Setting Up Overdue Notices

The Overdue Notice Setup function lets you create a common notice header (usually your library's name and address), up to four individual overdue notices, a courtesy item due notice, an auto-renew notice, and text for single overdue notices (generated on a patron-by-patron basis). Additionally, you can create an email notice headers for inclusion on all overdue notices transmitted via email.

You can configure unique Overdue Notices for each location in your system.

To set up overdue notices:

From the Circ Admin menu, select Notices - Overdue Notice Setup.
- The Overdue Notice Setup screen displays.
Select the location for which you wish to edit Overdue Notices from the Select Location menu.
- The Select Location menu lists all currently defined locations for your system.
- The Home Location for your user account is initially selected by default from the Select Location menu.
Enter or edit the Overdue Notice Header information in the Notice Header field.
Text in the Notice Header is included with all Overdue Notices.
- The Notice Header field contains a 5-line arrangement of text boxes, into which you will enter or edit the text for the Overdue Notice header.
- Enter or edit the text for the Overdue Notice Header in the Line 1 through Line 5 text boxes, as desired.
  Text will not automatically wrap from one line to the next. Use the <Tab> key to move from line to line.
Enter or edit Overdue Notice text for the first Overdue Notice in the First Notice Text field.
Overdue Notice text is included on all overdue notices generated through the Circulation Reports module (see the Circulation Reports User Guide for more information).
Enter the desired parameters for inclusion of overdue notices in the Global Notice Generation report available through the Circulation Reports module (see the Circulation Reports User Guide for details):
- Use the Print Notice radio buttons to indicate whether or not the associated overdue notice will be included in the Global Notice Generation report, either Yes or No. The default selection for Print Notice is Yes.
- Use the Days overdue From __to __ text boxes to indicate the range of days overdue during which the associated overdue notice will be included in the Global Notice Generation report. For example, if you wish the first overdue notice to be included in the Global Notice Generation report for all items overdue by 1 to 15 days, enter 1 in the From text box and 15 in the to text box.
- Use the Show anticipated fines radio buttons to indicate whether or not anticipated fines will be included on overdue notices generated through the Global Notice Generation report. When Yes is selected, overdue notices include a line below the notice text showing the current accrued fines (as of the date the notice was generated) for the patron. When No is selected, accrued fines are not included on overdue notices. The default value for Show anticipated fines is No.
- Use the Show book cost radio buttons to indicate whether the item cost for the associated overdue item will be included on overdue notices generated through the Global Notice Generation report. When Yes is selected, each item listed on an overdue notice includes the item COST (taken from the Cost field of the associated item record). When No is selected, item costs are not included on overdue notices. The default value for Show book cost is No.
  In cases where the item record for an overdue item does not include a Cost, the system uses the currently defined Default Cost (see Managing Material Types for details) for the material type of the overdue item.
- Use the Move items to Patron Lost if more than __ days overdue text box to indicate the time at which the system will automatically set the status for an overdue item to Patron Lost. For example, if a value of 45 is entered, the status for all items overdue by 45 days or more will be set to Patron Lost when the Global Notice Generation report is run.
The Move items to Patron Lost if more than __ days overdue text box is applicable to the fourth overdue notice only.
Repeat steps 4 and 5 for the Second Notice Text, Third Notice Text and Fourth Notice Text fields and the Global Notice Generation setup.
Enter or edit Item Due Notice text in the Item Due Notice Text field.
Item Due notices are “courtesy” reminders of items soon to be due. Item Due Notice text is included on all item due notices generated through the Circulation Reports module (see the Circulation Reports User Guide for more information).
Enter the desired parameters for inclusion of the Item Due Notice in the Global Notice Generation report available through the Circulation Reports module (see the Circulation Reports User Guide for details):
- Use the Print Notice radio buttons to indicate whether or not the item due notice will be included in the Global Notice Generation report, either Yes or No. The default selection for Print Notice is Yes.
- Use the Days before due date text box to indicate the minimum number of days prior to the item due date for which the item due notice will be included in the Global Notice Generation report. For example, if you wish the item due notice to be included in the Global Notice Generation report for all items due within one week, enter 7 in the Days before due date text box.
Enter or edit Auto Renew Notice text in the Auto Renew Text field.
Auto Renew notices are “courtesy” notifications of items automatically renewed by the system. Auto Renew Text is included on all auto renew notices generated through the Circulation Reports module (see the Circulation Reports User Guide for more information).
Enter or edit Single Overdue Notice text in the Single Overdue Notice Text field.
Single Overdue Notices are printed from the Patron Checkout, Status & Reserves screen for a selected patron (see the Circulation User Guide for more information).
If desired, complete the appropriate Email Notice Setup information:
To send Overdue Notices via email, the Email option in the User Record for each patron to whom a notice will be sent must be enabled (see the User Administration User Guide for details).
- Enter a subject for Overdue Notices in the Overdue Notices Subject text box.
  - The default value for the Overdue Notices Subject is “Overdue Library Item(s).”
- Enter a subject for Item Due Notices in the Pre-Overdue Notice Subject text box.
  - The default value for the Pre-Overdue Notice Subject is “Library Materials will be Due Soon.”
- Enter a subject for Auto-Renew Notices in the Auto-Renewal Notification Subject text box.
  - The default value for the Auto-Renewal Notification Subject is “Your library materials were automatically renewed.”
- Enter the name of the appropriate library staff member or department in the Email Notice From Name text box.
- Enter the desired email address from which the notice will be sent in the Email Notice From Address text box.
- If you wish copies of all overdue notices sent to library patrons via email to be sent to a library staff member (to confirm transmission of notices), enter the email address to which you wish the copies sent in the CC Email Address (optional) text box.
Select the desired overdue notice options from the drop-down menus provided:
- Show anticipated fines on notice: When Yes is selected, overdue notices include a line below the notice text showing the current accrued fines (as of the date the notice was generated) for the patron. When No is selected, accrued fines are not included on overdue notices.
  This option is applied when generating overdue notices using the Overdue Notices option available through Circulation Reports.
- Show book cost on notice: When Yes is selected, each item listed on an overdue notice includes the item COST (taken from the associated item record). When No is selected, item costs are not included on overdue notices.
  This option is applied when generating overdue notices using the Overdue Notices option available through Circulation Reports.
- Show phone number on notice: When Yes is selected, overdue notices include a line below the notice text showing the patron’s phone number, taken from the associated Patron Record (if a phone number is not included in the Patron Record, the Phone Number line is not included on the overdue notice for the associated patron). When No is selected, phone numbers are not included on overdue notices.
- Show Email Address on notice: When Yes is selected, overdue notices include a line below the notice text showing the patron’s email address, taken from the associated Patron Record (if an email address is not included in the Patron Record, the Email Address line is not included on the overdue notice for the associated patron). When No is selected, email addresses are not included on overdue notices.
- Show Patron Barcode on notice: When Yes is selected, overdue notices include a line below the notice text showing the patron’s barcode, taken from the associated Patron Record. When No is selected, patron barcodes are not included on overdue notices.
- Include Owned Location on notice: When Yes is selected, overdue notices include an OWNED BY field showing the "owner" (the Branch from the Current Location) of the item. When No is selected, an OWNED BY field is not included on overdue notices.
- Show Sponsor on notice: When Yes is selected, overdue notices include a line between the patron name and mailing address showing the patron’s Sponsor, taken from the associated Patron Record (if a Sponsor is not included in the Patron Record, the “Sponsor” line is not included on the overdue notice for the associated patron). When No is selected, “Sponsors” are not included on overdue notices.
Click the Submit button at the bottom of the Overdue Notice Setup screen to save your changes to the Overdue Notices to your library’s database.

If you wish, you can make a printout of overdue notice text for future reference or email a copy of the Overdue Notice to yourself or to another party.

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Chapter 6

Setting Up the Fine Notice