Materials Booking Module (Sierra & Pika)
This document explains the basic features of the Sierra Materials Booking module and includes instructions for using Pika to book materials.
Table of Contents
- 1 Materials Booking Module Overview
- 2 Enabling Materials Booking Module
- 3 Booking Any Available Item
- 4 Book Any Available Item from the Patron Record
- 5 Booking Selected Item(s)
- 6 Modifying Bookings
- 7 Canceling Bookings
- 8 Viewing Bookings
- 9 Viewing Items Calendars
- 10 Blocking Bookings
- 11 Possible Messages (Materials Booking)
- 12 Printing Booking Slips
- 13 Adding Events
- 14 Booking Maintenance Function
- 15 Booking Event Maintenance
- 15.1 Adding an Event in the Bookings Event Maintenance
- 15.2 Viewing Booking from the Bookings Event Maintenance
- 15.3 Modifying Occurrences from the Bookings Event Maintenance
- 15.4 Canceling Bookings from the Bookings Event Maintenance
- 15.5 Canceling All Booked Items for an Occurrence
- 15.6 Canceling Individual Items within an Occurrence
- 15.7 Printing Bookings from the Bookings Event Maintenance
- 15.8 Viewing Event Calendars from the Bookings Event Maintenance
- 16 Checking In a Booked Item
- 17 Checking Out a Booked Item
- 18 Clearing Canceled and Expired Bookings
- 19 Checking In a Booked Item
- 20 Booking Materials Using Pika
- 21 Using Web Management Reports
- 22 Materials Booking Checklist
- 23 Bookings FAQs
- 24 Related Documentation
Materials Booking Module Overview
Materials Booking is only for item-level bookings in Sierra. However, in Pika, your patrons will not know the difference and will view this as a title or bibliographic-level booking.
Suppose your library uses Materials Booking, you "book" or reserve library materials for patrons for their future use. Unlike holds, the time period during which the patron will access the booked item is specified when library staff places the booking. You can book bibliographic materials and other materials, such as audio-visual equipment and rooms.
You can book materials for hours, days, weeks, and months. When you place a booking, you can configure Sierra to create additional bookings on the item at specified intervals. For example, you can configure Sierra to create additional bookings for the same time of day for a given number of days in a row or for the same day and time for a given number of weeks in a row. You can place up to 400 bookings on an item record or for a patron record. Bookings use the Sierra Days Closed table to ensure the bookings do not become due on the days you are closed.
With Materials Bookings, you can also create events that can be used to link the different bookings placed for a patron. For example, you might create an event to link all of the bookings associated with a patron event. An event must be associated with a booking. However, a booking can be created without being associated with an event. An occurrence is a booking that is associated with an event. If multiple bookings are placed for the same patron and share the same Start Date and event, they belong to the same occurrence.
Enabling Materials Booking Module
To enable the Bookings Module, there are a number of steps that Marmot staff have to perform in both Sierra and Pika.
Sierra
Marmot staff will update loan rules and loan rule determiners to facilitate the booking.
Marmot staff will update your Sierra logins to include the Booking tab, Bookings permissions, and the Bookings workflow.
You must contact Marmot to get your Sierra login permissions and workflow to use the Material Booking Module.
Pika
Enabling booking in Pika is a toggle on/off function that works in conjunction with loan rules.
Marmot staff will load loan rules and determiners that allow bookings in your Pika test and production sites.
Marmot will enable bookings in your test site so you can get familiar with how the bookings work in Pika before you make it live to the public.
Marmot staff will leave bookable objects as holdable until which point this is live, so you can place hold and schedule item options next to bookable objects in the test site.
Booking Any Available Item
You can create a booking for any available item instead of a selected item. You can use this method, for example, when creating a booking for a piece of equipment, such as a film projector or video cassette player, and the particular item being booked is not important.
You can book any available item using any of the following methods:
From the Summary tab in the bibliographic record
From the Bookings tab in the patron record
To use the Book Any Available Item button from the Summary tab, click on the Search/Holds function. Search for the item by the title and click the Search button.
Click on the Book Any Available Item button.
Note that Sierra enables the Book Any Available Item button only if there are multiple items attached to the bibliographic record.
Search for the patron by Patron Barcode or name. Use the drop-down menu from patron barcode to patron name or unique ID.
You may need to click on the Select button or double-click to open the patron’s record.
The Book any available item box pops up. Technically, you only need to fill in the Wanted From and Wanted To fields. If you want to know more about the rest of the fields, see Enter in the data for the booking.
You can enter the Wanted From and Wanted To by using the pop-up calendar or typing in the date. When using the calendar, click on the OK button when finished.
Note: do not set up the booking to become available on a day your library is closed.
The system puts a hold on the first available item on the record. The Booking tab will show the number of bookings.
Book Any Available Item from the Patron Record
Go to the Check Out (Circulation Desk) function and search for the patron. You can look at the booking on the patron’s record. You will see the Bookings tab. Once you click on the Bookings tab and check the box under All, the following buttons will become active, Add Booking, Add Event, View Booking, Cancel Booking, and Print Slips.
Booking Selected Item(s)
You can book a specific item by using any of the following methods:
From the Summary tab in the item record
From the Bookings tab in the item record
From the Bookings tab in a patron record
Note: The Summary tab determines the records, holds, and bookings Sierra displays for the retrieved bibliographic record. The Summary tab also includes the Book Any Available Item, Book Selected Item(s), the View drop-down for Holds/Booking, and the Bookings tab.
The Summary View drop-down list can contain the following options depending on your modules:
Holds/Bookings
Item
Order (Acquisitions Module)
Checkin (Serials Module)
Item
All
Booking selected item(s) from the Summary tab in the item record
If you want to reserve a particular item, go to the Summary tab and click on the Search/Holds option.
Retrieve the desired item record. You can find the record by searching for the barcode and clicking the Search button. Another way to search would be to use the dropdown menu and change from barcode to title.
The record will open up in the Summary tab. The item will be highlighted if you search by barcode. If you search by title, you will still need to find the specific item and click on it to highlight it.
Make sure the Holds/Bookings are displayed from the Holds/Bookings dropdown menu. With the item still highlighted, click on the Book Selected Item(s) button.
The Search For Patron box will appear. It may default to Patron Barcode. Either scan or type the patron’s barcode. To locate the patron, you have two options. You can either enter the barcode and then click on the Search button, or you can use the dropdown menu to switch from Patron Barcode to Patron Name.
You may need to verify the patron and click the Select button to access the record.
Here is the Booked select item pop-up. You will notice the title, call number, barcode, and location displayed at the top of the pop-up box. The rest of the information will need to be filled out using the data for the booking.
Here is an example of what it looks like when you fill in the new Event Name, Wanted From, Wanted To dates, and Booking Note. Once you have finished with the data for the booking, click on the OK button. Currently, your loan rule allows for 7 days, so it automatically populated the Wanted To field.
Here is an example of what happens when you click on the Show item calendar button.
Click on the Close icon to get back to the Booking.
After you click the OK button, you will be redirected to the bibliographic record along with the attached items. The Bookings tab will no longer be zero.
Booking Tab in the Item Record
When in the item record, you will see the Booking tab. If a patron has any bookings, you would click on that tab to see that information. When you click on the Booking tab, you will see the patron’s name and the From and To dates. Since we filled in the Event name and Notes, those are also listed. You can also use the Add Booking button to add another booking to the item from the Booking tab.
Booking Tab in the Patron Record for Selected Item
Go to the Check Out (Circulation Desk) function and search for the patron. You can look at the booking on the patron’s record. You will see the Bookings tab. Once you click on the Bookings tab and check the box under All, the following buttons will become active, Add Booking, Add Event, View Booking, Cancel Booking, and Print Slips.
Enter the data for the Booking
Event Name (Optional): enter a new event name or select an existing event from the dropdown menu list.
Limit by Location: If the patron wants to limit the booking to the first item that is available at a specific location, select that location from the drop-down list. By default, this field is left blank.
Wanted From (Required): Specify the date (and time, if desired) the patron wants the booking to start. To automatically populate the following Wanted To field, use the pop-up calendar to specify the Wanted From date.
Wanted To (Required): After you specify a date and time in the Wanted From field, Sierra uses the library calendar and the Loan Rule that applies to the patron, item, and location to calculate the ending date and time for the booking. If the library is closed during the system-calculated Wanted To date, Sierra adjusts the Wanted To date to a time when the library is open. For daily bookings, Sierra uses the next day the library is open.
Repeat Bookings: If the patron wants to book an item for a series of dates, use the Repeat Bookings area to specify the dates the specific item is booked. When a booking is set to repeat daily, the designated item will be reserved for the duration indicated in the "Wanted From" and "Wanted To" sections.
Note: If you need to delete a repeat booking, you must individually delete each entry in the series of repeat bookings.
None: No repeat bookings are scheduled; the item is booked only for the period specified in the Wanted From and Wanted To fields.
Daily: To repeat a booking for a number of days, specify either the date the series of bookings ends or for how many days after the Wanted From the date the item is booked.
Ends on: The date and time of the last booking. The system accepts any date up to and including one year (365 days) after the date entered in the Wanted From field.
Ends after: If no time is specified, the system internally sets an ending time of 11:59:59 pm on the specified end date. Note: Do not use 4:00 a.m. because this is when other circulation functions are set to run automatically. The system converts that 4:00 am time to 11:59:59 pm to avoid a potential conflict. The booking will repeat after the number of days specified in the "Wanted From" field from the entered date. The system accepts values between 1 and 365.
Booking Note: Add an informational note to the booking. Sierra includes this information in the booking slip and the booking display. Only one line of the booking note will print on a booking slip. The number of characters printed depends on your booking slip setup; in most cases, a maximum of 65 characters of the booking note is printed.
Delivery: Specify how the patron will receive the booked item
Patron will pick up: Patron will retrieve the booked item. Note that selecting this option disables the Location field.
Deliver to: Staff must deliver the booked item to the location specified in the Location field.
Deliver to and pick up from: Staff must deliver and pick up the booked item from the location(s) specified in the Location field.
Location: Specify where the booked item should be delivered and, if necessary, picked up. You can use this field only if the Deliver to or Deliver to and Pick up from option is enabled. If there is no location mentioned, the customer will have to collect the item.
Modifying Bookings
You can only modify a booking if its Status is “Current”. Find your booking using the item record, patron record, Bookings Maintenance, and Bookings Event Maintenance.
From the Item record Booking tab. Go to the Search / Holds function. Search for the item by title or barcode.
You can modify the booking using the Booking tab in the item record. Click on the Booking tab.
Next, click on the box under All to make the buttons active. Click on the View Booking button.
The View booking for … screen will appear. Click on the Modify button.
This will make all the fields active for editing. Once you have modified the booking, click on the OK button.
Any changes will display in the Booking tab. In this example, we extended the To field one extra day.
Note: if you try to change the modification date to a day your library is closed, you will have a warning pop-up that your library is closed during that “wanted to” date, and ask if you want to Book anyway.
Modifying from the Patron Record
Go to the Check Out (Circulation Desk) function and search for the patron.
Click on the Bookings tab. Highlight the booking that needs to be modified. Click on the View Booking button. You will get the same popup box that is displayed when using the Booking tab in the item record.
Modifying using the Bookings Maintenance
Click on Bookings Maintenance from the drop-down menu. You can search for bookings using the Start Date, End Date, or Start or End Date. Highlight the booking you want to modify and click on the View Booking button. You will get the same popup box that is displayed when using the Booking tab in the item record.
Canceling Bookings
You can cancel bookings using any of the following methods:
From the item record
From the patron record
From the Bookings Event Maintenance Function
Canceling a Booking from the Item Record
To cancel a booked item from the Summary tab, click the Search/Holds function. Retrieve the desired item record. You can find the record by searching for the title and clicking the Search button. Another way to search would be to use the dropdown menu and change from the title to the barcode.
The record will open up in the Summary tab. Click on the Booking tab. Click to check the box under All to make all the buttons active. Click on the Cancel Booking button.
A confirmation box will appear with a warning message asking if you are sure you want to cancel the booking. Click on the “Yes” button to cancel the booking. Click on the “No” button to not cancel the booking.
Clicking on the Yes button will remove the booking from the record.
Canceling a Booking from the Patron Record
Go to the Check Out (Circulation Desk) function and search for the patron. You can look at the booking on the patron’s record. You will see the Bookings tab. Once you click on the Bookings tab and check the box under All, the following buttons will become active, Add Booking, Add Event, View Booking, Cancel Booking, and Print Slips. Click on the Cancel Bookings button.
A confirmation box will appear with a warning message asking if you are sure you want to cancel the booking. Click on the “Yes” button to cancel the booking. Click on the “No” button to not cancel the booking.
Note: If you click on more than one booking the warning message will count how many bookings are being canceled.
Viewing Bookings
You can view a booking:
For a selected item record, specific patron record, Bookings Maintenance, and Bookings Event Maintenance.
Viewing a Booking from a Selected Item Record
Go to the Search / Holds function and search for the specific item record. In this example, we are looking for the specific item using the item barcode.
Click on the Booking tab. Click on the box under All to make the buttons active. Click on the View Bookings button.
The View booking box will show all the information associated with that booking. You do have access to the Modify button, Show item calendar button, the Print button, and the Close button.
Viewing the Booking from a Specific Patron Record
Go to the Check Out (Circulation Desk) function and find the specific patron records. Click on the Bookings tab. Check the box under All for any booking you want to view. Click on the View Booking button.
The View booking box will show all the information associated with that booking. You do have access to the Modify button, Show item calendar button, the Print button, and the Close button.
Viewing Archived Canceled and Expired Bookings History
You can view the bookings history for a specific patron or item for 380 days. To view details of a specific booking, select it from the Bookings History table.
When viewing the bookings history for either an item or a patron, you can perform the following additional tasks:
Open up the patron’s record and click on the Bookings tab. Click on the History button.
Note: even though the History button is active, that does not mean this patron will have any expired or archived items in their history.
If the patron has items in their history, they will be displayed under History. Click Tools | View or the View icon. Sierra shows the booking details.
To print the Bookings History table using the standard printer, choose the Print icon.
Choose the Close icon to close the Bookings History table.
Viewing Items Calendars
You can use an item calendar to view all of the scheduled bookings for an item through the next 365 days. To view an item calendar:
Retrieve the item whose calendar you want to view. You can view an item calendar when you are viewing a booked item, entering data for an item record booking, or modifying a booking.
Choose the Show item calendar button. Sierra displays the item calendar for the item record. In this example, we are viewing a booking with a Wanted To date ending on 08-06-2021.
The calendar highlights the date from when you open the calendar to the end of the Wanted To date. To better understand the calendar, click on the Show calendar legend button.
Blocking Bookings
If you wish to prevent an item from being booked, simply include a note in its record stating "booking blocked." This will effectively prevent any further bookings for that item. For information on editing item records, see Editing Records and Inserting Variable-length Fields.
Once an item is blocked from booking, Sierra displays a warning message when you try to book the item. For more information, see possible messages. If you later decide to allow bookings on the item, remove the NOTE from the item record.
Possible Messages (Materials Booking)
This section describes some of the messages that Sierra might display when you use Materials Booking.
Item has not been booked
This patron can make only x more booking(s) before reaching the maximum limit of 400 bookings per patron. Patrons can book a maximum of 400 items. You attempted to place more bookings for the patron than currently allowed (for example, the patron has 398 bookings, and you tried to add three more). Sierra did not place any of the bookings you specified for the patron. Reduce the number of bookings you are placing for the patron and try again.
Item has not been booked
This patron has reached the maximum limit of 400 bookings per patron. Patrons can book a maximum of 400 items. The current patron has already reached this limit.
Item is booked during period: <date> to <date>
The item that you tried to book is already booked during the period that you specified.
Item is overdue. Continue booking anyway?
Sierra warns you if you try to book an overdue item. To place the booking, choose Yes.
Item <record #> is not bookable: Cannot book item <record #> because booking blocked.
You tried to book a blocked item.
No available item to book from <date> to <date>
Sierra cannot place a booking on any available item because no item is available on the dates that you specified.
No bookings will be made until you Save Event. Close anyway?
You are creating an event using the Add Event button. To save the event and bookings you created, choose No and then choose the Save icon. To continue without saving, choose Yes.
No item from <location> available to book from <date> to <date>
Sierra cannot place a booking on any available item because no item that belongs to the location to which you limited the booking is available on the dates that you specified.
The library is closed during this "wanted from" date. Book anyway?
Sierra warns you if you try to book an item at a date or time after the library is closed. To place the booking, choose Yes.
This booking includes one or more closed days. Continue with booking?
Sierra warns you if your booking period contains one or more days on which the library is closed. To place the booking, choose Yes.
There are no bookings at the selected locations within the selected start dates and times
While attempting to view bookings in Bookings Maintenance, you selected location(s) and a time period for which there are no bookings.
There can be no more than 24 hours between the "wanted from" and the "wanted to" times
To create a daily booking, there must be less than a 24-hour period between the Wanted To and Wanted From date.
The "wanted from" date must be before the "wanted to" date
The "wanted from" time has already passed.
This booking requires immediate preparation
The Transit Time for Booked Items feature is enabled, and you place a booking whose preparation time begins on the current day.
The 'book from' date is more than one year from today
Sierra cannot place a booking that starts more than one year in the future.
The 'book to' date is more than one year from today
Sierra cannot place a booking that ends more than one year in the future.
Printing Booking Slips
Unfortunately, patrons will not receive any notification when their booking is available. One workaround is to use Print Slip to send the information to a staff member. You can also print booking slips to verify that items have been booked for patrons and to ensure that those items are delivered and picked up correctly. A slip can be printed as the Patron pickup slips for the patron for whom the booking was placed will pick up the item. All booking slips include a header that contains the Slip Type (Indicates whether the slip is a delivery slip, patron pickup slip, or pickup slip), the Delivery Location (delivery slips and pickup slips only), and the delivery location specified when placing the booking, the Event Name of the event with which the booking is associated if any.
You can print booking slips using any of the following methods:
From the Bookings tab in the item record
From the Bookings tab in the patron record
From the Booking Maintenance function
From the Booking Event Maintenance function
All booking slips include a header that contains the following information:
Slip Type: Indicates whether the slip is a delivery slip, patron pickup slip, or pickup slip.
Delivery Location (delivery slips and pickup slips only): The delivery location specified when placing the booking.
Event: Name of the event with which the booking is associated, if any.
In addition, booking slips contain the following fields:
Title: A TITLE variable-length 245 fields from the bibliographic record to which the booked item is attached.
Call Number: The CALL # variable-length field from the booked item's record, or if absent, from the bibliographic record.
Barcode: The BARCODE variable-length field from the booked item's record.
Note: The booking note that is entered when placing the booking.
Patron: The PATRN NAME variable-length field in the patron record.
Pickup at (patron pickup slips only): The booking's pickup location. Displays only if the Transit Time for Booked Items feature is enabled.
Prep time/Avail (patron pickup slips only): The date and time at which booking preparation must begin and the date and time the item will next be available.
From/To: The bookings wanted from and wanted to dates.
Printing a Booking Slip from the Booking tab in the Item Record
Go to the Search / Holds function to search for the item records.
Click on the Booking tab. Check the box under All to make the buttons active. Click on the Print Slip button.
Here is an example of the booking slip. The slip is either emailed to a staff member or printed to a physical printer depending on the Sierra printers set up for your Sierra login.
Printing a Booking Slip from the Booking tab in the Patron Record
Go to the Check Out (Circulation Desk) function and search for the patron record.