Adds the block to a review list for circulation staff to view in Circulation Reports before any other action is taken.

Default Language

Enter the message that you want to display on notices sent for the block.

For example, you might use this as the default text for a final notice:

“This is your final notice to return the item(s) listed below. If we do not receive the material(s) within seven days, you will be billed for the replacement costs.”

Horizon displays this message in any of these circumstances:

If the action type is “Print.”
If no message has been specified in the block view’s Notice Language group for the borrower’s location.
If a message has been specified in the block view’s Notice Language group and the Append box is marked.
If sending an SMS message. Note that for SMS messages, if the message length is more than 160 characters, the SMS server splits the message into two or more SMS messages.

Days History

Enter the number of days that you want a block to remain in a borrower’s history file before Day End Processing deletes the block.

(For example, if you want Horizon to delete the block after it has been in the borrower’s history file for 90 days, enter “90”.)

Blocks can also be deleted manually by a staff member.

Note: Changing an item status from “Lost” to “Missing” breaks the link between the item and the borrower who lost it unless you set up this field. Then Horizon keeps the Lost block in history after the block is resolved (for example, after the item is paid for) until the time period you specify passes. (For more information on item statuses, see Working with Item Statuses.)

Day‑end No Purge

If you do not want Day End to delete any unresolved notes or blocks of this type, mark this box.

Horizon‑defined?

This is a read-only field that specifies whether the block is system-defined.

You cannot change or delete the Horizon-defined codes for blocks or notes.

PAC Display

If you want to display the block in your PAC when borrowers view their borrower information, mark this box.

Note: Horizon Information Portal does not need this field.

Amount Type

If the block deals with money, mark the appropriate Amount Type option.

If you want to specify that this block applies no monetary amount and you want to remove the Amount field from the Edit Block window in Circulation, mark None.

An amount type must be marked for any library-defined fee blocks. The Amount Type lets you track payments by type.

Note: Some blocks automatically assign a fine amount determined by circulation privileges. For example, Horizon automatically assesses overdue fines. You should not manually enter or change these automatically-assigned fines (designated as “Horizon defined” in the block view).

Default Fee

Enter a default amount charged, paid, waived, or refunded for an amount-type block.

(This field is optional. An example of a fee block that might have a default amount is an interlibrary loan fee.)

2 Click Page Down.
3 In these fields, do the following:

Field

Action

Location

Enter or choose the code for the location whose notice will display the alternate message.

You can enter different messages for locations, BTYPEs, and combinations of the two.

Borrower Type

Enter or choose the code for the BTYPE to which the message will be sent.

You can enter different messages for locations, BTYPEs, and combinations of the two.

Append

If you want to continue with the message in the Notice Language field (adding it to the end of the default message) instead of replacing the default message, mark this field.

This field also applies to the Email Notice Language and Default Email Language fields of this view.

For SMS messages, you could create different language versions of the message (it would have to be based on location and/or BTYPE), or you could append information to the message. For example, appending the name of the location to the SMS hold notification message.

Notice Language

Enter the message to display on the notice in place of, or in addition to, the default message that prints on notices (or is in the SMS message) sent to borrowers that you identify in the Location and Borrower Type fields of this group.

Email Notice Language

If you have set up email notification, enter the text to display in place of, or in addition to, the default email message sent to borrowers that you identify in the Location and Borrower Type fields of this group.

(For more information on email notices, see Setting Up email Notification.)

Tax Block

Enter or choose the code for the tax type you want to apply.

Tax Rate (eg. 0.75)

Enter the tax percentage rate as a decimal value, using this format: N.NN.

For example, “0.02” is the decimal equivalent of 2%, “0.10” is the decimal equivalent of 10%, and so forth. When the fee or fine is assessed for a borrower, the tax is automatically calculated and added to the total amount due.

4 Click Page Down.
5 In these fields, do the following:

Field

Action

Disallow Opac Renewals

If you want to prohibit borrowers with this type of block from making renewals using your OPAC, mark this box.

Default Email Language

Enter the text to display in an email message sent to borrowers that you identify in the Location and Borrower Type fields of this group.

You must specify in each borrower’s record whether they can receive notices by email.

Force Print Only

If you want notices for the block to always print even if the borrower’s record is marked to receive notices by email, mark this box.

Note: Horizon displays a check mark in the Send Email column of the Circulation Reports Notice Batch List for those items that you have set up to receive email. (For more information, see “Printing or emailing Notices, Invoices, and Reminders” in the “Notices” chapter of the Circulation Guide.)

Sort Priority Order

Enter the number of the priority level you want the block type to have.

For example, if you want the block type to always display at the top of the list of blocks, enter “0” (zero). If you want the block type to always display at the bottom of the list of blocks, enter a number higher than the total number of block types on your system.

 


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