Privileges
Defining detailed circulation rules for each combination of Member Type and Publication Type
How Privileges Work
When a library item is issued to a member at the Front Desk, Papyrus Cloud determines the lending rules for that transaction by looking up the Privilege that matches the combination of the member's Member Type and the item's Publication Type. The Privilege record for that combination defines the quota, loan period, grace period, and fine rate.
Because Privileges are defined per Member Type and per Publication Type, a single school library might have rules such as:
| Member Type | Publication Type | Lending rule |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 1 (01) | Fiction (01) | Up to 2 fiction books, 21 days, no fine |
| Grade 1 (01) | Non Fiction (02) | Up to 1 non-fiction book, 7 days, no fine |
| Grade 1 (01) | Board Games (G) | Up to 8 items, 14 days, R1.00 per 7 days overdue |
| Grade 1 (01) | Ebooks (EB) | Up to 8 ebooks, hourly loan (Days = 0), R1.00 per day |
| Staff (S) | Fiction (01) | A different quota and longer loan period for staff |
This matrix approach gives complete flexibility — every Member Type can have different rules for every Publication Type, or the same rules can be applied uniformly across all types if preferred.
The Override Hierarchy
Privileges sit within a hierarchy of controls. Each level can only tighten the rules set below it — never relax them. When a loan is processed, Papyrus applies the most restrictive applicable rule across all levels:
The Privileges Screen
The Privileges screen is accessed from Member Parameters → Privileges. The same data can also be viewed by Publication Type via Publication Parameters → Privileges — both views display the same underlying Privilege records, just sliced differently.
At the top of the screen, a Member Type drop-down lets you select which Member Type to view. Once selected, the grid below updates to show one row per Publication Type, displaying the current privilege settings for that Member Type × Publication Type combination. Clicking Edit on any row opens that privilege record for editing.
The Print button produces a printable summary of all privileges for the selected Member Type.
The Privileges Grid — Grade 1 Example
Below is the actual privileges grid for Grade 1 (01) from the sample library, showing all seven Publication Types and their lending rules:
| Pub Type | Description | Quota | Days | Days Grace | Fine | Days / Fine | Renew | Max Fine | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edit | ?? | Games | 5 | 15 | 7 | R5.00 | 1 | — | R500.00 |
| Edit | 01 | Fiction | 2 | 21 | 0 | R0.00 | 1 | 14 | R500.00 |
| Edit | 02 | Non Fiction | 1 | 7 | 7 | R0.00 | 1 | 14 | R500.00 |
| Edit | EB | Ebooks | 8 | 0 ⏱ | 3 | R1.00 | 1 | — | — |
| Edit | G | Board Games | 8 | 14 | 3 | R1.00 | 7 | — | — |
| Edit | G8 | Grade 8 | 8 | 14 | 3 | R1.00 | 7 | — | — |
| Edit | T | Textbooks | 5 | 15 | 7 | R1.00 | 1 | — | R500.00 |
⏱ = Days = 0 triggers hourly loan mode (see Hourly loans). — = blank, meaning no limit or not applicable.
Column Reference
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Publication Type | The publication type code to which this privilege row applies. Each row covers one Member Type × Publication Type combination. |
| Description | The name of the publication type — for information only. |
| Quota | The maximum number of items of this publication type the member may have on loan at the same time. For example, a Grade 1 member may borrow up to 2 Fiction books but only 1 Non Fiction book simultaneously. Leave blank for no limit on this publication type. |
| Days | The standard loan period in days from the issue date. The due date is calculated as: Issue date + Days. Leave blank for an indefinite loan (no due date). Set to 0 to trigger hourly loan mode — the Front Desk will ask for the number of hours instead of days. |
| Days Grace | The number of days after the due date before fines start to accumulate. A grace period of 7 means the item must be 7 days overdue before any fine is charged. A grace of 0 means fines start the day after the due date. This is also configured globally in Global Parameters but the Privilege value takes precedence for this combination. |
| Fine | The fine amount charged per Days per Fine period once the grace period has expired. Set to R0.00 if no fine applies for this combination — as with Fiction and Non Fiction for Grade 1 in the sample library. |
| Days per Fine | The number of days that must elapse for each Fine amount to be charged. A Days per Fine of 7 means one Fine amount is charged for every 7 days of overdue time. A Days per Fine of 1 means the fine accrues daily. |
| Renew | The number of times a member of this type may renew an item of this publication type. A value of 14 means up to 14 renewals are permitted. Leave blank if renewals are not permitted for this combination. |
| Maximum Fine | A cap on the total fine that can accumulate for a single item of this publication type, regardless of how long it is overdue. Leave blank for no cap on this combination. The Member Type–level Max Fine is a separate, additional cap across all publication types for that member. |
Fine Calculation
Fines are calculated using the following formula, applied after the Days Grace period has expired:
The system counts complete Days per Fine periods only — partial periods do not generate an additional fine charge. The sample library's on-screen example illustrates this clearly:
Fine amount = R2.00 · Days per Fine = 7 · Item is 10 days overdue (and Days Grace = 0)
The item is 10 days overdue. Only 1 complete 7-day period has elapsed, so only one fine of R2.00 is charged. A second R2.00 would only be added at day 14.
Fine amount = R5.00 · Days per Fine = 1 · Item is 10 days overdue · Days Grace = 7
Only 3 days of overdue time attract a fine (days 8, 9, 10 — after the 7-day grace). At R5.00 per day that is R15.00.
Special Values — Blank and Zero
Blank and zero mean different things in the privileges grid, and it is important to understand the distinction:
| Field | Blank means | Zero means |
|---|---|---|
| Quota | No limit — member can borrow as many items of this type as they wish | Zero items allowed — effectively blocks loans of this publication type to this member type |
| Days | Indefinite loan — no due date is set; the item stays on loan until returned | Hourly loan mode — the Front Desk will ask for a number of hours rather than using a fixed loan period |
| Days Grace | Not applicable (leave blank rather than 0 if Days is also blank) | No grace period — fines start the day after the due date |
| Fine | Behaves as R0.00 — no fine charged | No fine charged |
| Renew | No renewals permitted for this combination | Zero renewals — same as blank, no renewals allowed |
| Maximum Fine | No cap — fine accumulates indefinitely | Fine is immediately capped at zero — no fine ever charged |
Hourly Loans — Days = 0
Setting the Days field to 0 activates hourly loan mode for that Member Type × Publication Type combination. When a Front Desk operator issues an item with this privilege, instead of a fixed due date being calculated, the system asks how many hours the loan is for and sets the due time accordingly.
In the sample library, Ebooks (EB) are configured with Days = 0, making them an hourly loan type. This is typical for digital resources or equipment that is lent for a session or period within the library rather than a full day or week.
Editing a Privilege
To edit a privilege row, click the Edit link on the left of that row. The row expands into an editable form showing all fields. Make changes as needed and click Update to save, or Cancel to discard changes.
View by Publication Type
The same Privilege records can be viewed and edited from the Publication Parameters → Privileges screen. Instead of selecting a Member Type and seeing all Publication Types for it, you select a Publication Type and see all Member Types for it. This is the Publication Type view of the same underlying data.
Both views are useful for different tasks:
| Use this view when… | Screen |
|---|---|
| You want to review or set all the rules for a particular type of member — e.g. what can Grade 7 borrow, for how long, at what fine rate | Member Parameters → Privileges (this screen) |
| You want to review or set rules for a particular type of material — e.g. what are the rules for borrowing Board Games across all member types | Publication Parameters → Privileges |
Worked Examples from the Sample Library
Privilege: Quota = 2, Days = 21, Days Grace = 0, Fine = R0.00
The member can borrow up to 2 Fiction books. The due date is 21 days from today. No fine is charged regardless of how late the book is returned. Renew = 14, so the member can renew up to 14 times.
Privilege: Quota = 1, Days = 7, Days Grace = 7, Fine = R0.00
Only 1 Non Fiction book at a time. Due after 7 days. 7 days grace means no fine until day 14. Fine is R0.00 so even after day 14, no fine is actually charged. The record is flagged overdue in the system but no monetary fine accrues.
Privilege: Quota = 8, Days = 14, Days Grace = 3, Fine = R1.00, Days per Fine = 7
Complete 7-day periods = FLOOR(17 ÷ 7) = 2
Fine = 2 × R1.00 = R2.00
Privilege: Quota = 8, Days = 0 (hourly), Days Grace = 3, Fine = R1.00, Days per Fine = 1
When the item is issued at the Front Desk, the system asks how many hours the loan is for. If the member keeps the ebook past the agreed return time and is 2 full days overdue (past 3-day grace), a fine of R2.00 accumulates at R1.00 per day.