Patron Barcode Formats Dialog Box

To open this dialog box:
In Polaris Administration, select Profiles, Staff Client, Barcodes: Patron format definition.

Use this dialog box to define valid patron barcode formats at the system, library, or branch level. Each branch can specify different barcode types for both patrons and items. You can define multiple valid formats for both patrons and items, and add and remove definitions as necessary.

Note:
The Polaris API does not support the plus symbol (+) in barcodes.

If you decide to define valid patron formats, consider defining valid item formats as well to produce more consistent messaging. You can Double-click the Staff Client profile Barcodes: Item format definition to set up item barcode formats.

• Length - Type the total number of characters (1-20) required in the barcode, including the prefix. Type * if the barcode can be any length. If you plan to use this format as the default patron barcode format, you cannot leave this field undefined (*). You must type a number.

• Prefix - Type the standard characters that can begin a valid barcode. Type * to accept any character as the prefix. If you plan to use this format as the default patron barcode format, you cannot leave this field undefined (*). You must type the characters.

• Add - Click to add the defined length and prefix to the valid barcode list.

• Remove - Select a length/prefix combination and click to remove the barcode definition from the list of valid barcodes.

• Default: On/Off (system level only) - If all your patron barcodes begin with the same prefix and only the final portion of the barcode is unique to each patron, you can set the format as the default so that staff can enter just the significant digits in a patron barcode field, and patrons can enter just the significant digits to log on at the PAC. Select the length/prefix combination to use as the default patron barcode format, and click Default On/Off. The Default column displays a check to indicate that this barcode is used as the default, for significant digit purposes. For details, see Significant Digits in Patron Barcodes. (To remove the default designation, select the default barcode and click Default: On/Off.)

• Self Registration: On/Off (system level only) - To avoid duplicates, we recommend that you create a new prefix for self registration. Select the new length/prefix combination to use it for all online patron barcode formats, and click Self Registration: On/Off. The Self Registration column displays a check to indicate that this barcode is used for all online registrations. (To remove the self registration designation, select the self registration barcode and click Self Registration: On/Off.)

  Note:
  Default: On/Off and Self Registration: On/Off settings are available only at the system level because the settings apply to all organizations. For Example, even if the default format is removed from the Patron Barcode Formats dialog box at the branch level, the default format is still in effect because it is defined at the system level.

• The Revert button allows you to undo any changes to the database that you made while you were using the dialog.