Patrons, sometimes referred to as borrowers or users, are managed in Infiniti. Patrons have profiles which determine how they access and interact with your catalogue. Patron management tasks include: patron registration and edit (either manually one by one, imported manually by reading a suitable CSV import file, or uploaded automatically by preparing a suitable CSV file). The patron import allows you or your IT Manager to import and update library patrons with data from your school's administration system or other source into Infiniti. This is an interactive facility which is run as required by you or your IT Manager.


All patrons who require access to Infiniti or LibPaths must be registered with a basic profile. Patron profiles can also be registered or updated via manual entry, manual import or automatic import. After registration, you can record patron contacts for email correspondence, import patron images, and import patron groups. Patron profiles can also be permanently removed from Infiniti and LibPaths.


Note: Infiniti and LibPaths do not support the concept of shared logins.


Access To Search Your Catalogue


Infiniti does not support "random access" to your catalogue. To allow any person to search your library catalogue you must one or some of the following:

  1. Create one or more generic or anonymous accounts which will allow anonymous searching of your catalogue for items stored in specific sites or locations. Generic accounts are restricted to searching only the sites you assign to each generic account. Note: The identity of any person searching will be regarded as anonymous.
  2. Optionally allocate one only generic account as your public search that can anonymously search your library catalogue. Note: The identity of any person searching will be regarded as anonymous.
  3. Create one or more personalised individual accounts which will allow individual searching of your catalogue for items stored in specific sites or locations. Individual accounts are restricted to searching only the sites you assign to each group they belong to. Note: The identity of the individual searching may be recorded.


Note: Only personalised individual accounts are permitted to borrow from your library.


Manual Patron Registration

 

Go to: Settings> Users

  1. Clickto register a new patron. You can also edit an existing patron profile.
  2. Populate the fields with required data. Note: Fields tagged below in Field Descriptions with * are mandatory.
  3. Username - a unique identifier that allows access to your catalogue either manually or via Single Single On (SSO):
    1. Generic - manual access to search your catalogue
    2. Personalised - manual or SSO access to search your catalogue and possibly borrow items
  4. Password - any combination of a minimum 8 characters. Note: Passwords are required for manual login but ignored for SSO.
  5. Library Barcode - patrons must have a unique identifier, usually a barcode, to be able to borrow items from the library. Note: Borrowers do not have to carry a barcode in order to borrow an item.
  6. Admin System Id - is required for importing patron photos.
  7. Given Name - person's first name.
  8. Middle Name - person's middle name.
  9. Preferred Name - person's preferred name.
  10. Surname - person's family name or last name.
  11. Primary Email - the patron's email address, if known, for communication. Note: This should be the patron's email address and not the email address of the patron's parents. The primary email address is the address that will be used to communicate with the patron for a range of services including notices for overdue loans and held reservations. For many students this will be either their private email address or their school email address. If email for students will be sent to parents or guardians only, bypassing the student, leave this field blank and refer to email for patron contacts. Each patrons can only one primary email address but may have multiple contact email addresses associated with their profile.
    Note: Invalid email addresses will cause emails to bounce and in turn these bounces can disrupt email communication. Infiniti checks your patron profiles for invalid email addresses every 24 hours and, if detected, your school's email service will be disabled and you will be notified.
  12. Enabled -to ensure the patron has login access.
  13. Staff Member - if the patron is a member of the teaching staff. Note: Checking Staff Member box does not automatically add the patron to any Library Group.
  14. Generic User -only if this profile is for anonymous access to the OPAC or for anonymous access via embedded links from other applications. Do not configure staff members or students as generic. Note: You can create multiple generic accounts for different types of access for either library search stations or for internet accessible widgets.
  15. Until - optionally set a date on which this patron's access will be terminated. This date is also used to calculate the Last Due Date for loans to patrons who are leaving at a random time during the year. Note: If no date is set the patron's access will not be terminated nor will their loans be date restricted. This data element is not importable.
  16. Cohort - choose the correct cohort for this patron from the drop-down list.
  17. Form Class - for students choose from the dropdown list. Note: Staff do not belong to a form class.
  18. Library Group - choose one or more library groups from the dropdown list as required. Note: Library Groups are created as required and all non-student patrons must belong to a library group to participate in circulation.
  19. System Groups - choose from the dropdown list to assign access privileges to patron:
    1. Library Users  - base privilege and mandatory for all users to login, search the catalogue, and access profile information. Note: All patrons must be in Library Users as a basic privilege; other system group membership is in addition to Library Users.
    2. Library Circulation Only  - read about circulation users here - one or more can be added on to provide ability to Issue and return either for Self, or for others.  
    3. Can Override blocks -  Library Circulation only role does not allow overriding blocks but this role can be added to allow overrides
    4. Librarian - access to all library management functions, but not the User menus under the Settings cog. Replaces Library Circulation Only with full access to all library functionality
    5. System Administrator - access to all administration functions and all library management functions - highest privileges
  20. New Input Form -check if you wish to add another patron immediately.
  21. - to register patron and save the profile.
  22. Add patron email and other contact emails for correspondence as required.

 

Add Staff Patrons Or Non-Student Patrons To A Library Group

 

Go to: Configure  > Library > Access Control > Library Groups

  1. Locate the correct Library Group or.
  2. Clickto populate this group with members.
  3. Search for registered patrons in the Available list and click to move to the Selected list.
  4. .
  5. The new members will be assigned the circulation rights for this group.

 

 Edit An Existing Patron Account

 

Go to: Settings> Users

  1. Choose Users on the menu.
  2. Search for part of patron's Name or Username.
  3. Locate the patron you wish to edit and click on their {name}.
  4. Edit fields as requiredNote: Fields with an * are mandatory.
  5. All Users must have Library Users group chosen to be active; add Librarian for library staff and/or System Administrator for those wishing to work in the Settings area, e.g., IT and Library staff.
  6. to register patron and save the profile.
  7. Add patron email and other contact emails for correspondence as required.


Bulk Change Usernames For Existing Accounts

You can choose to change existing usernames to new values. Note: This is usually done to enable single sign on.


Merge Patron Accounts


Each patron should have just one profile record or account. Where patron records have been duplicated you can merge them including their loan records.


Go to: Settings> Users

  1. - click the dropdown arrow.
  2. - to enter merge assistance mode.
  3. is displayed.
  4. Locate patron records to be merged.
  5. - select records to be merged.
  6. - to merge profile and loan records.


Blacklisted Email Addresses


Patrons with an invalid email address will be by Amazon Web Services (AWS) when using the AWS email server. Blacklisted patrons can only be reinstated if their email address is corrected. You can remove a blocked email from the blacklist as requiredBlacklist alerts also display in circulation.