Loans – Astria #
The Loans screen is divided into 3 sections;
- User information section,
- Item transaction section and
- Loan results screens
User information #
A user can be inputted by scanning a user barcode into the free text box or searching in the free text box by name and selecting a user from a list of suggested results.
NOTE: the last user will be saved at the top of the screen and this user will be inputted in the user information initially when opening the loans screen
User information display #
When a user is identified, information relevant to the user account is displayed:
User basic details – displays Basic user information of Name, email, mobile, status, type, home library, date of birth, registration expiry, and debarral reason (if present)
Note Any abnormal status or debarrals will be highlighted on the text. Debarred reason will only appear if applied to the user account.
Note 2 – Expired Users – if the user has expired the registered to date will be highlighted and a renew button will appear next to the date. Operators are able to renew the user expiry by clicking this button
User Summary Links – Gives basic details and is also a clickable link to the relevant user screen.
Relationship details – Displays any relationships applied to the user and provides a click link to the related user.
User Status alerts #
A range of alerts appear on screen that are timed to disappear, current user alerts are:
- Abnormal user status – Debarred by fines
- Abnormal user status – Review
- Abnormal user status – Archive
Abnormal user status’s and debarral reason are in the user basic details section of the screen
Item transaction input #
Item barcode input box
An item can be inputted in the item barcode scanning a barcode into the free text box or searching in the free text box.
A list of suggested results will appear, and the operator is able to select the correct item.
Loaned From dropdown
This drop-down list enables selection, of loan location. Note this may be disabled in particular libraries.
Loan Category
The operator is able to select from the available loan categories.
CheckBox Options
- Allow Debarred – This check box will only appear if the current user has a debar applied and the enterprise parameter is activated. The checkbox allows loans to go through for users with a debar status.
- Set due date – selecting this check box open up the due date input box allowing the operator to select a specific due date for the item loaned that would be different to the due date set by loan parameters.
- Options
- Hold Due Date – enables set due date to be held between users.
- Check if loaned before – If this is selected, then if the reader has previously borrowed the title, then a pop up alert message appears – NOTE that this checkbox setting is persistent – that is if set on (or off) for the workstation, then the setting will remain that way, including through program closure and restart.
- Include related users – notifies user it items have been loaned to related users.
- Clear user after loan – Useful for situations where there is a group of users looking to borrow a single item in a group e.g. a book club group borrowing their book.
- Supress docket – Prevents the loan docket from being printed.
- Supress message – Prevents item messages from appearing.
- Advise if on-loan to other user – With this selected, if the item is recorded as already on loan to another user, the operator is alerted, and can choose to deny the loan. If allowed, then the item is first returned from the current user, and if fines have accumulated, then these are applied. NOTE that this checkbox setting is persistent – that is if set on (or off) for the workstation, then the setting will remain that way, including through program closure and restart.
Transaction Record #
A panel at the foot of the screen records the details of each loan transaction as it is completed, and so provides a means of reviewing the activity at the workstation, recording both borrower name and work title. As part of Aurora’s standard audit recording, details of all transactions are retained to allow statistical analysis of activity, whether loans, accounts, or simply overall business; however, no details are available for amendment.
Transaction record – Right click pop-up menu #
The Right click context menu is available when a transaction is selected.
- Select this user – Changes the User selected in the loans screen to the user who loaned the item (useful if a user returns to the counter soon after loaning)
- View ‘User Details’ – Navigates to user detail screen for the user who loaned the item
- View ‘Item details’ – Navigates to item details screen with selected item information
Transaction record buttons #
There are currently 3 action buttons connected to the transaction record.
- Bin – the visible display the items that have been ticked on the transaction record panel (this is uses by library who do not wish multiple user transactions to be visible on the screen
- Print –
- Export
- Export all data to .xlsx
- Export selected rows to .xlsx (lines ticked in the Transaction record panel)
Panel display view filters #
Common to many screens the Panel display view filers are at the bottom of the screen and allow for the pagination display settings.
Number of items on each page – Defaults to 20 lines sets on the left-hand side of the screen and an operator is able to change between 10, 20 or 40 lines per page
Page List – On the right-hand side of the screen this lists the number
Loan Error Messages #
A number of exceptions can arise in the loan process – Where Aurora finds an error, this is immediately reported.
There are two separate ways of error notification, identified by a severity determined by your library.
- A Message informing that the loan is not allowed, or
- A warning where an operator is asked a question, which the operator must simply answer to proceed:
Item cannot be loaned #
It is quite possible that a borrower wishes to borrow an item which is identified as ‘Not for Loan’ in the library. In such a circumstance, Aurora will indicate that the item cannot be loaned; it is probable that the loan category that is set will need to be changed temporarily to allow the loan, and so the message invites the operator to select a Loan Category from the category combo to proceed:
If the operator says Yes, then the Category combo menu is enlivened, e.g.:
- Undefined
- Normal loan
- Reference
and the operator selects the required option. The loan must then be reinitiated by clicking the on-screen return, and the details will be stored and the loan registered.
Item on loan to the same user #
If the operator repeats a loan, Aurora will simply report the detail and the loan can proceed, or be stopped, as the operator requires:
Item reserved for another user #
If the item being loaned has been trapped for another user, then an attempt to loan the renewal exception message is displayed: ‘This item is reserved for another user.
User is debarred #
If an attempt is made to loan to a user who is debarred, then a message is given to the operator indicating this fact, and showing the reason for the debarral:
Note that there is no option available in this case. If the loan is to proceed, the user must first have the debarral removed.
NOTE – The Allow Debarred tick box will on the appear on the item barcode side of the screen if the user is debarred and the Libraries enterprise settings enable this feature.
User is Abnormal Status #
If a User has an abnormal status will be prevented. I message will state the abnormal status and type of abnormal status applied to the user account
The operator is unable to continue with transactions until appropriate action on the user’s status has been taken.