Displaying Patron Messages

Depending on the options and features enabled at your library, permission 94 (View patron record in check-out) or an alternate permission specified with the Check-out: Display multiple patron messages? circulation option might be required to view multiple messages in patron records. See Permissions Used by Sierra for more information.

When you retrieve a patron record, Sierra displays messages from the patron record. The message components that display depend on your library's system settings. To see the messages again, you can recall the messages pop-up window.

Patron Message Components

Patron messages consist of:

The description associated with the value in the patron record's PMESSAGE fixed-length field.
One or more MESSAGE variable-length fields:
If the patron record contains more than one MESSAGE field, the system determines which fields to display as follows:
- If the Show All Messages feature is enabled, the system displays all MESSAGE fields to all users, regardless of permissions assigned. (Note that the Show All Messages feature also enables the display of all item messages where applicable.)
- If the Show All Messages feature is not enabled and the Check-out: Display multiple patron messages? circulation option is set to "YES", the system displays all MESSAGE fields to authorized users, but only the first (topmost) MESSAGE field to unauthorized users.
- If the Show All Messages feature is not enabled and the Check-out: Display multiple patron messages? circulation option is set to "NO", the system displays only the first (topmost) MESSAGE field to all users, regardless of permissions assigned.

Recalling the Messages Pop-Up Window

If either the Check-out: Display multiple patron messages? circulation option or the Show All Messages feature is enabled, patron messages can also be viewed as follows:

Retrieve the patron record or select the patron record in a browse display.
Select the View | Messages menu option.