Creating and Editing Patron Records

To create and save a patron record, you must provide the following information on the Patron Record workform:

Barcode
Name

Note:
By default, Polaris requires both a first name and a last name. However, your library might only require you to enter a single name. Required name fields are marked in bold.

Additionally, Polaris fills in the following fields automatically if defaults are configured in System Administration settings:

Registered at
Patron code
Expiration term/date
Address check term/date

Your library might require additional fields and might set certain default values that allow you to create patron records more quickly (see Setting Patron Registration Required Fields and Defaults). Required fields appear in bold type on the Patron Record workform.

Before you begin registering patrons, it is useful to decide upon some conventions.

Do you use initial capitals or all capitals?
Do you abbreviate words, such as road and street, or spell them out?
Do you enter phone numbers by separating the area code with parentheses or with a hyphen?

While your conventions do not affect the way Polaris processes patron information, they do affect the appearance of your indexes and reports.

Patron Codes

Patron codes help to define patron privileges and policies. One list of patron codes is used throughout the entire system. The Polaris administrator generates the list and sets the codes that are appropriate for your site. For more information on setting up codes, see Defining Patron Codes.

Registration Fees

Your library can charge a registration fee for specific patron codes. The fee is applied automatically at the time of registration or renewal, and the patron account is blocked until the charge is paid. If a fee has been defined for the patron code, the program displays a Registration Fee dialog box when the you select Save in a new patron record. The dialog box displays the amount of the fee and options to pay, waive, or charge the fee, as well as the option to print a receipt. For information about setting up registration fees, see Charging for Patron Registration.

Patron Passwords and Usernames

To allow account access and requests through the PAC, a password must be specified on the Patron Registration workform. If a patron forgets the password, you replace the old password with a new one. (Keep in mind that passwords are case-sensitive.) You cannot see the password; only a series of asterisks appears in the Password box. For more information about setting a patron password and password format, see Add general data to a patron record.

The library may allow patrons to change their passwords online through the PAC or receive an e-mail message for forgotten passwords. To enable these features, see Set patron password and username options. Using the same Administration control, the library can also specify an override password that staff members can use when patrons forget their account passwords.

Note:
A step in the nightly Patron Processing SQL job can assign the last four digits of the patron’s primary telephone number (Phone 1) to the password field of the patron record if a password does not exist. This default password step is disabled at installation; if your library is interested in activating this feature, contact your Polaris Site Manager.

Your library also can allow patrons to enter usernames instead of a barcode when logging in to use PAC functions such as viewing the patron account or placing a hold request (see Setting Patron Account Options). However, patron usernames are not available to staff. Staff cannot assign them during patron registration, they are not searchable or available for reports, and they are not displayed in the patron record. Only patrons can create or change usernames.

Note:
Your library can allow users to log on to PAC using network credentials instead of the Polaris patron barcode or username and password. For details, see Active Directory Log On in PAC.

User-Defined Fields in Patron Records

The patron record includes user-defined fields that are determined when Polaris is installed for your library system. (See Setting Up User-Defined Fields.) These fields can contain whatever additional data the library needs, such as the driver’s license number or parent/guardian name. Some or all may be required. All user-defined fields can be searched from the Polaris Find Tool. See Add general data to a patron record.

Patron Custom Data Fields in Patron Records

The patron record can include patron custom data fields (PCDFs) that are defined for your library system and then filtered at the library or branch level. Patron custom fields can be set up with default values or as required fields. See Setting Up Patron Custom Data Fields.

Duplicate Detection

Duplicate detection ensures that patron barcode numbers are unique and that each patron is registered only once. When you attempt to save the patron record, it is automatically checked for duplicate barcodes. If the barcode is a duplicate, you have the option of either entering a new barcode or cancelling the registration.

After checking the barcode, the patron’s full name (first, middle, and last) and birth date (if present) are checked for duplicates. Your library may specify additional fields for patron duplicate detection. See Setting Patron Duplicate Detection. If any possible duplicate records exist, they are displayed in the Duplicate Patrons dialog box. To view more information about a record, right-click it and select Open from the context menu. The patron’s record appears in the Patron Registration workform. You can continue with the registration or cancel it.

Note:
To conserve system resources, the Duplicate Patrons list is limited to 500 entries per duplicate detection criterion. For example, if 1,000 patrons have the same e-mail address and 30 have the same phone number, 530 possible duplicate records are listed.

Patron Registration from the PAC

Your library can allow patrons to self-register or update their account information through the PAC. For a new account, the patron provides basic information online, and receives a temporary barcode to use for placing requests. A new patron record is created with a Verify Patron block, and designated library staff members receive an e-mail message that the patron has self-registered. The same process applies to account updates from the PAC.

As part of the PAC registration process, the patron selects a home branch. The system uses the default settings for that branch to create the new patron registration. If the default patron code set for PAC registration is a chargeable code, the program displays a message to the patron. The default message is Your library account will be charged a [$] registration fee. Do you want to continue? If the patron chooses to continue, the fee is charged to the patron account and the Patron Registration Fee block is placed on the record. See Registration Fees.

For information about reviewing the record and resolving Verify Patron blocks, see Resolve a Verify Patron block.
For information about permitting patron self-registration and updates, see Setting Up Patron Account Access and Options.