Thanks to everyone who has been diligent about entering library card information carefully in Polaris now that there’s no driver’s license scanner to rely on!
Here are some quick refreshers to keep the process running smoothly:
- All information on the library card application should be put into Polaris. For example, if the patron wants email notification, it is still important to enter the phone number in Polaris if he or she provides one.
- Always check to make sure that the patron doesn’t already have a library card. You can ask patrons if they’ve ever had a card here before, but the surest way to guarantee they don’t is to search for their name in Polaris before starting to make a new card.
- Remember to include any unit or apartment numbers in an address. Most of the returned mail from provisional cards is due to a lack of an apartment number.
- Please fill out a blue PAC Registration form when helping a patron complete an online registration. This assures that the information provided online is double-checked and multiple cards aren’t issued.
- Please indicate whether a patron wants email or text notification (or both) on the application form by circling the correct one(s) if the patron doesn’t. Because the form doesn’t directly ask patrons what kind of notification they’d like, many patrons don’t circle either option but enter their phone carrier because there’s a blank line there. If a patron doesn’t indicate what he or she would like on the application, please ask and circle it yourself.
Let me know if you have any questions about the above or anything else related to making library cards.