Defining Fines and Fees

Administration tables and parameters, combined with settings in the item and patron records, control how fines are calculated. The Administration settings are established when Polaris is first installed, but you can change them when a library or branch is added to the system, or when lending policies change. Polaris Administration tables define patron codes and item fine codes, and determine the relationship between them. Patron codes and fine codes are shared by all libraries to make circulation consistent throughout the system. However, each branch in the system can establish different policies concerning fines for specific combinations of patron and item fine codes. If an item is overdue at check in, the fine is automatically calculated based on these settings and posted to the patron’s account. You can also set Polaris to waive fines automatically for items recovered at check out or renewal.

Important:
You set which branch’s policies are used in fine calculation with the system-level Patron Services parameter Consortium Circulation.

Note:
Set the criteria that determine due dates before you set up fines.

The library may also define fees that are unrelated to fines. For example, you may charge patrons for hold requests, equipment rental, damaged or lost items, and checkout and renewal for certain types of items. In Polaris Administration, you set up the fee descriptions at the system level, and at the branch level determine which reasons are displayed to staff for selection. You can also set up default replacement and processing fee amounts for items the library does not expect to recover, and how to handle overdue charges on lost items. Additional settings control how the charges associated with lost items are processed when the items are recovered at circulation.

If your library policy limits the amount that can be accrued for overdue fines, you can use a system-level parameter to specify a dollar limit on the overdue fine balance. When an overdue fine limit is set, the overdue fine balance in all patron accounts never exceeds this limit.