Setting Parameters and Profiles

Parameter and profile settings customize the Polaris staff and public access applications for the specific organizations, workstations, and staff members in your system. You can set parameters and profiles by any of the following methods:

Going to the organizational level and entering a setting
Giving (transmitting) a setting to multiple lower organizations, workstations, and staff members
Taking (inheriting) the setting from the next level above

You can identify the level at which a parameter or profile has been set by a small icon in the Administration Explorer or on a workform:

– Setting has not been changed since Polaris was installed.
– Setting belongs to the system organization level. All organizations use the setting unless it is changed at a lower level. If the icon is displayed for settings opened at the library and branch level, then the setting is shared by all other organizations in the Polaris installation. If the setting is changed at the library or branch level, the change applies to the whole system.
- Setting belongs to the server level. All organizations use the setting.
- Setting belongs to the library organization level. If the icon is displayed for settings opened at the branch level, then the setting is shared by all branches in the library.
- Setting belongs to the branch organization level. Each branch in the Polaris installation can have its own setting, different from other branches.
- Setting belongs to the workstation. Each workstation can have its own setting, different from other workstations at the same branch.
- Setting belongs to the staff member. Each staff member record can have its own setting, different from other staff members at the same branch.

Parameters are guidelines for the way Polaris operates. They are set at the system, library and branch levels. Some parameters can be set at more than one level. They are organized in the following categories:

Acquisitions/Serials
Patron Services
Cataloging
PAC
Notification (mail, e-mail, and telephone notification)
SelfCheck Unit (SIP units and Polaris ExpressCheck)
Request (holds and ILL)
Credit Card Payment
NCIP

Profiles represent library policies in the operation of Polaris, and define what is displayed in the staff client and PAC user interfaces. They apply to system, library, branch, workstation, and staff levels. Some profiles can be set at more than one level. They are organized in the following categories:

Acquisitions/Serials
Patron Services
Cataloging
PAC (Polaris PowerPAC, Polaris Mobile PAC)
PowerPAC (Polaris PowerPAC; certain settings affect Mobile PAC)
Children's PAC (Polaris PowerPAC Children’s Edition)
Staff Client (Polaris staff client, Polaris Web App [Leap])
Mobile PAC (Polaris Mobile PAC)
Community (Polaris Community Profiles)