Check Out an Item

This procedure describes how to check out an item. The procedure is the same when you are working offline, although the workform differs somewhat. For information on messages that may appear, see Check-Out Blocks and Messages.

To check out items:

Note:
Your library may use Polaris Quick-Circ to circulate uncataloged items that will never be fully cataloged. You can create Quick-Circ item records directly at checkout. See Circulating Ephemeral Items.

1. Select Circulation, Check Out from the Polaris Shortcut Bar, click  on the Shortcut Bar, or press F3. The Check Out workform opens.

 

Tip:
From a Find Tool patron records results list, you can right-click a patron record and select Check Out from the context menu. The Check Out workform opens with the patron information filled in.

2. Enter patron information using one of the following methods:
   • Scan the patron barcode in the Patron barcode box, or type the barcode and press ENTER.

If your library system allows you to use the last unique portion of a patron barcode, you can type this part of the barcode. If the unique part begins with one or more zeroes, these can be omitted. The system supplies the complete barcode, including any leading zeros.

• If your library system has configured free text user-defined fields to be used as alternate IDs, enter the alternate ID in the Patron barcode box and press ENTER. For information on enabling check-outs with alternate IDs, see Setting Up Free Text User-Defined Fields for Alternate IDs.

• Click the Find button next to the Patron name box to display the Polaris Find Tool, and search for the patron’s record.

Note:
If no matching patron record is found, Polaris displays a message. You can express-register a patron at check-out. See Express-Register a New Patron at Check-Out.

• If the patron is checking out more materials after completing one transaction, select the arrow by the Patron barcode box or press F4 and select the patron’s barcode from the list. The list contains up to two patron barcodes—the last two patrons. The list is cleared when you close the Check Out workform.

• If your library uses 3M™ smart cards, select Tools, Read Smart Card (or press CTRL+ALT+S), and place the patron’s card in the reader.

Note:
To use the smart card reader on this workstation for the first time, you need to enable the smart card reader for the workstation. See Set the workstation for smart card use.

The Patron barcode, Patron name, and other patron information are filled in. The specific patron fields on the workform are determined by Polaris Administration settings.

Note:
If your library uses patron photos in patron records and your workstation is set to display the photos, the patron’s photo is displayed on the Check Out workform.

3. If you want to assign a loan period that is different from the default duration, create a special loan period. See Assign a Special Loan Period.

All daily and weekly loans are due at 11:59 PM on the due date.

Tip:
If you are checking out a number of items for a patron, some with barcodes and some with RFID tags, group the items so that you check out all of one type and then all of the other. This method is faster than repeatedly switching between the barcode scanner and the RFID reader.

4. Enter item information using one of the following methods:
   • Scan the item barcode in the Item barcode box, or type the barcode and press ENTER. If RFID tags and barcodes are used, the security bit is not cleared for RFID items.
   • Select Tools, RFID Checkout (or press F9), and place up to 10 items on the antenna tray. This method clears the security bit for each item.

Important:
You must select Tools, RFID Checkout or press F9for all items you place on the RFID antenna tray. Verify the item record is not open before pressing F9. failure to do so could re-initialize the RFID tag.

Tip:
To see more information about an item, you can view an item record from the list of items checked out. Right-click an item in the list, and select Open from the context menu. Or select Links from the context menu to see choices related to circulation, holds, bibliographic, and other information.

• To find an item without the barcode, click the Find button next to the Item barcode box to display the Polaris Find Tool and search for the item record.

• If no item record exists, you can create an interim item record at check-out, provided interim template exists. See Create an On-the-Fly Item at Checkout. Use this method for items that will be fully cataloged eventually. If you have an item with no barcode that will never be fully cataloged, see Checking Out Quick-Circ Items.

Tip:
If your library includes a title column in the list of items checked out, and a checked-out item is a serial, the serial designation (enumeration The designation reflecting the alphabetic or numeric scheme used by the publisher on an item or assigned when the holdings statement is created to identify the individual bibliographic or physical parts and to show the relationship of each unit to the unit as a whole. and chronology The date(s) used by the publisher on a serially-issued bibliographic unit to help identify or indicate when it was published. The chronology may reflect the dates of coverage, publication, or printing.) is added to the title. You may need to expand the title column to see the designation.

When the item information has been entered, the status bar indicates that the check-out was successful. The item information appears in the list of items checked out. The specific data columns in the list are determined by Polaris Administration settings.

5. Repeat the previous step until you have checked out all the patron’s items. The total number of items checked out appears in the status bar at the bottom of the workform.

Note:
Your library may allow you to reset the due dates of the items listed in the Check Out workform. See Reset Due Dates of Checked-Out Items.

6. To complete this patron’s session, verify that the Item barcode box is blank, and press ENTER.

Check-out receipt printing:

• If it is the library’s policy to always print check-out receipts, and the workform is set up to print check-out receipts, a receipt is printed automatically.

Note:
After installation, Polaris will need to be configured to print receipts and slips. See Setting Up Receipt Printing from Workforms.

• To conserve resources, your library may opt to print a check-out receipt only when the patron requests one. If so, and you have set check-out receipt printing for the workform, instead of automatically printing a receipt, a prompt to print the receipt is displayed and you can ask the patron if he wants a printed receipt. This option applies only to online staff client operations; a checkout receipt with limited data is always printed during offline circulation. 
• Your library may provide eReceipts (email and/or text message receipts) for patrons who prefer these instead of printed receipts. If so, and this patron receives an eReceipt, no receipt is printed and no prompt is displayed. For information about eReceipt settings in the patron record, see Add Notification and Receipt Preferences to a Patron Record.

Note:
You can view and print a list of all the items a patron has currently checked out, regardless of when the items were checked out. See Displaying All Items Out.

Related Information

• Finding bibliographic records: If a patron wants more information about a title, you can search for bibliographic records without leaving the Check Out workform. Click  in the toolbar or press CTRL+B. From the Find Tool results list, open the bibliographic record. This feature is also convenient for finding an item’s missing barcode. Right-click the bibliographic record in the results list, and select Links, Item Records.
• Finding any item record: You can search for any item record without leaving the Check Out workform and without entering patron information. Click  in the toolbar or press CTRL+B. and select Item Records from the Object list in the Find Tool. You can set the Find Tool so the results list is retained after you select and open an item in the results list. Select the Find Tool Options menu, and ensure the Close on Open is unchecked.
• Opening patron workforms: On the Check Out workform, you can select the buttons above the list of items to open the Patron Registration workform and specific Patron Status views. When you move the cursor over a button, you see a tooltip that identifies the button, and an equivalent shortcut key.

• Changing due dates
  • Before checkout: See Assign a special loan period.
  • After check-out - See Reset due dates of checked-out items.
• Automatic shortened loan periods: Your library may choose to shorten an item’s loan period automatically when a specified number of hold requests are placed for the item or the due date is past an end-of-term due date. In either case, you may see a message that the loan period has been shortened.
• Renewing items with hold requests: When you attempt to renew an item with a hold request placed on it, you may see a block message. With the appropriate permission, you can continue or cancel the renewal and trap the item to fill the hold request. See Renewing Items with Hold Requests.
• Offline checkout: For offline circulation, the system calculates the due date by using the workstation branch’s setting for the Patron Services parameter Standard loan period. This is because there is no access to the database during offline circulation. However, the Loaning Branch recorded in the transaction and in the item record is the logged-on user’s branch. This allows libraries to gather statistics for different bookmobile stops based on user log on, while maintaining a consistent loan period for the bookmobile (the workstation branch).