CIRCULATION ADMINISTRATION
Chapter 7. SETTING CIRCULATION PARAMETERS
"Combined" Checkout Limits
"Combined" checkout limits set the maximum number of items that a patron can have "checked out" at any given time regardless of material type. Checkout limits may be established separately for each class of user (patron category) for each library location.
In Example C, a checkout limit of "2" has been specified for material type Books and for material type Audio for all patron categories. An All Types Combined checkout limit of "3" has been specified for all patron categories. In this case, library patrons may concurrently check out either two books and one audio item or one book and two audio items, for a total of three items. If a patron attempts to check out a fourth item, regardless of material type, the "combined" checkout limit will cause the Over Checkout Limit warning to display.
Example C
In general, the All Types Combined checkout limit should be set at equal to or greater than the greatest "individual" checkout limit set for a material type. If the All Types Combined checkout limit is set lower than the greatest "individual" checkout limit, the "combined" checkout limit can cause the Over Checkout Limit warning to display before a patron has checked out the maximum number of items allowed by an "individual" checkout limit.
Example D
In Example D, a checkout limit of "5" has been specified for material type Book for all patron categories. An All Types Combined checkout limit of "3" has been specified for all patron categories. In this case, if a patron attempts to concurrently check out a fourth book, the "combined" checkout limit will cause the Over Checkout Limit warning to display, even though the "individual" checkout limit for Book allows five books to be "checked out" concurrently.