Handling Patron Accounts and Fines in the NExpress Shared Regional Catalog
Guidelines:
1. Always look up a patron who asks for a library card. He or she may already have an account at another NExpress library. Explain to the patron that one library card works at all NExpress libraries.
2. If you find an existing account for the patron, look to see if there are fines, overdue materials or notes on the account.
3. Fines or overdues for items from a library other than yours should be noted. Inform the patron about the fines or overdues that you see.
a. If the account is not debarred, you are free to check out to the account after you verify the information in the account is correct.
b. If the account is debarred or has long overdue/lost materials, ask the patron to contact the loaning library to clear the account.
c. Fines under $10 can be retained or forwarded to the loaning library, at the discretion of the director; fines over $10 should be forwarded to the loaning library.
4. You are encouraged to contact other NExpress libraries directly to facilitate resolving issues with a a patron’s account.
5. If there are no fines or outstanding materials on an existing account, then you are free to modify and/or delete the account as you see fit.
6. As a general rule, we would like patrons to have a single borrower account in the shared catalog. However, there may be times when you feel it is necessary to create a duplicate account.
7. You can change the patron’s Home Library, address, phone and all other account information without issuing a new card.
8. To issue a new or replacement library card, just overwrite the old card number in the patron’s account. You can place a note in the account showing the date the new/replacement card was issued.
Tags: block, debar, debarment, debarrment, duplicate, fines, new card, overdues, patrons, replacement
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