How to Circulate in Circulation V5

Use the BORROW / RETURN toggle at the top to switch modes, and the barcode field in the middle to scan patrons and items.

Loaning Items

1. Make sure you're in Borrow mode.
2. Scan (or type) the patron's barcode — their card appears with photo, name, class, and borrow meter.
3. Scan each item's barcode to check it out to that patron.
   • If an item is part of a kit, a dialog opens so you can pick which pieces are being borrowed.
   • If the patron is at their borrowing limit, you'll be warned before the loan proceeds.
4. You can override the due date for a special loan if needed.

Returning Items

1. Switch to Return mode.

2. Scan the item barcode — no patron needs to be loaded first, returns work directly from the item barcode.

   

Renewing an Item

With a patron loaded, find the item in their loans table and choose Renew to extend its due date.

Marking an Item Lost

With a patron loaded, choose Lost on the item in their loans table. This updates the item's status in SmartSuite Library. It will also update note on the item and add that it was marked lost on x day by x patron. 

Claiming a Return

Use Claim Return when a patron insists they already returned an item you still show as on loan. You can add a note explaining the situation.

Quick Scan Mode

Toggle Quick Scan for high-volume scanning (e.g. class visits). Scans are queued and processed in the background, with a running list showing success/error for each barcode.

It will show you the number of items you have scanned. 

you can view the scans by clicking the show all button

Using a Camera to Scan

On a tablet or laptop with a camera, use the camera scanner icon to scan barcodes visually instead of a physical scanner.