datesclosed

Updating the Polaris Dates Closed Table

Please make sure that you have updated the “Dates Closed” table in Polaris for items that will become due in the coming year.  Instructions about the Dates Closed table are included below.  If you want to “clean up” your Dates Closed table by deleting old dates when you enter the new, please do not delete any dates that are less than one year prior to the current date.

Warning

There are Record Lock problems on the “Dates Closed” table when two people try to work on it at the same time.  Only one person at a time (system wide) can work on the table.  So that everyone can get their Dates Closed entered, please follow these procedures:

  • If you are working on the Dates Closed table, make your changes as quickly as possible and then save them and close the table.
  • If you see an error message that the table is in use, please wait a little while and try again (the fact that the table is busy does not mean that someone else is changing your dates closed).

Dates Closed Refresher

Polaris uses three settings in Systems Administration to control a library’s calendar for closed days and fines.  The first two are for your regular schedule and the third is for exceptions or holidays:

  1. Hours of Operation:  This is where a library specifies the days of the week that they are closed in addition to the actual hours that are displayed in the PAC.  For example, closed every Sunday.  (At this time, only one range of hours is available within the same day of the week.)
  2. Days not Fineable:  This is where a library specifies the days of the week that they do not want to charge fines.  For example, if your library is closed Sunday, you may or may not want to charge fines for Sunday (Note: Most libraries are now fine free).
  3. Dates Closed:  This is a table where you enter any additional dates closed that vary from year to year like Fourth of July or Thanksgiving Day.  If you are closed every Sunday, it is not necessary to put in every Sunday in Dates Closed.  You would specify this under Hours of Operation.  Fines are not charged for dates in the Dates Closed table.

Staff members that have Circulation Manager level accounts have the ability to change #3 (Dates Closed).  FLLS-CNS staff will have to make any changes to #1 and #2.

Please note that if you have access to the Dates Closed table, you will have the ability to change the dates for all libraries.  Please be very careful to only change your library Dates Closed table. 

Update the Dates Closed Table

  1. From the Polaris toolbar choose Administration / Explorer / Branch
  2. Click on the + in front of the word “Branch”
  3. Click on the + in front of your library’s name
  4. Click on the + in front of Policy Tables
  5. Click on Dates Closed
    • On the right hand side you will see your dates closed.
    • In the menu above the word Organization click on the perforated box, the first icon.
    • Insert: Dates Closed window will open.
    • You may type in a date or click the down arrow on the right of the box to display a calendar and select the start and end dates.
    • To delete a date: Click on the date to highlight it and then click on the X in the menu directly above. Or, right click on the date and select Delete.
    • To modify a date: Double-click on the date, make the change and click OK.
  6. Close the Administration Explorer window. You will be asked to save changes if necessary.

For extended periods of closed days of the week like closed Saturday’s through the entire summer, please contact the CNS Department with the starting and ending dates and we will update your Hours of Operation.  That way your days open and closed will display correctly in PowerPac during that period.

If you are not comfortable making these calendar entries yourself, please contact the CNS Department with your closed dates and we will enter them for you.  We can also do a remote control session while we are on the phone and walk you through the process if you would prefer.