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KLAS User's Guide: Patron

How to use KLAS for staff

Patron Module Overview

The purpose of this section is to give you a basic overview of the Patron Module in KLAS. It includes basic information for navigation and understanding of the parts of the module. Within this module are pages with more specific tasks related to using the Patron Module. Included throughout are Guided Practice exercises that can be used to help better understand these essential tasks used by staff. To go beyond the basics move through each of the tabs to find a topic. Also check the Shortcuts and Tools tab that contains how to use queries and Excel to expand the capabilities of using KLAS.

Patron Module Topics

This section is designed based on a Guided Practice module, that has been included as a separate document for printout. This only covers the very basics in an organized way to allow you to get up to speed with the Patron Module. As you gain experience by using the module in everyday work situations you will discover that there are ways beyond what's shown here. As you get more proficient use of the keyboard shortcuts contained in the Shortcuts and Tools tab may be useful.

Let's begin

Log into KLAS with your assigned username and password. For help with this see the note about username and password on the Shortcuts and Tool tab.

From the KLAS desktop - 

select the Patron button - Patron module button This is the fourth button from the left. This will open up the Patron Module at the Patron Main tab.

Explore the Patron module

Use the find button -   or the Navigation menu - "Find", to find a specific Patron. You can search by Patron ID, Last Name, First Name, City or Phone Name. Find is the same regardless of the tab you are on.

You can navigate from record to record using the arrow buttons -  or the Navigation menu. This is very useful when you have a set of records from a query or when you want to explore adjacent records. The tab you are on in one record (Main, Contact, Profile, Requests, etc.) stays the same as you move through records.

The Book Search button - book search button or the Functions menu - "Book Search", allows you to search for books using a patron's preferences. You can set up predefined versions of this search, for example to search by series, media type or the most recent additions to the collection. This is covered in the section on Book Search.

Adding Comments helps staff know patron history and other useful information. It is a log of activity of things done to the patron account, issues with the patron account or correspondence with the patron. The comments box is at the top of every screen in the Patron Module. To add a comment use the Comments button - comments button or the Functions menu - "Comments...".

The RSQueue (short for Readers Service Queue) is a listing of patrons that should be looked at because they didn't get served, were underserved, are a new patron or because of some special circumstance. The RSQueue is divided up among staff who are assigned an RSQueue. To look at your assigned RSQueue use the Search My RSQueue button - RS Queue button or the Queries menu - "Search my RSQueue". This is covered in the section on the RSQueue.

Use the Quick Request button - Quick request button or the Functions menu - "Request/Reserves - Quick Request", to make entering a list of requests or reserves as simple as just entering the book number.  

Patron module tabs

The Patron module is composed of tabs that display different kinds of information about each patron. Starting from left to right:

  • Main - contains information about the patron name, type of service the patron receives, patron disability, type of player used, whether they are a veteran, birth date, when they registered for the service, and last date served
  • Contact - lists all contact information for a patron, including alternative methods. The information entered here creates the top display of patron address and phone number information
  • Profile - lists the media that the patron is subscribed in and the type of service for each of these media. This tab interacts with the RSQueue. Using the Add Service Reason button - add a service reasonyou can add a reason which will allow the patron to be put on an RS Queue as a reminder or follow-up for future service. You can also use the Delete Service Reason button - remove service reason to take off any reasons to remove the patron from the RS Queue
  • Preference - lists patron subject, series, author and other preferences. This also lists any book clubs subscribed to
  • Statistics - lists number of items borrowed by the patron within each year listed and lifetime
  • Items - a listing of items checked out currently, previous or assigned to the patron. This is what KLAS uses to determine HasHads for filling patron requests, series order and other book selection. It also lists equipment and magazine checked out
  • Requests - a listing of patron requests and reserves for books, magazines and equipment. Using the Assign Item button - assign button or the Functions menu - "Requests/Reserves - Assign" you can select an item from the request list and assign it to go out to the patron in the next mail run. Using the Unassign button - unassign button or the Functions menu - "Requests/Reserve - Unassign" you can remove an item from being sent out in the next mail run as long as a mail card hasn't been run.
  • Subscriptions - a listing of all patron subscriptions. This is a place to check to see if they are subscribed to BARD for downloading books and magazines. To add a subscription use the Add Record (item) button - add item button, bottom-left on screen or to remove a subscription us the Delete Record (item) button - delete record button, bottom-left on screen
  • PIMMS - this tab shows what patron data are stored on file with NLS, relating to name, contact information and any equipment that are on loan. This information is sync'd directly with NLS at least daily to keep KLAS and NLS in sync.
  • Service Queue - this tab shows a patron's service queue used to create orders to be sent to patrons. The top of the service queue window has a dropdown that displays books and/or magazines of a particular kind of media being served by type selected. These can be multiple types of media. You can only display one service queue at a time.
  • Orders - this tab shows all patron orders that have been created, assigned, duplicated, checked out or checked back in. Orders have a numeric sequence related to when they were created. Highlighting an order will show you what titles are in the order. A dropdown box allows you to filter orders by status.

This is Guided Practice for doing things related to Book Searching.

A simple Overview of the Guided Practice

  • How to Find a patron
  • How to Set and Save a Default Search
  • How to Specify Search Limits
  • How to Create an AA (Available Appropriate) Search for what a patron wants
  • How to Run a Book Search as Catalog Search
  • Using Indexes and Keywords to Search
  • Look at one item from a Search Result
  • How to Assign an Item, Reserve an Item or make an Item from a Search list into a HadHad
  • How to Select Multiple Titles from a Search List

This is Guided Practice for doing things related to placing and maintaining patron Reserves and Requests

A simple Overview of the Guided Practice

  • Viewing Reserves and Requests
  • How to Move Columns to customize your view 
  • How to Filter Reserves and Requests
  • Managing Reserves and Requests
  • Changing a Request to a Reserve
  • Assigning an available Request
  • Bulk Delete Reserves and Requests
  • How to use Quick Request

This is Guided Practice for doing things related to finding patron borrowed items and maintaining patron hashads.

A simple Overview of the Guided Practice

  • Browse Column Headers
  • Filter Items by Type
  • Filter Items by HasHad dates
  • Filter by Sent dates
  • Using Function buttons (export, checkin, renew, lost, unassign, send again) 

This is Guided Practice for doing things related to placing and maintaining patron Preferences. Preferences are used by KLAS mainly for Nightly Auto Selection, keeping books in Series in order, and tracking membership in book clubs.

Preference types

  • Subject - identifies books by subject (as selected by staff) used for preference or exclusion. Service Type Nightly Autoselect (NA) uses this as criteria for choosing books
  • Author - identifies books by authors used for preference or exclusion. Service NA and Nightly List (NL) use this for criteria for choosing books 
  • Series - identifies books by the series they are part of based on a 3-letter code assigned to group books together. A Series preference will automatically create Series reserves that go in order of book number indicated
  • Narrator - identifies the type of preferred (or excluded) voice quality used by narrators or specific narrators listed
  • Language - identifies the preferred languages for reading materials to be chosen
  • Reading Level - indicates the preferred reading level for materials to be chosen
  • Disability - indicates the disability grouping of the patron
  • Book Club - displays any book clubs that a patron belongs to. Grouping patrons and books together into a Book Club gives those patron a high priority for receiving these books first. This can be added also using the Book Club Maintenance function from the Tools menu - "Book Club Maintenance"

A simple Overview of the Guided Practice

  • Adding Reading preferences 
  • Adding a Series preference 
  • Using Quick preferences

This is Guided Practice for doing things related to updating and maintaining the Patron Profile. Profile information is used by KLAS to determine the type of media, type of service and number of items to send out for each order, by media format.

Serve Codes

  • NA - Nightly Autoselect - automated selection where items are chosen for a patron based on Preferences set and a list of Reserves
  • NL - Nightly List - automated selection based on a list of Reserves and Author Preferences only
  • OC - Only When Calls - only when a patron calls in should anything happen
  • OM - Only Magazines - only serve the patron with magazines in a particular medium
  • OR - Only Requests - only serve the patron based on items that they place on their request list
  • ORV - Only Video Requests - a special service type for just serving described video. Described videos are only served by placing specific items on a patron's request list
  • TA - Turnaround Accepts Reader Advisor Selection - the patron gives permission to allow a Reader Advisor to make selections on their behalf based on the patron's preferences, request list or by personal interaction
  • TL - Turnaround Accepts Request List - the patron gives permission to allow a Reader Advisor to make selections on their behalf based on the patron's request list

A simple Overview of the Guided Practice

  • Add Service type to Profile
  • How to Use Serve codes
  • Nightly Service (NS) Cutoff and Shipment sizes
  • Service Reasons

Exporting to Excel from Patron

Export allows you to export data to an Excel spreadsheet from any browse table in a screen where available. This is most useful when you want to use data found in patron searches or queries, for example to create patron labels for mailings or to manipulate and use data from address searches. It's useful to share findings with others, since from Excel you can print off or email results without having to open KLAS to examine them, as in the case of sending a patron a list of books they have checked out on their account.

To Export use the Export button - ,  Go to the Function menu from a results screen and select Export or the Keyboard shortcut Alt+Ctrl+X.

A good overview of things is provided in the Shortcuts and Tools section on Using Excel. It is useful to read over to see how in general across KLAS you can use Excel to export and organize data for your needs.

Some common Patron uses of Export

  • Find Patron – for example you want to up patrons in a certain zip code. Export will create a nice listing of patrons who reside in a particular zip code. You may need to remove some columns, but this is quick way to get this kind of results
  • Item List Tab – maybe you'd like to see the entire list of items a patron has checked out all time or at some particular date. Exporting the list can give you a quick way to create a list of items to share a patron's reading history with them
  • Requests Tab – this is a quick way to create a list of holds placed on titles and their dates, type of hold and such
  • Book Search – this is a quick way to put together a list of books by series, author and subject to share with patron