Setting Up or Editing Basic Circulation Policies

Before you can use Horizon to circulate any of your library’s holdings, you must set up it up to follow your library’s policies.

For example, you need to set up which locations can circulate items. You must also set up the length of time for which you want to let borrowers take items. If a borrower keeps an item longer than that length of time, you can set up Horizon to assess fines or suspend that borrower’s circulation rights. You can set up Horizon to let borrowers make requests and place holds on items that another borrower already has checked out. You can also set up how and when Horizon sends borrowers notices.

You set up many individual circulation policies within Horizon. You may also need to set up other functionality to correctly regulate how Horizon manages these policies. (For more information, check the specific tasks in this guide that relate to the circulation settings you want to make.)

When you set up basic circulation policies, the process includes setting up these privileges:

Loan Period. The length of time for which most borrowers can check out most items. (For more information, see Controlling Due Dates.)
Grace Period. The length of time that most items can be overdue before Horizon adds a fine to the borrower record. In determining a grace period, Horizon considers only loan periods when your library is open. (For more information, see Setting Up Fines, Fees, and Suspensions.)
Fine Rate. The fine amount most borrowers must pay for most overdue items per specified time period. You can specify a minimum and maximum fine amount in each ITYPE record. (For more information, see Setting Up Fines, Fees, and Suspensions.)
Max. Items Out. The maximum number of items most borrowers can have checked out at any given time. If a borrower exceeds this number of items checked out, Horizon displays a block message. (For more information, see Setting Up Blocks.)
Suspend Days. The number of days Horizon should suspend checkouts until overdue items are returned. (For instructions, see Setting Up Fines, Fees, and Suspensions.)

This section explains these topics:

 


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