[OPEN-ILS-GENERAL] Loan Periods and Fines (was Re: Question for consortiums)

[James Fournie]

You can completely customize loan periods and fines using JavaScript.
We have a separate script for each library in the consortium.  It
works something like this:

Fine Rules
fine rule 1 - Low: $0.10 / Med: $0.25 / High: $0.50 / Recur: Daily
fine rule 2 - Low: $0.50 / Med: $1.00 / High: $1.50 / Recur: Daily
fine rule 3 - Low: $0.00 / Med: $0.00 / High: $0.00 / Recur: Daily

Duration Rules
loan rule 1 - Short: 1 day / Normal: 7 days / Long: 14 days / Renewals: 2
loan rule 2 - Short: 21 days / Normal: 28 days / Long: 35 days / Renewals: 2
loan rule 3 - Short: 28 days / Normal: 42 days / Long: 54 days / Renewals: 3

Sample of a library's script:

loan duration handler
   -if InterlibraryLoan patron then use "loan rule 3"
   -if circ modifier is  'book' then use "loan rule 2"
   -otherwise use "loan rule 1"

fine handler
   -if InterlibraryLoan patron or Staff patron then use "fine rule 3"
   -if circ modifier is 'video' then use "fine rule 2"
   -otherwise use "fine rule 1"

We also have a lot of custom code for sites, such as code which limits
item loans by circ modifier (ie: if you wanted to limit video loans).
Evergreen's circ script system is extremely powerful and flexible,
however it can be difficult to maintain, and it is impossible for a
librarian to modify their own policies without some JavaScript
knowledge.  I am looking forward to the new database-based circ system
(in 1.4) and the interface for it (coming someday), which will be a
step towards giving our sites control over their own circ policies.

James Fournie
BC SITKA

On Mon, Dec 1, 2008 at 10:50 AM, Jason Stephenson <jstephenson at mvlc.org> wrote:
> Quoting "Hardy, Elaine" <ehardy at georgialibraries.org>:
>>
>> Loan periods and fines are agreed upon by the entire consortium. There
>> are three levels of max fines a library can opt for, but the daily fines
>> for specific items are the same.
>
> Is it possible to set these on an individual library basis in a consortium?
>
> Jason
>