Duplicate patron records **MASTER RECORD**

Description

The cir-05 ("Patron list") report includes duplicates for many of the patrons.  (Also, you may find duplicates in extracting records for migration to Alma or another ILS.)  Why is this -- and how can they be removed?

Resolution

This can happen when there are multiple z305 (Local patron) records for the z303 (Global patron) record.   The most common situation is when there are z305 records with a sublibrary code (such as "nnnnnnnnnnnnXXX  ") in addition to the ADM-level z305 ("nnnnnnnnnnnnXXX50").  (It was suggested by certain Ex Libris staff that it is always necessary to have such records; that is not the case.)  

The following SQL shows the patron name, the Z305-REC-KEY (including the 5-character Z305-SUB-LIBRARY (z305_rec_key bytes 13-17), and the Z305-EXPIRY-DATE:

  SQL> select z303_name, z305_rec_key, z305_expiry_date from ppa00.z303, z305 where z303_rec_key =  substr(z305_rec_key,1,12) order by z303_name;

If you find that the  z305 records with a non-"XXX50" Z305-SUB-LIBRARY have a Z305-EXPIRY-DATE which is equal to or older than the "XXX50" Z305-SUB-LIBRARY records and that they have the same z305 permissions values, they can be deleted.  

(The only case in which these sublibrary-specific records serve a purpose is the case where a particular tab16 item status / borrower status line has a different loan period for a different sublibrary (tab16 column 1, Group ID):  if all of the lines with the same  item status / borrower status have the same loan values, then there is no need for the sublibrary-specific z305 records.)

The following SQL can be used to delete them:  

  SQL> delete from z305 where substr (z305_rec_key,13, 17) = 'XXXXX';

    <where 'XXXXX' is the sublibrary code>

Note 1:  The z305 table *must* be backed up (using the file-03 Service) before performing any such update.

Note 2:  There can also be "ALEPH" z305 records, that is, records with "ALEPH" in bytes 13-17 of the Z305-REC-KEY.  See the article " Are "ALEPH" z305 records necessary?  " in that regard. 

Note 3:  If the problem is that patrons with exactly the same name are sharing the same z303 record, see the article " How to locate duplicate patron records ".

• Article last edited: 8-Mar-2018