Set up online patron account updates

You can allow patrons to request updates to their patron account information in Polaris PowerPAC or Mobile PAC and opt out of receiving certain email reminder notices.

Notes:

When patrons request certain updates to their account information online, Polaris blocks the patron from checking out materials until staff verify the update. See Resolve a Verify Patron block.
For Patron Access Options, PowerPAC and Mobile PAC honor system administration settings as follows:
- If the patron is signed in, the system uses the setting for the patron's registered branch.
- If the patron is not signed in, the system uses the setting for the connection branch.

To set up online patron account updates:

In the Administration Explorer tree view, open the Profiles folder for the branch, and click the PAC tab in the details view.
Double-click Patron Access options.
The Patron Access Options dialog box appears.
Click the Contact Info tab.
Select Patron can change notification method to allow patrons to change their notification method online. This option does not place a verification block on the patron account.
Select Confirmation e-mail to patron to have the system send an acknowledgment message by email to the patron when he or she submits a request to change account information.
When you enable this option, a single email message is sent soon after the patron clicks Submit Change Request. The message is sent to both the primary and alternate email addresses. If the patron record does not have an email address, no message is sent.
Select Patron address - Change allowed to allow patrons to change their physical address online, then select one of the following options:
- Patron can submit change request places a verification block on the patron account when the patron requests a change, and an email message is sent to the library staff, so library staff can verify and add the address.
- Patron can change without verification allows a patron to change the address online without incurring a verification block.
Note: PowerPAC and Mobile PAC perform basic validation against the postal codes table when updating the patron address, regardless of which option you select.
Select E-mail address - Change allowed to allow patrons to change an email address online, then select one of the following options:
- Patron can submit change request places a verification block on the patron account when the patron requests a change, and an email message is sent to the address specified on this tabbed page.
- Patron can change without verification allows a patron to change the email address online without incurring a verification block.
Select Phone number - Change allowed to allow patrons to change a contact telephone number online, then select one of the following options:
- Patron can submit change request places a verification block on the patron account when the patron requests a change, and an email message is sent to the address specified on this tabbed page.
- Patron can change without verification allows a patron to change the phone number online without incurring a verification block.
- Enable phone validation (system level only) specifies whether Polaris validates phone numbers when they are entered in the Update Preferences page in Polaris PowerPAC or Mobile PAC. Libraries that require their patrons to enter an initial 1 with the phone number should leave this option cleared.
  Note:
  In Mobile PAC, when validation is not enabled, each phone number option is one entry field, similar to Polaris PowerPAC. When validation is enabled, each phone number option has three entry fields (area code/prefix/four-digit number).
Select the patron codes that can request account updates online. (Clear the appropriate patron code checkboxes to prevent these patrons from requesting account updates online.)
(Optional) You can click Add to add patron codes or Delete to delete them.
To allow patrons to opt out of receiving certain reminder notices, select from the following options:
- Almost overdue/Auto-renew
- Patron record expiration
- Inactive patron
Select Save or Apply.
Select File > Save.

Related Information

Verify borrower blocks - Patrons who have requested the specified account updates online are automatically blocked from check-out and renewal at the staff circulation desk until a library staff member has reviewed the change. (The block is not applied if you have chosen to allow the change without verification.) In addition, you can set Polaris to block renewals online or by telephone. See Defining Patron-Initiated Circulation Blocks.
EReceipts - If the patron’s registered branch has enabled eReceipts (see Setting Up eReceipts), that organization can also offer the option to receive email receipts, TXT receipts, or both for renewals from PAC. The option is available from both patron self-registration and account updates from PAC. To enable eReceipt preference options in PAC, use the PAC profile Patron eReceipts, available at the system, library, or branch level.