BookCAT allows you to track books out on loan; you can easily loan out a book, set a due date and search for all books out on loan and books overdue.

You can use a bar code scanner when checking books in and out of the library. BookCAT will handle any bar code scanner that enters data via a keyboard interface. These are often referred to as "wedge" readers as they wedge themselves in between the keyboard and your computer. To use this feature, you will have to enter the bar code number for all books and all borrowers.

If you have a bar code scanner, use the 'Check Titles In/Out' window to quickly check books in and out of the library.

If you do not have a bar code scanner, you can manually check books in and out one at a time, or you can use the 'Check Titles In/Out' window.

To search for books out on loan, use the Simple or Advanced search command, and search the Book.On Loan field. To search for overdue books, search the Book.Overdue field. You can also use a filter if you want to display only books out on loan, or overdue books, in the Browse window. On the Report menu you find various loan reports that you can print out.

In addition, BookCAT also allows you to place reservations for books on loan, and to automatically clear reservations.

You can also send e-mail notifications to borrowers. This could be a reminder that a book should be returned soon or is overdue, or a notification that a reserved book is ready for collection. For more information, see To send e-mail notifications.