19.11 Patrons and Circulation Updates

by Kelly McElligott on May 8, 2020

19.11 Patrons & Circulation Updates

In 19.11, Koha has made several new features for the Patrons & Circulation Modules. Here is a list of the features we have provided more information for:

[14697] Extend and enhance “Claims returned” lost status

This enhancement extends the “Claims returned” lost status and allows staff to track items that patrons claim to have returned. Items are marked as “Claims returned” from the checkout page on the staff side. This feature was sponsored by Fargo Public Library and North Central Regional Library System

Blog Post and Tutorial Video: Claims Returned Enhancement

[19618] Add ‘Club Holds’ feature

Although Patron Clubs are not new to Koha, the ability to place holds for the Patron Club is! This feature was sponsored by South East Kansas Library System. The purpose of Patron Clubs is to allow libraries a way of collecting enrollments through Koha for programs held at the library. A patron could be enrolled by the staff at the circulation desk and also the patron could potentially log into the OPAC and enroll in the club themselves.

Blog Post and Tutorial Video- Club Holds Feature

[14570] Make it possible to add multiple guarantors to a record

A new feature is coming in 19.11 to allow for libraries to have multiple guarantors to a patron record. Prior to 19.11, a child account could only have one guarantor. This includes the ability to have existing Koha patrons and also a guarantor that does not exist in Koha. This feature was sponsored by Northeast Kansas Library System and Vermont Organization of Koha Automated Libraries.

Blog Post: Ability to Add Multiple Guarantors

[23321] Add ‘cash registers’ to the accounts system

This new feature has been added to define cash registers. The purpose will allow libraries to track transactions to a cash register/station. This feature introduces a system preference, UseCashRegister, which when enabled will expose the cash register management screen under the administration area.

Blog Post: Koha Introduces a Cash Register Feature

[23228] Add option to automatically display payment receipt

This enhancement adds the optional ability to automatically popup the receipt print dialogue upon successful payments in the staff client.

System Preference: FinePaymentAutoPopup

Once this system preference has been set to enable, once payment has been made in Koha, the print dialogue box will appear allowing staff to easily print receipts.

This is super nice if a library would like to always give receipts to patrons, this takes away the click to print the receipt.

[17492] Show warning if patron's age is out of limit

This development adds a warning at checkout if a patron is found to have an age that is outside their categories age range and allows the staff user to immediately update the patrons’ category from the warning dialogue.

Currently in Koha, if a patron category has an age required and upper age limit set up, to create a new patron with that category will not be allowed if the patron is outside of this range. This new development adds a warning if a patron's age has been modified.

[20194] Display both biblioitems.itemtype and items.itype in circulation screens

This feature will allow staff to see both the Biblio Item Type (set in 942$c) and also the Item Item Type (set in 952$y) during circulation. In addition to this, the collection code which is not visible in this view will now display with in the same column as the Item Type.

Prior to this, only the item level item type could be seen and to see the biblio item type, one would have to go into the Marc view.

Blog Post: Monday Minutes Displaying Itemtypes in Circulation

[20959] Collapsing the Checkout Form

This display change will alter the check-in screen to streamline the view of check-in by hiding the Specify due date options until expanded.

Once the check-in settings option has been clicked, the user will have all the functionality that was present before:

Specify a due date

Remember Due Date for next check-in

Forgive Overdue Charges

Book Drop Mode

[23507] Add ability to show and print change given on fee receipt

A new feature combined with the system preference, FinePaymentAutoPopup, will allow the slip to be edited to include change given back during the transaction.

Blog Post: Show Change on Account_Credit Slip

[23686] Check onsite checkout when the last checkout was an onsite one

There is a new system preference, OnSiteCheckoutAutoCheck, that has been added to allow for repeated "OnSite Checkouts" to occur rather than having to click the “OnSite” box on each checkout.

If the library finds they are checking a lot of onsite items out at a time, this system preference would be super handy.

[24476] Allow patrons to opt-out of auto-renewal

There is a new system preference:

AllowPatronToControlAutorenewal: you can either allow only staff or allow patrons to allow/disallow auto-renewal for an account. If "allow a patron" is selected, the patron will be able to update their own account to allow/disallow auto-renewals from occurring. If "allow staff" is chosen, then only staff will be able to turn this on/off for the patron.

For more information, see our Monday Minutes blog post and tutorial video.

[15260] Option for extended loan with useDaysMode

Koha currently has the system preference, useDaysMode, to determine when the item should be due back.

Previously, the options for this system preference were:

• circulation rules only.
• the calendar to push the due date to the next open day.
• the calendar to skip all days the library is closed.

In 19.11, there has been a new option added to this system preference:

• the calendar to push the due date to the next open matching weekday for weekly loan periods, or the next open day otherwise (Note: This preference setting only works with loan periods in multiples of 7).

This allows libraries to dictate that if the library is closed on the usual due date, the loan period should be pushed forward to the next open day which is the same day of the week.

In the release notes, the developer gave a good example: If an item should be due back on a Tuesday but that particular Tuesday is closed, then instead of it being due back the Wednesday (usual behavior when the due date is pushed forward to next open day), it would actually be due back the next available open Tuesday.

Note: This preference setting only works in multiples of 7.

[23697] Add auto complete for patron search in patron module

Koha currently has a system preference called, CircAutocompl, which is super useful when searching for patron names during circulation operations. Koha will start to give the user options in names as the letters are typed.

In 19.11, this system preference gets renamed and given more functionality! The newly named system preference, PatronAutoComplete, will allow Koha to autocomplete on a patron's name in both circulation and patron searches!

[23543] Adding withdrawn to the item search

Within the Koha Item Search, there is now the ability to search for "Withdrawn" items! A new option in this search will appear in its own box. Any values that a library has within the Authorized Value of "Withdrawn" will appear in this search box.

[23409] Show circulation note and OPAC note with line feeds

Koha will now be displaying both the circulation notes and OPAC notes written with line breaks to be displayed with line breaks. This feature will display the note cleaner and make it easier to read.

For circulation notes, this display will be changed on both the checkout screen and the detail screen of the patron.

In addition, the circulation note will allow the use of HTML tags. If a note needs to be displayed larger than other notes - this is now possible.

For example if this was typed into the Circulation Note on a patron:

It would display like this:

[23039] Hold found modal on checkin screen ( circulation.pl ) obscures Check in message info

A new "informational" option is now available in 19.11. At times when items are being returned, there are popups that identify different issues and actions that could be taken on the items. If a popup is ignored, there is now the option to see what the popup indicated and further action can be taken at this opportunity.

For example, if an item was on hold for a patron and the popup was accidentally ignored, staff can choose to click the 'i' information option in the checkout box and this popup will reappear. This 'i' information option will only appear if there was a popup that was ignored previously.

Also, all the check-in messages will be displayed in the pop-up if the 'i' button is clicked. So an item could be on hold for another patron and an additional message was displayed with this same return, this message will also appear.

[24847] Select AND by default in items search

In the Item Search, when adding a new field to the search, Koha will default the "AND" to your search. The option to change this search to "OR" is still available, however, the default (just like in the Advanced Search) will be "AND".

[23386] Add language of original in advanced search – staff client

Now in addition to searching by language in the Advanced Search, there is now the possibility to also search language of origin. There are two language searches now available from the Advanced Search. This Language of origin search is looking at the marc field: 041$h. While the first language search will look at the 041$a.

[18421] Make Coce cover images available for staff search

For libraries using the Coce server, which is controlled by the system preferences, CoceHost, Coceproviders, and OPACcoce, there is now the ability to see these images on the staff client.

The Coce server is a great tool to find cover images in more than one place. The Coce server will attempt to find cover images by ISBN in Amazon, Google, and Open Library.

Prior to 19.11, these covers would only be displayed on the OPAC. If a library is using the Coce server and would like to activate the images to display on the Staff client, there is a new system preference, IntranetCoce, that can be enabled. Some libraries may have had another service creating the images on the Staff client, such as the system preference, AmazonCoverImage. Unless a library wants multiple images displaying on the staff client, Koha should only have one image system preference enabled.

[13958] Add a suspensionsCalendar syspref

For libraries using the Suspension option in the circulation and fine rules matrix, this new system preference will be helpful! This new system preference, SuspensionsCalendar, can be set to look at the calendar when determining when the suspension ends or not to look at the calendar. This change will separate suspensions and fines allowing for more flexibility for both fines and suspensions.

[22922] Allow to modify hold and hold expiration date in staff

There will now be the ability to modify the hold expiration date on an existing hold. If a patron would not like the item after a specific date, the option to change the expiration date is possible. Changing the expiration date will only be for pending holds and not waiting holds. Once a hold is waiting, this date can not be changed through this feature.

Also, if a library has the system preference,AllowHoldDateinFuture, the ability will also be to change the date of the Hold itself.

In the image below, shows the date pickers that now exist on the hold page with both the Expiration Date and Hold date options. (The Hold date can only be changed if the library has the system preference, AllowHoldDateinFuture set to allow).

[6759] Use a different account type for account renewals than for new accounts

This change will allow libraries to easily report on when a new card is created when charging an account fee and when accounts are renewed. Previously in Koha, both a new account fee and renewal were stored in the database under AccountType = A. Now, with the change in manual invoices getting its own dedicated table [23049], these will be separate lines and therefore more easily reportable.

REPORT:

SELECT date, borrowernumber, debit_type_code, amount
FROM accountlines
WHERE debit_type_code='ACCOUNT' or debit_type_code='ACCOUNT_RENEW'

For more information about database changes that will alter current Koha reports, see our blog post: The Accountlines Table in 19.11.

Visual Changes

There were a few visual changes that occurred in the 19.11 release as a continuation of creating all the icons in Koha to be font-awesome.

• [23711] Icons on staff main page should be font icons
• [23803] Add Font Awesome icon to cart in staff interface

Also, the link for "Show Last patron was moved to be included in line with the breadcrumb with bug [21245]: Move ‘Last patron’ button inside of the ‘breadcrumb’ bar.

[24604] - Add 'Pay' button under Transactions tab in patron accounting

In 19.11.06, there will be a new Pay button that appears on the Transaction tab. Prior to this, all payments had to originate from the Make a Payment tab or from the alert on the Patron's screen. This will definitely save some clicks!

Have a Question?

We are hosting two Q&A Sessions in June - to further prepare you for the upcoming 19.11 release. If you would like to send us any questions you have regarding 19.11 features, email us at:

19.11upgrades@bywatersolutions.com

All questions received will be answered during our Q&A Session and posted on our Q&A page.