Visiting Patron

Visiting Patron is an INN-Reach feature used at the "Owning Site" to check out material to visitors who are patrons at an Orbis Cascade Alliance institution. It automatically validates the patron record and uses a loan rule as specified by the member institution.

Why use it?

The Visiting Patron module (a) allows the patron to see all loans and library information on one record, (b) eliminates staff time for keying a new record for the visiting patron, and avoids the practice of creating duplicate and redundant patron records for the same person in more than one system, (c) provides greater assurance and security since the system automatically checks patron eligibility and current borrowing status (blocks), eliminating staff time for calling to verify patron information at the home institution and potential delay when home library staff are not available at that time.

Since Pickup Anywhere was implemented in April 2004 all members use automated Visiting Patrons to checkout materials to patrons visiting from other member institutions. See Orbis Cascade merger policy recommendations and approved policies. For more information see Discontinuing use of "manual visiting patron", December 2004

Important to know about ...

Member choice: loan period and renewals	Each member institution will choose which loan rule to use for Visiting Patrons. The local site sets the loan parameters in the local system so that VP will use (a) the Summit Institution Loan rule, or (b) the local loan rules, depending on what materials are going to be loaned, and the loan rules the member wants to use (especially loan period and renewals).
Local rules	The system is using the local itypes in conjunction with local loan rules, just as local systems do now for someone coming to the library to borrow material, or it's using the Summit Institution Loan Rule. To prevent local materials from being loaned to Visiting Patrons, the items must have a"non-circulating" item type, or the local loan rules and Rule Selection Table must be set up to prevent the item type(s) from being loaned to patrons with that Summit PType.
Notices and fines	Notices and fines show up at the patron's library (similar practice for all INN-Reach loans).

Menu access to the Visiting Patron module

The feature is always available from the INN-Reach circ menu options (INN-Reach circ programs, Check-OUT and Check-IN with Visiting Patron Option).

Some members have also selected the option to add access from the local Circ checkout menu. Some libraries require a password for access to local circ checkout, and others do not. When the Visiting Patron feature is included in the group of activities available from the Checkout menu, access depends on how the library has set up "Checkout"; in other words, V.P. is not separately passworded.

Notes and tips

• Due date. The system assigns a due date consistent with the Summit Institution Loan Rule (i.e. 32 days for a regular loan).

• Overdue notices. At the patron's home institution, based on the Summit patron loan rule.

• Returning materials. Because we have a Reciprocal Borrowing agreement allowing patrons to return Alliance member library materials to any other member library, some of the items may be returned to the patron's home library. The system allows checkin at either the owning site or the patron site. Apart from the technical aspect, policy and workflow are covered as well. The Reciprocity Agreement includes language about returning materials, including patron responsibility and using Summit Borrowing courier bags for returning borrowed materials. Use a green flag, as described in the document Summit Borrowing Materials.

"Patrons may return materials borrowed "on-site" (i.e. not Interlibrary Loan) to the owning library, or to any other Alliance institution. All borrowed material will remain the responsibility of the patron until an Alliance member library or the library from which it was checked out receives it. The receiving library will record the date received on a note to accompany the item, and return the item with other materials shipped via Summit Borrowing."

How it works: Using the software

From the INN-Reach Manual (R2002, #103411)

"INN-Reach allows a library to check out material to patrons whose home library is a different institution in the same consortium. Full patron
verification is performed and, if the patron is blocked .. or the loan rules governing the material type and Patron type deny the checkout, the checkout will [automatically] be denied."

1. Patron identification.

"When a visiting patron presents item for check-out, he or she must volunteer the information that they are a patron at a different institution."
select V> Check OUT to visiting Alliance patron from the main Circulation Subsystem Menu The system will display a list of member institutions
When the correct institution is chosen from the list, INNOPAC will send a message to Central, requesting information on the type of ID used at the patron's home institution. INNOPAC will then prompt for the patron's name and appropriate type of ID. (and prompt for PIN, when appropriate; to preserve privacy, the patron should key the PIN).

After keying it, the patron data is sent to Central and forwarded from Central to the patron site.

Blocked: If the patron's record is found and the patron is blocked, INNOPAC will deny the checkout and supply this message: "Borrower cannot Checkout items".

Okay (not blocked): If the patron is not blocked, INNOPAC prompts for the item barcode.

Note: During the verification process, the system converts the patron's ptype to a Summit PType.

2. Checkout.

Local itypes and loan rules in effect! For each item, the loan rules at the local institution are consulted. The checkout will be based on the local itype and local institution loan rules. Therefore, the system is using the local rules for type of material eligible for circulating and due date.
When the item is checked out to the visiting patron, the local INNOPAC performs some steps similar to those in Summit Borrowing: it sends information via Central to the patron's home institution, creating a virtual item record (that is, adding a temporary field with item information to the patron record) with the item due date. When the item is returned, the checkin action at the item site initiates a communication to the patron site to delete the virtual item record.

Charts illustrating control over loan transaction features, depending on method used for VP checkout (VP using Summit Institution rule, or VP with local loan rule, or manual): Owning site Local Loan rule, Owning site Summit Institution loan rule, or Patron Site Summit Patron Rule.

3. Checkin.

Material can be checked in at either the patron or owning site. Wherever the item is returned, and regardless of where the checkin action occurs, Summit will clean up the checkout information: remove the due date from the item record and delete the virtual (temporary) item information added to the patron record at the patron site.

updated: October 29, 2007