Offline Circulation Support

If the power goes out or we're upgrading Polaris, you can still circulate materials with the Offline Circulation Spreadsheet. Be sure to download the file, install the fonts and test the system ahead of time.

Before the Outage
  1. Download the Offline Circ Spreadsheet by clicking the download (down arrow) icon. 
  2. Download the required Codabar fonts:
  3. Install the fonts: 
    • Find the font files in your downloads folder and double-click on the file to open it in the Font Previewer.
    • Click Install at the top left.
    • Close the Font Previewer.

Tips

    • When you open the spreadsheet, you will get a pop-up or warning about Macros. You must choose to Enable Macros when you open the spreadsheet.
    • Only enter information in cells that are grey. All other cells will automatically populate.
    • There are two sheets in the workbook:
      • Offline Circ - Bulk is the classic offline circ experience: scan the patron barcode and items, when you reach the bottom of the spreadsheet, print it, clear the sheet and continue. There are detailed instructions on the Instructions tab.
      • Offline Circ - Patron lets you have one printout per patron.
    • Remember to shred the paper copies after you successfully enter the information when Polaris is back up.
    • The Offline Circ spreadsheet is only for checkouts during an outage. Leave your checkins to the side and do not circulate until they have been checked in using Polaris when it is restored.
During the Outage
  1. When a patron comes to check out their items, if using the Offline Circ - Patron sheet, type in their full name in the "Patron Name" cell. Then scan or type their barcode in the "Scan patron" cell. The Patron barcode will automatically generate.
  2. Scan the item in the "Scan Item" column. The numbers will appear in the left hand column and the barcode will automatically generate in the right.
  3. There are spots for 13 items. If you need more, from the menu, select Insert > Rows.
  4. When you are done, click the green printer button. This will print the worksheet. If you want a second copy, click the printer button again. Keep the paper copy for your records.
  5. After you have printed the worksheet, click the red eraser. This will clear the fields so you can enter the information for the next patron.
After the Outage
  1. When you can access Polaris again, you must enter the transactions into Polaris. Perform the checkout as you normally would using the barcodes on the paper copies.