Setting up Circulation

These are the main circulation-related categories that you set up in Horizon:

Item circulation types (ITYPEs) and ITYPE groups. An ITYPE defines policies that apply to specific types of items at your library. These include settings such as fine minimums and maximums. Individual items are assigned to ITYPEs.

You can group ITYPEs with similar circulation requirements so that your circulation privileges and parameters are easier to set up. Then you can choose whether the default circulation policies that you set up should apply to the ITYPE groups in your system. (For more information on groups, see Creating or Editing Groups to Define Circulation Privileges and Parameters.)

Borrower circulation types (BTYPEs) and BTYPE groups. A BTYPE defines policies that apply to specific types of borrowers that use your library. These include settings such as how long a library card is valid. You can also use them to set maximums for the number of lost items, overdues, and unpaid fines specific types of borrowers can have and still check out items. Individual borrowers are assigned to BTYPEs.

You can group BTYPEs with similar circulation requirements in the same way that you group ITYPEs.

Circulation privileges. Circulation privileges set up the rules for circulating items that apply to the location that houses the items. You can set up a different set of privileges and exceptions for each location in your library.
Circulation parameters. Circulation parameters define loan, request, and recall limitations. They can also further define certain kinds of notices, fines, and fees. Different parameters can apply to locations, ITYPEs, or BTYPEs.

You should define ITYPEs, BTYPEs, ITYPE groups, BTYPE groups, locations, and location groups before you import data or set up other parts of Circulation. (A location can be a branch, department, or any other segment of your library that you define. You can group locations with similar circulation requirements in the same way that you group ITYPEs and BTYPEs.) (For more information on locations, see “Library Locations” in the “General Setup” chapter of the System Administration Guide and Creating or Editing Groups to Define Circulation Privileges and Parameters.)

You can also set up Horizon to send notices and invoices to borrowers, and to print circulation slips. If your library is a member of a consortium, Horizon can help you share a borrower database or coordinate borrower information.

Once you have set up Horizon Circulation correctly, ITYPE and BTYPE groups interact with circulation privileges, circulation parameters, location group parameters, and other settings to determine loan periods, due dates, overdue dates and fines, and other necessary circulation functions.

When you first installed Circulation, you may have set up Horizon to perform all your circulation tasks according to your library policies. However, if your library policies change for any reason, you can edit your Circulation setup at any time.

Since Horizon Information Portal provides the programs used in Horizon request placement and processing, you need to restart HIP's JBoss after making any changes in Horizon circulation parameters. You can do this by clicking the Restart JBOSS button at the bottom of the main Setup or main Customize page in the HIP Admin tool.

This guide assumes that you know how to use the Table Editor. (For more information, see “Horizon Table Editor” in the “Getting Started” chapter of the System Administration Guide.)

Whenever you make a change to Horizon setup, you should exit Horizon and restart it on all workstations where you want the change to take effect.

 


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