Use this panel to maintain loan related preferences.
Loan Defaults
Default Loan Period (in days) - When you check out a book, the loan tracker
sets the default return date. This is specified as the number of days,
the default is 7 days.
Print receipts at checkout - When this option is checked the Readerware Loan Client will automatically
print out a receipt when you check books out. The borrower receipt is designed to be used with receipt printers
and will produce a compact receipt that you can slip into a book at checkout. If this option is off Readerware
will not automatically print a receipt but you can always print one on request by selecting
the File->Print->Borrower receipt menu item.
Before turning on the automatic receipt option, you should manually print
some receipts to set up the print options.
Loan Search Mode
When you check books out to a borrower, you can check them out one at a time or batch all books and
check out once per borrower.
When batch mode is off, every time you search for a book it replaces the current search results and you can check
each book out separately.
When the batch mode option is checked, every time you search for a book it is added to the search results.
When all books are displayed you can complete the loan and all books will be checked out.
Loan Statistics
Readerware can optionally track the number of times an item has been loaned out and the last loan date.
This information can help you decide which items are popular and which can be removed from your library.
If you do not need to track loan statistics, you can turn this option off.
Database Searches
Normally Readerware displays loan information only when you use a Loan search. Loan searches
return loans, other searches return items. For example suppose you have 5 copies of a book
with 3 copies on loan. If you search for books on loan, Readerware will return this book
3 times with the appropriate loan information for each copy. A normal search will just
return the item once so it is not possible to report accurate loan information.
There are times though when it is useful to have basic loan information when running a normal
search. You can request that Readerware always include loan information by checking the
Always return loan information checkbox. Readerware will now include information from
the first loan in all searches.
If you have entered each copy of an item separately in the database, this will enable you to
determine at a glance which titles are available and which are out. If you have entered multiple
copies into the database once and set the copies count, then you will need to drill down into
any item that is out on loan to determine whether or not copies are still available. Select the Edit->Check In/Out
menu item.
Dialog preferences
Readerware can display a confirmation dialog whenever a book is loaned out or returned
or when a borrower is added or updated.
You can turn these dialogs on or off.