I recently emailed our partner libraries to ask for some help on
http://bugs.koha-community.org/bugzilla3/show_bug.cgi?id=8366 which asked
for some language suggestions and I got this reply from Steve that I
thought I should share with you all - I didn't feel that it fit just with
the bug report, because it's a bigger issue that he's talking about and I
didn't want his comments to get lost. So, here's what Steve (a librarian
using Koha) has to say on the topic of the language on the circulation and
fine rules:
Hi, Nicole,
Whew! What a can o' worms. The underlying mechanism at the Home
Administration Circulation and fines rules page is very powerful and
flexible. The flip side is that it is very complicated. I think you have to
look at the whole function: the settings (page) for all libraries and the
settings (pages) for individual libraries.
I hate to say it, but I'm not sure the difficulty described in these
tickets can be fully resolved by a change in wording. I think the pages
themselves - all libraries and individual libraries - may need to be
revised. Here is a cut at how it might be done. (I know this is not what
you are asking for. I apologize for that. But maybe you can get some
language changes from this for now, and later someone can look at revising
the pages.)
When you change the Select a library drop-down menu, you are changing the
whole page - a whole set of tables. The set that shows up on the page
currently called All libraries sets defaults. I would change the phrase
in the selection drop-down from All libraries to Defaults. Then I would
change the titles of the tables on this Defaults page as follows:
Defining circulation and file rules for all libraries
gets changed to
Default circulation and fine rules
Default checkout, hold and return policy for all libraries
gets changed to
Default checkout, hold and return policy
I would move this table to the top of the page and somehow require some
value in the allowed box.
Checkout limit by patron category for all libraries
gets changed to
Default checkout limit by patron category
Holds policy by item type for all libraries
becomes
Default holds policy by item type
Then on the pages for when you select a specific library, I would change
the tables as follows:
Defining circulation and file rules for Your Library
does not change except to remove the quotation marks, which are not used
elsewhere.
Default checkout, hold and return policy for Your Library
does not change.
Checkout limit by patron category for Your Library
does not change.
Holds policy by item type for Your Library
does not change.
Along with these changes, I would add plenty of explanatory text. The rule
order text at the top of the page is a very good start. But more
explanation is better. And don't forget to update the help screen and the
manual, too.
Steve Campbell
Converse Free Library
Lyme, New Hampshire
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