[OPEN-ILS-GENERAL] patron registration

[McCanna, Terran]

Hi Holly,

We added some basic agreement text to our online form (https://gapines.org/eg/opac/register) but we don't capture online signatures. Each member of the PINES consortium has their own document management policies. Some of the library systems print out the patron account information page after it is completed and ask the patron to sign it (it doesn't print out nicely, so this isn't a great solution, but hopefully once the web client version is available we'll be able to customize it easier to make it nicely printable). Some other libraries print out that page and attach it to one of their old paper forms and have them sign it, I think some might have a small signature card they might keep on file, and some don't print out anything at all and just rely on the system. 

Terran McCanna 
PINES Program Manager 
Georgia Public Library Service 
1800 Century Place, Suite 150 
Atlanta, GA 30345 
404-235-7138 
tmccanna at georgialibraries.org 


----- Original Message -----
From: "Holly Brennan" <haderhold at ci.homer.ak.us>
To: "Evergreen Discussion Group (open-ils-general at list.georgialibraries.org)" <open-ils-general at list.georgialibraries.org>
Sent: Friday, May 29, 2015 2:57:05 PM
Subject: [OPEN-ILS-GENERAL] patron registration

I've set up everything needed for online patron registration, but haven't implemented yet. The stumper is how we deal with hard copies of registrations.  We've always had a paper app with signature and we file these in an old card catalog.

Do any of you NOT print registrations or keep any hard copies of patron info? Or do you have something simple with just an agreement and signature that doesn't have to include much about the patron besides name?

I feel we might be holding onto paper for nothing. Reasons given to keep it:

1)      What if something tragic happens to our ILS? We'll have paper to backup patron info. (My thoughts: If it's THAT tragic, the whole building has likely been destroyed.... And also, we're going to manually reenter patron info for each and every person?!)

2)      The patron's signature is the true agreement. We can use it to hold them responsible for lost items, fines, etc. (I can't think of a time, ever, that I've retrieved a paper app and pointed to a signature in order to convince a patron to do something they agreed to.)

My goal with this is to find a number of you who keep absolutely nothing on paper. (And who don't even have a super cool digital signature contraption.)

Thanks!

-Holly

Holly Brennan
Library Technology Specialist
Homer Public Library, Alaska

hbrennan at cityofhomer-ak.gov
907-235-3180 (main)
907-435-3154 (direct)