1. How to make items have due date at the end of the semester
Yoel Kortick
Senior Librarian

2. 1 2 3 4 5 Agenda Background The Three Methods Method One Method Two
Method Three

3. Background
In the situation described here the library wants to have particular items due
For a fixed period from the loan date for most of the semester (for example a four week loan)
At a specific hard coded date if the items are loaned X days from the end of the semester (so that the return date will not fall after the semester ends)
For our specific situation the end of the semester for graduate students is Dec The same methodology could be applied for a situation which does not take into account user groups

4. For example, we want that:
Background
For example, we want that:
Item is due at end of semester when loaned within four weeks of end of semester (Dec. 31)
Any time loan date is earlier than four weeks before end of semester it will be due four weeks from loan date
In other words, if end of semester is Dec. 31 then
If item is loaned Nov. 3 it will be due Dec. 1
If item is loaned Nov. 27 it will be due Dec. 25
If item is loaned Dec. 10 it will be due Dec. 31
If item is loaned Dec. 27 it will be due Dec. 31

5. 1 2 3 4 5 Agenda The Three Methods Background Method One Method Two
Method Three

6. The Three Methods
There are three methods in which this may be done, and we will explain each method here with real examples.
The methods are not mutually exclusive and combinations thereof may be used.
Each method has it’s own advantages and disadvantages and depends on the specific nature of the library.

7. The Three Methods
Method 1 = Set the expiration date of the user (with the patron role) to be the end of the semester.
This would be advantageous if
The user really will expire at the end of the semester
The library can easily update the user expiration date either manually, via the ‘Users’ integration profile, or via the job ‘Update/Notify Users’
The disadvantage is that
If the user will continue to be enrolled for the following semester the library would need to have his expiration date again changed at the start of the new semester.

8. The Three Methods
Method 2 = Create a TOU (‘Terms of Use’) which makes the due date be the date of a calendar event which is the end of the semester. Then apply this TOU for the relevant fulfillment unit rule.
This would be advantageous if
The users will continue to be enrolled after the end of the semester and you do not want to start manipulating the expiration dates.
The disadvantage is that
The library will need to remember to activate it in time before the end of the semester and deactivate the fulfillment unit rule at the end of the semester

9. The Three Methods
In the case of method two (creating a TOU which makes the due date be a fixed date which is the end of the semester) the TOU would need to be activated at “just the right time”.
For example let's take the situation of a two week loan loaned on Dec. 5. If the new TOU was activated on Dec. 1 then the item would be loaned until Dec. 31 instead of Dec So the loan would actually be lengthened.
In this case the TOU would need to be activated two weeks before the end of the semester, Dec This would endure that the loan would be shortened to be at the end of the semester.

10. The Three Methods
Method 3 = Leave everything as it is always defined (fulfillment unit rules and expiration dates) and beginning at the date you want the due changed run the job ‘Bulk Change Due Dates’.
This would be advantageous if
The library fears that due to an existing ‘intricate’ fulfillment setup there will be negative repercussions by employing one of the previous two methods
The disadvantage is that
The library will need to remember to run this job every day beginning from the period where the due date should change.
It also needs to be run separately for each library

11. 1 2 3 4 5 Agenda Method One Background The Three Methods Method Two
Method Three

12. Method One
Here is the current situation:
Barcode AU39459 is loaned to patron Lillian Müller (a graduate student) and it is due four weeks from the loan date
So if it is loaned Dec. 4 it will be due Jan. 1.
But this is a problem because Jan. 1 is after the end of the semester

13. Method One Patron is a graduate student
Due Jan. 1 which is after the end of the semester
Loaned Dec. 4

14. Via the ‘Users’ integration profile Via the job ‘Update/Notify Users’
Method One
In order to fix this we will change the expiration date of the user via one of the following ways
Manually
Via the ‘Users’ integration profile
Via the job ‘Update/Notify Users’

15. Method One
Updating the user expiration date manually

16. Method One
Updating the user expiration date via the ‘Users’ integration profile

17. Method One
Updating the user expiration date via the job ‘Update/Notify Users’

18. Method One
Now the user expiration date has been changed to Dec. 31, 2015.
The same item loaned to the same patron will now be due Dec. 31, 2015.
It “should” be loaned until later than Dec. 31, 2015, but Alma will not loan the item past the user expiration date thus it is due Dec. 31.

19. Method One
Earlier due date than when done previously because now the user expiration date is Dec. 31, 2015
Same loan date as when done previously

20. 1 2 3 4 5 Agenda Method Two Background The Three Methods Method One
Method Three

21. Method Two
In this method we will do as follows:
Create an event in the calendar which is Dec. 31, 2015 ‘End of semester for graduate students’
Create a policy which is of type ‘due date’ which uses this event as a fixed date
Create a TOU which then uses this new policy as a due date
Create a Fulfillment Unit Rule which uses the TOU
Leave the rule active during the period in which loans would otherwise have a due date later than the end of the semester.
Make the rule inactive all other times.

22. Method Two
Now the user expiration date is again empty (or later than Dec. 31, 2015) and when this same item is loaned on Dec. 04, 2015 it is due Jan. 01, 2016.
This is ‘too late’ because the semester ends on Dec. 31, 2015

23. Method Two
Via the calendar we will create an “Event” which we will call “End of semester for Graduate Students”.
This is done from the Fulfillment Configuration Menu ‘Open Hours’ on the Institution Level

24. Method Two
Now we add the event

25. Method Two Here is the event
Note that in order to apply calendar changes you must click ‘Apply Changes’.

26. Method Two
Now create an ‘advanced policy configuration’ of type ‘Due Date’

27. Method Two
We will call the policy “Due at end of semester for graduate students” and use the ‘Event’ we made in the calendar for a fixed period
This is the event created in the calendar

28. Method Two
Now we will create a TOU of type ‘Loan’ which uses the policy “Due at end of semester for graduate students”

29. Method Two
We are calling the TOU the same name: “Due at end of semester for graduate students “
This is the policy we made

30. Method Two
Now we will create “Fulfillment Unit Rule” for loans in the fulfillment unit

31. Method Two
In the fulfillment unit rule we state If the user group = ‘Graduate Student’ then use the TOU “Due at end of semester for graduate student’
This is the TOU we made

32. Method Two
As with all fulfillment unit rules it is important that it be placed in the proper sequence so that it will not be “overridden” by something earlier

33. Method Two
Now when we loan the item it is due on Dec. 31, 2015.
This is the date of the event which is on the policy which is used by the TOU which is used by the rule

34. Method Two
And we can see that it is using the Rule and TOU that we defined

35. Method Two

36. Method Two
We need to remember to make the rule active during the period in which loans would otherwise have a due date later than the end of the semester.

37. 1 2 3 4 5 Agenda Method Three Background The Three Methods Method One
Method Two 5
Method Three

38. This is ‘too late’ because the semester ends on Dec. 31, 2015.
Method Three
Now the user expiration date is again empty (or later than Dec. 31, 2015) and when this same item is loaned on Dec. 04, 2015 it is due Jan. 01, 2016.
This is ‘too late’ because the semester ends on Dec. 31, 2015.
We will fix this (and all other loans falling into this category) by running the job ‘Bulk Change Due Dates’.

39. Method Three

40. The job report shows that item due dates were changed
Method Three
The job report shows that item due dates were changed

41. We can also see that the due date changed via the loan history.
Method Three
We can also see that the due date changed via the loan history.
Now we will look at the loan history
Due date changed

42. And here we see that the loan was moved “backwards” by the job
Method Three
And here we see that the loan was moved “backwards” by the job

43. THANK YOU