Patron Registration Workform

To access the Patron Registration workform, select Patron Services > Patron Records, and search for the patron. The Patron Registration workform displays patron registration data such as patron code, contact information, and notification preference. Use the toolbar and top part of the workform to:

• Register a patron or edit this record - See Creating and Editing Patron Records.
  

Tips:
Polaris requires information for the fields with bold labels.
You can type or scan the patron barcode.
The Patron Code selection affects circulation policies for this patron. The library determines the possible options.

• Set the registration expiration with the Expiration Term boxes. To set a date such as two years from today, type a number in the first Term box, and select months or years in the second Term box. The exact date is automatically calculated and appears in the Date box. For information about updating the expiration date, see Updating Patron Registration Check Dates.

Tip:
You can also type an expiration date in the Date box in the format shown, or click the down arrow by the Date box to select a date from a calendar.

• California libraries with the appropriate Polaris license can enter basic information in the workform by scanning the patron’s California driver’s license. See Scan Driver’s License to Enter Patron Information. For setup information, see Scanning a Driver’s License for Patron Registration.
• Print information from this workform - Select File > Print > Current View; File > Print > All Views; or File > Print > List View (Addresses, Phone Numbers list), or click the down arrow by the print button .
• Delete this record - Select File > Delete, or click . Certain conditions may prevent deleting this record. See Deleting Patron Records.
• Place a hold request for this patron - Select Tools > Place Hold, or click . See Placing Hold Requests.
• Check out items to this patron - Select Tools > Check Out, or click . See Patron Registration Workform.
• Merge information from another patron record - Select Tools > Merge with Patron. See Merging Patron Records.
• Add this patron record to a record set for bulk processing - Select Tools > Add to Record Set > New or Existing. See Creating and Using Record Sets. To work with the patron record sets that include this record, select Links > Record Sets.
• Work with associated patron records - Select Links > Associations. See Patron Associations.
• Add this patron to a route list, or remove this patron from a list - Select Tools > Add to Route List or Tools > Remove from Route List. See Routing Serial Issues. To work with the route lists that include this record, select Links > Route Lists.
• Designate this patron as an instructor for a course - Select Tools > Add to Course Reserve. See Add Instructors to a Course Reserve Record. To work with associated course reserve records, select Links > Course Reserve.

Note:
The Instructor (Primary) checkbox is a read-only control that indicates whether the patron is the primary instructor for a course. To remove the instructor designation for this patron, edit the course record. See Setting Up Course Reserve Records.

• Create a new patron record from this workform - Select File > New, or click . See Create a New Record from the Promotion Workform.
• Switch to the Patron Status workform for this patron - The Patron Status workform contains circulation, request, and financial information. Select Links > Patron Status or press F9. (For a quick, read-only version, select View > Status, or click .)
• Set contact information and notification preferences - Select View > Addresses, or click .
• Set a statistical code, password, and other conditions - Select View > General, or click .
• See a read-only version of blocks, circulation information, and charges - Select View > Status, or click .
• Work with patron photos - Separately licensed feature. Select View > Photo, or click .
• Enter patron custom data fields - Select View > Custom Data or click .

Patron Registration Workform - Addresses View

Use this view to:

• Add an address to the patron record - Click Add. The Add/Edit address dialog box appears, where you specify the type of address, such as home or work, and supply the address details. See Add an Address to a Patron Record.

Tip:
For US addresses, type a valid postal code before you type the rest of the address. The City, State/province, County, and Country boxes are automatically filled in. If more than one combination exists in your system for that postal code, a list is displayed. Double-click the correct combination from the list. To edit a postal code, position the cursor at the end of the field and press BACKSPACE to remove the existing code.

• Edit an existing address - Select an address, and click Edit.
• When you are adding or editing an address, if the state is not required as part of the address, leave the state empty.
• Remove an existing address - Select an address, and click Remove.
• Add a patron’s address to a set for printing mailing labels - Select an address, and click Mailing Label. The address is placed in the Mailing Label Manager, where you can export the information or print labels. See Creating Patron Mailing Labels.
• Specify an address check date - This date is a reminder to check the patron’s address data. To set a date such as two years from today, type a number in the first Address Check Term box, and select months or years in the second Term box. The exact date is automatically calculated and appears in the Date box. For information about updating the address check date, see Updating Patron Registration Check Dates.

Tip:
You can also type an address check date in the Date box in the format shown, or click the down arrow by the Date box to select a date from a calendar.

• Specify notification information and preference - See Add Notification Data to a Patron Record. You can exclude this patron from receiving certain kinds of notices with options on the Patron Registration workform - General view.
• Specify an eReceipts option - If your library has enabled eReceipts (email receipts, TXT receipts, or both) and this patron prefers to receive check-out, renewal, and fine receipts by email or TXT, select the appropriate option from the eReceipt option list. To receive email receipts, the patron record must include an email address. To receive TXT receipts, one Phone field must be a mobile phone with a selected carrier, and the TXT option must be selected for that phone number. See Add Notification Data to a Patron Record.

Patron Registration Workform - General View

Use this view to:

• Add general information to the patron record - See Add General Data to a Patron Record.
• Gender - Select patron gender from drop down menu unless gender tracking is suppressed. All drop down menus start with a (None) option followed by a list of genders specified for the specific organization. The (None) option is selected by default unless a patron has already selected a gender. Selecting (None) sets the patron's gender to "null" in the database as if they have opted out of a gender selection.
  
• Specify a statistical class - Your library defines these codes for reporting purposes.
• Set the patron's password - Enter a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 16 alphanumeric characters, and be sure that the patron records the password. For additional password format requirements, see Add General Data to a Patron Record.

This password allows the patron to access the account from the PAC. Polaris displays the password as a series of asterisks (*) for security purposes. You can set a staff override password in Polaris Administration so that patrons can access their accounts to change a forgotten password. See Set Patron Password and User Name Options.

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

• Specify a language - Select the patron’s primary language. If your library has purchased the Polaris multilingual option, and the language you select is supported for notices, the patron can receive notices in this language. For more information about setting these up in Polaris Administration, see Delivering Notices by Phone (Outbound Telephony).
• Enter the patron's birth date - Use one of the following methods:
  • Type a specific date - Select the box in the Birth date field, then type the birth date in the format shown. Use the right arrow key to move from one segment of the date to the next.
  • Select a date from a calendar - Click the down arrow in the Birth date field and select the birth date from the calendar.

Note:
You can enter a birth year in the patron record that is earlier than 1900. For example, if you do not ask patrons their birth year at registration, you can enter 1776. You can save dates as early as 1753.

• Configure user defined fields - Your library defines these fields for inclusion in the patron record. You can search for patron records by these fields.
• Start or stop the patron’s reading history - Select the Maintain permanent reading list checkbox. See Working with Reading Histories.

Note:
If this patron receives outreach services, this box is automatically selected.

• Prevent the patron record from being deleted - Select Do not delete patron record.
• Prevent the account from being submitted to collection - Select Exclude from collection agency. See Patrons in Collection.
• Prevent overdue notices to this patron - Select Exclude from overdue notice.
• Prevent hold notices to this patron - Select Exclude from hold notice. If this patron receives outreach services, and you place hold requests on the patron’s behalf as part of the services, you may want to select this option. See Outreach Services Processing.
• Prevent bills to this patron - Select Exclude from billing.
• Prevent almost overdue and auto-renew email reminder notices to this patron - Select Exclude from Almost overdue/auto-renew. See Reminder Notices.
• Prevent inactive patron email reminder notices to this patron - Select Exclude from Patron record expiration. See Reminder Notices.
• Prevent patron record expiration email reminder notices to this patron - Select Exclude from Inactive patron. See Reminder Notices.
• View the patron’s last activity date - The Last Activity Date field is updated in the following circumstances:
  • Staff client: when an item is checked out or renewed, when a quick-circ item is checked out, or when a claim is made on an item.
  • PAC: when a patron signs in, when a hold or ILL request is placed or modified, online renewal, patron information updates, payments, access to remote databases that require log-in.
  • Polaris ExpressCheck, SIP self-check units: when an item is checked out or renewed, patron account access, payments.
  • Time and print management applications: log-in.
  • Inbound telephony: access account information and renew items.

Patron Registration Workform - Status View

This view shows a quick read-only version of blocks, circulation information, and charges on the patron’s record. If you need to change this information, press F9 to open the Patron Status workform.

Patron Registration Workform - Photo View

Use this view to:

• Take a new photo - Select Launch Picture Edit > Start Camera > Take Picture. The picture appears on the right side of the Patron Photo dialog box. See Add a New Photo to a Patron Record.
• Replace an existing photo - Select Launch Picture Edit > Start Camera > Take Picture. The picture appears on the right side of the Patron Photo dialog box, replacing the old photo. See Add a New Photo to a Patron Record.
• Add an existing image - Select Launch Picture Edit > Load Picture. A Windows Explorer dialog box appears. Navigate to and select the image. See Upload an Existing Photo to a Patron Record.
• Delete a photo - Select Launch Picture Edit > Delete Photo. The image is removed from the patron record.

Patron Registration Workform - Patron Custom Data View

Use this view to enter or modify patron custom data fields. For information on setting up these fields, see Setting Up Patron Custom Data Fields.