Managing Checkouts
What are Batch Checkouts?
In Koha, there is a workflow that would allow libraries to batch checkout items.
To set this feature up, the system preference, BatchCheckouts, will need to be turned on. The other system preference, BatchCheckoutValidCategories, will also need to be filled out. This will indicate which patron category you would like to perform a batch check out. If there are more than one patron categories that you would like to include, use a pipe | to separate them. In this system preference, you will use the Patron Category Code that is set up in Admin, under Patron Categories.
This function will allow you to use an RFID pad that reads multiple barcodes or perform a batch check out for training internal use.
From the patron's account, there will be a new tab on the left-hand side called "Batch Checkout".
Clicking this option will allow the staff member to either add a file of barcodes or enter the barcodes into a text box for Koha to process.
If you have the SpecifyDueDate system preference enabled you will have the option to set a due date for the checkouts. Once you have added the barcodes of the items you are checking out, the screen will display:
Confirming the batch of checkouts, and these checkouts will also appear on the patron's checkout screen also.
How Do I End Checkouts to Clean Up Old Lost Items?
Often, libraries want a way to delete items that may still be checked out to patrons, but the items are years overdue and aren't likely to come back. The items cannot be deleted while they're still checked out, but returns might trigger refunds depending on circulation policies, or otherwise mark the item as found, so libraries need a way to be able to end the checkout without triggering a full return.
The End Checkouts plugin provided this functionality prior to Koha 22.11, when the ability to end checkouts via batch item modification made it into Koha natively. The plugin will accept a list of barcodes and end the associated checkouts without triggering full return functionality, leaving any statuses and fees behind while still ending the checkout.
The change is also logged in the circulation log, clearly demonstrating that the checkout was ended via plugin.
This plugin was developed for libraries to fill a gap in default refund behaviors, the need for which has been somewhat mitigated with new 22.11 features, but this is still a valuable tool for libraries to have in their collection maintenance toolbox, empowering staff to clean up old checkouts from the staff client.
Check Previous Checkouts
Koha has the ability to check patrons' circulation history to see if an item they are currently checking out has been issued to them in the past. This feature can be customized based on patron category and item type for added flexibility, and it can be time-limited. For instance, a library may only want to check for previous checkouts for Books-by-Mail patrons, or they may want to exclude hotspots from the feature since they expect patrons to check them out repeatedly. They may also want to only look back at patrons' last 90 days instead of their complete circulation history.
The system preference CheckPrevCheckout will not work if patrons' circulation history has been anonymized.
System settings
The core system preference for this feature is CheckPrevCheckout: "[Do]/[Do not]/[Unless overridden by patron category or item type, do]/[Unless overridden by patron category or item type, do not] check borrower checkout history to see if the current item has been checked out before."
When CheckPrevCheckout is set to one of the [Unless overridden...] options, the patron category and the item type will have a 'Check for previous checkouts' selection with the following options:
- Yes and override system preferences
- No and override system preferences
- Inherit from system preference
Additionally, each patron will have a 'Check for previous checkouts' option with these options:
- Yes if settings allow it
- No if settings allow it
- Inherit from settings
When CheckPrevCheckout is set to [Do] or [Do not], item types, patron categories, and individual patrons will not have the 'Check for previous checkouts' options.
Note that if CheckPrevCheckout is set to one of the [Unless...] options, is changed to [Do] or [Do not], and then is changed back to one of the [Unless...] settings, Koha will retain the item type and patron category settings that had previously been set for 'Check for previous checkouts'. Thus, if administrators update CheckPrevCheckout from [Do] or [Do not] to either [Unless...], it is recommended that they review the 'Check for previous checkouts' settings for each patron category and item type and adjust as needed.
Libraries who use CheckPrevCheckout can set a time limit for how far back Koha looks for previous checkouts with the system preference CheckPrevCheckoutDelay: "Trigger a warning if the current item has been checked out no longer than [#] days ago. Requires CheckPrevCheckout to be enabled. There is no time limit if 0 or empty." If this is set to a
number other than 0, Koha will only check that many days back in
patrons' history. For instance, if a patron checked out a title 6 months
ago but CheckPrevCheckoutDelay is set to 60 days, the checkout would not be flagged.
Use
When patrons check out items with the system preference is set to [Do], Koha will look at the patron’s circulation history to see if they have checked the item out before. If they have, an alert will show during checkout indicating that the patron has indeed checked the item out previously, and staff will have to confirm the checkout to continue:
Keep in mind that the confirmation box applies to multiple types of alerts/overrides. For instance, if the 'Please confirm checkout' box shows for a patron because of overdue items or fines before the previously issued item is scanned, and staff select the 'Remember for the session for this patron' box, they will not get a warning about the previously issued item.
Similarly, if someone is checking out multiple previously issued items and staff check the 'Remember for the session for this patron' box on the alert for the first previously checked out item, the confirmation screen will not show for subsequent previously issued items.
If the system preference is set to [Unless overridden by patron category or item type, do], Koha will check the patron’s circulation history unless one of the following is true:
- The item type has 'Check for previous checkouts' set to [No and try to override system preferences]
- The patron's category has 'Check for previous checkouts' set to [No and try to override system preferences]
- The patron's account has 'Check for previous checkouts' set to [No if settings allow it]
If the system preference is set to [Unless overridden by patron category or item type, do not], Koha will not check the patron’s circulation history unless one of the following is true:
- The item type has 'Check for previous checkouts' set to [Yes and try to override system preferences]
- The patron's category has 'Check for previous checkouts' set to [Yes and try to override system preferences]
- The patron's account has 'Check for previous checkouts' set to [Yes if settings allow it]
CheckPrevCheckout works with batch checkouts. If a checkout is flagged as having been previously issued to a patron, this warning will appear:
What does the system preference AllowcheckoutNotes do?
This system preference will allow patrons to add notes to an item they have currently checked out. This note will be sent to the Koha Staff Interface as well as emailed to the KohaAdminEmail address, the library's email address (set up in the system preference KohaAdminEmail or a branch email in the Libraries Module will receive an email. This email notice is called, CHECKOUT_NOTE. This by default will include the patron's name, the title of the book, and the note that was sent. This notice like all notices in Koha can be customized.
Steps
- Set the system preference allowcheckoutnotes to allow.
- When a patron is logged into their account in the OPAC there will be a new column visible to the patron on the items they have checked out.
Staff will see this note at the bottom of the staff interface.
How Can I End Checkouts without Triggering Return Options?
Prior to Koha version 23.05, libraries had limited options for ending old checkouts if they wanted to clean up long lost items from patron checkouts without also trigger return behavior. One interim solution was a plugin, the End Checkouts plugin, which bridged the gap between a recurring library partner need and the feature making it into Koha proper.
In case libraries missed the good news, though, this capability is in Koha now. When libraries submit a list of items for batch modification, the following option appears at the very bottom of the form:
As noted, a return this way will end the checkout without changing the lost status or affecting any fines incurred, and if a library is set up to deny return of withdrawn or damaged items, this will still end the checkout since it is not acting as a full return with all the normal things that would accompany return of a lost item.
Does Marking an Item Lost Automatically Block a Patron?
Whether a lost item automatically blocks a patron's account depends on several factors in a library's setup.
If a library is using overdue notice/status triggers and automatically marking long overdue items as lost via DefaultLongOverdueLostValue and DefaultLongOverdueDays settings, they may select the option to restrict the patron's account at some point in the overdue notification sequence (often, but not always, with the third billing notification).
Some libraries rely on the noissuescharge system preference to provide the restriction (as well as corresponding preferences NoIssuesChargeGuarantees and NoIssuesChargeGuarantorsWithGuarantees if they are using guarantee/guarantor patron relationships). If a library has the noissuescharge system preference set to block patrons from checking out items when their outstanding balance exceeds the threshold, marking an item lost manually might also be enough to immediately block the account.
However, it wholly depends on the value of the lost item and how high the fine threshold is for the library. For example, a library might block accounts owing more than $20.00; this means one overdue book costing $10.00 plus a $5.00 processing fee would not by itself block the account, but a second billed item or other outstanding fines might bring the account over the limit.
If a library always wants to block accounts at some point in their automated overdue timing, restricting via overdue notice/status triggers is the way to go, especially with the new option in the AutoRemoveOverduesRestrictions preference as of 23.11, which allows libraries to decide whether a restriction should be lifted when all late items are returned or when the item causing the debarment is returned. This means, however, that manually marking an item lost to bill the patron may not innately restrict the account if the amount is below the noissuescharge limit.
If a library's policies are to block accounts at certain dollar amounts, then they may not opt to block with overdue notices and instead rely on outstanding fees to kick in with noissuescharge. In this case, they do not have different blocking behaviors based on how the items were marked lost or overdue - manual or automatic, as soon as the bill is applied, the system preference will sort out whether they should be blocked.
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