1.1. The Knowledge Book UX Project

Testing the Knowledge Books for Usability

On This Page

Searching the OPAC catalog is similar to a keyword search in the staff client. Patrons can search the catalog by selectingt he field they wish to search, limiting by format, scoping to their library, and entering search terms.

Over the course of the 2024-2025 fiscal year, the NC Cardinal team engaged in a series of Usability Tests to determine what changes need to be made to the Knowledge Books to make them more user-friendly.

Background

The NC Cardinal Knowledge Books offer documentation of the Evergreen ILS, with information about functions and instructions for using the software. Additionally, policies specific to NC Cardinal, such as cataloging standards and information about Resource Sharing, are included in the books. At the time the tests were conducted, there were a total of 14 individual books, divided into 73 total chapters. Topics covered included:

• About NC Cardinal
• Circulation in Evergreen
• Cataloging in NC Cardinal
• Administration Manual for Libraries
• Reports in Evergreen
• Resource Sharing
• Student Access Initiative
• Acquisitions in Evergreen
• Serials in Evergreen
• Offline Transactions
• Evergreen Upgrades
• Libraries Migrating into NC Cardinal
• Summon Documentation
• Troubleshooting in Evergreen

Our goal was to discover whether users find the knowledge book content useful, and identify any impediments to accessing the content.

Methodology

We invited 16 volunteers to review the existing books through a series of tests. These included:

• Paraphrase Testing: We asked staff to read sections of the Knowledge Books that were unrelated to their main role and summarize the information contained in that section. This test sought to check for the clarity of the text and the completeness of the content.
• Task Based Testing: We asked staff to locate instructions to complete specific tasks in the books. We were looking to see both how they attempted to locate the information needed to complete the task, and whether or not they were successful in finding that information.
• Card Sorting: We created virtual "cards" with topics and existing chapters from current books and asked participants to sort them into the categories that made the most sense. We were hoping to determine the best way to organize topics and suggestions of helpful naming conventions.

Key Findings

Issues with the Search Function

The search function was rarely accurate when participants attempted to use it. Further feedback from the Annual Staff Survey reinforced this finding. 

Text Heavy/Density of Content

Some chapters and pages have too much information to easily parse. This makes it difficult to find the content needed, and,in some cases, hard to understand the instructions once located.

Difficult to Browse

Some books are too big and include too many disparate topics. This makes it difficult to know which book to go to when looking for information for the first time.

Recommendations

1. Continue to explore ways to improve the search function. At this time, we have not found a solution, but it remains on our radar.
2. Re-word pages to follow these guidelines:
   1. All processes should be laid out in numbered instruction lists.
   2. Each page should have a summary at the top explaining the page's content.
   3. Avoid jargon. Where jargon is unavoidable, include a glossary of terms.
   4. Add screenshots when possible to illustrate functions or processes.
3. Re-organize content to be more topic- and workflow-focused:
   1. Large books should be broken up into 2 or more smaller books (for example, chapters on patron account management should be in their own book, instead of in the Circulation Book).
   2. Pages with multiple functions or sets of instructions should be divided into multiple pages, each devoted to only one function or instruction.
   3. Pages should include direct links to other relevant pages.

1.2. What is this Book?

The Prototype

The Patron Account Management book is a prototype of our plans for the re-organization of the existing Knowledge Books. For the most part, it does not contain new information. Instead, it takes the existing instructions and documentation originally found in disparate chapters in other books and brings in together in a dedicated book. 

The existing documentation has been edited for clarity and to reflect new guidelines for written instructions, and screenshots have been updated as needed.

What Do We Need From You?

We are still soliciting feedback. If you have time to review this book, please share your thoughts via this form.

2.1. Searching for Patrons

How to Search for Patrons

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On This Page

Before issuing a library card to someone, staff at every NC Cardinal library must search Evergreen for patrons with matching name and other identifiers. To search for a patron, select Search for Patrons from the Search menu in the menu bar. 

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Words to Know

Scope: The level in the org unit structure you're searching. A search can be scoped to the branch, system, or entire NC Cardinal Consortium.

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Navigate to the Search Screen

Before issuing a library card to someone, staff at every NC Cardinal library must search the consortium database in Evergreen for an existing patron account. 

To search for a patron, select Search for Patrons from the Search menu in the menu bar.

The Patron Search screen will display. It will contain options to search on the following fields:

• Last Name
• First Name
• Middle Name

Next to the Clear Form button there is a button with an arrow pointing down that will display the following additional search fields:

• Barcode
• Alias
• Username
• Email
• Identification
• Database ID
• Phone
• Street 1
• Street 2
• City
• State
• Postal Code
• Profile Group
• Home Library
• DOB (date of birth) year
• DOB month
• DOB day

Conduct a search

1. Enter the patron's first and last name. Check to make sure their name has not changed recently, and double check spelling.
2. Scope your search to the whole consortium by selecting CARDINAL from the library drop-down field.
   
3. Include patrons marked “inactive” by clicking on the Include Inactive? checkbox.
   

Some tips for effective searching:

• Search one field or combine fields for more precise results.
• Truncate search terms for more search results.
• Search ignores punctuation such as diacritics, apostrophes, hyphens and commas.
• Search by Date of Birth: Year searches are "contains" searches. E.g. year "15" matches 2015, 1915, 1599, etc. For exact matches use the full 4-digit year. Day and month values are exact matches. E.g. month "1" (or "01") matches January, "12" matches December.

Note: Some fields, such as the Profile Group and the library dropdown list, are "sticky" - they do not reset to the default after you change them - so be sure to reset them (as above) before leaving the search screen.

Accessing the Patron's Account

After searching, the grid will populate with all patrons who fit the parameters of the search. If there are multiple options:

1. Verify the patron's date of birth against the date shown in the DOB column of the grid.
2. Once you have located the desired patron, click on the entry row for this patron in the results screen.
3. A summary for this patron will display on the left hand side. Use the details in this summary to further verify the patron's identity,

The Patron Search button on the upper right may be used to refine or resume searching for patrons. Once you have verified that you have found the correct patron, click the blue linked barcode in the Card column to go to the patron's account.

2.2. Registering New Patrons

How to Register New Patrons

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On This Page

To register a new patron, select Register Patron from the Circulation menu and fill in the required fields. The patron's first and last name, date of birth, email, daytime phone, preferred primary branch, and Main (Profile) permission group are required. The patron's profile group may impact circulation rules and hold limits. 

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Words to Know

Permission Group: The patron profile that sets permissions about what resources a patron may access and the circulation and hold policies that will apply to them.

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Patron Registration Form

To register a new patron, select Register Patron from the Circulation menu in the menu bar. The Patron Registration form will display.

Required Fields

Fields that are mandatory for Evergreen to properly save the record are displayed in yellow. NC Cardinal has a default selection of required fields common to all libraries. Your library system may add or remove requirements based on local policy, however, first and last name, as well as date of birth are required by NC Cardinal. Some requested fields may be configured in the Library Settings Editor. Your library's System Administrator can find a link to this page by navigating to the Local Administration splash page from the Administration menu.

Note: The Show: Required Fields and Show: Suggested Fields links may be used to limit the options on this page, based on your library system's policy. 

To create a new patron record, fill in the following fields:

• Barcode: Scan a new card to fill in this field. Barcodes can be updated in the future if needed.
• Username: This field will fill in automatically to match the barcode. This can be changed to reflect a patron-selected username.
• Password: This field will be pre-filled when the Patron Registration screen opens and may change when you enter the patron's daytime telephone number or barcode, depending on how your library configures PINs. This can be changed by patron request.
• Date of Birth: You can use the calendar icon to select the patron's date of birth from a calendar widget.
  
• Email: A valid email address must be entered and the Email checkout receipts by default box checked if patrons wish to receive hold notifications via email by default. If a valid email address is not provided by patrons, staff should remember to un-check the Email checkout receipts by default box to remove the Email field from being a required field (highlighted in yellow). The use of invalid email addresses on patron accounts may disable patrons from utilizing features in Evergreen, such as the use of Self Check Stations.
• Daytime Phone: Enter the phone number with dashes and no parentheses.
• Home Library: Choose the patron's preferred primary branch from this drop-down. Patrons may select alternative locations for hold pickups when placing holds.
• Main (Profile) Permission Group: Select the patron's profile group from this drop-down. This group may impact circulation rules and hold limits. Secondary Groups should never be applied to patron accounts (reserved for staff login access accounts only).
  

  Using the "Permission Tree Display Entries" feature found in the the "Administration" Tab, under "Permission Tree Display Entries", library systems are able to edit the Profile Permission Groups listed in the drop down menu provided for the "Main (Profile) Permission Group" to limit the list to only the Profile Permission Groups that are used within the system when registering new users. Please submit a Help Ticket for assistance if your system is interested in using this feature.

• Update Expire Date: This will be set automatically when the Main (Profile) Permission Group is selected. You don't need to take further action when registering a patron.
• Address: The address fields must be filled out. Further details on selecting mailing versus physical addresses are below, in the Mailing and Physical Address section of this page.

Preferred Name

If the patron has a preferred name, that can be included in receipt templates and some notifications by being included in the account under the Preferred Name tab.

User Settings

Staff should request default hold notification and pickup information from patrons while creating patron accounts. Enter this information in the User Settings section. 

• Default Hold Pickup Location: Select whichever branch your patron prefers. However, the patron can select any other branch in your system at the time of placing a hold if they need to.
• Holds Notices: Select the method by which the patron wants to receive hold notices.
  • For email, the information entered with the patron information above will be used.
  • For phone, enter a default phone number for these notifications (may or may not be the same as the daytime phone number above).
  • For SMS/text, enter a phone number and the patron's cellular carrier. If the patron's carrier is not included in the list, submit a help ticket.
• Receive Overdue, Courtesy, and Expiration Emails: This field is checked by default. NC Cardinal recommends leaving it checked unless the patron is unable to receive emails.

Mailing and Physical Address

The Address section defaults to check both Mailing and Physical address.

• If a patron has only one type of address (physical but no mailing, or mailing but no physical) de-select the unnecessary type.  
• If the patron's physical address is different from their mailing address (such as a PO Box), select only the mailing address, then fill in the form for that address. Next, click on the New Address button and select Physical Address.

When entering address information, enter the Postal Code first. The appropriate City, County, and State information should fill automatically based on information provided by libraries to NC Cardinal staff. 

 

 

Statistical Categories

Statistical categories may be created for information tracked by your library that is not part of the standard patron record (such as whether the patron is a library trustee or volunteer, etc.). Statistical categories are for data tracking purposes (with no impact on circulation and hold policies) and may be configured in the Statistical Categories Editor (Administration → Local Administration → Statistical Categories Editor). These are statistical categories that display by default for all libraries in NC Cardinal.

Saving

When finished entering the necessary information, select Save to save the new patron record or Save & Clone to register another patron with the same address. Selecting Save & Clone groups these two (or more) cloned patron account and address information is copied into the resulting patron registration screen. For more information, see Patron Groups.

 

2.3. Patron Self-Registration

3.1. Retrieving Patron Accounts

3.2. Patron Information Pane

3.3. Patron Account Tabs

3.4. The Other Menu

4.1. Editing and Updating Patron Data

4.2. Updating Expired Patron Accounts

By default, patron cards are set to expire after three years. Limited cards and some other profile types may expire sooner. When retrieved, an expired patron account includes an alert stating that the “Patron account is EXPIRED.”

To renew an expired account, or to extend the date for an account that is set to expire soon:

1. Navigate to the Edit tab.
2. Navigate to the information field labeled Privilege Expiration Date.
3. Clicking the Update Expire Date button will automatically set a new expiration date based on the standard account length for the patron's permission group.
   
4. Click the Save button at the top of the page.
5. The screen will refresh and the “expired” alerts on the account will be removed.

Quick Tip: If you need to set a custom date, enter a new date in the date field. Or click the calendar icon, and a calendar widget will display to help you easily navigate to the desired date.

4.3. Creating a New Library Card for an Existing Patron

Replacement Library Cards

On This Page

When patrons lose their library cards or a new library takes over an existing account, staff may assign a new barcode to an existing patron account from the Edit tab of the account. Steps to do so are outlined below. Patrons may have multiple active barcodes assigned to one account, but only one of these barcodes will be designated the primary barcode.

Note: Do NOT replace barcode or change the School permission group for Student Access accounts.

To Replace a Barcode

1. Retrieve the patron record as described in the section Searching Patrons.
2. Open the patron record in edit mode as described in the section Updating Patron Information.
3. Next to the Barcode field, select the Replace Barcode button.
4. This will clear the barcode field. Enter a new barcode.
5. Click the Save button at the top of the page.
6. The screen will refresh and the new barcode will display in the patron summary pane.

If a patron’s barcode is mistakenly replaced, the old barcode may be reinstated.

1. Retrieve the patron record as described in the section Searching Patrons.
2. Open the patron record in edit mode as described in the section Updating Patron Information.
3. Select the See All button next to the Replace Barcode button. This will display the current and past barcodes associated with this account.
4. Check the box(es) for all barcodes that should be “active” for the patron. 
5. Select the barcode that should be the primary barcode (matching the patron's library card). 
6. The primary barcode displays in the patron’s summary information in the Library Card field.
7. Click the Save button at the top of the page.
8. The screen will refresh and the new barcode will display in the patron summary pane.

Note: Any active barcode may be used for circulation transactions. A patron may have more than one active barcode. However, only one barcode may be designated primary.

4.4. Patron Passwords

Verifying and Resetting a Patron Password

On This Page

Staff may verify a patron's PIN from the staff client using the Verify Credentials function. PINs may be reset from the OPAC or through the staff client. 

Verifying the Patron's Password

A patron's existing password is not displayed in patron records for security reasons. If staff are assisting patrons to verify whether their password is correct, there are two options that allow staff to verify passwords without view the password:

From the Patron Account

1. Click on the Other menu in the patron account.
2. Select Test Password from the drop-down menu.
   
3. If possible, have the patron type their PIN in the password field of the Verify Credentials screen. If it's not possible for the patron to type it, staff may type it, but recommend the patron update thier PIN from the OPAC to maintain security.
4. Click the Verify button.
   

If the PIN is incorrect, you will get the following error message: "Failure testing credentials."

If the PIN is correct, you will get the following confirmation message: "Success testing credentials."

From the Circulation Menu

To verify a patron's PIN wihtout navigating to their account first:

1. From the Circulation menu, select Verify Credentials.
   
   
2. Scan the patron's barcode into the barcode field.
3. If possible, have the patron type their PIN in the password field of the Verify Credentials screen. If it's not possible for the patron to type it, staff may type it, but recommend the patron update thier PIN from the OPAC to maintain security.
4. Click the Verify button.
   
5. If the verification attempt fails, you can access the patron's account to update the PIN by clicking the Retrieve button.

Resetting Patron’s Password

A patron’s password may be reset from the OPAC or through the staff client. To reset the password from the staff client, click the Retrieve button after verifying PIN, or retrieve the patron record as described in the section Searching for Patrons. Navigate to the Edit tab.

1. Enter the desired password conforming to your library's policy or patron request. As an alternative, you may select the Generate Password button next to the Password field.
2. A new number will populate the Password text box. Note the new password.
3. Save the patron record.
4. The screen will refresh and the new password will be suppressed from view.

Alternatively, patrons may reset their passwords themselves via email. From the Edit tab:

1. Verify the patron's email address.
2. Click the Send Password Reset Link button.
3. The patron will receive an email with a link allowing them to reset their own PIN.
   

4.5. Barring and Blocking Patron Accounts

While Evergreen has built-in thresholds that may temporarily block a patron from checking out materials when they have reached a maximum number of items checked out, or exceeded a total amount due in fines, sometimes staff may find it necesarry to manually block a patron for actions or situations outside of circulation functions. The parameters for making this decision are based on your library's local policies. Regardless of the reason for the block, staff may use one of the following functions to enact it in Evergreen.

Barred vs. Blocked

Barred: Stops patrons from using their library cards and alerts the staff that the patron is banned from the library. The “check-out” functionality is disabled for barred patrons with no option to override.  These patrons may still log in to the OPAC to view their accounts.

Blocked: Whether set manually or as the result of circulation-related activity, a blocked account stops patrons from using their library cards and alerts staff that they are unable to checkout materials until the block has been cleared. In many cases, staff with higher permission levels may override a block to allow checkouts. These patrons may still log in to the OPAC to view their accounts.

Blocking a Patron (Manually)

Any blocks related to circulation ativites, such as exceeding max fines or checkouts, will be applied automatically and removed as soon as materials are turned in or fines are paid. To add a manual block for a non-circulation-related reason:

1. In the patron's account, navigate to the Notes tab.
2. Click the Create Note button.
   
3. Select Alerting Block on Circ, Hold and Renew from the Penalty Type drop-down menu.
   
4. Select which libraries this block should apply to: Branch for a single physical location within your system; System for all locations within your system; Everywhere for all NC Cardinal libraries in the Consortium.
5. Add a title and text to the note explaining the reason for the block and the actions needed to remove the block.
6. Add your initials to the bottom left text field.
7. Click OK.

If a patron attempts to checkout an item while manually blocked, they will trigger an exception with an error type of STAFF_CHR. Staff with Circulation Lead permissions or higher may override the block to allow the checkout.

When the criteria for removing the block has been achieved, staff may Remove or Archive the blocking alert to allow circulation to resume normally. See the section on Staff Generated Notes and Alerts (ADD A LINK ONCE PAGE IS CREATED) for more details on removing and archiving notes. 

Barring a Patron

A patron may be barred from circulation activities as determined by your library leadership. This action requires Circulation Lead permissions.

1. Navigate to the Edit tab in the patron account.
2. Check the box for Barred.
   
   
3. Click Save at the top of the page.
4. It is recommended, but not necesarry, to add an alert explaining the barring to the account.

When staff navigate to the patron's account, they will see an alert message indicating that the account is BARRED.

To unbar a patron, simply uncheck the box in their account and click Save.

Note: Barring a patron from one library bars that patron from all consortium member libraries. 

4.6. Staff Generated Notes, Alerts

On This Page

Staff can add three types of messages to patron accounts from the Notes tab: Silent Notes, Alerts, and Blocking Alerts. Each type of message can be made patron visible and modified. Patron visible messages may not be deleted by staff if the patron has read the note, but they may be archived. All other messages may be archived or deleted when no longer needed.

There are several types of messages available for staff to leave notes on patron records.

• Patron Notes:  Also called Silent Notes, these messages are visible in the staff client, but don't appear on the alerts landing page. They are best suited for information that is meant to be communicated to the patron, but is not necesarry for staff to see.
• Patron Alerts:  These messages appear in the staff view of the patron account on the alerts landing page and in the left hand summary of the patron account. They do not impact the functionality of the account, but are useful for sharing information that staff should be aware of when interacting with the patron.
• Blocks:  These messages appear in the staff client on the alerts landing page and in the left hand summary of the patron account. They also impact the functionality of the account, blocking certain circulation functions as defined in your library settings. For more information on manually blocking patrons, see the page in this book on Barring and Blocking Patron Accounts.

All three message types are added via the Notes tab in the patron record. 

Patron Notes

Notes are strictly communicative. They may be staff-only notes or they may be made visible to the patron. In the staff client, they are only visible if staff navigate to the Notes tab. In the OPAC, patron visible notes display in the Messages tab of the Account Summary screen when the patron is logged into their account.

Creating a Note

To create a new Note:

1. Go to the Notes tab in the patron account and click Create Note.

2. A modal will appear where you can create a new Note. Required fields are highlighted in yellow.

3. Select Note at the top of the screen.

4. Check the box next to Patron Visible for a note that will display in the patron’s OPAC account. Leave it unchecked to create a note that is staff visible only.

5. The Depth drop down menu controls the visibility of the note. Values correspond to OPAC labels, and by default they are This Branch, Local Library System, and Everywhere.

6. Enter a title or subject for the note in the Title field. The title field is required.

7. Enter the main content of the note in the Note Text field.

8. Enter your initials if your library requires initials when creating notes on patron accounts.

9. Click OK to create the note.

Patron Alerts

There are two types of Patron Alerts:

System-generated alerts: Once the cause is resolved (e.g. patron’s account has been renewed), the message will disappear automatically.

Staff-generated alerts: Must be added and removed manually.

When an account has an alert on it, a Stop sign is displayed when the record is retrieved.

Navigating to an area of the patron record using the navigation buttons at the top of the record (for example, Edit or Bills) will clear the message from view.

If you wish to view these alerts after they are cleared from view, they may be retrieved. Use the Other menu to select Display Alert and Messages.

Creating an Alert

To create a new Alert:

1. Go to the Notes tab in the patron account and click Create Note.

2. A modal will appear where you can create a new Alert. Required fields are highlighted in yellow.

3. Select Alert at the top of the screen.

4. The Depth drop down menu controls the visibility of the note. Values correspond to OPAC labels, and by default they are This Branch, Local Library System, and Everywhere.

5. Enter a title or subject for the alert in the Title field. The Title field is required.

6. Enter the main content of the alert in the Note Text field.

7. Enter your initials if your library requires initials when creating alerts on patron accounts.

8. Click OK to create the alert.

Note: By default, the Location of the note will be set to the workstation library. The note will be visible to the workstation library, as well as all Org Units that are ancestors and descendants in the Org Unit hierarchy.

Blocks

Messages can be edited by staff after they are created.

To edit an alert, note, or block:

1. check the box next to the Penalty Name under the Notes tab.
   
2. From the Actions dropdown menu, select Edit Note.
   
3. To change the type of message, click on Note, Alert, Block to select the new type.
4. Edit or add new text in the message body.
5. Insert your initials and select OK to save your changes.

Messages which are no longer current can be archived by staff. This action will remove any alerts or blocks associated with the message, but retains the information contained there for future reference.

To archive an alert, note, or block, check the box next to the Penalty Name under the Notes tab.

From the Actions dropdown menu, select Archive Note.

Archived messages will be shown in the section labelled Archived Notes. By default, messages archived within the past year will be listed. To retrieve messages from earlier dates, change the start date to the desired date.

Once archived, notes, alerts, and blocks cannot be deleted from the Notes tab. Archived patron visible notes will continue to display in the patron’s OPAC account unless they are deleted from the Other → Message Center interface.

4.7. Marking Patrons Inactive

How to Mark Patrons Inactive

On This Page

Patron accounts may be deactivated, which will remove them from standard searches and make it impossible for anyone to utilizet hat patron's card, but will retain the patron's data in the system. Instructions for deactivation are outlined blow.

If staff are notified that a patron is deceased, has moved away or no longer wants their library account for any reason, the account should be annotated appropriately and deactivated.

1. Place an alert on the card with the appropriate message, such as “PATRON DECEASED."
2. Include the date that the library was notified of the change.
3. If the card holder was reported deceased, include the name of the person making the report to staff and their relationship to the patron.
4. Mark the patron account inactive by unchecking the Active box.
5. Mark the account as expired by clicking the calendar icon next to the Privelege Expiration Date field, and clicking the button for Today.
6. Click Save at the top of the page.
7. The page will refresh and the account will be marked inactive.

After deactivating, NC Cardinal recommends adding the account to a User Bucket of patrons to be purged. Purging (permanent deletion) can be scheduled to happen at regular intervals (semi-annually, annually, or bi-annually). For details on this process, see Batch Deleting Users in the User Buckets chapter.

Note: Do not purge accounts without first deactivating them. The "Deleted" flag in the Evergreen database is a separate field from the "Active" flag, and some reports may mistakenly include data on patrons who have been deleted but not deactivated. Deactivation is not possible after deletion, so must be done first.

4.8. Deleting Patron Accounts

Purging, or Permanently Deleting a Patron

On This Page

Evergreen offers three methods to retrieve patrons: Search for Patrons, Retrieve Last Patron, and Retrieve Recent Patrons. To retrieve patrons via search, select Search for Patrons from the Search menu and fill in patron details in the search form. If a patron returns to the desk after you have closed their account, you can re-open their account by selecting Retrieve Last Patron from the Circulation menu. To retrieve multiple recent patrons, first configure the option in the Library Settings Editor. Once configured, the option to retrieve recent patrons will appear in the Circulation menu.

Patron accounts should not be purged upon notification that a patron has moved or no longer wants their card. Instead, NC Cardinal reccomends deactivating accounts as needed, which allows the accounts to be reactivated, and retains the patron's data for statistical purposes. Purging should happen at regular intervals, and only be applied to accounts that have been inactive for a specified period of time, as determined by your library policies.

To Permanently Delete Patron Accounts Individually

1. First, ensure the patron has been marked inactive (see Marking Patrons Inactive for details on this process).
2. From the Other menu, select Completely Purge Account.
3. A warning will pop up. Click OK/Continue.
4. A second warning will pop up. Click OK/Continue again.
5. If the patron has open transactions or owes any money, you may be blocked for deletion.

After deleting, the patron will no longer be retrieveable. You may be able to get limited information about the patron through a report, but their account CANNOT be reinstated.

To delete patron accounts in batch, see Batch Deleting Users in the User Buckets chapter.

Note: In some cases, such as when an item was lost and the transaction for the item was not properly closed out before the item was deleted, you may be blocked from purging the patron's account with no indication as to why. If this is the case, submit a help ticket to request that the account be deleted.

5.1. What are Patron Groups?

5.2. Grouping New Patrons

Group Multiple New Patrons On Registration

If a family comes in to request library cards, you can group them at the point of registration.

1. Following the instructions for registering a new patron, create an account for the Parent or Guardian who will serve as the group lead.
2. Click Save and Clone.
   
   
3. This will save the parent account and open a new registration form.
4. Register the juvenile account. When you save, the account will automatically link to the parent's account.
5. Continue to click Save and Clone and register new accounts until all the juveniles have been registered and linked with the parent account.

Group an Existing Patron Account with a New Patron Registration

New patron registrations can be grouped with existing patrons.

1. Bring up the record of the existing patron account to be grouped before registering the new patron. 
2. Navigate to the Edit tab in the existing patron account and click the Save & Clone button to bring up a linked registration page.
3. Register the new patron.
4. If adding more than one new patron, continue to click the Save & Clone button until all new patrons are registered.

Group a New Patron from the Group Member Details Page 

1. Click the Other tab in the existing patron account and choose Group Member Details from the dropdown menu.
   
2. Click the selection box for the line with the existing group lead in the grid.
3. Choose Register a New Group Member by Cloning Selected Patron from the Actions menu.
   
4. Register the new patron as normal. When you save, the account will automatically be linked with the existing patron. 

5.3. Grouping Existing Patrons

To group 2 or more existing patron accounts after registration:

1. Navigate to the group lead/parent account.
2. Select the Other tab located at the top of the window, below the green bar and choose Group Member Details from the drop down menu.
   
3. Select Move Another Patron To This Group from the Actions menu.
   
4. Scan the child's barcode.
   
5. Confirm this action by selecting Move User.
   
   
6. After confirming this action, you should see both patrons displayed in the Group Member Details grid. If the grid is empty, refresh your screen and both patrons should appear. Repeat as needed to add any additional child accounts.

5.4. Penalties and Grouped Accounts

Manually Blocking Grouped Accountss

On This Page

Libraries may choose to manully block accounts when linked accounts have been blocked. Patrons may not view fines owed by group members, but staff may. If a library policy states that parent accounts should be blocked when linked juvenile accounts have been blocked, staff may follow instructions for creating an alerting block to block the parent account.

Evergreen does not have an automated mechanism for initiating a block on group accounts based on the bloacked status of a single member of the group. Any group or family limits set by a library system would have to be enforced “manually” by staff. Evergreen does permit staff-initiated manual blocks on patron accounts  if your local policy requires it.

Viewing Group Fines

Patrons may not view fines owed by other group members in the OPAC. However, staff can view group mmber fines from a single member's account in two places.

In the Patron Summary

On the left-hand side of the patron account, Group Fines are listed along with other circulation summary details.

In the Group Member Details Page

THe grid with patron information about each group member in the Group Member Details page (available from teh Other drop-down tab) includes a coumn for Balance Owed which shows total fines owed by each group member.

Manually Blocking Group Members

If your library enacts a policy of blocking parent accounts when juvenile accounts are blocked, you can do so manually.

1. From the blocked juvenile account, navigate to the Group Member Details page.
2. Select the line for the parent account by checking the box.
3. From the Action menu, select Retrieve Selected Patrons.
   
4. This will open a new tab with the parent account.
5. Navigate to the Notes tab.
6. Click the Create Note button.
7. Select Alerting Block from the Penalty Type drop-down in the resulting pop-up modal.
8. Set the depth to Everywhere.
9. Give the note a title. In the description, list the linked account that's blocked the reason for the block.
   
10. Add your initials.
11. Click OK.

Manually Un-Blocking Group Members

When a blocked account is cleared, any linked accounts that have been manually blocked will remain blocked. When you open an account and see an alert that the patron is blocked due to a block on a linked account, you should always check to see if the linked account has been cleared. If it has, you can manually remove the linked blocks.

1. From the main account, navigate to the Group Member Details page.
2. Select the line for the account listed as initiating the block in the alert by checking the box.
3. From the Action menu, select Retrieve Selected Patrons.
4. This will open the account with the originating block in a new tab. If the linked patron is still blocked, you will immediately be directed to the Alerts page where the block will be listed. If the block is clear, the name will no longer appear in red, and the bills tab will show an amount below your library's blocking threshold.
5. Return to the original patron. Navigate to the Notes tab.
6. Select the blocking alert.
7. Select Remove Note from the Actions menu.
   
8. The block will be cleared.

6.1. Patron Statistical Categories

When registering a new patron, your library may utilize Patron Statistical Cateogries, or Stat Cats, to keep track of information such as a patron’s school affiliation, membership in a group like the Friends of the Library, or patron preferences. They appear in the fourth section of the Patron Registration or Edit Patron screen, under the label Statistical Categories. 

Default Patron Stat Cats

NC Cardinal configures Evergreen to include 4 default stat cats. These are not required when registering patrons, but may be used by your library for reporting purposes. Make sure you know your local policies regarding assigning these policies to patrons.

• Student Gender: Used for tracking demographic data about Student Access Patrons.
• Student School: Used for tracking school participation in the Student Access Initiative.
• Internal: 
• Senior Citizen: Used for tracking demographic information about patron age groups.

Types of Stat Cat Entries

Stat Cats fall into three categories, in terms of how data is entered for them.

• Free Text: Staff can add any text to the stat cat field. When running a report on this data, you can filter on the category, but not the entry.
• Multiple Choice: Staff can choose one of several pre-defined options for the category by selecting from a drop-down list in the field.
• Yes/No: A type of multiple choice, staff can select yes or no from the drop-down field for the category.

6.2. Adding Stat Cats to New Patrons

Adding Stat Cats to Patron Accounts When Registering Them

On This Page

To add Stat Cats to patron accounts, select the correct option from the drop-down fields or fill in the text box for free text fields.

Stat Cats can be added to patron accounts upon registration. First, fill in the top 3 sections of patron registration form. The stat cats will be located at the bottom of the form, after the address section.

• For Multiple Choice stat cats, select the best option from the drop down menu.
  
• For Yes/No stat cats, select the best option from the drop down menu.
  
• For Free Text stat cats, locate the text field, further to the right of the drop down options, and fill in whatever text is appropriate.
  

Note: Some libraries may require certain stat cats. If your library does, the fields will be highlighted in yellow, and you will not be able to save the account until the field has been filled in.

7.1. Creating User Buckets

Creating User Buckets

On This Page

Buckets can be created at the point of adding patrons. This page explains how to create a bucket from the User Buckets interface, as well as the process for sharing buckets and retrieving shared buckets.

User Buckets allow staff to batch delete and make batch modifications to user accounts in Evergreen.

Buckets may be created at the time users are added (see Adding Users to Buckets for more details on this process) or they can be creted first and patrons added later, following the process below.

1. From the Circulation menu, select User Buckets.
2. In the buckets interface, from the Buckets drop-down, select New Bucket.
   
3. Name the bucket in the pop-up modal.
4. If other staff will be working with this bucket, check the box to make it Shareable.
5. Click Create Bucket.

How to Share a Bucket

1. Create the bucket as described above, making sure to click the Shareable button.
2. Locate the bucket ID number in the top right above the grid.
   
3. Share that number with other staff who need to access the bucket.

To access a shared bucket using the ID number:

1. Select Shared Bucket from the Buckets drop-down in the bucket interface.
2. Enter the bucket ID number in the pop-up modal.
   
3. Click Load Bucket.

7.2. Adding Patrons to User Buckets

How to Add Patrons to Buckets

On This Page

User accounts can be added to User Buckets individually or by uploading a file of user barcodes. Staff can add patrons to buckets via the Patron Search or in the Bucket interface directly. Instructions for each method are outlined on this page.

User accounts can be added to User Buckets by scanning individual user barcodes or by uploading a file of user barcodes directly in the User Bucket interface. They can also be added to a User Bucket from the Patron Search screen. Batch changes and batch edit sets are tied to the User Bucket itself, not to the login of the bucket owner.

Add to Bucket from the Patron Search

To add users to a bucket via the Patron Search screen:

1. Enter your search criteria. Select the users from the results list you want to add to the user bucket by checking the box next to each user row. You can also hold down the CTRL or SHIFT on your keyboard and select multiple users.

2. Click Add to Bucket and select an existing bucket from the drop down menu or click New Bucket to create a new user bucket.

3. After adding users to a bucket, an update will appear at the bottom-right-hand corner of the screen that says "Successfully added # users to bucket [Name]".

Add Patrons to a Bucket via the Bucket Interface Individually

1. Scan or type the barcodes of the users that you want to add to the selected bucket into the Scan Card field. Each user account will be added to the Pending Users tab. 
2. Select the user accounts that you want to add to the bucket by checking the box next to each user row or by checking the 'select all' box at the top of the grid.
3. From the Actions menu, select Add To Bucket or right-click on a selected user account to view the Actions menu and select Add To Bucket.
4. The user accounts will move to the Bucket View tab and are now in the selected bucket.

Add Patrons to a Bucket via the Bucket Interface in Batch

1. In the Pending Users tab, click Choose File and select the file of barcodes to be uploaded. The file that is uploaded must be a .txt file that contains a single barcode per row.
2. The user accounts will automatically appear in the list of Pending Users.
3. Select the user accounts that you want to add to the bucket by checking the box next to each user row, by using the CTRL or SHIFT key on your keyboard to select multiple users, or by checking the 'select all' box at the top of the grid.
4. From the Actions menu, select Add To Bucket or right-click on a selected user account to view the Actions menu and select Add To Bucket.
5. The user accounts will move to the Bucket View tab and are now in the selected bucket.

7.3. Editing Patrons in User Buckets

Batch Modifying Patrons in Buckets

On This Page

User Buckets in Evergreen allow staff to batch delete and modify fields realted to account functionality. Fields that can be batch edited include Main Profile, Internet Access Level, Barred Flag, Active Flag, Juvenile Flag, and Expiration Date. Instructions for making batch edits are below.

User Buckets allow staff to batch delete and make batch modifications to user accounts in Evergreen. Batch modifications and deletions can be rolled back or reversed, with the exception of batch changes to statistical categories.

Batch changes made in User Buckets will not activate any Action/Trigger event definitions that would normally be activated when editing an individual account.

Note: Staff should not edit patron accounts that were issued by a different library system, except to add alerts/messages or update contact information.  Each library system should only make batch edits to their own patrons, meaning that each patron barcode in the bucket must match the library's established barcode range.

To batch edit all users in a user bucket:

 

Note: Staff may make batch changes, such as marking accounts "inactive" or "deleted", to accounts in the School permission group. However, annual data ingest may override changes.

7.4. Batch Deleting Users

Deleting Multiple Patrons from a Bucket

On This Page

Instructions for using a User Bucket to delete multiple patrons at once.

Prior to deleting patrons, make sure they have all been marked Inactive. For instructions on this process, see Marking Patrons Inactive in the Managing Existing Patron Accounts chapter.

To batch delete users in a bucket:

1. From the Circulation menu, select User Buckets.
2. Navigate to the Bucket View tab.
3. Click on Buckets and select the bucket you want to modify from the list of existing buckets. After selecting a bucket, the name, description, number of items, and creation date of the bucket will appear at the top of the screen.
4. Verify the list of users in the bucket and click Delete all users. A dialog box called Delete all users will appear.
5. Assign a Name for delete set. This name will allow staff to identify the batch deletion for future verification or rollbacks.
6. Click Apply Changes. All users in the bucket will be marked as deleted.

7.5. Batch Adding Stat Cats and Notes

Using User Buckets to Batch Add Notes and Stat Cats

7.6. View and Roll Back Batch Edits

Rolling Back Batch Changes

On This Page

After making changes to patron accounts via a user bucket, you may view those changes or undo them using the "Roll Back" function. Note that not all changes may be rolled back.

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Words to Know

Roll Back:To undo changes made to patron acounts in batch via a user bucket.

Batch Changes: Edits to patron accounts made to multiple accounts at once from a user bucket.

Note: Batch statistical category changes cannot be rolled back.

View Batch Changes