Tip for 10.01.18

"How much do I owe?" Thomas asks you at the circulation desk. How do you answer him?

There are a few ways to find his account balance. First, scan his library card or enter his barcode in the command line to bring up his account in Circulation. Right there in the Current Patron pane, you'll see any charges he owes in red. In this example, you can see he owes $2.50—probably for overdue fines.

You can also show Thomas (or his parents) how to view his own charges in Patron Status.

Version 7: Go to the Charges tab, and look for Total Due. If Thomas has any credits, and you allow it, he can pay for his own charges here.

Version 6: Look under the Activity tab, then the Charges subtab to see all charges. You can see a "Balance" in the top right corner, but remember—in version 6, the Balance shows charges minus credits, even if those credits aren’t applied.

You can also send Thomas home with a copy of his Patron Details. From the Current Patron pane in Circulation, click Details (or use the Q command), and print it out for him. Or, if your email is set up, you can email it right to Thomas or his parents.