August 2020

Quick Facts

• Starting July 2020, the library will implement automatic renewal.
• Most items may be renewed up to 50 times, as long as the items are not on hold for another patron. 
• Patrons can renew with staff, on checkout stations, on My MCL, on the automated phone renewal system, or by contacting the library via text, email or phone.
• Patrons with a balance over $50 can still place holds and renew items.
• If an item is on hold and there are enough copies +1 available to fill the active holds, Symphony will automatically allow staff to renew items. If Symphony asks for a renewal override on an item that is on hold, it means that there aren’t enough copies available and staff should not override.
• You can also renew from the Check Out or Display User wizards by selecting the books you want to renew and then right click to bring up the menu.
• The accommodation user profiles  A_1_ITEM and A_5_ITEM profiles are allowed 2 renewals.

Procedure

1. Click the Check Out or Display User wizard, then access the account.
2. Select the items to be renewed.
   NOTE:  You can press and hold 'Ctrl' while selecting items in order to select multiple individual items.  You can also press 'Ctrl' +A to select all of the items, but make sure to not select items that have the Claims returned status.
3. Right click on highlighted items and select Renew As Seen or Renew As Unseen from the dropdown menu.
4. Clearly state the new due date and offer to print or email a receipt.

                                         -OR-

1.  Click the Renew by User wizard, then access the account.
2.  Select the items to be renewed, or click Select All.
3.  Click Renew Selected Items.
4.  Clearly state the new due date and offer to print or email a receipt.

To renew a lost item

If patrons have items that are overdue enough to be in Lost status, My MCL will not allow them to renew those items. Staff can still renew them in Symphony using the Display User wizard. Staff may renew items in lost status if the patron knows where items are and can return them. You can see these items by looking at the patron’s Inactive checkouts.

1. Click the Display User wizard, access the account and click the Checkouts tab.
2. Select Inactive or All under Type of checkout.
3. Select the item to be renewed.
4. Right Click the item to bring up a menu and choose Renew as seen.
5. Clearly state the new due date and offer to print a receipt.

Tip

Symphony renewals gives a choice of Seen and Unseen renewals. It does not matter which you choose, because we don't we don't count seen and unseen renewals differently. A renewal is a renewal, so it doesn't matter. 

Some libraries keep track of renewals when the item is present (seen) or not (unseen). We don't.

Policy

A renewal is defined as an additional loan period granted to the original borrower.  Circulating material, even if it is overdue, may be renewed up to 50 times. If an item has been renewed the maximum number of times and the patron wishes to keep it, they may bring it in and have staff check it in. If the item is in good condition and there are no holds on it, staff may immediately check it back out to the patron.

A patron asking for a renewal on an item which is on hold will not receive additional time, but may keep the material until the current due date. However, if there are enough copies +1 in Available status to fill the waiting active, not frozen hold, the item may be renewed. This will happen automatically in Symphony.  Items renewed online in My MCL will also be renewed if there are enough available copies +1 to fill the active holds.

Patrons with fines over $50 can still place holds and renew items.

Staff may renew items in Lost status. 

Patrons may renew in a variety of ways, including in person, on My MCL, by phone, email, text or chat.

Rationale

Allowing renewal of material gives the patron greater use of our collection over a period of time appropriate to their needs. Items must be returned to the library after 50 renewals to check the condition of the item.