This feature is available in Evergreen version 2.5.
Marking an item Long Overdue
Once an item has been overdue for a configurable amount of time, Evergreen will mark the item long overdue in the borrowing patron’s account. This will be done automatically through a Notification/Action Trigger. When the item is marked long overdue, several actions will take place:
- The item will go into the status of “Long Overdue”
- The item will be moved to the “Lost, Claimed Returned, Long Overdue, Has Unpaid Billings” section of the Items Out screen in the patron’s account
- The accrual of overdue fines will be stopped
Optionally the patron can be billed for the item price, a long overdue processing fee, and any overdue fines can be voided from the account. Patrons can also be sent a notification that the item was marked long overdue.
Checking in a Long Overdue item
If an item that has been marked long overdue is checked in, an alert will appear on the screen informing the staff member that the item was long overdue. Once checked in, the item will go into the status of “In process”. Optionally, the item price and long overdue processing fee can be voided and overdue fines can be reinstated on the patron’s account. If the item is checked in at a library other than its home library, a library setting controls whether the item can immediately fill a hold or circulate, or if it needs to be sent to its home library for processing.
Notification/Action Triggers
Evergreen has two sample Notification/Action Triggers that are related to marking items long overdue. The sample triggers are configured for 6 months. These triggers can be configured for any amount of time according to library policy and will need to be activated for use.
- Sample Triggers
- 6 Month Auto Mark Long-Overdue—will mark an item long overdue after the configured period of time
- 6 Month Long Overdue Notice—will send patron notification that an item has been marked long overdue on their account
Library Settings
The following Library Settings enable you to set preferences related to long overdue items:
- Circulation: Long-Overdue Check-In Interval Uses Last Activity Date—Use the long-overdue last-activity date instead of the due_date to determine whether the item has been checked out too long to perform long-overdue check-in processing. If set, the system will first check the last payment time, followed by the last billing time, followed by the due date. See also circ.max_accept_return_of_longoverdue
- Circulation: Long-Overdue Items Usable on Checkin—Long-overdue items are usable on checkin instead of going “home” first
- Circulation: Long-Overdue Max Return Interval—Long-overdue check-in processing (voiding fees, re-instating overdues, etc.) will not take place for items that have been overdue for (or have last activity older than) this amount of time
- Circulation: Restore Overdues on Long-Overdue Item Return
- Circulation: Void Long-Overdue item Billing When Returned
- Circulation: Void Processing Fee on Long-Overdue Item Return
- Finances: Leave transaction open when long overdue balance equals zero—Leave transaction open when long-overdue balance equals zero. This leaves the lost copy on the patron record when it is paid
- Finances: Long-Overdue Materials Processing Fee
- Finances: Void Overdue Fines When Items are Marked Long-Overdue
Permissions to use this Feature
The following permissions are related to this feature:
- COPY_STATUS_LONGOVERDUE.override
- Allows the user to check-in long-overdue items thus removing the long-overdue status on the item
Author: Angela Kilsdonk, Equinox Software
