Return And Renew Items

Use Circulation Manager > Circulation Desk when a member returns one or many items or asks to renew an active loan. Return and Renew can both begin with an item scan; the desk identifies and displays the borrowing member automatically.

Before You Start

• Select the correct library and sign in with permission to process circulation returns.
• Keep the returned item or its scannable identifier available, and inspect the physical item before choosing its condition.
• If you may collect, waive, adjust a security deposit, or accept a replacement, make sure the staff account has the relevant Accounts and Collections permissions.

Return Items By Member

1. Select Return in the Circulation Desk header.
2. Scan or search the member in Member lookup.
3. The member card appears and every active loan for that member loads into the lower Item Lookup table.
4. Select the checkbox for each item physically received, or use the heading checkbox to select all visible loans.
5. Review the title, accession, current status, due date, and Location for each selected row.
6. Select Return Selected at the far right.
7. Review the completion message and any overdue, fine, condition, rental, or deposit attention.

After one item is returned without an error, Libcodesk confirms Item has been returned successfully. When several items are returned together, the completion message continues to show the completed and failed counts so partial results remain visible.

Scanning the member does not select every loan automatically. This prevents an item that was not physically returned from being closed by mistake. Clear Selection unchecks all rows but keeps the member and active-loan list visible.

Return Items By Copy

1. Select Return.
2. Scan an issued item's barcode, accession number, RFID value, ISBN-10, ISBN-13, or ISSN, or search by its title in Item lookup.
3. Libcodesk selects that item automatically, identifies its borrower, displays the member card, and loads the borrower's other active loans.
4. Scan more returned copies or select additional checkboxes when the member brought several items.
5. Select Return Selected.

If no active loan exists for a scanned copy, the item is not added as returnable and the reason appears beside Item lookup. A return is never blocked merely because the member has since expired, become inactive, reached a limit, or lost collection access: the library must always be able to receive its property.

Title and ISBN/ISSN searches are applied to active or overdue loans before the result limit, so an issued copy is not hidden behind available copies of a matching work. If several active loans match, Libcodesk opens a copy picker showing each accession and the member who borrowed it. Choose the physical copy being returned. Item Lookup Settings control whether title, identifier (ISBN/ISSN), barcode, RFID, accession, and call-number matching are enabled.

In the item picker, an issued item with no open item-level fine shows a green OK status. When an open fine is recorded against that copy, the status turns red and shows the fine using the organization's configured currency, for example Fine: INR 25.00. The due date remains visible below the status so staff can check both the active return date and the recorded amount before choosing the item.

The return records the applicable Membership Plan and fine context so later fine processing and audit review remain accurate. Lost/damaged condition decisions and final account collection follow the configured circulation and Accounts workflows rather than silently changing money records during scanning.

Choose The Item Condition And Resolution

Every selected return shows a compact Disposition menu after the return date. OK is selected by default; open the menu and choose Lost or Damaged only after checking the physical item. The menu has clear selected-state contrast and supports Tab, Enter or Space, arrow keys, Home, End, and Escape. On a phone or narrow window, each item becomes a vertical card so the cover, title, status, return date, and full-width Disposition menu remain readable without a wide table. Use the row's Actions menu to remove an item or review a blocked renewal reason. Clear selection and Return selected remain together below the bounded item list. When several items are selected, Libcodesk handles them one at a time so each item has its own confirmed result before the return finishes.

• OK: If there is no overdue penalty or open fine, the return completes without another popup. If money is due, choose to collect the penalty, waive it with a reason, adjust it from the member's available security deposit, or record that it was collected externally.
• Lost: Choose to collect the item cost, accept a replacement copy, waive the item cost, adjust the amount from the security deposit, or record an external collection.
• Damaged: Use the lost-item choices when the full item cost applies, or collect/adjust only the repair cost. Also choose whether the copy becomes Under repair or Available after the resolution.

An adjustment can use only the member's available security-deposit balance. If the balance is insufficient, Libcodesk does not complete that item; select another resolution or enter an amount within the available balance. A successful adjustment leaves the remaining deposit visible for later work and records the change for audit review.

When the library accepts a replacement, Libcodesk opens the same copy details used by Add Copy, prefilled from the lost or damaged copy. Check the accession, barcode, location, price, and other copy information, then change anything that differs before confirming. The replacement is created as a new copy, and Libcodesk records its relationship to the older copy.

Collections, waivers, and deposit adjustments are retained in the financial records, while the completed return remains in Circulation History. Collected externally is different: Libcodesk retains the librarian's reference and note with the completed return without creating a financial collection inside Libcodesk.

Screenshot To Add: Desktop and narrow-window views of the condition selector, one-item resolution popup, security-deposit balance warning, and replacement-copy form.

Renew An Item

1. Select Renew in the Circulation Desk header.
2. Scan an issued item's barcode, accession number, RFID value, ISBN-10, ISBN-13, or ISSN in Item lookup, or search by title. Member lookup is optional; the item is the authoritative starting point.
3. The desk automatically loads the member who borrowed that copy and displays all of that member's active loans. The scanned loan is selected. If a title or ISBN/ISSN belongs to several issued copies, select the correct accession in the popup. The popup shows the current borrower's name for every matching copy.
4. Review the current due date and proposed New due date, then select any additional eligible loans to renew. The queue also shows each copy's stored Shelf location so staff can find and verify the correct item. A dash appears only when that copy has no shelf location recorded.
5. Ineligible loans remain visible but cannot be selected. Use their reason button to see why renewal is blocked.
6. Use the heading checkbox when every eligible loan should be selected, or clear the selection and choose individual loans.
7. Select Renew Selected at the far right. Only checked, eligible loans are submitted; another visible loan is not renewed merely because it belongs to the same member.
8. Review the completion message and refreshed Current Loans tab.

The Member lookup stays above the renewal workspace in both Cloud setup and Local setup. Renewal attention messages identify the loan by its title, accession, or barcode; internal record identifiers are not shown as the item name.

In the Renew queue, an issued item with no overdue penalty or open item-level fine shows a green OK status. When an overdue fine is due, the status turns red and shows Overdue fine with the exact amount in the organization's configured currency, for example Overdue fine: INR 25.00. This status is shown consistently in the Libcodesk WebApp and Standalone app, including narrow/mobile layouts.

Selecting Renew Selected renews an OK item immediately. If a selected item has an overdue fine, Libcodesk pauses that item and asks an authorized staff member to choose how it will be handled: collect the fine by a recorded payment method, waive it with a reason, adjust it from the member's security deposit, record an external settlement with its reference and reason, or collect it when the renewed item is returned. The last option creates an unpaid receivable in Accounts with the renewed due date; the other options record their payment or adjustment before renewal continues. If several selected items have fines, resolve each prompt in sequence. Cancel closes the prompt without renewing the unresolved items.

Unless another authorized workflow supplies a date, the proposed renewal date is calculated as the current due date plus the effective renewal duration from the Membership Plan and matching Borrowing Rule. It is not calculated from today. The queue therefore shows the current and proposed dates before staff confirm the renewal.

Renewal may be blocked by the renewal limit, an overdue restriction, another member's reservation, membership expiry, blocked member status, fines, item condition, lending restriction, or Collection/Facility Access. Reference-only material also requires Reading Room Access.

After renewal, the new due date becomes the active loan's authoritative due date. Dashboard totals, overdue lists, reports, return warnings, reminders, and late calculations use the renewed date. The earlier due date remains in the separate renewal history entry for audit purposes; it must not continue to mark the renewed loan overdue.

Current Loans And Copying Accessions

The member card's Current Loans tab refreshes immediately after a successful return or renewal when automatic clearing is disabled. Its table has bounded vertical scrolling and a draggable horizontal scrollbar for wide columns.

Each available accession number includes a copy button. After copying, the icon becomes a tick for a few seconds so staff can confirm the action. Copying an accession does not select, return, or renew its row.

Transaction History

Libcodesk records every circulation action separately. Issue starts the loan; each renewal adds an entry containing the previous and new due dates; return adds another entry without replacing Issue or Renew. Reservations, cancellations, fines, and fine payments follow the same chronological model.

The active-loan view shows only the present state for fast desk work. Use Circulation History for the complete sequence, including the responsible staff member, library, time, transaction identifier, and due-date change. Historical entries are not rewritten by later actions.

Transaction Memos

Open Circulation Desk Settings and use Transaction memo to enable Print transaction memo or automatic printing. Use Printer setup to select printer behavior and a format independently for Issue, Return, Renew, and Reserve.

Printing is off on a new installation. Changing this setting is saved for the current staff account; an upgrade does not replace an existing user's choice.

• 60 mm thermal roll grows vertically for compact counter printers.
• 80 mm thermal roll provides more room for long member, item, and transaction details while retaining roll-printer output.
• A4 transaction memo provides a full-page copy suitable for filing or signatures.

The memo uses the completed transaction result and includes organization, library, member identity, Membership Plan, responsible staff, memo and transaction identifiers, item/accession, status, relevant dates, totals, and failed-row messages. A renewal memo shows both the previous and new due dates. Dates and text direction follow the selected application language, including right-to-left output where applicable. Long names and multi-item transactions wrap within the selected paper size instead of being cut off.

The Libcodesk WebApp opens the browser-managed print dialog without depending on a popup window. The Standalone app opens the native system print dialog. With automatic printing, the Standalone app sends the PDF to the system default printer when available and otherwise opens the print dialog.

Do And Don'ts

Do

• Select only the copies physically present before returning.
• Confirm each item's condition separately in a mixed batch.
• Check the available security-deposit balance before an adjustment, then review the remaining balance after it succeeds.
• Review every prefilled replacement-copy identifier before saving it.
• Check the proposed new date before renewing.
• Use Circulation History to review the completed return or renewal trail.

Don't

• Do not use the heading checkbox until you have confirmed the displayed borrower and loan list.
• Do not apply one damaged or lost decision to every item in a mixed batch.
• Do not repeatedly rescan a blocked renewal; read the displayed reason first.
• Do not ignore a failed item in a mixed return. Correct its open resolution before continuing.

Troubleshooting

Problem	What to check
Member loans do not load in Return	Confirm the member has active loans in the selected library and refresh or rescan the member.
Scanned item does not become selected	Confirm the copy has an active loan and that its barcode, accession, or RFID is unique.
Return Selected is disabled	Select at least one returnable checkbox. Blocked or already returned copies cannot be selected as active returns.
A security-deposit adjustment is rejected	The requested amount is greater than the member's available deposit. Reduce the amount or choose another resolution. No part of that item's return is saved.
A replacement copy cannot be saved	Check required copy details and make sure accession, barcode, QR, or RFID identifiers are not already in use.
A mixed return stops on one item	Finish or correct the open item's resolution. Libcodesk keeps the other selected items available and reports which items completed or failed.
Renew shows the wrong member	Stop and verify the scanned copy identifier and active-loan record before continuing.
New due date looks wrong	Check the current due date, effective renewal duration, matched Borrowing Rule, library calendar, and holidays.
Renewed item still appears overdue	Refresh the view and verify the active loan stores the renewed date. Historical overdue dates remain only in history.
Transaction Memo print dialog does not open	Check memo settings, printer/template selection, browser print permission, and the operating-system printer configuration.

FAQ

Why did an OK return finish without a resolution popup?

If the item has no overdue penalty or open fine, Libcodesk completes the return directly. A resolution popup opens only when staff must make a condition or money decision.

Why was a security-deposit adjustment rejected?

The amount was greater than the member's available balance. Reduce the amount or choose another resolution; no part of that item's return is saved on a failed adjustment.

What happens when the library accepts a replacement copy?

Libcodesk creates a new copy from the reviewed details and records its relationship to the lost or damaged copy. The original return condition remains part of the completed transaction record.

What happens when one item in a mixed return fails?

Items already completed stay completed. Correct the open item; the other selected items remain available to continue.

Cloud setup and Local setup expose the same workflow but keep their transactions, policies, histories, fine context, and audit records separate.