Defining an Item Circulation Type (ITYPE)

Item circulation types (ITYPEs) determine general policies for specific groups of items held by a library. (For example, you can have an ITYPE for books and another ITYPE for DVDs. Each ITYPE would have different policies.) ITYPE policies include fine minimums and maximums. They also determine the length of time that Horizon should keep each item’s circulation history.

Because many types of items can share the same circulation rules, you do not need to create an ITYPE for every category of item on your system. (For example, you may have a collection of paperback books that you keep separate from the main collection. However, if the main collection and the paperbacks both have exactly the same circulation rules, you need to create only one ITYPE code and use it for both collections.)

When you set up a new ITYPE code, Horizon creates an ITYPE group that contains only that code. You can also choose to create your own ITYPE groups that contain multiple ITYPE codes. This lets you apply circulation privileges and parameters to more than one ITYPE at a time. (For more information on groups, see Creating or Editing Groups to Define Circulation Privileges and Parameters. For more information on circulation parameters, see Setting Up Circulation Privileges and Parameters.)

You can create and modify ITYPEs and ITYPE groups whenever you need to. However, you should create most ITYPEs and ITYPE groups before you load or create item records so that you can assign appropriate ITYPE codes to the item records when you load or create them.

You should define ITYPEs and ITYPE groups before you set up circulation privileges and parameters.

You can delete an ITYPE if no items are assigned to that ITYPE. If items are assigned to an ITYPE that you want to delete, you must reassign those items to another ITYPE before you can delete the ITYPE. You can delete ITYPE groups that you create. You should only delete an ITYPE group if you have first deleted all the ITYPEs contained in that ITYPE group.

Before you begin, you may want to read Setting Up Fines, Fees, and Suspensions so that you can better make decisions about ITYPE setup.

To define an item circulation type (ITYPE)

View:itype

In these fields, do the following:

Field

Action

ITYPE Code

Enter a code that identifies the item circulation type (ITYPE).

(For example, enter “BK” for books or “1day” for one day reserve items.)

Codes can contain up to seven characters and should be unique. Horizon uses this same code for the corresponding ITYPE group it automatically creates from the ITYPE setup. Whenever you want to link to a certain set of ITYPE parameters (such as when catalogers create item records or you define circulation exceptions), you use the ITYPE group code.

No. of Items

This is a read-only field that displays the number of item records that link to this ITYPE.

Horizon updates this field automatically.

Description

Enter a description for the ITYPE.

(For example, enter “Books” or “1 Day Reserve”.)

This description should be unique and may help identify the circulation rules that you want to apply to this ITYPE.

Group Charge

If you want to group items in this ITYPE so that borrowers can check out several items (such as pamphlets and pictures) under a single barcode, mark this box.

Note: If this box is marked, whenever items with this ITYPE are checked out a prompt will display for entering the number of pieces associated with this item. When the item is checked in, if the number of pieces is greater than one, another prompt will display to enter the number of pieces. If the number of checked in pieces does not equal the number of checked out pieces, an error message will display.

For statistical purposes, Horizon 7.3.2 and later versions will count each piece as a circulation transaction. For instance, if an item with ten pieces is checked out, this will count as ten checkouts.

Minimum Fine

If you want to charge a minimum fine for an overdue item of this ITYPE, enter the minimum fine amount that you want to charge.

Enter the amount in this format, where N represents a numeric digit: “N.NN”. (For example, enter “0.25” to charge 25 cents.)

If you enter a minimum fine, Horizon charges that amount on the first day fines should be assessed for this ITYPE. The fine remains at the minimum until the daily fine amount that you specified for this ITYPE would equal the minimum fine amount. Then the fine amount increases by the daily fine amount. If you use a grace period, your settings affect when Horizon first charges the minimum fine. (For instructions on specifying a grace period, see Setting Up a Grace Period. For instructions on specifying a fine amount, see Setting Up Fines.)

If you want to have fines computed in assigned increments without imposing a minimum fine, leave the Minimum Fine field blank.

(For more information, see Understanding Minimum and Maximum Fines.)

Fixed Max. Fine

If you want to keep fines on any item from increasing beyond a maximum amount, mark this box and enter a maximum fine amount in the next field. Do not enter a percentage in the -OR- Percentage field.

If you want to limit maximum fines by a percentage of the item cost, use the -OR- Percentage field instead.

Max. Fine Amount

If you marked the Fixed Max. Fine box, enter the maximum fine amount for an item.

Enter the fine amount in this format, where N represents a numeric digit: “N.NN” (for example, “10.00”). (For more information, see Understanding Minimum and Maximum Fines.)

‑OR‑ Percentage

If you want to keep fines on any item from increasing beyond a percentage of the item cost, enter the percentage.

(For example, enter “70” if you want fines to go no higher than 70% of the item cost.)

Horizon checks for the item cost in the item record first. If no item cost is listed in the item record, Horizon finds the average replacement cost for the collection that includes this item in the collection view. Then Horizon applies this percentage to that average replacement cost. (For more information, see “Collections” in the “General ‘Setup” chapter of the System Administrator Guide.)

If you enter a percentage, do not mark the Fixed Max. Fine box and do not enter a maximum fine amount.

Keep Circ. History (days)

Enter the number of days for which Horizon should keep information about the borrowers who check out items of this ITYPE.

After this number of days, Day End deletes the history.

Bookable

If your library uses Advanced Booking and you want to make items of this type available to book in advance, mark this box.

Take Overnight? (hourlies)

Note: If your library uses Horizon Media Scheduling or Advanced Booking, this option applies to items whose hourly due time may extend past the closing time of the library.

Do one of these options:

If you want to let borrowers keep an item that would be due after closing until the next time the library is open, mark this box.
If hourly items must be returned before closing regardless of the hourly rate, do not mark this box.

Media Type (self check)

If your library uses 3M SelfCheck, enter or choose the code for a self-serve checkout media type.

(For more information on self-serve checkout media types, see the 3M SelfCheck Guide.)

Security Marker (self check)

If your library uses 3M SelfCheck, enter or choose the code for the type of security marker you use on items with this ITYPE.

(For more information about security markers, see the 3M SelfCheck Guide.)

In this field, do the following:

Field

Action

Stats Only

Mark this box when you want items assigned to this itype to be “checked out” only for the current session and then immediately checked back in.

This is typically used to track usage of items that the library may or may not want back, such as pamphlets given to patrons or “throwaway” paperbacks.

When these items are checked out through circulation, they get a due date slip and they appear in the All Items Out window for the current session, but they are never really checked out to patrons.

 


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