Finding walk in patrons

Finding walk in patrons

Finding Walk-in patrons

Step by Step:

  1. Navigate to Manage Patron Services
  2. Click the checkbox to Find user in other institution
  3. Select walk-in's home Institution
  4. Scan or input unique identifier
    1. This is the patron's barcode or another local identifiers for example you can use the StarID for Minnesota State Schools
    2. If not the identifier is not unique, the patron's account will not be found at the partner institution. Library staff will instead treat patron as a new community member. This account will not be tied to the walk-in patron's home institution.
  5. Save
  6. Loan item/s per normal

Points to keep in mind:

  1. To have the most up to date information, always find a walk-in patron via the find user at other institution feature, this ensures the patron's information is updated for returning walk-ins. 
    1. Real time linking for fulfillment network accounts is on the roadmap for 2025.
  2. When patrons loan item using the fulfillment network, the owning institution controls the loan and any applicable notifications.
  3. Identifiers are not included in the shared data.
  4. See Walk In Patrons (login required) for a list of institutions participating in the MnPALS fulfillment network.

    • Related Articles

    • Finding an item's loan history

      From the Item: To view an item's loan history: Locate the physical item using the physical item search Click on the hyperlinked barcode or Select the Edit item button to go to the physical item editor Select the history tab Update the report type to ...

    • Loan Due Date beyond Patron Expiry

      What is it? For expiring patrons, it's possible to configure Alma so staff can override the automatic shortening of an item's loan, allowing a due date past a patron's expiry date. This feature only works from the Patron Services page and does not ...

    • Unable to change due date

      Double check your library's standard opening hours. In the example above you can see the Thursday Standard Opening Hours, indicated by red enclosing box, were valid to 9/12/2022, which means they are now expired. Loans due on a Thursday will instead ...

    • Updating a Patron's Account

      External Account These are accounts where the patron info is managed in an external source and imported into Alma. These patrons authenticate through a system that is not Alma. On the User Details page, some of the patron's information fields will be ...

    • Alma Borrowing Request Staff Create a Returnable Request for a patron

      Staff Create a Returnable Request Create a Returnable request using the blank request form Staff can create a returnable request for a patron using a blank form. From "Fulfillment" select "Borrowing Requests" Then click on "Create Request" Then click ...