Checking out items (F1)
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Checking out items
There are several ways to get to the check out screen to check out items for patrons. After you log in to the staff client, you can:
- Press the F1 key on the keyboard
- Click on the Circulation menu and select Check Out Items
- Click on the Check Out button
The check out screen appears with a green highlighted box where a patron barcode is to be entered.
Scan or type in the patron barcode number. If you enter the barcode by hand, click on the Submit button or simply press the Enter key on the keyboard.
In most cases the patron record will appear with a green highlighted box to enter the barcode of the item to be checked out. (If the patron has holds or alert message, that message will appear instead of the check out screen - click on Check Out at the top of the patron screen to get to the check out screen.) Scan or type in the barcode of the item to check out. If you enter the barcode by hand, click on Submit or press the Enter key on the keyboard.
The item barcode, due date and title are displayed in the window below. [You can change what information you want to see displayed in that window by clicking on the column picker on the far right of the column headings. Checked options will display in that window. If you make changes to the display and want to keep them, click on the Save Columns button at the bottom of the window save that column configuration for your workstation.]
If other items are to be checked out, continue to scan/enter the barcodes in the exact same manner.
When all items have been checked out, you can click on the Print Receipt button at the lower left of the check out screen to print a receipt for the patron that will give a list of the items checked out and their due dates. If the Auto-Print box to the lower right is checked, the receipt is automatically printed.
When you are finished checking out items for the patron, click on the Done button in the lower right corner of the screen. A new check out screen will display for the next transaction for the next patron.
To check out materials to patrons without their library cards, you can also search for an individual patron by name, address, or other fields. See: Retrieve a patron record without knowing the patron/user barcode for more details.
Setting the due date
When checking out an item to a patron, you may need to change the default due date to another date. In order to do this, before checking the item out, check the Specific Due Date box to the right of where you scan items to check them out. Then enter in a different date in the box to the right of Specific Due Date by either manually typing in the new date, or by using the up and down arrows for each time (month, day, year) to select a date. The slightly larger arrow pointing down will open up a calendar widget, so you can pick the dates from a calendar view.
If you enter in a date in the past, it will warn you by turning that area red. You can even change the exact second that the item is due by manually typing in a new time or using the arrows to adjust the time to the far box on the right.
Overrides
At times, the system will not allow checkouts of materials to patrons for various reasons. You can override the refusal and continue to check out the material (if you have the proper permissions). For instance, if a patron brings a reference book that does not circulate to the checkout desk, the system will send a message that the copy is not allowed to circulate. In the same message, the system gives you the option to override this rule and to circulate the book. The override message is: “Force this action?” with buttons for No and Yes.
If you click on Yes the item will circulate.
If you click on No, the item will not check out to the patron.
Pre-cat/mis-scan alert
If an item that has a barcode and has not yet been fully cataloged and entered into the system, then it is a pre-cat. Sometimes these barcodes are used specifically as temporary ones for un-cataloged items. Once the item has been fully cataloged, a permanent barcode may be substituted for the temporary one.
A mis-scan occurs when the barcode reader fails to read a barcode on an item accurately. The same alert message will appear for both a pre-cat or a mis-scan. When in doubt - scan again.
Checking out a pre-cat
When checking out an un-cataloged (or “pre-cat”) item, upon scanning/typing in the barcode, Evergreen will respond with the following message:
You can click on the Pre-Cataloged button to create a brief record and let the patron check the item out.
[NOTE: When the above screen appears, it is not always necessarily a pre-cat - the item’s barcode could have been misread by the scanner, in which case, it would be a mis-scan. When in doubt, scan the barcode again.]
A new box pops up in the top left hand corner of the screen prompting for the title and author for the work. You can then enter the information for Title and Author and click on the Check Out button to check the item out to the patron.
The patron screen will refresh with the pre-cat item listed as checked out.
Checking in a pre-cat
When the pre-cat is checked in, a message will pop up alerting staff to route the item to the cataloging department so a full record can be attached to the item. The status of the pre-cat will automatically change to Cataloging.
Checking out non-barcoded items
Some libraries circulate non-barcoded materials. When a patron/user wants to check out an item that is not cataloged or barcoded - for example, a paperback book – when checking items out to the patron, you need to choose the non-barcoded option from the drop-down menu below Check Out in the middle left of the screen.
For example, staff would choose MLC – Paperback Book and then click on Submit.
A window will pop up asking for the number of paperback books to be checked out. Enter a number and click on OK. Cancel would stop the item(s) from being checked out.
The screen will refresh to show that a paperback has been checked out.
You can view a patron's non-barcoded check outs by clicking on the Items Out button at the top of the screen and then clicking on the button Show Non-Cataloged Circulations in List Above near the middle of the screen.
Non-cataloged items will only show in the patron’s Items Out if the Show Non-Cataloged Circulations in List Above button is clicked.
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