RE: patron renewal through Web OPAC

["Johnson, Vi - HPL" <Vi.Johnson@xxxxxxxxxx>]

As an addition to Fred's comment re: printing the transaction report causing
an additional renewal request to be processed, the HALAN consortium reported
this issue to III mid-2001. The response was that this is a Netscape
behavior issue. Netscape sees hitting the PRINT button as almost like a
screen refresh, causing an extra renewal. This behavior does not occur when
using Internet Explorer.

At the time, suggestions were made for a workaround, and III discussed a
possible enhancement solution of adding a PRINT button to the self-renewal
screen that could bypass the browser print button, but that line of
development was not guaranteed.

Vi Johnson 
HALAN Database Administrator 

-----Original Message-----
From: Schumacher, Fred - HPL 
Sent: Tuesday, May 13, 2003 7:40 AM
To: 'innopac@xxxxxxxxxx'
Subject: RE: patron renewal through Web OPAC


Our instructions for using the service advise our customers to print out the
transaction report at the end of the process.  In the case of a dispute, we
ask if they printed the report showing that the renewal was accepted by the
system.  If they can provide us with that documentation that the renewal was
requested and new due dates reported, we'll make adjustments.  Otherwise, we
consider the fines legitimate and payable.  While the customers aren't
thrilled about hearing this, they don't really argue about it.  As far as
I'm aware, we've never had anyone disputing fines and claiming that they
used self renewal present the printout of the transaction to verify that a
mistake was made.  In fact, I've never had a customer making a dispute say
that they printed the report.  Once they're aware that the printout is
required for this sort of dispute, they don't try to use it again. Disputes
of this type really are quite rare.  

As a side note, the requirement to print the transaction report does cause
an additional renewal request to be processed, though (III indicated to us
that they consider that a problem for Netscape, rather than them).  Since we
changed our method of calculating the due date to two weeks from the current
due date, the little III/Netscape glitch no longer causes our customers to
lose a renewal when they print the transaction report. 

Fred Schumacher
Circulation Services Manager
Houston Public Library 

-----Original Message-----
From: Carter, Michelle [mailto:LRC135@xxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Monday, May 12, 2003 11:48 AM
To: innopac@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: patron renewal through Web OPAC


Hello listers.

I would like to know how libraries handle Web OPAC renewal.  

Our circulation staff and Dean are worried about patrons saying they've
renewed materials over the Web but actually have not in order to escape
fines.

Do you have a standard policy?

Thank you,
Michelle Carter




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