Monday Minutes: Patron Record Main Contact Method

by Jessie Zairo on Apr 11, 2022

In this week's Monday Minutes, Kelly and Jessie will show you a new enhancement in 21.11 that allows staff members to track the primary contact method for patrons. This enhancement adds a "Main contact method" dropdown list field to the patron modification form in the staff interface and OPAC. This field is useful for reporting purposes, or to know which contact method to use first when trying to contact a patron.

Patron Account

Staff will now see an option to add a Main contact method in the patron detail record.

System Preferences

If you want to make this field mandatory or hidden you can use the following systems preferences to control the primary_contact_method field.

• BorrowerMandatoryField - To make the field mandatory when staff is filling out the form select primary_contact_method in the system preference.
• BorrowerUnwantedField - If you do not want to use the field, select the primary_contact_method in the system preference.

Hold Slip Example

<h5>Date: <<today>></h5>

<h3> Transfer to/Hold in <<branches.branchname>></h3>

<h3><<borrowers.surname>>, <<borrowers.firstname>></h3>

CONTACT METHOD <<borrowers.primary_contact_method>>

<ul>

<li><<borrowers.cardnumber>></li>

<li><<borrowers.phone>></li>

<li> <<borrowers.address>><br />

<<borrowers.address2>><br />

<<borrowers.city >> <<borrowers.zipcode>>

</li>

<li><<borrowers.email>></li>

</ul>

<br />

<h3>ITEM ON HOLD</h3>

<h4><<biblio.title>></h4>

<h5><<biblio.author>></h5>

<ul>

<li><<items.barcode>></li>

<li><<items.itemcallnumber>></li>

<li><<reserves.waitingdate>></li>

</ul>

<p>Notes:

<pre><<reserves.reservenotes>></pre>

</p>