Group Penalty Thresholds block circulation transactions for users who exceed maximum fine limits, check out limits, number of overdue items, and number of lost items. Settings for your library are visible under Administration → Local Administration→ Group Penalty Thresholds. There are four penalties in use now.
- PATRON_EXCEEDS_FINES: Blocks new circulations, renewals, and placing of holds if patron exceeds X in fines
- PATRON_EXCEEDS_OVERDUE_COUNT: Blocks new circulations, renewals, and placing of holds if patron exceeds X overdue items
- PATRON_EXCEEDS_CHECKOUT_COUNT: Blocks new circulations if patron exceeds X items out
- PATRON_EXCEEDS_LOST_COUNT: Blocks new circulations, renewals, and placing of holds if patron exceeds X lost items
Note
Other penalties are not used by Sitka.
Accounts that meet or exceed penalty thresholds display an alert message when opened and require staff overrides for blocked transactions. See the section called “System Generated Notes” for information on how this displays in a patron account.
Group Penalty Thresholds may be set up on different levels in terms of patron profiles and libraries. Penalties on more specific levels of profile and/or library take precedence. This allows you to set up penalties on a higher level of profile, e.g. Public Library Patrons, and/or library, e.g. system instead of branch, for most profiles and/or branches to share. If there are rules applied to lower level profiles, e.g. PL Juvenile or a branch, you just need to set them up for these specific profile/branch.
There are a set of penalties on Sitka level for all patrons. These rules will be applied if your library does not have your own rules.
Local System Administrators can create local penalty thresholds.
- Go to Administration → Local Administration → Group Penalty Threshold.
To view the group penalty thresholds for your library enter your library code into the Library filter. Multi-branch libraries can enter the system and then check the box to display the descendants.
Click New Penalty Threshold.
- Choose or enter the appropriate value for each field.
Click Save.
Tip
You may set up penalties with a too high to reach limit to achieve the no limit effect.
- Select the penalty you’d like to edit.
- Click the actions button and select Edit Selected.
Make your changes and click Save.
Double clicking a penalty on the list will open it in editing mode. Edit, then save.
