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Offline Circulation with Sierra Offline Circ Module

Offline Circulation with Sierra Offline Circ Module

Download the Offline Circ Application

  1. Click on the link below. Note that this link will require the Marmot shared credentials for III. Contact Marmot if you need these credentials.

https://iii.rightanswers.com/portal/app/portlets/results/viewsolution.jsp?solutionid=180201164817671&page=1&position=5

  1. From the link, select your operating system and download the version that works for your computer.

Configure the Offline Circ Application

https://sierra.marmot.org:63100/sierra/admin/help/#sgcir/sgcir_offlne_offlinepreferences.html?TocPath=Sierra%2520Guide%257CUsing%2520Circulation%257CUsing%2520Offline%2520Circulation%257CSetting%2520Up%2520Offline%2520Circulation%257C_____1

General Configuration

  1. Launch Offline Circulation.

  2. Select View | Preferences. The system displays the Preferences dialog.

  3. Assign a statistics group to the workstation.

  4. Specify a date format.

  5. Disable barcode validity checking.

  6. Enable the printing of due slips.

  7. Set system prompts for patron registration.

  8. Save your modifications to Offline Circulation Preferences.

  9. (Optional) Standardize preferences on all Offline Circulation machines.

Setting Stat Group

To ensure that statistics specific to Offline Circulation compile and display properly in the reports and fields listed above, do the following:

  1. Set up Offline Circulation using the same statistics group number in the following areas:

    • Statistics Group text box (in Offline Circulation Preferences) on all Offline Circulation workstations

    • Statistic Group parameter (in Sierra Administration Web application) for all Offline Circulation users

    For example:

    • Use one number—such as 777—in both types of text boxes on all Offline Circulation workstations.

    • In both types of text boxes on each Offline Circulation workstation, use a unique, machine-specific number from a series of numbers identifiable as Offline Circulation statistics group numbers, such as 700, 701, 702, and so on.

  2. Upload Offline Circulation files, use the Offline Circulation user associated with the same statistics group number as in the offline workstation's Offline Circulation Preferences dialog, as follows:

    1. On the workstation that recorded the offline transactions, identify the Statistics Group number in the Offline Circulation Preferences dialog. For example:

      700

    2. Identify the Offline Circulation user that is assigned to this statistics group. For example:

      offline700

    3. Using the identified Offline Circulation user (for example, offline700), log into the workstation from which you are uploading offline transactions.

      If you copied the Offine Circulation files to a different workstation for upload, use the identified Offline Circulation user to log into that workstation.

    4. Upload the offline transactions. The system uses the identified statistics group number (for example, 700) in all reports and item record fields containing an Offline Circulation statistics group.

 

Check out items

  1. Launch Offline Circulation if you have not already done so.

  2. Change the current mode to Check-Out.

  3. Respond to the prompts as follows:

    System Prompts:You Respond:Key or Scan Patron ID BarcodeEnter the patron's barcode or ID in the text box and press Enter.

    The New Patron button is enabled at this point. If you want to change patrons, choose New Patron.

    Enter due dateUse the date format specified in the Preferences dialog to enter the due date for the item that you are checking out to the patron, and press Enter.

    For example, if Offline Circulation is set up for mdy due dates, enter:

    12-20-2009

    The New Due Date button is enabled at this point. If you want to change the due date, choose New Due Date and enter the new due date.

    You can change the due date as often as necessary during a session.

    Hourly?If the item:

    • Uses an hourly loan rule:

      1. Enter 'Y' and press Enter. The system prompts Enter hour.

      2. Use the 24-hour clock to enter the due hour as a whole number from 0 to 23, and press Enter.

    • Does not use an hourly loan rule, enter 'N' and press Enter.

    Offline Circulation displays the barcode of the patron to whom you are checking out items.Key or Scan Item BarcodeEnter the barcode for the item at checkout, and press Enter.
    When you complete the prompts, Offline Circulation:

    • Displays the item checkout information in a table.

    • Prints the item's due slip (if Offline Circulation is set up to print one due slip per item).

    • Writes a record of the checkout to the circ.dat file.

  4. Continue as appropriate:

    • Continue to enter item barcodes for checkout to the patron.

    • End the patron's session in one of the following ways:

      • Check out items to a new patron a new patron by choosing the New Patron button.

      • Change the current mode to perform another type of transaction.

      When you end the patron's session, the system prints the patron's due slip if Offline Circulation is set up to print one due slip per patron.t

 

Uploading transactions

Verifying that the Workstation Is Connected to the Server

To determine whether the Offline Circulation workstation is connected to the Sierra server:

  1. Start Sierra on the workstation.

  2. Attempt to log in.

  3. Continue as appropriate:

    • If you are able to log in, continue to the next step in this procedure.

    • If you are unable to log in, the Offline Circulation machine is not connected to the server. You must:

      1. Copy the patron.dat and circ.dat files from the Offline Circulation directory to a removable medium, such as a CD or flashdrive. The default Offline Circulation directory is C:\Sierra Desktop App\Offline.

      2. Locate a workstation that is running Offline Circulation and is connected to the Sierra server.

      3. Check the contents of the Offline Circulation directory on the connected workstation:

        • If it already contains a patron.dat or circ.dat file, upload the existing file(s) before continuing.

        • If no Offline Circulation files are present, copy the patron.dat and circ.dat files from the removable medium to C:\Sierra Desktop App\Offline.

Uploading the Offline Circulation Files

To upload Offline Circulation data saved in the C:\Sierra Desktop App\Offline directory:

  1. Launch Offline Circulation.

  2. Choose File | Upload circulation and patron data. The system prompts you to verify that the server can accept data.

  3. Choose Yes. Offline Circulation:

    • Connects to the Sierra server.

    • Uploads the patron.dat and circ.dat files from the workstation to the $IIIDB/circbatch directory on the Sierra server.

    • Pre-processes the circ.dat file and converts it to an rdydate&time file. The date&time number reflects the date and time of the conversion.

When the upload is complete, Offline Circulation:

  • Displays the number of uploaded circulation transactions and patron registration records.

  • Prompts you to erase the files from the Offline Circulation machine.

Erasing Files from the \Offline Directory

To ensure that offline data is not uploaded twice, erase the data from the circ.dat and patron.dat files in the C:\Sierra Desktop App\Offline directory. If you do not erase old data, a future upload of this data could overwrite existing data.

To erase the offline files:

  1. At the prompt, choose Yes to erase the files from the current workstation.

  2. If you uploaded the files from a workstation other than the workstation on which the files were generated, erase the files from the original workstation:

    1. Launch Offline Circulation on the original workstation.

    2. To delete circulation transactions (in circ.dat), choose the File | Erase circulation transactions menu option.

    3. To delete patron registration data (in patron.dat), choose the File | Erase patron transactions menu option.

After you have completed the upload of offline data, you must process the uploaded files in Sierra.data to update the patron and item records.

 

Processing offline circ transactions

Updating Records with Offline Circulation Transactions

Update patron record information before you process circulation transactions. Updating patron data first ensures that the system correctly processes circulation transactions for new or updated patrons.

To update item and patron records with the circulation transactions performed offline:

  1. Choose Offline File Processing from the Function list.

  2. Continue as appropriate:

    • view any of the uploaded files before processing

    • immediately process all uploaded offline files

Manually Compiling Files

To manually compile a file to upload and process, see Formatting Transaction Files for Uploading: rd* File Formats.

Viewing Offline Circulation Files

To view and print the uploaded offline circulation transaction files before processing:

  1. In the View Offline Files pane, choose the offline transaction file you want to view from the drop-down list. The drop-down list displays uploaded files in the pre-processed rdydate&time format. For example:

    rdy20101023044552

  2. Choose View. The system displays the contents of the circulation transaction file in the Summary area.

When viewing offline circulation transaction files, you can:

  • Print the displayed file by choosing the Print icon.

  • Delete the displayed file without updating the associated patron and item records. To do so, choose Delete File. The system prompts you to confirm the deletion.

    If you choose to delete the displayed rdydate&time file, the system cannot update the associated patron and item records unless you upload the offline transaction file from the Offline Circulation workstation again.

Processing All Offline Files

To update item and patron records associated with all uploaded offline transactions:

  1. View the file(s) you want to process.

  2. In the Set Parameters pane, select the actions you want the system to take. The system always performs item renewals and checkouts. By default, it assesses fines and processes holds when applicable.

    • To prevent the system from assessing fines (for example, overdue charges or replacement bills) on the items circulated offline, uncheck the Assess Fines check box.

    • To prevent the system from processing holds on the items circulated offline, uncheck the Process Holds check box.

    • Choose the course of action you would like the system to take in the event of an item being checked out that has a status of 'n' (BILLED):

      • To adjust billed item charges, choose Reduce Billed Item Charges.

      • To waive billed item charges, choose Waive Billed Item Charges.

      The default billed item charges selection depends on the setting of the Check-Out: What to do with bill of billed item circulation option. If this option is set to "ASK", the radio button is set to a default of Waive Billed Item Charges.

  3. Choose Process All Files. The system:

    • Processes all circulation transactions in the files listed in the View Offline Files drop-down list.

    • Deletes the processed offline transaction files.

    • Displays the processing results in the Summary area.