Circulation Procedures -- return

Charging and Renewing
Books on the Hold Shelf
Patron Blocks
New Patron/New ID Cards
Non-cirulating books
Discharging

The Voyager circulation system is used to charge and discharge books, determine whether an item is checked out, determine what a patron has charged out, etc. To log on to Voyager, click on the Circulation icon on the circulation PC desktop. The Operator ID and password are posted at the circulation desk.

Basic Charging and Renewing:
1. Click on the Charge Icon.
2. Scan the patron's barcode. See Patron Blocks below
3. Flip the card to verify the name on the screen and the face in front of you.
4. Scan the barcode in the back of each book. Listen for the beep AND watch for the item to appear on the screen. Pay attention to the due dates.
5. Stack the open books in a pile as you finish scanning them.
6. Stamp each book with the appropriate due date. There should be a stamp which matches the date shown on the computer. One stamp should be the correct date for biology (term loan) and one stamp should be for math/physics (28 days).

IF...
-you check out a journal or reserve book it won’t have a correct stamp. You can write in the date, verbally tell the person, or change the stamp and change it back.
- there is no room to stamp the date on the current due date slip, get a new one from the desk drawer. Remove the old slip and attach a new one with a little glue from the glue stick.
-the Voyager system is down, fill out a manual charge form for each patron who checks out books. These forms are on a clipboard on top of the circulation desk. The supervisor will enter all of the manual charges when the system comes back online. After all the forms are processed, discharging can begin.

We cannot renew ANY books checked out from other libraries. Please inform the patron to go to the original library to renew.

Books that are on the Hold Shelf:
Several types of books are on the hold shelf

• Books patron have placed on hold
• Books requested from the Annex and ReCap
• Interlibrary Loan books
• Borrow Direct books

Each of these types of books must be dealt with differently

• Books on regular hold (white paper with handwritten name)--Check these books out to patron exactly as any other book
• Books coming from the Annex (will have "Annex" sticker on spine)--Check the book out normally to the patron
• Books coming from ReCap (will have "ReCap" sticker on spine)--DO NOT need to be checked in OR out to the patron. There should be a note reminding you of this in the book
• Interlibrary Loan books (red slip of paper around front cover)-Check that the name on the slip in the book and the name on the person’s ID match -DO NOT need to be checked out Put the blue slip from the book in the box on the hold shelf labeled “Interlibrary Loan Slips”
• Borrow Direct books (on the lower shelf with green slip)-Check that the name on the slip in the book and the name on the person’s ID match -DO NOT need to be checked out -Put the green slip from the book in the box as well to avoid mistakes

  Put all slips from books in the box to avoid making mistakes!

  
  Patron Blocks
  Sometimes, after you scan a patron's card in the charge screen a window pops up with a message saying that borrowing privileges are blocked.
  
  A patron is blocked from borrowing for one of three reasons:
  -Fines greater than $20.00.
  -Overdue recalled book
  -Expired card
  
  NOTE: We never prevent Faculty from borrowing. Check the patron's card to see if they have EF or F status before overriding a patron block.
  
  All other patrons must pay their fines (if blocked) and/or return overdue recalls before borrowing books. Tell the patron about his fines and/or recalls if a block comes up. Any questions that the patron has about our policies can be referred to your supervisor. Books can be placed on the three-day hold shelf until blocks are able to be resolved.
  
  New Patron/ New ID Card
  1. Try to scan and/or type in the barcode. If the patron's barcode is not in the system, get a supervisor to activate the card.
  2. If no supervisor is available, ask the patron to fill out the top portion of the patron registration form. Then, fill in the bottom half of the form completely.
  3. Charge the books out using a manual charge form, located in the stamp drawer. Staple the two forms together & give to supervisor when they return.
  
  Non-Circulating Books
  Books from the following locations cannot be taken from the library (without the permission of Steve Adams):
  
  SZ Periodicals
  SZ Reference
  SM Periodicals
  SM Reference

  
  Discharging
  1. Stamp out the date in each book.
  2. Leave the stamped books open and stack them on the counter.
  3. Scan each book, in discharge mode. Watch to make sure each book registers as a completed discharge.
  4. Look in the back of the book for a cd sleeve. If there should be a cd, make sure it is returned with the book!
  5. When a message box pops up, it means that the book will need to have a flag placed inside it. Read the message and retrieve the appropriate flag or printout. Hit enter to clear the message box. (Do not remove any statuses.) Secure each print-out with a rubber band around the book.
  6. Place books with "holds" on the hold shelf; place books routed to another library in the grey mail bin in the staffroom.
  7. Place all other discharged books on the large re-shelving area behind the circulation desk.
  
  If you are unsure that the book was properly discharged, always scan it again!
  
  Scan slowly and carefully; we cannot afford to miss any books!