Workflows Entries

Workflows Entry

MFRL utilizes various means to contact patrons regarding circulation issues: Holds, PreDues, and Overdues. Patrons can select different options for different circulation issues. These choices are saved in the Demographics tab of the patron record.

• Predues (User Cat 2): Receiving PreDues is optional. Choices are EMAIL, NOCONTACT, PHONE, TEXT. Patrons won't be contacted if this field is blank.
• Holds (User Cat 4): Patrons can choose between EMAIL, HUMANCALL, NOCONTACT, PHONE, TEXT. Human calls are discouraged, but available for those with technical issues.
• OverDues (User Cat 6): Choices are EMAIL, PHONE, TEXT, USPS. Receiving notices via US Postal Service is discouraged, but available for those with no other means of contact.

Every patron should have a value selected for these items, except for the optional PreDues.

User Cat / Contact Information correlation

For every communication method selected, the corresponding method's contact info needs to be completed in the Address tab. That is, if any User Cat has a value of TEXT, then the Phone to Text (PHONETXT) field needs a value. If EMAIL is a User Cat selection, then a valid EMAIL address is needed, etc.

In the above example, the patron needs a valid EMAIL address in the Address tab, or problems will arise.

Errors / Bad Info

If MFRL-IT discovers a patron with an invalid contact method - for example, an email address that bounces - the following changes will be made to the account:

• The account will be Barred
• The affected User Cats will be changed to BADINFO
• A Note will be put on the account. Example:
  • Barred: eMail Notify bounces [User Unknown]. Please verify eMail addy, unbar, and reset HOLDS/OVERDUES to EMAIL; then delete this Note.

When staff encounter this, they should:

• Get updated contact information from the patron
• Change the User Cats listed (Holds and Overdues in the above example) to the methods indicated in the Note (Email, in this case).
  • Note: When Editing the patron account, BADINFO will show as ****** (a series of asterisks). Editing this value is still possible.
• Delete the note from the account
• Unbar the account