Skip to main content
ExLibris
  • Subscribe by RSS
  • Ex Libris Knowledge Center

    Advice on contingency planning for Voyager services in case of campus shutdown and/or changes for telecommuting

    • Product: Voyager
    • Relevant for Installation Type: Multi-Tenant Direct, Dedicated-Direct, Local, TotalCare

    Question

    Can Support advise on contingency planning for Voyager services in case of a campus shutdown or switch to telecommuting?

    Answer

    For hosted Voyager servers:

    • Clients can be run over a campus VPN.  Talk with I.T. staff about the kind of VPN used on campus, and if it provides fixed IPs or an IP range for computers.  Fixed IP addresses are required for the server firewall rule changes that will need to be requested. Also discuss capacity with I.T. staff to make sure the VPN can handle an increased load. If a campus VPN is not available, talk to I.T. staff about using Windows Remote Desktop.

    For both hosted and local Voyager servers:

    • Consider backdating discharge when checking in returned items (for complete steps see: How to backdate a discharge transaction in Voyager Circulation).
      Basic steps:
      • Go to Circulation>Discharge menu>Modify Date and enter an override date OR click Discharge icon>click Backdate Discharge Date icon (in upper left of discharge screen)>enter override date
      • If new override discharge date supplied falls before item's due date, item is not seen as overdue and patron will not be charged fines even if item is past due
      • Setting override discharge date applies for any discharge during this Circulation session or until override date is reset within the session
    • It is possible to temporarily disable all patron requests through WebVoyage
    • You can also selectively remove request options (such as Recall) from the Patron Requests screen by making changes in SysAdmin Policy Definitions
    • Increase the number of sequential renewals allowed on an item that is checked out
      • Go to SysAdmin> Circulation>Policy Definitions > policy that includes affected item location>Matrix tab>Max # of Sequential Renewals 
    • If patrons aren't currently allowed to renew items if they are overdue, this can be configured
      • Go to SysAdmin>Circulation>Policy Definitions>policy that includes affected item location>Policies tab>check Renew if Overdue
      • You can also check "Renew if Recall" and "Renew if Hold"
    • It is possible to temporarily stop sending out patron notices (Overdue, Recall, Fine/Fee (new), Hold Recall Available, Hold Recall Canceled, Courtesy) -- see: What happens if you run a job on the server but don't build the reports or notices in Reporter
      • If Circulation Notices are not Built/Run through Reporter, no notices will go out to patrons
        • If notices are not built/run, the crcnotes.printlocationcode.inp file will continue to grow; it is advisable to periodically move off this file (to something like crcnotes.printlocationcode.20200313) so it doesn't become too large
      • If the 'Email' option is unchecked for a particular type of notice (in SysAdmin>Circulation>Policy Definitions>policy containing Circ Happening Location of transaction>Patron tab, per patron group), when writing to the crcnotes.printlocationcode.inp file, the row will not have an email address
        • If the row in the .inp file doesn't have an email address, it will be set to print when notices are built/run; any unwanted notices do not need to be sent to patrons (and can also be set to print to .pdf so nothing is physically printed)
    • Batch jobs can be used to forgive all fines and fees
    • The Bursar Transfer System can be used to "purge" patron balances and set the fines and/or fees to "paid."
      • Bursar transfer works by specifying Patron Group(s) and Circulation Locations.
      • After running the bursar program you can simply not do anything with the output file.
      • See the Technical User's Guide, Chapter 8, and this related Article.
    • Uncheck the "Fines/Lost Item Fees Apply" checkbox in SysAdmin > Circulation > Policy Definitions > [any defined policy] > Patrons Tab > Rules
      • Going forward, no fines/fees will be applied.
    • If 'Count Closed Days/Hours/Minutes for Loan' is unchecked (SysAdmin>Circulation>Policy Definitions>policy containing item's location>Policies tab), any new transactions will not be due on a closed or exception day -- the due date will be pushed out to the next open day/time
      • If a library will be closed for an extended period of time and no items should fall due during that period, set that period up as a closed exception date range in the Calendar in SysAdmin>Circulation>Calendars
      • You can also uncheck the 'Count Closed Days/Hours/Minutes for Fines' option if you don't want fines to be calculated during the closed exception date range
    • Any fines/fees on items designated as Lost before they are returned can be waived at the point of discharge
    • The 'Grace Period' and 'Recall Grace Period' in each individual Circulation Policy Matrix Record Setting can be set as high as a maximum of 999 days
      • When a Grace Period setting is defined, the patron may return an item late without incurring overdue fines provided the discharge is before the end of the Loan/Renewal Period plus the Grace Period
      • See: How do Grace Periods work in Voyager?
    • The information supplied in patron email notices can be edited -- see: What can be customized in Voyager email notices? 
    • Voyager provides two different ways to facilitate curbside pickup of materials via placing on-shelf holds:
    • If you are loading large number of emergency access online resources, please see:
    • For quarantining books and controlling Shelving Interval see this article for controlling the amount of time it takes for a discharged item to be available (e.g., reshelved):

     

    Additional Information

    Remember to document any changes you make so that you can undo them later.

    New information will be added to this page as it becomes available.  

     


    • Article last edited: 24-Jun-2020
    • Was this article helpful?