Transit Overview

Circulation > FAQs for the Circulation Module > Transit Overview

Transit Overview

The transit feature only applies to multilibrary systems. Single library systems do not use the transit feature.

Transit is the movement of circulating materials between branches of a multibranch library system. A patron checks out a book from the Main library, for example, and later returns it to the Downtown Branch library. Because the book belongs in the Main library, the staff at the Downtown Branch places the book in transit to the Main library.

When an item goes in transit, WorkFlows creates a transit record for each item that is going to another library. The transit record is linked to the item, and stores information such as which library the item came from, the library to which it is going, the reason it was put in transit, and the date/time it was put in transit. The workstation beeps when WorkFlows places an item in transit.

If you display an item’s record while the item is in transit, the current location glossary will include information from the transit record. The glossary displays the In Transit To, From, and Date Sent fields. These fields show the library to which the item is in transit, the library that put the item in transit, and the date/time the item was put in transit. These fields appear in the current location glossary only if the item is in transit.

When an item is received from transit, the transit record for the item is deleted. If the received item was in transit to satisfy a hold, the hold’s availability flag is set to show that the item is available to satisfy the hold.

Various Circulation wizards have properties that allow transit slips to be printed. If an item is discharged at any library but the owning library, a transit message displays, and a transit slip prints if transit slip printing is made available. The transit slip includes the library that put the item in transit, date and time the item was put in transit, destination library for the item, and reason the item was put in transit, as well as item information such as author, title, call number and item ID.

Transit Wizards

The following transit wizards show various kinds of transit information and perform transit tasks.

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Pending Transits – Lists all of the items that are in transit to the selected library. You can sort the list of items, print the list, and view lists of items in transit to other libraries.

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Receive Transit – Receives items at your library, takes them out of transit, and deletes the item’s transit record.

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Check Item Status – Displays the current status of any item. This wizard is especially useful if you find an item and want to know if it should be shelved, put in transit, or received from transit

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Discharge – Puts items in transit that are discharged at a library other than the item’s owning library.

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Trap Holds – Puts items in transit for holds at another library.

Depending on the setting of the Configure Automatic Transit of Items in Circulation in the Global Configuration wizard, items can be put in transit automatically or manually. Various Circulation wizards will operate differently if automatic transit is selected or not selected.

If the discharged item is part of a floating collection, you will be asked to shelve it in your library unless it is needed at another library for a hold, booking, or reserve. For more information, go to FAQs: Handling Floating Collections.

Transits are counted in the statistics report by selecting Transit Item and Untransit item requests in the history log.