Circulation Rules Default Policies

Circulation Rules Default Policies

In addition to the circulation and fine matrix, the Default Policies control other aspects of circulation.

Koha reads the Default Policies from the bottom of the page to the top.

Default checkout, hold, and return policy

You can set a default maximum number of checkouts, a default maximum number of holds, and a hold policy that will be used if none is defined below for a particular item type or category. This is the fallback rule for defaults. This allows you to set a default to apply to all item types and patrons in the library if no other option is set in the forms below.
  1. Total current checkouts allowed: Enter the total number of items patrons can have checked out at one time
  2. Total current on-site checkouts allowed: Enter the total number of items patrons can have checked out on-site at a time (OnSiteCheckouts needs to be set to ‘Enable’)
  3. Maximum total holds allowed (count): Enter the total number of pending holds patrons can have at the same time.
  4. You can control where patrons can place holds by using the ‘Hold Policy’ menu:
    1. From Any Library: Patrons from any library may put this item on hold (default if none is defined)
    2. From Local Hold Group: Only patrons from a library in the item home library’s local hold group may put this book on hold
    3. From Home Library: Only patrons from the item’s home library may put this book on hold
    4. No Holds Allowed: No patron may put this book on hold
  5. Control where a patron can pick up holds using the “Hold Pickup Library Match” menu. You can define these rules by:
    1. Any library
    2. Item’s hold group
    3. Patron’s hold group
    4. Item’s home library
    5. Item’s holding library
  6. Control where the item returns to once it is checked in by these rules:
    1. Item returns home
    2. Item returns to issuing branch
    3. Item floats (when an item floats, it stays where it was checked in and does not ever return home)
Once your policy is set, you can unset it by clicking the Unset link to the right of the rule.

Default checkout and hold policy by patron category

For this library, you can specify the maximum number of checkouts, on-site checkouts, and holds that a patron of a given category can have, regardless of the item type.

If the total amount of checkouts, on-site checkout and holds for a given patron category is left blank, no limit applies, except for a limit you define in the circulation rules above.

Default Hold Policies by Item Type

Default Hold Policies by Item Type allow libraries to edit hold and return policies for a given item type, regardless of patron category.

In the default holds policy by item type hold policies, you can define the following:
  1. Define which patrons can place items on hold
    1. From any library: Patrons from any library may put this item type on hold (default if none is defined)
    2. From local hold group: Only patrons from libraries in the same item’s home library hold groups may put this item type on hold
    3. From home library: Only patrons from the item’s home library may put this item type on hold
    4. No holds allowed: No patron may put this item type on hold
  2. Control where a patron can pick up holds of this item type using the Hold Pickup Library Match menu
  3. Define where items of this type go when they are returned:
    1. Item returns home: Checking in this item type will prompt the librarian to transfer it back to its home library
    2. Item returns to issuing branch: Checking in this item type will prompt the librarian to transfer the item back to the library where it was checked out
    3. Item floats: This item type will not be transferred from the branch it was checked in at - instead, it will remain there until transferred manually, transferred for a hold, or checked out and then checked in at another branch
    4. Item floats by library group (coming in 24.05): This item type will only stay within the group of libraries that the library is a part of. For more information about this option, see this help page.

Remember the following system preferences

Note that if the system preference AllowHoldPolicyOverride set to ‘allow’, these policies can be overridden by your circulation staff.

The hold policies are applied based on the ReservesControlBranch system preference. The return policy is applied based on the CircControlReturnsBranch system preference.

If the AutomaticItemReturn system preference is set to automatically transfer the items home, then a prompt will not appear for item to return home.

Tutorial Video



Default waiting hold cancellation policy

Allow patrons to cancel holds waiting for pickup from their account, instead of having to contact the library. Cancellation requests are listed in the tab "Holds with cancellation requests" under Circulation > Holds > Holds awaiting pickup. This policy can be configured by patron category and item type. 

Default lost item fee refund on return policy

Here, you can specify the default policy for lost item fees on return. This policy will apply to this library. This rule is to be used with the RefundLostOnReturnControl system preference. Your options include: 


For libraries that charge a processing fee when an item is lost, they can set rules for how the processing fee should be handled when a lost item is returned, independently of how the fee for cost of the lost item is handled. The options are:


Tutorial Video: Default Rules in Circulation 


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