Defining Loan and Request Limit Blocks

Loan and request limit blocks interrupt circulation transactions based on the thresholds you set for patron overdues and fines, item limits, and request limits. Each branch may set different limits, and the limits can be different for each patron code. In the staff client, a check-out clerk with appropriate permission may override a loan or request limit block (except the second-level fine block). In the PAC, a message is displayed and the renewal is stopped. You can specify whether request limits block PAC requests. See List and modify loan and request limit entries.

Important:
The System-level Patron Services parameter Consortium Circulation determines which branch’s settings are used for loan and request limit blocks. For request limits, the “transacting branch” is the pick-up branch for the request, not the staff member’s logged-in branch. See Defining Circ and Request Limit Blocks.

Patron Overdue Limits

A patron has too many overdue items, based on the number of items and the patron code. These blocks occur when the patron attempts to check out or renew an item.

Fine Limits

Blocks for unpaid fines are based on the total amount the patron owes and the patron code. These blocks occur when the patron attempts to check out or renew an item. You can define two fine limit levels. The first (minor) fine limit block allows libraries to remind patrons that fines are owed, but does not disrupt a busy circulation desk for minor fines. The second (major) fine a separate permission is required to continue the transaction. See Defining Loan and Request Limit Blocks.

Example:
The first fine limit may be set to $.10 (10 cents) the second to $10.00. If the patron owes over $.10 but is not over $10.00, a courtesy block, not requiring permission to continue, will display. If the patron owes over $10.00 a different block message appears. Staff will require a separate permission to continue.

Note that all threshold blocking is based on values up to and including the value set in the System Administration control. Setting a fine limit of $10.00 or an item limit of 15 means that the patron can have up to $10.00 in fines or up to 15 items, but will be blocked at $10.01 or 16 items.

You can manipulate the settings for special conditions:

Block for any fines - Set the first fine limit to 0.00 to block the transaction if the patron has any unpaid fines. The permissioned staff member can bypass the block at her discretion. To require a supervisor override for any unpaid fines, set the first fine limit to 999999.99 and the second limit to 0.00.
Do not block for fines - Setting the first or second level fine limit to 999999.99 effectively suppresses the block at that level.
Fine notices - If your library uses fine notices, set the second level fine amount to a value equal to or less than the setting in the Minimum balance box for fine notices (Notification options). This combination of settings blocks the patron at circulation before a fine notice is sent, which helps prevent additional fines after notification. For more information about fine notices, see Fine Notices.

You can choose to include estimated accrued fines in the blocking calculation. See Calculating and Blocking for Estimated Accrued Fines.

Item (Loan) Limits

A patron has too many total items, too many items of a specific material type, or too many course reserve items borrowed at the same time. For example, if the items out limit is set to 10, the block occurs if the patron attempts to Borrow an eleventh item without returning any of the other ten items. These blocks occur as each item is scanned at check-out, but not at renewal. To set these limits, see List and modify loan and request limit entries. You can also set limits on groups of material types for specific patron codes. See Defining Material Type Group Limits.

Note:
The optional increased check-out limits feature can increase the total item limit and the material type limits for enabled patrons. See "Increasing Check-out Limits by Branch" in the Leap help for more information about this feature.

Total Requests and Request By Material Type Limits

These blocks occur in the PAC and at SIP self-check stations when a patron has too many requests (status of Active or Pending, and optionally Held/Shipped or Inactive) or too many requests for a specific material type at the same time. The request limit blocks occur in the staff client when you have selected the holds option Block in staff client (see Set Holds options: Alerts and blocks). If you have selected this option, a block message is displayed in the staff client, and staff members have the option of overriding the block. The request is then placed as Active. If the Block in staff client option is not selected, no block message is displayed and the request is placed as Active (or whatever status is appropriate), regardless of any request limits you set. Patrons are automatically blocked in the PAC and at the SIP self-check station when they try to place a request that is one over the specified limit.

In the case of material type limits, for item-level requests, the limit for the item’s material type is checked directly. Items with valid barcodes and items without barcodes but with a status of On Order or In Process are included in the limit check. For bibliographic-level requests, the limit for each attached item’s material type is checked, and the Holds Options setting If all material limits are exceeded set to Not Supplied determines how the request is handled in the staff client when a patron reaches the hold limit by material type. If this option is checked, and all the items attached to the bibliographic record have the same material type, a block message is displayed in the staff client, and staff members have the option of overriding the block. If the block is overridden, the request is placed with a status of Not Supplied. The Not Supplied reason is All items denied by system. If some items have the limited material type and some do not, a message is displayed and those of the limited material type are automatically denied by the system. If this option is not checked, and all the items attached to the bibliographic record have the same material type, a block message is displayed in the staff client, and staff members have the option of overriding the block. If the block is overridden, the request is placed with a status of Active. If some items have the limited material type and some do not, a message is displayed and those of the limited material type are automatically denied by the system. See Set Holds options: Alerts and blocks.

For bibliographic-level requests where no items are attached to the bibliographic record, the limit is not checked. You can allow or deny holds on these items with a separate Holds Options setting. See Set Holds options: Alerts and blocks.

Note:
The system includes a patron’s inactive requests when calculating whether the patron will exceed the total request limit or request by material type limit. This prevents patrons who are near the limit from suspending a number of requests in order to place more. The limit is also checked when a cancelled hold is reactivated.

The Hold request workform - Notes view displays a blue icon for the item if the system denied the request on that item, or a red icon if a staff member denied the request.

Governing Library for Loan and Request Limits

The governing library for patron blocks determines which branch’s request limit settings are used (see Defining Circ and Request Limit Blocks).

Example:
Governing library = Transacting branch
The request is placed from branch A, the patron is from branch B and the pick-up branch is branch C. Branch C’s limit settings apply because it is the transacting branch.
Governing library = Patron branch
The request is placed from branch A, the patron is from branch B and the pick-up branch is branch C. Branch B’s limit settings apply because it is the patron’s branch.

Since the same governing library setting applies to both the loan and request limits, you may want to coordinate the settings for total item limits and total request limits. Some libraries set these limits to an equal value, reasoning that a patron should not be able to request an item if the patron cannot check it out. Alternatively, you may want to set the hold request limit without regard to the item limit, since the number of items checked out may change by the time a request is filled.

Setting Up Loan and Request Limit Blocks

The loan and request limit blocks are set with the Patron/Material Type Loan Limit Blocks policy table. They can be defined from the system, library, and branch levels, but are always assigned to a specific branch. They are not inherited from a parent organization. The table is displayed with the Administration Explorer only. When you open this table at the system level, you can view and change loan and request limits for all branches in Polaris. At the library level, you can view and change loan and request limits for the branches associated with the library. At the branch level, you can view and change the limits for the selected branch. Each organization can change limit blocks assigned specifically to the organization, even if the entry was added at a higher level. New patron and new material type entries are added automatically to the Patron/Material Type Loan Limit Blocks policy table:

When a new patron code is added to Polaris, a patron loan limit entry is added automatically for every branch.
When a new material type is added to Polaris, a material loan limit entry is added automatically to the table for every patron loan limit entry for each branch.
When a new branch is added to Polaris, all patron and material type entries are added automatically to the table for every patron code and material type.

The new entries use default values as the thresholds. You can change the values after the entries are added to the table. You cannot add entries to or delete entries from the Patron/Material Type Loan Limit Blocks table.

Note:
These System Administration permissions are required to modify this table: Access administration: Allow, Access tables: Allow, Modify patron/material type loan limit blocks table: Allow.

All threshold blocking is based on values up to and including the value set in the System Administration control. Setting a fine limit of $10.00 or an item limit of 15 means that the patron can have up to $10.00 in fines or up to 15 items, but will be blocked at $10.01 or 16 items.