Adding a Manual Block

The system uses the Patron Blocks table to determine whether a patron should be blocked from performing circulation transactions. If you want to block a patron who is not blocked automatically (for example, because of an invalid address or a registration problem), you can add a block to the patron's record manually. The system uses the value in the patron's MBLOCK field to block the patron.

To add a manual block to a patron record:

  1. Retrieve the patron record.
  2. Open the record for editing.
  3. Modify the value in the MBLOCK field. The system displays the values your library has defined in the Fixed-length Codes file.
  4. Choose the option corresponding to the block you want to place on the patron's record. For example, if the patron's address is no longer valid, choose the BAD ADDRESS option.
Quick Alert to Expiration Date and Manual Block Problems

You can configure the system to alert you to manual blocks as soon as you retrieve a patron record. This quick-alert functionality enables you to see potential problems but does not require override permission to continue checkout.

To remove a manual block from a patron record, retrieve, open, and edit the record and set the MBLOCK field to '-' (NO BLOCK).