The Users app allows you to manage user information for patrons and library staff. Both patrons and library staff’s user records are stored in the Users app. There is no separate directory or app for library staff users. The difference between a library staff user and a patron is that the library staff user record has FOLIO permissions assigned to it.
Definition of terms related to the Users app:
User. Any person who interacts with or performs tasks in FOLIO.
User record. Contains contact information and identifiers for an individual user. User records exist for both patrons and library staff. For a list of all information contained within a user record, see Viewing a user record.
Permission. Value assigned to a user, which grants them access to FOLIO records or allows them to carry out specific tasks in FOLIO.
Permission set. A group of permissions that allows a user to perform a specific set of tasks. For example, you may want to group certain permissions together to create job-specific permissions sets. Permission sets are defined by your library in Settings > Users > Permission sets.
Table of Contents
Permissions
FOLIO community documentation for Users includes the permissions required to interact with the app, and that determine what you can or cannot do within the app.
You can assign permissions to users in the Users app. If none of these permissions are assigned to a user, then they will be unable to see the Users app or any related information.
Note: For information on assigning permissions to users, see Assigning permissions to a user record.
Creating a user record manually
In the User Search Results pane, click Actions > New.
In the Create User window, fill in the User information, Extended information, and Contact information sections. For more information on the fields and actions available in these sections, see the section descriptions below.
Once you have included all the information you want about the user, click Save & Close. The user record is saved.
User information
Last name (required). The surname of the user.
First name. The given name of the user. We are using Preferred first name because that field is not yet available in notice templates).
Middle name. The middle name of the user.
Preferred first name. The name by which the user prefers to be called. (not currently available in notice templates)
Patron group (required). Select a patron group to assign to the user. Patron groups are classes of library users configured by your library in the Settings app. See Settings > Users > Patron Groups for more information.
Status (required). Select a status for the user: Active or Inactive. A user’s status is tied to the expiration date set on their user record. Active status indicates current affiliation, employment, or enrollment within the library’s institution. Inactive status indicates that the expiration date on the user’s record has passed and the user is no longer affiliated, employed, or enrolled.
Expiration date. The amount of time set before the user record lapses and the user no longer has active permissions or the ability to borrow items. The expiration date determines when a user’s status changes from Active to Inactive. [You are prompted to set the default expiration date when creating a user record. In the Set expiration date dialog, click Set to accept the default expiration date for the patron group. Otherwise, if you wish to customize the expiration date, click Cancel and enter the date in the Expiration date field, or click the calendar icon to select a date. You can also leave the field blank.]
Barcode. The barcode number for the user’s ID or library card.
Extended information
Date enrolled. The date a user is enrolled at the institution. This field is auto-populated if it is included in source data provided by an external system.
External system ID. The external system ID for the user. This field is auto-populated if it is included in source data provided by an external system.
Birth date. [Five Colleges is not currently using this field] The date of birth of the user in YYYY-MM-DD format.
Folio number. A system-generated number for the user record.
Username. The name library staff use to log into FOLIO. Note: Patrons don’t have a username because they don’t need to log into FOLIO.
Request preferences. Select Hold Shelf and/or Delivery to indicate preference for receiving requested items.
Default pickup service point. All user records have at least one service point assigned to indicate the location for checking out or picking up requested items. Service points are configured by your library in the Settings app. See Settings > Tenant > Service points for more information.
Fulfillment preference. This field only appears if Delivery is selected as a Request preference.
Default delivery address (required). This field only appears and is required if Delivery is selected as a Request preference.
Department name. [Five Colleges is not currently using this field] Name of the user’s department, if applicable. To associate the user with a department, click Add Department and select the department from the drop-down list. This action is repeatable, and departments can be deleted by clicking the trash can icon. Departments are configured by your library in the Settings app. See Settings > Users > Departments for more information.
Contact information
Email (required). The email address of the user.
Phone. The phone number of the user.
Mobile phone. The mobile phone number of the user.
Preferred contact (required). Select the user’s preferred method of contact: Email, Mail (Primary Address), or Text Message.
Address. The address of the user. You can add multiple addresses. To add an address, click Add Address. Select Use as primary address if address is to be considered the user’s main address.
Address Type. Select the appropriate address type for the user’s address. Address Types are configured by your library in the Settings app. See Settings > Users > Address Types for more information.
Searching for user records
You can search for user records in the Search & filter pane. To search for users, enter your search terms into the box and click Enter. The user search box searches through these fields: Name, Barcode, Email, Username, and External system ID.
You can also search for user records by selecting any of the filters in the Search & filter pane. Additionally, you can apply the filters after you perform a search to limit your results. See the sections below for more information on the filters.
Status
In the Search & filter pane, click Status and select any applicable filters:
Active. Users with the Status of Active.
Inactive. User with the Status of Inactive.
Patron group
To filter users by their patron group, in the Search & filter pane, select one of the listed options. Possible patron groups may include examples like these:
Faculty
Staff
Graduate
Undergraduate
Patron groups configured in Settings > Users > Patron groups.
Tags (Tags are not being used in the Five College Tenant)
To search for user records assigned with specific tags, follow these steps:
In the Search & filter pane, click Tags.
Select the tag(s) from the drop-down list. The search results appear in the User search results pane.
Viewing a user record
Once you search for a user record, the following information appears in the User search results pane:
Active. The status of the user.
Name. The name of the user.
Barcode. The barcode number of the user.
Patron group. The patron group to which the user belongs.
Username. The username of the user.
Email. The email address of the user.
In the user search results, click on an user record to view it. The User record pane displays with additional information about the user record. See the sections below for more information on the accordions that appear in the user record.
User information
For information about the fields displayed in the User information section, see Creating a user record > User information.
Patron blocks
Within the Patron blocks section, you can view all blocks on the user record and create manual blocks. For more information on manual blocks, see Creating a manual patron block.
Patron blocks appear in a table format with the most recent block listed first.
Extended information
For information about the fields displayed in the Extended information section, see Creating a user record > Extended information.
Contact information
For information about the fields displayed in the Contact information section, see Creating a user record > Contact information.
Proxy/sponsor
The Proxy/sponsor section displays any proxies or sponsors associated with the user record. For more information on adding a sponsor or proxy, see Adding a sponsor to a user record and Adding a proxy to a user record.
Fees/fines
The Fees/fines section displays the number of open and closed fees/fines. To view additional details about the open or closed fees/fines, click open fees/fines or closed fees/fines, respectively. To view all fees/fines, click View all fees/fines. For more information, see the Fee/Fines section.
You can also create manual fees/fines in the Fees/fines section. For more information, see Creating a manual fee/fine.
Loans
The Loans section displays the number of open and closed loans. To view additional details about the open or closed loans, click open loans or closed loans, respectively.
Requests
The Requests section displays the number of open and closed requests. To view additional details about the open or closed requests, click open requests or closed requests, respectively.
You can also create requests for the user in the Requests section. For more information, see Creating a request.
User permissions
The User permissions section displays all permissions assigned to the user record. For more information on assigning permissions, see Assigning permissions to a user record.
Service points
The Service points section displays all service points assigned to the user record, including the user’s Service point preference, if applicable.
Notes
The Notes section displays any notes about the patron. For more information on notes, see Adding a note to a user record.
Editing a user record
To edit the User information, Extended information, or Contact information section in a user record, follow these steps:
Find the user record you want to edit and select it.
In the User record pane, click Edit.
In the Edit window, edit the appropriate information in the User information, Extended information, or Contact information sections.
Click Save & Close. The user record is updated.
Editing an expiration date
To edit (or re-set) an Expiration Date in an existing user record, follow these steps:
Search for User Record. You can search for a user record by Keyword (name, email, identifier) and filter search by Status, Patron Group, and Tags.
Select the user record from the User Results list.
Click on the Re-Set button near the Expiration Date field to re-set the date to the default expiration date for that patron group.
Customize the expiration date by typing the new date in the Expiration Date field using YYYY-MM-DD format. Or click on the Calendar icon in the Expiration Date field to select a date.
Delete the expiration date by clicking on the x in the Expiration Date field.
Click Save & Close.]
Changing a user’s status
A user’s status can be changed between Active or Inactive based on changes in their employment status or enrollment status.
Find the user record you want to edit and select it.
In the User record pane, click Edit.
In the Edit window, in the User Information section, in the Status drop-down list, select Active or Inactive.
Click Save & Close.
Sending a password reset email
This functionality is provided only after the user record has been saved for the first time. The library staff user created or changed is sent an email with a URL to the email address specified in the Contact information section. After accessing the URL, the user is taken to a form where the FOLIO password can be set or changed. Alternatively, the URL can be copied and manually sent to the user.
Find the user record for which you want to send a password reset email and select it.
In the User record pane, click Edit.
In the Edit window, under Folio password, in the Extended information section, click Send reset password email. The reset password email is sent to the user.
Optional: In the Reset password email sent dialog, click Copy link to copy the password reset link and manually send the link to the user.
Click the X to close the dialog.
Adding a sponsor to a user record
Users can authorize other users to borrow library materials on their behalf. Sponsors are users who authorize another user to borrow on their behalf. For example, if you are adding a sponsor to the user record of User One, then User One is the proxy and can borrow on behalf of User Two (the sponsor).
Find the user record to which you want to add a sponsor and select it.
In the User record pane, click Edit.
In the Edit window, under Proxy/sponsor, in the Sponsors section, click Add.
In the Select User dialog, search for the sponsor user and select them. The sponsor is added to the user record.
Optional: In the sponsor box, select the Relationship Status: Active or Inactive.
Optional: Enter or select an Expiration date. The Expiration date indicates the expiration of the proxy/sponsor relationship.
Optional: Select whether the Proxy can request for the sponsor. If you select Yes, then the proxy can place requests on materials on behalf of the sponsor.
Optional: Select to whom notifications from the library are sent in the Notifications sent to drop-down list: Proxy or Sponsor.
Click Save & Close. The sponsor is added to the user record.
Add a proxy to a user record
Users can authorize other patrons to borrow library materials on their behalf. Proxies are users who are authorized to borrow on the behalf of another user. For example, if you are adding a proxy to the user record of User One, then User Two is the proxy and can borrow on the behalf of User One (the sponsor).
Find the user record to which you want to add a proxy and select it.
In the User record pane, click Edit.
In the Edit window, under Proxy/sponsor, in the Proxies section, click Add.
In the Select User dialog, search for the proxy user and select them. The proxy is added to the user record.
Optional: In the proxy box, select the Relationship Status: Active or Inactive.
Optional: Enter or select an Expiration date. The Expiration date indicates the expiration of the proxy/sponsor relationship.
Optional: Select whether the Proxy can request for the sponsor. If you select Yes, then the proxy can place requests on materials on behalf of the sponsor.
Optional: Select to whom notifications from the library are sent in the Notifications sent to drop-down list: Proxy or Sponsor.
Click Save & Close. The proxy is added to the user record.
Assigning permissions to a user record
Library staff need to have permissions assigned to their user record in order to interact with the FOLIO staff interface. Permissions do not need to be assigned to patrons for standard patron services like borrowing books, requesting items, etc. For a list of permissions and their definitions, see the respective app’s Permissions section in the documentation.
Find the user record to which you want to add permissions and select it.
In the User record pane, click Edit.
In the Edit window, click User permissions.
Click Add permission.
In the Select Permissions dialog, search for the permission(s) or permissions set you want to assign to the user.
Optional: Filter by Permission type or Permission assignment status in the Search & Filter pane.
Select the checkbox next to the permissions you want to assign to the user.
Click Save & close. The permissions are added to the user record.
Click Save & close. The user record is saved.
Adding a service point to a user record
A service point in FOLIO is a setting that libraries configure to support circulation functions. Every FOLIO item must have a location, and every location must have an attached service point. You must set up at least one service point to be able to check items in and out; allow patrons to request items; charge and collect fines; and put items in transit between locations at your library.
Staff who use the Check in, Check out, Users, or Requests apps must have a service point assigned to them in their user record. Service points are configured for your library in the Settings app. See Settings > Tenant > Service Points for more information.
Find the user record to which you want to add a service point and select it.
In the User record pane, click Edit.
In the Edit window, click Service points.
Click Add service points.
In the Add service points dialog, select the checkboxes next to the service points you want to add to the user record.
Click Save & close. The service points are added to the user record.
Select a Service point preference from the drop-down list. If you select None, then the user is prompted to select a service point every time they sign in to FOLIO.
Click Save & Close. The service points are added to the user record.
Adding a tag to a user record
Find the user record to which you want to add a tag and select it.
In the User record pane, click the tag icon.
In the Tags pane, either select a tag from the box or enter a tag.
Click the X on the Tags pane to close the pane and save the tag. The tag number updates to the number of tags applied to the user record.
Creating a manual patron block
Patron blocks allow libraries to manually prevent a patron from borrowing, renewing, and/or requesting materials until specified issues are resolved. Patron blocks can be edited to update any elements associated with them and deleted at any time. The block is displayed prominently on the user record so that staff members are aware that a patron is blocked and why. If an Expiration date is provided on the patron block, the block is automatically removed on that date.
Find the user record of the patron you want to block and select it.
In the User record pane, click Patron blocks.
Click Create block.
In the New Block window, enter a Display Description. This is the description that displays on the user record and in dialogs that appear when staff try to check out, renew, or request items on behalf of the patron, depending on their block.
Optional: Enter Staff only information.
Optional: Enter a Message to Patron.
Optional: Enter an Expiration date on which the block expires.
By default, all Block actions are selected. These are the actions that the user is barred from doing because of the block. To allow some of the actions, clear the checkbox next to Borrowing, Renewals, or Requests.
Click Save & Close. The block is saved and added to the user record.
Editing a patron block
Find the user record of the patron with the block you want to edit and select it.
In the User record pane, click Patron blocks.
In the block table, select the block you want to edit.
In the user block window, make your changes.
Click Save & Close. The patron block is updated.
Removing a patron block
Patron blocks with expiration dates are automatically deleted on that date.
To delete a patron block with no assigned expiration date, follow these steps:
Find the user record of the patron with the block you want to edit and select it.
In the User record pane, click Patron blocks.
In the block table, select the block you want to edit.
In the user block window, click Delete.
In the Delete patron block dialog, click Delete. The patron block is removed.
Creating a manual fee/fine
Find the user record to which you want to add a fee/fine and select it.
In the User record pane, click Fees/fines.
Click Create fee/fine.
In the New fee/fine window, select the Fee/fine owner.
Select the Fee/fine type.
In the Fee/fine amount box, you can do one of three things:
Keep the default fee/fine amount, if one was populated for the fee/fine type.
Adjust the default fee/fine amount, if it was populated for the fee/fine type.
Provide a fee/fine amount, if one did not populate.
Optional: To associate the fee/fine with an item, scan or enter the item barcode into the Item information box and click Enter.
Optional: Enter any Additional information for staff in the box.
Click either Charge & pay now to charge the patron and process the payment or Charge Only to only apply the charge to the user record.
Creating requests
The procedure below details how to create requests from the user record in the Users app, but requests can also be created in the Requests app or from the item record in the Inventory app.
Note: When creating a request, you should consider the following:
You cannot request an item if it has one of the following Item statuses: Aged to lost, Claimed returned, Declared lost, Lost and paid, Missing, or Withdrawn.
You can only recall an item if it has one of the following Item statuses: Awaiting delivery, Awaiting pickup, Checked out, In process, In transit, On order, or Paged.
Find the user record to which you want to add a request and select it.
In the User record pane, click Requests.
Click Create request.
In the New request window, in the Item information box, either scan or enter the barcode of the requested item and click Enter. The item is added to the request and its item information appears.
Select a Request type. The options that appear depend on the Item status of the item you are requesting.
Optional: Enter a Request expiration date. If the request is still open by the selected date, it closes and its status changes to Closed - Unfilled.
Select the Fulfilment preference.
Select the Pickup service point or Delivery address, depending on your selection in the previous step.
Click Save & close. The request is saved and the Request Detail pane appears. The patron receives an email notification saying their request was received by the library, if you have this notification configured.
Adding a note to a user record
Find the user record to which you want to add a note and select it.
In the User record pane, click Notes.
Click New.
In the New note window, select Patron as the Note type from the drop-down list.
Enter a Note title in the box.
Optional: Enter any Details about the note in the box.
Check the boxes next to the apps for which you want the note to pop up.
Check out App
Users App
Click Save & close. The note is saved.
Overdue loans report
The Overdue loans report is a comma-separated values (CSV) file that displays all users with overdue materials.
In the User search results pane, click Actions > Overdue loans report (CSV). Depending on your browser and its configurations, the file automatically downloads or you are prompted to save it.
Claimed returned report
The Claimed returned report is a comma-separated values (CSV) file that displays all users with claimed returned materials.
In the User search results pane, click Actions > Claimed returned report (CSV). Depending on your browser and its configurations, the file automatically downloads or you are prompted to save it.