[Koha] Circulation Rules For Groups/Consortia

[Caroline Cyr La Rose]

Hi Noah,

Maybe someone more knowledgable about consortia issues can answer, but 
my first instinct is to ask what is the setting you set in the 
CircControl system preference?

When Koha says "same library", it will look at the library of the item 
or the patron depending on CircControl.

Regards,

Caroline

On 2025-10-09 14:51, Noah Brubaker wrote:
> Hello,
>
> We are a consortium of libraries and trying to grasp circulation for Koha
> in a group scenario as we are having some challenges understanding what is
> possible.  We are separate libraries in a shared instance and with a shared
> patron/bib database.  What we would like to have happen is:
>
> 1.  A patron from one institution can borrow from another (either walk in
> person or via placing a hold) using fixed consortial borrowing rules. For
> example 60 days for a book.  This should be separate from the lending
> library's own local patrons which may get more generous terms.
>
> 2.  We would like to have a single set of patron categories that are
> standard across the group.  For example Faculty, Student, etc.
>
> The issue seems to be that Koha views the patron as "local" rather than
> from another library.  Is there a way for Koha to be configured to take
> into account a patron's home library when determining rules?
>
> We would like to have the default most general rule be our reciprocal
> lending terms (60 days for a book), but it seems that Koha always lends the
> item as if the patron is part of the library lending it - rather than a
> patron not affiliated directly with that library.
>
> Please let me know if I can clarify, but it seems there should be a setting
> somewhere or something in the rules definitions we are missing.  We noticed
> in the rules definition there is the term "same library" which is
> considered by the system but it doesn't seem to be doing that in regards to
> the patron and their home library.
>
> We were hoping to avoid needing separate patron types for all of our
> libraries to make this work, if possible.
>
> Thanks so much!
>
> ---Noah
>
>
>
> Noah Brubaker
>
> PALNI Associate Director
>
> (317)721-8198 | nbrubaker at palni.edu | www.palni.edu
>
> c/o Irwin Library, 4553 Clarendon Road, Indianapolis, IN 46208
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Caroline Cyr-La-Rose, M.L.I.S. (she/her)
Librarian | Product Manager

1-833-INLIBRO (465-4276), ext. 221
caroline.cyr-la-rose at inlibro.com
https://www.inLibro.com