Circulation Module 5: Voyager Circulation

Issuing a new library card to a town patron is easy! Watch this video to learn how.

After you have added a town patron in the system, you must create a note on the patron account with their email address. Do not enter the email into the Address tab. 

Use this same process to add a new staff or faculty member to the system. The only differences are that you will select "Faculty, Staff, and Spouses" for their patron group and you will need to add their Berea email address on the patron record under the Address tab. 

You may also have to manually register a Berea College student. Using the same method in the video, fill out their information. When selecting the patron statistical category (the pie chart button on the patron record), be sure to select their classification, such as freshman or sophomore. You will also need to enter the student's B# as the institution ID, including a capital B before the number.

Our library now has an agreement with several schools throughout the state stating that we will provide students, faculty, and staff of those schools borrowing privileges. The attached document contains a list of all schools involved with this reciprocal agreement. Please review the list and watch the video on adding a FoKAL group patron.

Proxy patrons are people with the ability to check out materials for another person. At Hutchins, proxy patrons are usually TAs checking material out for professors. This quick tutorial will show you how to add a proxy patron, check materials out to them, and then delete them.

To edit a patron's record, begin by searching for the patron in the system. Then bring your cursor to the gray area in the record box and right click. Select "Edit Patron." 

Updating a Patron's Barcode

Sometimes patrons receive new Berea College IDs or need new library cards. In that instance, you need to update the patron's barcode information. 

From the Edit Patron page, select the Barcode tab. Highlight the barcode that says "Active." On the Status drop down menu, select "Lost" and click save.

Next, you have to add the patron's new barcode. On the Barcode tab, select "Barcode <new>." Select the correct patron group (Students, Town Patrons, etc.).

If the patron is a student, it is likely that we have received an email about their new barcode in Circulation's email. If so, copy the student's B# into the new barcode field and then type the issue number (how many IDs the student has had). For example, a student has just gotten their third Berea College ID. Their new barcode would look like this: 0055555503. It combines the B# (00555555) and the issue number (03) to create a barcode.

If the patron is at the desk or is a town patron, you can simply scan the new barcode in.

***This is also the process you go through to change a recent graduate to a town patron. Instead of creating a new record, you will update their patron group and barcode, mailing address, and statistical category (the pie chart button on the record). Their patron group would be Town Patrons and the statistical category would be Tow - Berea College Alum. (See Adding a Town Patron tutorial for more information about patron statistical categories.)***

Updating a Patron's Address

To edit a patron's address, go to the Address tab. If you are editing the mailing address, select "Permanent" under the "Addresses <new>" line. Type the new address and save the record. 

You can also add a temporary mailing address or email under this tab. Select "Addresses <new>" and select which type of address to add from the drop down menu on the left. The only time you should enter an email address into this section is if the patron has a berea.edu address. Notices to other email addresses will be undeliverable. 

Once you have entered the new address, save the record.

After making all necessary changes to the record, click "OK" to exit.

Occasionally, the campus network goes down and Voyager does not work the way it usually does. There is a special procedure you must follow to ensure items are checked in and out properly during this dark, dark time. 

Remember to notify a staff member or building manager when the network goes down.

In addition to completing the offline process on the computer, you must make a cart to place books that need to be discharged. This cart should have a note on it with the exact time and date that Voyager went down. When the system is online again, a staff member or building manager will set up back-date discharge for the cart of books.