How Increased Check-out Limits Work

During check-out transactions, Polaris does the following to apply increased check-out limits:

  1. Base Check-out Limits -- Determines the base check-out limit and base material type limit using the Patron/Material Type Loan Limit Blocks policy table.

    • If the check-out does not exceed either limit, the transaction is allowed.

    • If the check-out exceeds one or both of the limits, the system proceeds to the next step.

Note:
The system-level Consortium Circulation parameter determines which branch’s settings are used for determining the base check-out limits. For details, see "Governing Library for Circulation Transactions" in the Polaris staff client documentation.

  1. Increased Check-out Limits -- Determines if increased check-out limits apply to the current transaction as follows:

    • Determines whether the patron is enabled for increased check-out limits using the Increased Check Out Limit setting in the Preferences section of the patron record.

    • Determines if an increased total item limit is configured for the branch using the Check-out: Increase Total Item Limit parameter. If so, it adds this number to the base total item limit.

    • Determines if an increased material type limit is configured for the branch using the Increased Check-out Limits policy table. If so, it adds this number to the base material type limit.

Once the increased check-out limits are determined, the system proceeds to the next step.

Note:
The settings that determine the increased total item limit and increased material type limit are branch-level settings that use the item's assigned branch. This might differ from the transacting branch or patron's branch that determines the base check-out limits in step 1.

  1. Material Type Limit Check -- Checks whether the transaction exceeds the material type limit as follows:

    • If the check-out does not exceed the increased material type item limit, proceeds to the next step.

    • If the check-out exceeds the increased material type limit, displays a block message. Staff can override the block and continue with the transaction if they have Override item limit blocks: Allow permission.

  1. Total Item Limit Check -- Checks whether the total item limit has been exceeded as follows:

    • If the check-out does not exceed the increased total item limit, the transaction is allowed.

    • If the check-out exceeds the total item limit, displays a block message. Staff can override the block and continue with the transaction if they have Override item limit blocks: Allow permission.

Examples

The examples below assume that the governing library for patron blocks is set to use the transacting branch (Main) and that all items being checked out are also from the Main branch. The relevant settings from Polaris Administration (staff client) for the Main branch are:

Table / Parameter Setting Value
Patron/Material Type Loan Limit Blocks policy table Total Item Limit 5
  Maximum Item Limit (book) 5
  Maximum Item Limit (DVD) 2
  Maximum Item Limit (laptop) 1
Check-out: Increase Total Item Limit parameter n/a 2
Increased Check-out Limits policy table Book 2

Requested transaction: A patron currently has 5 books checked out and wants to check out another book.

System response: This transaction exceeds the base material type limit and the base total item limit, so the system looks at the settings for increased check-out limits and determines:

  • The patron is enabled for increased check-out limits.

  • The branch is configured for 2 additional items (for an increased total item limit of 7).

  • Of the 2 additional items allowed, both can be books (for an increased material type limit of 7 for books).

Because the additional book is from a branch configured for increased check-outs, the transaction is allowed. If the item is from a branch that is not configured for increased check-outs, the system displays a block message.

Requested transaction: A patron currently has 3 books and 2 DVDs checked out and wants to check out another DVD.

System response: This transaction exceeds the base material type limit for DVDs and the base total item limit, so the system looks at the settings for increased check-out limits and determines:

  • The patron is enabled for increased check-out limits.

  • The branch is configured for 2 additional items (for an increased total item limit of 7).

  • DVDs are not configured for increased check-out limits.

The system displays a material type limit block message. Even though the patron can check out two additional items, the material type of those items must be configured in the Increased Check-out Limits policy table. Otherwise, the base material type limits apply.

Requested transaction: A patron currently has 5 books checked out and wants to check out a laptop.

System response: This transaction exceeds the base total item limit, so the system looks at the settings for increased check-out limits and determines:

  • The patron is enabled for increased check-out limits.

  • The branch is configured for 2 additional items (for an increased total item limit of 7).

The check-out does not exceed the increased total item limit, so the transaction is allowed. Although laptops are not a material type configured in the Increased Check-out Limits policy table, the patron is still entitled to check out one laptop as part of the base material type limits.