Barcoded Periodicals (Journals)
Checking out a barcoded periodical is essentially the same as checking out a book. To start:
- Open the ALEPH Circulation module.
- If ALEPH is not already open, click the icon on the desktop. The login and password are both 'SMUCIRC'. Click on the 'Loan' tab (or F5 on the keyboard):
- Next, make sure the top text box is selected, and scan the barcode on the patron's ID card. The patron's information will be displayed on the screen.
- It should be noted that we will not, under any circumstances, check out items to a patron with another patron's ID or without an ID at all.
- Occasioinally a patron may have a block on their account. An error message will display on the bottom portion of the check-out screen. This is covered in greater detail in the 'Global Blocks' and 'Local Blocks' section of the manual (Chapter 8).
- A patron may have books on Hold, in which case a message will appear, alerting you of the Hold. This is also covered in greater detail in the 'Holds and Recalls' section of the manual (Chapter 12).
The second text box will now be selected. Using the same technique used to scan the patron's barcode, scan the barcode on the inside of the back cover of each item.
- Pay attention to the screen when checking out each journal. Sometimes it takes a few moments, so you may miss a journal or two if you try to scan another one too quickly.
After each item is signed out, the next step is to press the 'Print Session' button to produce the due date slip.
- The loan period for periodicals is always seven days, no matter what type of patron they are (Undergraduate, Graduate, Faculty, etc.).
The final step is to desensitize each journal, rendering them passable through the detectors by the door without any alarm. To do this, simply rub the spine of each journal on the large metal devise (essentially a large magnet) on the desk near your workstation.
- Always inform the patron of the seven-day loan period when handing over checked out journals.
Back to Circulation procedures