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5.1. Group Patron Accounts

Last Updated 05/07/2024

Grouping Patron Accounts

Patron accounts may be grouped to allow staff to retrieve multiple accounts for one family. Groups consist of one patron, listed as the responsible Parent/Guardian, and one or more juvenile accounts. Having these accounts grouped provides staff with ease of access to information. Blocking penalties in Evergreen are based solely on individual accounts and cannot be established for grouped accounts.

Note: Most libraries only group one parent account with any accounts for children, since grouping adult accounts together can generate patron privacy issues. Staff should always be mindful of library policies regarding patron privacy and confidentiality.

Groups can be created at the time of patron registration by registering one member of the group and selecting the Save and Clone button before creating additional accounts (see Registering New Patrons) or by grouping patrons using the Group Member Details interface. 

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.

Another option is to click the Other tab in the existing patron account and choose Group Member Details from the dropdown menu.

Then click the selection box and choose Register a New Group Member by Cloning Selected Patron from the Actions menu.

Group Existing Patron Accounts

To group 2 or more existing patron accounts after registration:

1. Retrieve all the patron accounts that you wish to group, each in a separate tab. To display each patron in a new tab, right-click on the hyperlinked barcode for each patron and select Open in new tab.
2. Copy the barcode from the first child account, then go to the tab for the parent account.
3. 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.
   
4. If you find that no patron information loads in the grid, refresh your screen using the symbol located on the top to the left of the browser’s URL field. 
5. Select Move Another Patron To This Group from the Actions menu.
   
6. Paste the barcode from the child account that you copied previously.
   
7. Confirm this action by selecting Move User.
   
8. 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.