Frequently asked questions¶
About sign-in and accounts¶
I forgot my password, what should I do?¶
BibliOfelia works offline and does not send reset emails. Ask the Box administrator to reset your password directly from the admin console.
My account is blocked after several attempts¶
This is protection against intrusion attempts. Wait a few minutes or ask the administrator to unblock the account.
About loans and returns¶
Can a member borrow a book already on loan?¶
No. But they can reserve it: as soon as the book comes back, it will be set aside for them. See Create a reservation.
How many books can a member borrow at the same time?¶
It depends on the member's category. By default: 5 for an adult, 3 for a child. The administrator can adjust.
Can you lend to a member whose card is expired?¶
No. Renew the card first (see Renewal), then register the loan.
About the catalog¶
How to add a book quickly?¶
If the book has an ISBN, type it in the new record form: BibliOfelia queries OpenLibrary and pre-fills the record automatically. See Add a book.
What to do if the ISBN is not found?¶
Type the information manually. Rare but possible for very recent or very old books.
How to reorganize an aisle?¶
Run an inventory in the new location: all scanned books will be automatically relocated. See Inventory.
About reservations¶
Can several members reserve the same book?¶
Yes. They are placed in a queue: the first to reserve is served first when the book returns.
How do I know when to notify a member?¶
The dashboard permanently displays a Notifications to do card. See Notifications and follow-ups.
About OfeliaScan¶
Do I need one phone per librarian?¶
Not required. You can share a phone, or use your personal Android phone.
Does OfeliaScan need internet?¶
No. It communicates with BibliOfelia via the local Wi-Fi of the Ofelia Box. No internet connection is required for daily use.
About languages¶
Can I write a title in Malagasy?¶
Yes. BibliOfelia accepts all Unicode characters (accents, non-Latin scripts). Type the title as is.
Can the French-speaking member have a French card even though I work¶
in English?
Yes. When printing the card, choose the language in the selector. You can generate PDFs in different languages without changing your own interface language.
About backups¶
Is my data backed up?¶
The administrator sets up daily automatic backups on the Box. You see Last backup in the System status panel of the dashboard.
If it's not from today or yesterday, warn the administrator.
Difficult cases¶
A book is lost or too damaged — how do I remove it?¶
For a book lost during a loan: open the member profile, find the loan under Active loans and click Lost. The loan and the copy move to status Lost; the member keeps their history and can keep borrowing. For a book returned too damaged: register the return, then on the copy page click Discard. To bill the replacement, open the member profile and click Fine (free amount and reason). See Cash desk and invoices.
How do I permanently delete a record from the catalog?¶
If a record no longer has any copy (all lost, given away, thrown out), open its page and click Delete record, or use a bulk operation. The Ofelia code of a deleted copy stays reserved for good: a label still in circulation can never designate another book by mistake.
A member lost their card — what do I do?¶
Open the member profile, click Edit, then Replace card (next to the card number): BibliOfelia assigns a new number, retires the old one for good and keeps the whole history. The old card no longer works (any scan returns an error) — destroy it if it reappears. While waiting for the new card, the member can borrow by being looked up by name. Reprint the card from Print cards.
How do I handle a long overdue?¶
Track overdues with the Overdue loans counter on the dashboard and Reports → Overdue loans. Depending on severity: (1) call the member (phone shown on their profile); (2) to block their borrowing, temporarily deactivate the member from their profile and reactivate when the books come back; (3) for an overdue of several months, mark the loan Lost. You can also add a manual fine from the profile. BibliOfelia only emails a reminder for an overdue invoice (once); for a late book without an invoice, phone or SMS remain the most effective.
Cash desk and email¶
The membership fee is wrong after a category change¶
Changing category realigns still-open, unpaid membership invoices. A fee already paid is not refunded. See Fees.
The screen talks about the Box but we are hosted (Grand-Saconnex…)¶
On a hosted instance, closing mentions the Box only by mistake. It should instead say whether SMTP is configured. Advanced → Settings → Email.
Can I shut the server down from closing?¶
Only on the Ofelia Box, and only if the shutdown system service is installed. On a hosted instance the step does not appear. See End-of-day closing.
A question not listed?¶
Contact your Box administrator.