Print Template Family Settings for Circulation Notices and Receipts

You must be assigned the following permissions to manage Print Templates:

282 (Preview print templates)
283 (Update print templates tab)
284 (Import/export print templates)
285 (Delete print templates)

See Permissions Used by Sierra for more information.

If your library has enabled the Print Templates feature, you can create a custom list of print templates for use with:

circulation notices
due slips in Express Lane
payment receipts in Sierra Circulation

Settings for Other Print Templates

You can also create print templates for other types of forms, such as purchase orders, hold and transit slips, and monographic labels. For information about print templates for output types other than circulation notices, see Print Template Settings.

When you create a list of preferred print templates, your choices are associated with your login and are enabled wherever you access Sierra with the same login. Notices and receipts based on these templates can be printed to a local printer or can be emailed to patrons. For more information, see Printing Circulation Notices with Print Templates and Setting Up Print Templates in Express Lane.

Print templates for circulation notices and receipts are grouped into template families. You can create a custom list of preferred template families, preview and modify template families, and save your template family settings.

How Template Families Work

A template family is a group of print templates that the system uses for the same purpose. Templates within a template family contain the same content, but differ by language and delivery method. A template family can contain a single template, or a separate template for each combination of language and delivery method available on your system. When you print notices or receipts using print templates, the system selects the appropriate template from the template family to use for the particular notice or receipt you are printing.

For instance, the example below shows the templates in the OdueNorth template family. This template family contains five templates: two for email delivery in English and Spanish, two for print delivery in English and Spanish, and a general template.

Creating a List of Preferred Template Families

To customize the list of preferred template families associated with your login:

Depending on the Sierra function you are using, access your login's print template settings in one of the following ways:
- In Circulation, choose the Print Templates tab from Admin | Settings.
- In Express Lane, enter your library's settings sequence at the Welcome Screen. The Print Templates tab displays automatically.
Choose the notice or receipt type (e.g., Overdue Notice, Due Slip, etc.) from the Output Type drop-down. The system displays the Print Templates Settings options:
Ensure that the Use Print Templates box is checked.
Add to or remove from your list of preferred template families for the selected output type.
- Add to your list - Select the template family in the Other Templates list and click the left arrow.
- Remove from your list - Select the template family in the Preferred Templates list and click the right arrow.

To select multiple template families to move at the same time, hold down the Ctrl key while you select each template family.

Choose Only One Preferred Template in Express Lane

For receipts in Express Lane, you must define a single preferred template family in the Preferred Templates list. If you choose more than one preferred template family, or if your Other Templates list contains more than one template and you do not specify a preferred template, Express Lane does not allow you to save your settings.

Viewing and Modifying Print Template Families

View templates and modify custom template families as follows:

To rename a customized template family or modify the template family's description, select the template family from the Preferred Templates or Other Templates list and choose Rename. For more information on template family names and descriptions, see Creating Customized Print Templates.

Default Templates Not Editable

The Print Templates feature is supplied with a set of default templates, which are identified by a leading underscore character in the template's name (e.g., _Overdue in the list shown above). The system does not enable you to rename or modify default templates. For information on customizing templates, see Creating Customized Print Templates.

To view a template, select the template's family from the Preferred Templates or Other Templates list. Choose Preview. The View Template window appears. Select the template you want to view and choose OK. The template displays in a separate window.
To import a template into a new or existing template family, select the template's family from the Preferred Templates or Other Templates list and choose Import. For more information on importing templates, see Importing Print Templates.
To export a template, select the template's family from the Preferred Templates or Other Templates list and choose Export. For more information on exporting templates, see Exporting Print Templates.
To edit or delete a template or template family, select a customized template family from the Preferred Templates or Other Templates list and choose Edit. The system displays the Edit Template(s) in the Template Family dialog box.
- To view a template, select the template and choose Preview. The template displays in a separate window.
- To change a template's language or delivery method:
  1. Select the template and choose Edit Attributes.
  2. Choose a delivery method or language from the appropriate drop-down list.
  3. To save the template's new attributes, choose OK. To return to the Edit dialog box without saving any changes, choose Cancel.
- To delete a template, select the template and choose Delete. When you delete the last template in a template family, the system deletes the template family.
- To import a template into the family you are currently editing, choose Import.
- To export a template from the family you are currently editing, select the template and choose Export.
- To return to the Print Templates Settings dialog box, choose Exit. The system automatically saves any changes you have made to this list of templates.

Saving the Preferred Template Family List

To save your settings for both the current and subsequent sessions:

Choose Save Settings.
To exit the Settings dialog box, choose OK.

To save the settings for the current session only, and to exit the Settings dialog box, choose OK.

See also:: Printing Circulation Notices with Print Templates; Setting Up Print Templates in Express Lane; Possible Messages (Printing Circulation Notices with Print Templates); Creating Customized Print Templates; Notices