List and modify loan and request limit entries

To view and modify the entries in the Patron/Material Type Loan Limit Blocks table:

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 considered to be the pick-up branch for the request, not the staff member’s logged-in branch. Governing Library for Circulation Transactions.

1. In the Administration Explorer tree view, open the Policy Tables folder for the organization.
2. Select Patron/Material Type Loan Limit Blocks. The Patron/Material Type Loan Limit Blocks table is displayed in the details view.

   The top portion of the table shows the limits for each patron code, organized by branch. Use the horizontal scroll bar to see all the limit categories (1st Level Fine, 2nd Level Fine, Total Overdue, Total Holds, Total ILL, Total Reserve Items.) Use the vertical scroll bar to see all the branch/patron code entries.

3. To modify the limits for a patron code:
1. Select the branch/patron code entry in the top portion of the table, and click . The Modify: Patron Loan Limits dialog box appears.

    

2. Type new values for the limits you want to modify, and click OK:
   • First and second level fines - See Fine Limits. If both first and second level fine limits are set to identical values, two blocks are displayed during a transaction. Identical settings for both fine limits are not recommended unless you are suppressing all blocks for unpaid fines. In that case, set both limits to 9999.99.
   • Total limits - The number in Total overdue items is the sum of items overdue and items long overdue. Circulation to the patron is blocked when their total overdue items exceeds the number you specify. You can type a number that you believe will not be exceeded, such as 999, if you do not want to block circulation based on one of these specific totals. For example, if you do not want to block circulation for this patron code based on how many overdue items the patron has, type 999 in the Total Overdue box. The combined system limit for Total Item Limit, Total Overdue, Total Holds, and Total ILL is 3,000. The system limit for Total Reserve Items is 999.
4. To view the material loan and request limit entries for a specific patron classification, select the branch/patron code entry in the top portion of the table.

   The material loan and request limit entries for the selected entry are displayed in the bottom portion of the table. The view lists the maximum item limits for each material type. Use the vertical scroll bar to see all the material type entries. Use the horizontal scroll bar to see the Maximum Item Limit and Hold Limit columns.

5. To modify the maximum number of items of a specific material type that can be checked out for a specific branch/patron code, follow these steps:
   1. Select the branch/patron code entry in the top portion of the table.
   2. Select the material type you want to modify in the bottom portion of the table, and click .

   The Modify Material Loan Limits dialog box appears.

    

   3. Type the new setting in the Maximum Item Limit box, and click OK. The maximum is 3,000.

   Note:
   You can also set check-out limits on groups of material types for specific patron codes. See Defining Material Type Group Limits.

6. To modify the maximum number of items of a specific material type that can be requested for a specific branch/patron code, follow these steps:
   1. Select the branch/patron code entry in the top portion of the table.
   2. Select the material type you want to modify in the bottom portion of the table, and click . The Modify Material Loan Limits dialog box appears.
   3. Type the new setting in the Hold Limit box, and click OK. The maximum is 3,000.

   This setting applies only to hold requests, not ILL requests. The material request limits you set for each patron code/material type combination do not need to add up to the Total Holds limit. For more information about this setting, see Total Requests and Request By Material Type Limits.

   Note:
   A separate setting blocks hold requests from the PAC if the request would exceed the setting for the total number of requests allowed, or the number of requests allowed for a particular material type. See Set Holds options: Enabling, Item Status Restrictions, First Available Copy.

   Items with valid barcodes and items without barcodes but with a status of On Order or In Process are included in the limit check.

7. Select File > Save to save any changes. The status bar indicates that the record is saved.

Related Information

• Limiting check-out by material type group - You can set up groups of material types and limit the number of items belonging to the group that can be checked out to specific patron codes. See Defining Material Type Group Limits.
• Blocks on long-overdue items - You can set an additional circulation block in the staff client based on an item’s long-overdue status. Two parameters affect this block. The period after which an overdue item changes to “long overdue” is set with the Patron Services parameter Overdues: # of days until long overdue. Then, set the Patron Services parameter Overdues: Block for long overdue items to Yes. You can set these parameters at the system, library, or branch level.
• Patron codes - See Defining Patron Codes.
• Material types - See Defining Material Types.
• Blocks on renewals from PAC or Polaris Phone Attendant - See Defining Patron-Initiated Circulation Blocks.
• Blocks on self-check circulation - SIP self-check units use your settings in the Patron Loan and Request Limits table for maximum fines, items out, items overdue, and request limits. For other SIP self-check settings, see Setting Up Bibliotheca ITG DiscXpress II. For Polaris ExpressCheck, see the Polaris ExpressCheck Administration Guide.
• Blocks on using Wireless Access Manager (WAM) - If your library uses the WAM application, you can prevent patrons with blocked accounts from using wireless access. Set the Patron Services parameter WAM: Block if Patron has stops to Yes at the system, library, or branch level. When you set this parameter at the branch level, it applies to patrons registered at that branch no matter where the blocked patron tries to use wireless access. That is, even if the blocked patron tries to use WAM at a branch that sets this parameter to No, the patron cannot use WAM at that branch. For more information about WAM, see the Wireless Access Manager Administration Guide, available on the Innovative Customer Supportal (https://support.iii.com).