Patrons¶
Before importing and/or adding patrons be sure to set up your patron categories.
Add a new patron¶
Patrons are added by going to the ‘Patrons’ module.
Get there: Patrons
Once there you can add a new patron.
Click ‘New patron’
The fields that appear on the patron add form can be controlled by editing the BorrowerUnwantedField system preference.
First enter the identifying information regarding your patron
Required fields are defined in the BorrowerMandatoryField system preference
Salutation is populated by the BorrowersTitles system preference
Note
If you’d like to prevent full names from printing on slips and you’re not using the Initials or Other name fields for anything else, you can use them for shortened versions of the name to then be printed on the slip.
For example:
Firstname: Nicole C. Surname: Engard Initials: NCE
Then on the slip you can have it print the <<borrowers.initials>> instead of the full name (NCE).
Or you could do something like this:
Firstname: Nicole Surname: Engard Initials: E
Then on the slip you can have it print the <<borrowers.initials>>, <<borrowers.firstname>> instead of the full name (E, Nicole).
Next enter the contact information
For contact information, note that the primary phone and email addresses are the ones that appear on notices and slips printed during circulation (receipts, transfer slips and hold slips). The primary email is also the one that overdue notices and other messages go to.
If this patron is a child, you will be asked to attach the child patron to an adult patron
Click ‘Set to patron’ to search your system for an existing patron
If the Guarantor is not in the system, you can enter the first and last name in the fields available
The relationships are set using the borrowerRelationship system preference
If this patron is a professional, you will be asked to attach the patron to an organizational patron
Click ‘Set to patron’ to search your system for an existing patron
Each patron can have an alternate contact
An alternate contact could be a parent or guardian. It can also be used in academic settings to store the patron’s home address.
The library management section includes values that are used within the library
The card number field is automatically calculated if you have the autoMemberNum system preference set that way
Note
For a newly installed system this preference will start at 1 and increment by 1 each time after. To have it start with the starting number of your barcodes, enter the first barcode by hand in the patron record and save the patron. After that the field will increment that number by 1.
If you accidentally chose the wrong patron category at the beginning you can fix that here
Sort 1 and 2 are used for statistical purposes within your library
‘Check for previous checkouts’ is used to set the patron’s personal preference regarding checking their circulation history to see if they have borrowed this item in the past. This overrides the setting of the patron category and of the CheckPrevCheckout system preference.
Next, the library set-up section includes additional library settings
The registration date will automatically be filled in with today’s date
If your patron cards expire (based on your patron category settings) the expiry date will automatically be calculated
The OPAC note is a note for the patron - it will appear in the OPAC on the patron’s record
The Circulation note is meant solely for your library staff and will appear when the circulation staff goes to check an item out to the patron
The Staff/OPAC asks for the username and password to be used by the patron (and/or staff member) to log into their account in the OPAC and for staff to log in to the staff client.
Staff will only be able to use this log in info to log in to the staff client if they have the necessary permissions.
If you have set additional patron attributes up, these will appear next
Finally, if you have EnhancedMessagingPreferences set to ‘allow,’ you can choose the messaging preferences for this patron.
These notices are:
Advanced notice: A notice in advance of the patron’s items being due (the patron can choose the number of days in advance)
Item checkout: A notice that lists all the of the items the patron has just checked out and/or renewed, this is an electronic form of the checkout receipt
Hold filled: A notice when you have confirmed the hold is waiting for the patron
Item due: A notice on the day and item is due back at the library
Item check-in: A notice that lists all the of the items the patron has just checked in
Patrons can choose to receive their notices as a digest by checking the ‘Digest only?’ box along with the delivery method. A digest is a combination of all the messages of that type (so all items due in 3 days in one email) in to one email instead of multiple emails for each alert.
Important
These preferences will override any you set via the patron categories
Important
These preference can be altered by the patron via the OPAC
Once finished, click ‘Save’
If the system suspects this patron is a duplicate of another it will warn you.
Note
A duplicate patron is detected if first and last names match and there is no date of birth populated or if first name, last name and date of birth fields are all populated. If two patrons have matching names, but one has a date of birth and the other does not they will not match as duplicates.
If you have set a minimum or upper age limit on the patron category and are requiring that the birth date be filled in, Koha will warn you if the patron you’re adding is too old or young for the patron category you have selected:
Quick add a patron¶
If your circulation desk is very busy and you want to register patron quickly, you can use the ‘quick add’ feature. It’s a shortened version of the add patron form with only a couple of necessary fields to fill out.
This feature uses two system preferences: BorrowerMandatoryField and PatronQuickAddFields. These are the two system preferences that control which fields are in the quick add form.
To quick add a patron, go to the Patrons module
Get there: Patrons
Click on the ‘Quick add new patron’ button.
You will be asked to choose a patron category.
Then, you will be presented with a shortened form.
Once the form is filled out, click on ‘Save’.
If you need to access the full form, you can click on ‘Show full form’ above the ‘Save’ button.
Add a staff patron¶
All staff members must be entered into Koha as patrons of the ‘Staff’ type. Follow the steps in Add a Patron to add a staff member. To give the staff member permissions to access the staff client, follow the steps in patron permissions
Important
Remember to assign your staff secure usernames and passwords since these will be used to log into the staff client.
Add a statistical patron¶
One way to track use of in house items is to “check out” the materials to a statistical patron. The “check out” process doesn’t check the book out, but instead tracks an in house use of the item. To use this method for tracking in house use you first will need a patron category set up for your statistical patron.
Next, you will need to create a new patron of the statistical type.
Next, follow the steps put forth in the ‘Add a new patron’ section of this manual. Since this patron is not a real person, simply fill in the required fields, the correct library and nothing else.
To learn about other methods of tracking in house use visit the tracking inhouse use section of this manual.
Duplicate a patron¶
Sometimes when you’re adding a new family to your system you don’t want to type the contact information over and over. Koha allows for you to duplicate a patron and change only the parts you want to (or need to) change.
Open the patron you want to use as your base (the patron you want to duplicate information from)
Click the ‘Duplicate’ button at the top of their record
All of the fields with the exception of first name, card number, username and password have been duplicated. Fill in the missing pieces and click ‘Save’
Note
Clicking in a field that is already populated with data will clear that field of all information (making it easier for you to type in something different)
You will be brought to your new patron
Add patron images¶
If you would like you can add patron images to help identify patrons. To enable this feature you must first set the patronimages preference to ‘Allow’.
If the preference is set to ‘Allow’ you will see a placeholder image under the patron’s name and box to upload a patron image below the basic contact information.
In the ‘Upload patron image’ box click ‘Browse’ to find the image on your computer and ‘Upload’ to load the image on to the patron record.
Important
There is a limit of 100K on the size of the picture uploaded and it is recommended that the image be 200x300 pixels, but smaller images will work as well.
Editing patrons¶
Patrons in Koha can be edited using one of many edit buttons.
To edit the entire patron record simply click the ‘Edit’ button at the top of the patron record.
Patron passwords are not recoverable. The stars show on the patron detail next to the password label are always there even if a password isn’t set. If a patron forgets their password the only option is to reset their password. To change the patron’s password, click the ‘Change password’ button.
Koha cannot display existing passwords as they are encrypted in the database. Leave the field blank to leave password unchanged.
This form can automatically generate a random password if you click the link labeled “Click to fill with a randomly generated suggestion. Passwords will be displayed as text.”
To edit a specific section of the patron record (for example the ‘Library use’ section) click the ‘Edit’ link below the section.
A patron image can be added by browsing for the image on your machine from the ‘Manage patron image’ section.
This form will not appear if you have the patronimages system preference to not allow patron images.
To add patron images in bulk, use the Upload patron images tool.
Patrons can also be blocked from checking items out by setting Patron flags
If you would like your circulation staff to confirm a patron’s address before checking items out to the patron, you can see the ‘Gone no address’ flag
If the patron reports that they have lost their card you can set the ‘Lost card’ flag to prevent someone else from using that card to check items out
If you would like to bar a patron from the library you can add a manual restriction
Note
This flag can automatically be set with the Overdue/notice status triggers
If you enter in a date and/or note related to the restriction you will see that in the restricted message as well
Children patrons do not become adults automatically in Koha unless you have Juvenile to adult cron job running. To upgrade a child patron to and adult patron category manually go to the ‘More’ menu and choose ‘Update child to adult patron’
You will then be presented with a pop up window asking which one of your adult patron categories this Child should be updated to
Renew patron account¶
When renewing a patron account you can either edit the the expiry date manually in the patron record or use the ‘Renew patron’ option from the More menu in the toolbar at the top.
Using the latter the new expiry date will be calculated using the enrollment period configured for the patron category of the user. The system preference BorrowerRenewalPeriodBase determines if the new expiry date will be calculated from the current date or from the old expiry date.
One advantage of using the ‘Renew patron’ option is that it will be logged as a membership renewal in the action_logs table and be visible as such when using the Log viewer or the Modificaton log from the patron account.
The renewal date of the patron account will be visible on the details tab.
Managing patron self edits¶
If you are allowing patrons to edit their accounts via the OPAC with the OPACPatronDetails preference then you will need to approve all changes via the staff client before they’re applied. If there are patron edits awaiting action they will appear on the staff client dashboard below the modules list (along with other items awaiting action).
Note
Superlibrarians will see modifications for any branch, other staff will only see modifications for patrons who belong to their logged in branch.
When you click the ‘Patrons requesting modifications’ link you will be brought to a list of patrons with requested changes.
From here you can ‘Approve’ and apply the changes to the patron record, ‘Delete’ and remove the changes or ‘Ignore’ and keep the changes pending to review later.
If you would like to see the entire patron record you can click the ‘Patron details’ links to the right of the buttons. This will open in a new tab.
Merging patron records¶
If you accidentally end up with one patron with two cards it is possible to merge their records together so that you don’t lose their loan history or holds.
In the patron list, check the boxes next to the records you want to merge and click on the ‘Merge selected patrons’ button.
Note
It is possible to merge more than two records at a time.
Select the patron record you want to keep and click on the ‘Merge patrons’ button.
The checkouts and statistics will be transferred to the right record and the other one will be deleted.
Patron permissions¶
Patron permissions are used to allow staff members access to the staff client.
Important
In order for a staff member to log into the staff interface they must have (at the very least) ‘catalogue’ permissions which allow them to view the staff interface.
Setting patron permissions¶
On the patron record click ‘More’ and choose ‘Set permissions’ to alter patron permissions
You will be presented with a list of preferences, some of which can be expanded by clicking the plus sign to the left of the section title.
Patron permissions defined¶
superlibrarian
Access to all librarian functions
Note
With this selected there is no need to choose any other permissions
circulate
Check out and check in items
This section can be expanded (Learn more)
catalogue
Required for staff login. Staff access, allows viewing the catalogue in staff client
Important
Must be given to all staff members to allow them to login to the staff client
parameters
Manage Koha system settings (Administration panel)
This section can be expanded (Learn more)
borrowers
Add or modify patrons
This section can be expanded (Learn more)
permissions
Set user permissions
reserveforothers
Place and modify holds for patrons
This section can be expanded (Learn more)
editcatalogue
Edit Catalog (Modify bibliographic/holdings data)
This section can be expanded (Learn more)
updatecharges
Manage patrons fines and fees
This section can be expanded (Learn more)
acquisition
Acquisition and/or suggestion management
This section can be expanded (Learn more)
tools
Use all tools
This section can be expanded (Learn more)
editauthorities
Edit Authorities
serials
Manage serial subscriptions
This section can be expanded (Learn more)
reports
Allow access to the reports module
Reports found on the Circulation page are not controlled by this permission
This section can be expanded (Learn more)
staffaccess
Allow staff members to modify permissions for other staff members
Important
Requires the borrowers permission above
coursereserves
Course reserves
Allow access to the course reserves module
This section can be expanded (Learn more)
plugins
Koha plugins
This section can be expanded (Learn more)
lists
Lists
Important
All staff have permission to create and modify their own lists, this permission is only necessary if you’d like to give a staff member permission to delete public lists that they have not created.
This section can be expanded (Learn more)
clubs
Patron clubs
Allows access to the Patron clubs feature
This section can be expanded (Learn more)
ill
Create and modify interlibrary loan requests
self_check
Self check modules
Used for self checkin/self checkout kiosks
This section can be expanded (Learn more)
Manage stockrotation operations (stockrotation)
Used to access the stock rotation tool
This section can be expanded (:ref:Learn more <granular-stock-rotation-permissions-label>`)
Granular circulate permissions¶
If the staff member has ‘circulate’ permissions they have the ability to perform all of these actions. If you would like to control circulation permissions on a more granular level choose from these options:
circulate_remaining_permissions
Remaining circulation permissions
All circulation rights except those covered by permissions listed below
force_checkout
Force checkout if a limitation exists
With this permission a librarian will be allowed to override a check out restriction in the following cases:
age restriction
the item is issued to another patron
the item is not for loan
the patron has overdue items
the item is lost
the item is a high demand item
the item is on hold
manage_checkout_notes
Mark checkout notes as seen/not seen
The permission to manage the checkout notes written by users through the OPAC
manage_restrictions
Manage restrictions for accounts
Grants permission to the staff member to lift a restriction that might be on the patron’s record
overdues_report
Execute overdue items report
The permission to run the overdues reports found under Circulation
override_renewals
Override blocked renewals
Requires that the staff member also has circulate_remaining_permissions
Granular parameters permissions¶
If the staff member has ‘parameters’ permissions they have the ability to perform all of these actions. If you would like to control parameter permissions on a more granular level choose from these options:
manage_audio_alerts
Manage audio alerts
The ability to access the Audio alerts configuration in the administration module.
manage_auth_values
Manage authorized value categories and authorised values
The ability to access the Auhorized values configuration in the administration module.
manage_circ_rules
Manage circulation rules
The ability to access the Circulation and fines rules configuration in the administration module.
manage_circ_rules_from_any_libraries
Manage circulation rules form any library. If not set the logged in user can only edit circulation rules from their own library (please note that manage_circ_rules is still required).
manage_cities
Manage cities and towns
The ability to access the Cities and towns configuration in the administration module.
manage_classifications
Manage classification sources and filing rules
The ability to access the Classification sources configuration in the administration module.
manage_column_config
Manage column configuration
The ability the access the Configure columns page in the administration module.
manage_didyoumean
Manage Did you mean? configuration
The ability to access the Did you mean? configuration in the administration module.
manage_item_circ_alerts
Manage item circulation alerts
The ability to access the Item circulation alerts configuration in the administration module.
manage_item_search_fields
Manage item search fields
The ability to access the Item search fields configuration in the administration module.
manage_itemtypes
Manage item types
The ability to access the Item types configuration in the administratoin module.
manage_libraries
Manage libraries and library groups
The ability to access the Libraries and Library groups configuration pages in the administration module.
manage_marc_frameworks
Manage MARC bibliographic and authority frameworks and test them
The ability to access the MARC bibliographic framework, Authority types, Koha to MARC mapping, and MARC Bibliographic framework test configuration areas in the administration module.
manage_matching_rules
Manage record matching rules
The ability to access the Record matching rules configuration in the administration module.
manage_oai_sets
Manage OAI sets
The ability to access the OAI sets configuration in the administration module.
manage_patron_attributes
Manage extened patron attributes
The ability to access the Patron attribute types configuration in the administration module.
manage_patron_categories
Manage patron categories
The ability to access the Patron categories configuration in the administration module.
manage_search_engine_config
Manage search engine configuration
The ability to access the Search engine configuraton in the administration module. Note: This area will only be visible when the SearchEngine system preference is set to ‘Elasticsearch’.
manage_search_targets
Manage Z39.50 and SRU server configuration
The ability to access the Z39.50/SRU servers configuration in the administration module.
manage_sms_providers
Manage SMS cellular providers
The ability to access the SMS cellular providers configuration in the administration module. Note: This area will only be visible when the SMSSendDriver system preference is set to ‘Email’.
manage_sysprefs
Manage global system preferences
The ability to access the Global system preferences in the administration module.
manage_transfers
Manage library transfer limits and transport cost matrix
The ability to access the Library transfer limits and Transport cost matrix configuration pages in the administration module.
manage_usage_stats
Manage usage statistics settings
Ability to access the Share your usage statistics configuration in the administration module.
parameters_remaining_permissions
Remaining system parameters permissions
The ability to access all remaining areas in the administration module.
Granular borrowers permissions¶
If the staff member has ‘borrowers’ permissions they have the ability to perform all of these actions. If you would like to control borrowers permissions on a more granular level choose from these options:
edit_borrowers
Add, modify and view patron information
The ability to access the Patrons module to view patron files, as well as adding new patrons and editing patron files
view_borrower_infos_from_any_libraries
View patron infos from any libraries. If not set the logged in user could only access patron infos from its own library or group of libraries.
Granular holds permissions¶
If the staff member has ‘reserveforothers’ permissions they have the ability to perform all of these actions. If you would like to control holds permissions on a more granular level choose from these options:
modify_holds_priority
Modify holds priority
Allow staff members to alter the holds priority (moving patrons up and down the queue)
place_holds
Place holds for patrons
Granular cataloging permissions¶
If the staff member has ‘editcatalogue’ permissions they have the ability to perform all of these actions. If you would like to control cataloging permissions on a more granular level choose from these options:
delete_all_items
Delete all items at once
Ability to use the ‘Delete all items’ option found under the ‘Edit’ menu in cataloging
edit_catalogue
Edit catalog (Modify bibliographic/holdings data)
Ability to access all cataloging functions via the Cataloging page
edit_items
Edit items
Ability to make edits to item/holdings records, but not bibliographic records
edit_items_restricted
Limit item modification to subfields defined in the SubfieldsToAllowForRestrictedEditing preference
Note
Please note that edit_items permission is still required
fast_cataloging
Fast cataloging
The ability to catalog using only the Fast add framework found on the Circulation page
Granular fines and charges permissions¶
If a staff member has ‘updatecharges’ permission they have the ability to perform all of these actions. If you would like to control fines and charges permissions on a more granular level choose from these options:
remaining_permissions
Remaining permissions for managing fines and fees other than the ability to write off charges
writeoff
Write off fines and fees
Granular acquisitions permissions¶
If the staff member has ‘acquisition’ permissions they have the ability to perform all of these actions. If you would like to control acquisitions permissions on a more granular level choose from these options:
budget_add_del
Add and delete funds (but can’t modify funds)
budget_manage
Manage funds
budget_manage_all
Manage all funds
budget_modify
Modify funds (can’t create lines, but can modify existing ones)
contracts_manage
Manage contracts
currencies_manage
Manage currencies and exchange rates
The ability to access the Currencies and exchange rates configuration page.
edi_manage
Manage EDIFACT transmissions
group_manage
Manage basket groups
order_manage
Manage baskets and order lines
order_manage_all
Manage all baskets and order lines, regardless of restrictions on them
order_receive
Receive orders and manage shipments
period_manage
Manage budgets
planning_manage
Manage budget plannings
suggestions_manage
Manage purchase suggestions
vendors_manage
Manage vendors
Note: Vendors are used in the acquisition and the serials module.
Granular serials permissions¶
If the staff member has ‘serials’ permissions they have the ability to perform all of these actions. If you would like to control serials permissions on a more granular level choose from these options:
check_expiration
Check the expiration of a serial
claim_serials
Claim missing serials via the Claims section
create_subscription
Create a new subscription
delete_subscription
Delete an existing subscription
edit_subscription
Edit an existing subscription
This permission does not include the ability to delete or create a subscription
receive_serials
Serials receiving
Receive serials on existing subscriptions
renew_subscription
Renew a subscription
routing
Routing
Manage routing lists
superserials
Manage subscriptions from any branch (only applies when IndependentBranches is used)
Granular tools permissions¶
If the staff member has ‘tools’ permissions they have the ability to access and use all items under the Tools menu. If you would like to control which tools staff members have access to on a more granular level choose from these options:
access_files
Access to the files stored on the server
Access to the Upload tool
batch_upload_patron_images
Upload patron images in batch or one at a time
Access to the Image upload tool
delete_anonymize_patrons
Delete old borrowers and anonymize circulation/reading history (deletes borrower reading history)
Access to the Anonymize patron tool
edit_calendar
Define days when the library is closed
Access to the Calendar/holidays tool
edit_news
Write news for the OPAC and staff interfaces
Access to the News tool
edit_notice_status_triggers
Set notice/status triggers for overdue items
Access to the Overdue notice status/triggers tool
edit_notices
Define notices
Access to the Notices and slips tool
edit_patrons
Perform batch modification of patrons
Access to the Batch patron modification tool
edit_quotes
Edit quotes for the quote-of-the-day feature
Access to the Quote of the Day (QOTD) Editor
export_catalog
Export bibliographic, authorities and holdings data
Access to the Export data tool
import_patrons
Import patron data
Access to the Import patrons tool
inventory
Perform inventory (stocktaking) of your catalog
Access to the Inventory tool
items_batchdel
Perform batch deletion of items
Access to the Batch item deletion tool
items_batchmod
Perform batch modification of items
Access to the Batch item modification tool
items_batchmod_restricted
Limit batch item modification to subfields defined in the SubfieldsToAllowForRestrictedBatchmod preference
Note
Please note that items_batchmod permission is still required
label_creator
Create printable labels and barcodes from catalog and patron data
Access to the Label creator and Quick label creator Tools
manage_csv_profiles
Manage CSV export profiles
Access to the CSV profiles tool
manage_patron_lists
Add, edit and delete patron lists and their contents
Access to the Patron lists tool
manage_staged_marc
Manage staged MARC records, including completing and reversing imports
Access to the Manage Staged MARC Records Tool
marc_modification_templates
Manage MARC modification templates
Access to the MARC modification templates tool
moderate_comments
Moderate patron comments
Access to the Comments tool
moderate_tags
Moderate patron tags
Access to the Tags tool
records_batchdel
Perform batch deletion of records (bibliographic or authority)
Access to the Batch record deletion tool
records_batchmod
Perform batch modification of records (bibliographic or authorities)
Access to the Batch record modification tool
rotating_collections
Manage rotating collections
Access to the Rotating collections tool
schedule_tasks
Schedule tasks to run
Access to the Task scheduler tool
stage_marc_import
Stage MARC records into the reservoir
Access to the Stage MARC records tool
upload_general_files
Upload any file
Access to upload files via the Upload tool
upload_local_cover_images
Upload local cover images
Access to the Upload local cover image tool as well as permission to add and delete local cover images from the record detail page
upload_manage
Manage uploaded files
Access to uploaded files via the Upload tool
Note
upload_general_files permission is required for this permission
view_system_logs
Browse the system logs
Access to the Log viewer tool
Granular reports permissions¶
If the staff member has ‘reports’ permissions they have the ability to perform all of these actions. If you would like to control reports permissions on a more granular level choose from these options:
create_reports
Create SQL reports
The ability to create and edit but not run SQL reports
delete_reports
Delete SQL reports
execute_reports
Execute SQL reports
The ability to run but not create or edit SQL reports
Granular course reserves permissions¶
If the staff member has ‘course reserves’ permissions they have the ability to perform all of these actions. If you would like to control course reserves permissions on a more granular level choose from these options:
add_reserves
Add course reserves
delete_reserves
Remove course reserves
manage_courses
Add, edit and delete courses
Granular plugins permissions¶
If the staff member has ‘plugins’ permissions they have the ability to perform all of these actions. If you would like to control plugins permissions on a more granular level choose from these options:
configure
Configure plugins
The ability to run the ‘configure’ section of a plugin if it has one
manage
Manage plugins
The ability to install or uninstall plugins
report
Use report plugins
The ability to use report plugins
tool
Use tool plugins
The ability to use tool plugins
Granular lists permissions¶
All staff members have permission to access lists. This section only needs to be checked off if you want to give permission to a staff member to delete public lists that they have no created themselves.
delete_public_lists
Delete public lists
The ability to delete public lists created by someone else
Granular patron clubs permissions¶
If the staff member has ‘clubs’ permissions they have the ability to perform all of these actions. If you would like to control patron clubs permissions on a more granular level choose from these options:
edit_clubs
Create and edit clubs
Create and edit patron clubs using the Patron clubs tool
edit_templates
Create and edit club templates
Create and edit club templates using the Patron clubs tool
enroll
Enroll patrons in clubs
Enroll patrons from the patron file
Granular self check permissions¶
If the user has ‘self check’ permissions they have the ability to perform all of these actions. If you would like to control self check permissions on a more granular level choose from these options:
self_checkin_module
Log into the self check-in module.
** Note**
This permission prevents the patron from using any other OPAC functionality
self_checkout_module
Perform self checkout at the OPAC.
Note
This permission should be used for the patron matching the AutoSelfCheckID system preference
Granular stock rotation permissions¶
If the staff member has the ‘stock rotation’ permission they have the ability to perform all of these actions. If you would like to control stock rotation permissions on a more granular level choose from these options:
Add and remove items from rotas (manage_rota_items)
Staff with only this permission will be able to manage the items in the rotas, but not the rotas themselves
Create, edit and delete rotas (manage_rotas)
Staff with only this permission will be able to manage the rotas, but not the actual items
Patron information¶
When viewing a patron record you have the option to view information from one of many tabs found on the left hand side of the record.
Get there: Patrons > Browse or search for patron > Click patron name
Check out¶
For instruction on checking items out, view the Checking out section of this manual.
Staff members can access their own check out screen by clicking their username in the top right of the staff client and choosing ‘My checkouts’
Details¶
Note
Staff members can access their own account details by clicking their username in the top right of the staff client and choosing ‘My account’
All patron information will appear in the Details tab. This includes all the contact information, notes, custom patron attributes, messaging preferences, etc. entered when adding the patron.
In the case of patrons who are marked as ‘Child’ or ‘Professional’ and their guarantors additional information will appear on their record.
A child patron will list their guarantor
On the guarantor’s record, all children and/or professionals will be listed
Circulation summary¶
Below the patron’s information on the details screen is a tabbed display of the items they have checked out, overdue, and on hold.
Checkouts¶
The first tab shows the items the patron currently has checked out.
Relatives’ checkouts¶
If they have family at the library, staff can see what the other family members have checked out.
Fines & charges¶
The Fines & charges tab will show for all patrons, even those who don’t owe anything.
If the patron does owe money to the library, the tab will show the total amount, without any details. To see the details, go to the fines tabs.
Holds¶
If the patron has holds, the number of holds will appear on this tab’s title and the details will appear in the tab.
Note
The barcode and call number will only appear on item-level holds or holds that have been confirmed. Record-level holds that are not waiting to be picked up will not have barocdes or call numbers.
From here you can manage the patron’s holds: change the pickup library, cancel or suspend holds.
Note
You will only be able to suspend holds if the SuspendHoldsIntranet system preference is set to “Allow”.
Note
If, when suspending a hold, you want to be able to set a date at which to automatically resume the hold, set the AutoResumeSuspendedHolds system preference to “Allow” and make sure the unsuspend_holds cron job is activated.
Article requests¶
If the ArticleRequests system preference is enabled, and the circulation rules allow it, the patrons will be able to request articles, either through the OPAC or in the staff interface.
The details of the patron’s request, and its status, are visible in this tab.
Restrictions¶
The Restrictions tab will show for all patrons. If the patron has no restrictions you will see that on the tab.
If the patron has restrictions on their account the tab will show the number and the description.
- There are four kinds of restrictions:
Manual
Overdues
Suspension
Discharge
Using the ‘Add manual restriction’ button you can add a restriction to the patron record from here. This can be used for any type of restriction you need to put manually on a patron record.
The overdues restrictions are automatically set when overdue notices are sent if you specified you wanted the patron restricted in the Overdue notice/status triggers tool.
This restriction will not be removed automatically when the overdue items are returned unless the AutoRemoveOverduesRestrictions system preference is set to ‘Do’.
In the circulation rules, you can choose to fine users by suspending them instead of (or in addition to) fining them money. In that case, returning an overdue document will trigger a suspension restriction.
Patrons may also be restricted if you have issued a discharge for them. Once the discharge is validated, the patron is automatically restricted.
Restrictions on a patron record will block checkouts. In fact, a message will appear in red when going to the checkout page.
Restrictions may also prevent renewing items if the RestrictionBlockRenewing system preference is set to ‘block’.
On the OPAC, patrons will get a message saying their account is frozen. They will not be able to place holds from the OPAC.
If you have patrons that have more than one restriction, you can choose to cumulate their restriction periods or not through the CumulativeRestrictionPeriods system preference.
Note
If you want to restrict patrons from doing various actions if their record is not pristine, check the following system preferences:
Set the OverduesBlockCirc system preference to ‘Block’ to prevent patrons who have overdue materials from checking out other materials.
Set the OverduesBlockRenewing system preference to ‘block renewing for all the patron’s items’ or ‘block renewing only for this item’ to prevent patrons who have overdue materials from renewing their loans.
Enter values in the noissuescharge and NoIssuesChargeGuarantees system preferences in order to block checking out to patrons who have more than a certain amount in fines or to patrons whose guarantees owe more than a certain amount.
Enter a value in the maxoutstanding system preference to prevent patron from placing holds on the OPAC if they owe more than a certain amount.
Enter a value in the OPACFineNoRenewals system preference to prevent patron who owe more than a certain amount to renew their loans from the OPAC.
Set the BlockExpiredPatronOpacActions system preference to ‘Block’ if you want to prevent patron whose membership has expired to place hold or renew their loans from the OPAC.
Clubs¶
If you use patron clubs, patrons will have a tab in their record indicating which club they are enrolled in, if any.
Fines¶
The patron’s complete accounting history will appear on the Fines tab. Contrary to its name, the Fines tab does not just show fine data, it also shows membership fees, rental fees, reserve fees and any other charge you may have for patrons.
The table will show you the following columns:
Date: the date the charge/payment was posted
In the case of fines this will be the last day that the fine was accrued
Description: a description of the charges including the due date for overdue items and a link to the item record where one is available
Note: any notes about this charge/payment
If you’re allowing patrons to pay fines via the OPAC with PayPal (EnablePayPalOpacPayments) you will see a Note that says ‘PayPal’ for items paid this way
Amount: the total amount of the payment or charge
Outstanding: the amount still due on charge
The ability to reverse a payment
The ability to void a payment
A link to print a receipt for that line item
At the top of the table you can click the ‘Filter paid transaction’ to hide all completed transaction and above that you can use the search box to find a specific charge or payment.
Charging fines/fees¶
Most fees and fines will be charged automatically if the fines cron job is running:
Fines will be charged based on your circulation and fines rules
Hold fees will be charged based on the rules you set in the Patron types and categories administration area
Rental fees will be charged based on the settings in your Item iypes administration area
Marking an item ‘Lost’ via the cataloging module will automatically charge the patron the replacement cost for that item
Pay/reverse fines¶
Each line item can be paid in full (or written off) using the ‘Pay fines’ tab.
Each line item can be paid in full, partially paid, or written off.
Pay a fine in full
If you have a note about the payment please type that first then move on
Click “Pay” next to the fine you want to pay in full
The full amount of the fine will be populated for you in the “Collect from patron” box
There is a change feature included in this payment process. An option to specify how much money was collected when paying a fine, as well as defining how much was paid on the fine. If these numbers are different (i.e. more money was collected) a popup displaying the amount of change to be given will be displayed and require confirmation before proceeding
If one or more values are defined under the PAYMENT_TYPE authorized value category a dropdown selection box will be displayed to specify a custom payment type
If the UseCashRegisters system preference is enabled, you will have a choice of cash register in which to enter the transaction
Click “Confirm”
The fine will be removed from outstanding fines, and displayed as fully paid.
Pay a partial fine
Click “Pay” next to the fine you want to partially pay
Enter the amount you are collecting from the patron in the “Collect from patron” box
Click “Confirm”
The fine will be updated to show the original amount, and the current amount outstanding
Pay an amount towards all fines
Click the “Pay amount” button
Enter the amount you are collecting from the patron in “Collect from patron.” The sum of all fines is shown in “Total amount outstanding”
Click “Confirm”
The fine totals will be updated with the payment applied to oldest fines first.
Pay selected fines
Check the selection boxes next to the fines you wish to pay, click “Pay selected”
Enter an amount to pay towards the fines.
Click “Confirm”
The fine totals will be updated with the payment applied to the oldest selected fines first.
Writeoff a single fine
Click “Writeoff” next to the fine you wish to writeoff.
A confirmation box will appear to specify a total amount to writeoff. This box allows a partial writeoff of fines.
The fine will be removed from outstanding fines, and displayed as written off.
Writeoff selected fines
Check the selection boxes next to the fines you wish to pay, click “Writeoff selected”.
Click “Confirm”.
The fine will be removed from outstanding fines, and displayed as written off.
Writeoff all fines
Click the “Writeoff all” button
All fines will be removed from outstanding fines, and displayed as written off.
If you accidentally mark and item as paid, you can reverse that line item by clicking ‘Reverse’ to the right of the line
Once clicked a new line item will be added to the account, showing the payment as reversed
Note
You can enable email receipts for payment and writeoff transactions with the UseEmailReceipts system preference.
Creating manual invoices¶
For fees that are not automatically charged, librarians can create a manual invoice
First choose the type of invoice you would like to create
To add additional values to the manual invoice type pull down menu, add them to the MANUAL_INV authorized values
Important
The value set as the authorized value for the MANUAL_INV authorized value category will appear as the description and the authorized value description will be used as the amount.
If the fee is associated with an item you can enter its barcode so that the line item shows a link to that item
The description field is where you will enter the description of the charge
In the amount field, do not enter currency symbols, only numbers and decimals
Creating manual credits¶
Manual credits can be used to pay off parts of fines, or to forgive a fine amount.
First choose the type of credit you’d like to apply
If this credit is associated with an item you can enter that item’s barcode so that the line item links to the right item
The description field is where you will enter the description of the credit
In the amount field, do not enter currency symbols, only numbers and decimals
Printing invoices¶
To the right of each account line there is a print link. Clicking that link will print an invoice for the line item that includes the date and description of the line item along with the total outstanding on the account.
Routing lists¶
A list of all of the serial routing lists the patron belongs to will be accessible via the ‘Routing lists’ tab on the patron record.
On this tab you will be able to see and edit all of the routing lists that this patron is on.
Circulation history¶
The circulation history tab will appear if you have set the intranetreadinghistory preference to allow it to appear. If you have the OPACPrivacy system preference set to ‘Allow’ and the patron has decided that the library cannot keep this information this tab will only show currently checked out items.
If you would like to export a list of barcodes for the items checked in today you can find that option under the More menu on the top right of the page.
This will generate a text file with one barcode per line.
Modification log¶
If you have set your BorrowersLog to track changes to patron records, then this tab will appear. The Modification log will show when changes were made to the patron record. If you also have turned on the IssueLog and ReturnLog you will see checkins and outs on this screen as well.
The Librarian field shows the patron number for the librarian who made the changes
The module lists ‘MEMBERS’ for the patron module
The action will tell you what action was being logged
The Object field lists the borrowernumber that is being modified (in the example above, it was my changing my own record)
Notices¶
The patron’s messaging preferences are set when adding or editing the patron. This tab will show the messages that have been sent and those that are queued to be sent:
Clicking on the message title will expand the view to show you the full text of the message that was sent.
If the message has a status of sent or failed you will have the option to ‘resend’ the message to the patron by clicking the ‘resend’ button found under the status.
Statistics¶
Depending on what you set for the values of your StatisticsFields system preference, you can see statistics for one patron’s circulation actions.
Files¶
If you set the EnableBorrowerFiles preference to ‘Do’ the Files tab will be visible on the patron information page.
From here you can upload files to attach to the patron record.
All files that are uploaded will appear above a form where additional files can be uploaded from.
Purchase suggestions¶
If the patron has made any purchase suggestions you will see a purchase suggestions tab on the patron record.
From here you can see all suggestions made by the patron and their status, you can also create a purchase suggestion on the patron’s behalf by clicking the ‘New purchase suggestion’ button at the top.
Learn more about managing purchase suggestions in the Acquisitions chapter of this manual.
Patron discharges¶
A discharge is a certificate that says the patron has no current checkouts, no holds and owe no money. To enable this opti`on on the patron record you need to set the useDischarge system preference to ‘Allow’.
Note
In France a “quitus” (“discharge”) is needed if you want to register for an account in a library or a university.
Note
Academic libraries often require that you have a clear record at the library before you can graduate.
Patrons can request discharges via the OPAC. Any pending discharges will be listed below the menu buttons on the main staff client page
Clicking the pending requests will open a screen where you can allow those discharges
To generate a discharge for a specific patron click the ‘Discharge’ tab on the left of the patron record
If the patron can have a discharge generated then it will have a button that says ‘Generate discharge’
If not then you’ll see an error explaining why you can’t discharge the patron.
Once the letter is generated you will have a PDF to download
Note
You can style the PDF using the NoticeCSS preference.
The patron will have a restriction added to their account
And a history of discharges will be added to the ‘Discharge’ tab
Housebound patrons¶
There are three roles a patron can have in regard to housebound circulation: borrower, chooser or deliverer.
Important
In order to use the housebound module, the HouseboundModule and ExtendedPatronAttributes system preferences must be enabled.
Chooser¶
If you have enabled the housebound module, with the HouseboundModule system preference, you will see that patrons now have a new section in their record called ‘Housebound roles’.
Click the ‘Add’ button to mark this patron as a ‘Chooser’.
The chooser is in charge of choosing the materials for the housebound patron.
Deliverer¶
In the ‘Housebound roles’, click the ‘Add’ button to mark this patron as a ‘Deliverer’.
The deliverer is in charge of delivering the chosen materials to the housebound patron on a specific day at a specific time.
Housebound borrowers¶
To create a housebound profile for an housebound patron, click on the ‘Housebound’ tab in their record.
From there, you can edit their housebound profile information.
Delivery day: choose which day (or ‘Any’) the patron prefers to receive their delivery.
Frequency: choose the frequency at which they want to receive their deliveries.
Note
The frequencies are managed through the HSBND_FREQ list of authorized values.
Preferred materials: enter notes that will help the chooser choose appropriate documents for the housebound patron.
For example: books, dvds, magazines, etc.
Subjects: if the housebound patron has a preference for particular subjects, enter it here. This will help the chooser choose interesting documents for the patron.
For example: romance, cookbooks, thrillers, etc.
Authors: if the housebound patron has favorite authors, enter them here.
For example: Danielle Steel, James Patterson, etc.
Referral: if the housebound patron has a referral, enter it here.
Notes: enter any other notes that may help the chooser or the deliverer.
Click the ‘Save changes’ button to save the housebound profile.
Coordinating deliveries¶
To plan visits, go to the housebound patron’s record.
In their housebound tab, you will be able to create deliveries.
Click on ‘Add a new delivery’.
Fill out the information :
Date: Enter the date of the delivery.
Time: Select a time of day for the delivery. The choices are morning, afternoon, or evening.
Chooser: Select a chooser who will be in charge of selecting the materials for this housebound patron.
Deliverer: Select a deliverer who will be in charge of picking up the materials and bringing them over to the housebound patron.
Choosers and Deliverers can be notified of planned deliveries via reports. Example reports be found in the SQL Reports Library at https://wiki.koha-community.org/wiki/SQL_Reports_Patrons#Patron_Characteristics.
Patron search¶
Clicking on the link to the Patron module will bring you to a search/browse screen for patrons. From here you can search for a patron by any part of their name or their card number.
Clicking the small plus sign [+] to the right of the search box will open up an advanced patron search with more filters including the ability to limit to a specific category and/or library.
You can also filter your patron results using the search options on the left hand side of the page.
Depending on what you have chosen for the ‘Search fields’ you can search for patrons in various different ways.
Standard:
Enter any part of their name, username, email address or barcode
Email:
Enter any part of their email address and choose ‘Contains’ instead of ‘Starts with’
Borrower number:
Enter the Koha borrower number
Phone number:
Enter the phone number exactly as it is in the system or by using spaces between each batch of numbers.
Example: To find (212) 555-1212 you can search for it exactly as it was entered or by searching for 212 555 1212
Street address:
Enter any part of the patron’s address (includes all address fields) and choose ‘Contains’ instead of ‘Starts with’ to find the string anywhere in the address
Date of birth
Birth dates should be entered using the format set forth in the dateformat preference.
Sort field 1
This is a custom field that libraries can use for any type of data about the patron.
Sort field 2
This is a custom field that libraries can use for any type of data about the patron.
You can also choose to either search for fields that start with the string you entered or contain the string. Choosing ‘Contains’ will work like a wildcard search.
You can also browse through the patron records by clicking on the linked letters across the top.