Merging Patron Records

Two records may exist for the same patron. For example, a patron may have a record under a new name but still have a record under a former name. You can merge the patron records to resolve the issue.

Note:
You need the system-level Circulation permission Merge patrons: Allow to merge patron records, a job typically handled by a supervisor, as well as permission to modify patron records for the patron’s registered branch in the primary record.

To merge the records, you find and open the primary record (the record that will retain the data) and the secondary record to be merged with the primary record. For instructions, see Merge Patron Records.

The records can belong to different registration branches. The program combines information from both records. Patron registration information (patron code, registered branch, address, notification options, stat class, UDF values, and so forth) from the primary record is retained. Patron transaction summary information (such as items out, fines, holds, associations) is copied from the secondary record to the primary record. For details, see Effects on Patron Record Information. When the records are merged, the secondary record is deleted. The date of the merge and the barcode from the deleted record appear on the About tabbed page of the primary record’s property sheet.

Blocks to Merging Records

Certain conditions block the merge:

• The Do not delete option is checked in the secondary record.
• The primary or secondary record has a collection agency block.
• The secondary record has Held or Shipped hold requests. The message indicates that the holds must be cleared before merging.
• The secondary record has ILL requests of any status. The message indicates that the requests must be cleared before merging.
• The secondary record is linked to a course reserve record. The message indicates that the patron record must be removed from all linked courses.

Effects on Patron Record Information

When the merge is successful, the records are affected as follows:

• Registration Data - The primary record’s registration data (address, photo, and UDF values) remain. The secondary record’s exemptions, preferences, photo, and UDF values are not copied to the merged record.
• Barcode - The patron barcode in the primary record does not change. The secondary record barcode appears in the Former barcode field of the primary record.
• Patron Code - The patron code in the primary record does not change.
• Last Activity Date - The most recent Last Activity Date, regardless of record, is used in the merged record. The Last Activity Date is updated by the following activities:
  • Payments made within the staff client - All methods of payment (cash, check, or credit card) update the last activity date.
  • Credit card payments made via third party software - When a payment is taken, including payments made via CIP, the last activity date is updated on the patron record. If the payment process fails or the payment is not accepted, the date will not be updated.
  • Waives - If a charge was waived on the patron account, the date will be updated.
• Payments made from ExpressCheck, PAC, and Mobile PAC - When the patron logs in to ExpressCheck, PAC, or Mobile PAC and makes a payment, the last activity date is updated.
• Date of Original Registration - The earliest Date of Original Registration, regardless of record, is used in the merged record.
• YTD and Lifetime Use - The YTD use and lifetime use counts of the secondary record are added to the counts for the primary record.
• Blocks-
  • If the secondary record has a Verify Patron Data block, it is ignored. If the primary record has a Verify Patron Data block, the block is retained. The block displays when the merged record is saved.
  • Free text blocks - All free text blocks are copied from the secondary record to the primary record.
  • Library-assigned blocks are copied from the secondary record to the primary record. If there are duplicates, the blocks in the primary record are retained.

• Items Out - Copied to the primary record.

Note:
In the linked item records, the Current borrower field is updated to the primary record, and the Last borrower field is updated to the secondary record. All other item data remains unchanged.

• Notice history - The secondary notice history is added to the primary record.
• Claimed items - The secondary claimed item information is added to the primary record, and the current claim and/or lifetime claim count is updated in the primary record.
• Lost items - The secondary lost item information is added to the primary record, and the current lost item count is updated.
• Patron account - The secondary record’s current charges, payments, and credit transactions are copied to the primary record, and the total charge, payment, and credit amounts are updated. All account summary transactions are also copied.
• Hold requests - If the secondary record has any attached hold requests with a status of Active, Inactive, Pending, Cancelled, or Not-supplied, the hold request is updated with the primary patron information, and the requests are added to the Holds view of the primary patron record. The requests maintain their queue positions, but the patron record is linked to the request changes to the primary record.

Note:
If there are duplicate Inactive, Active, or Pending hold requests, the older one is retained and the other is cancelled. A note is added to the cancelled request.

• Associations - The primary record retains any associations it already has, but is not affected by any associations in the secondary record.
• Patron messages - Messages attached to the secondary record are not copied to the primary record.
• Reading history - The secondary reading history and any ratings (from Outreach Services patrons) are copied to the primary record, and the items are sorted by check-out date. Duplicate titles are not deleted.
• Outreach services (ORS) - ORS information from the secondary record (profile, delivery options, saved selection or pick lists, notes) is not copied to the primary record. If the Outreach Services option is checked in the secondary record, a message advises that the ORS profile of the secondary record will be lost. You can continue or cancel the merge.
• Notes - Secondary blocking and non-blocking notes are copied to the primary record. A blank line separates the copied notes and any existing notes in the primary record. The system adds the following note to the top of the primary record’s Non-blocking note field: Patron record was merged with [barcode], on [date]. The secondary record has been deleted.
• Notices - Overdue notices initiated for the secondary record will be sent to the primary record in sequence. For example, if the secondary record received a first overdue notice before the merge, the primary record will receive the second overdue notice after the merge. If the secondary record exceeded the fine notice or collection agency threshold before the merge, the primary record will receive the notice after the merge.

Note:
If a hold request was associated with the secondary record and trapped An item is said to be trapped for a hold when an item that fills a request is scanned at circulation and the system links the item to a specific request, either automatically or by displaying a message that prompts you for a decision. for the secondary record, the notice will go to the secondary record because the records cannot be merged in this case. See Blocks to Merging Records.

• Mailing labels - If the secondary name and address are stored in the Mailing Label Manager, they are removed after the merge.
• Record sets - If the secondary record is a member of a record set, the record is removed from the record set after the merge. The primary record does not become a member of the record set.
• Route lists - Secondary membership is copied to the primary record.
• Polaris Fusionaccess and shopping carts - If your library offers Polaris Fusion e-commerce (the ability to purchase digital materials from the PAC with a credit card) and the secondary patron record has been granted access and has a shopping cart, the access permission and shopping cart are copied to the primary patron record.

Effects on the Transactions Database

When records are merged, a Modify Patron record transaction is created for the primary record. Older transactions involving the secondary record are not modified, so they are still available for reporting.