• Article Type: General
• Product: Aleph
• Product Version: 18.01

Description:
To simplify our patron registration process and back-end reporting, we would like to pare down the number of Patron Types (BOR-TYPE) from 32 to 12, and the number of Patron Statuses (BOR-STATUS) from 36 to 4.

ITEM 1: Are we restricted to 2-digit numbers for BOR-STATUS (e.g., 10, 22, 99) and 2-alpha-character codes for BOR-TYPE (e.g., PS, SS, DO, PU), or can we use 2-character alphanumerics for either or both?

ITEM 2: I did a couple of tests through the GUI in our test instance, and found that changing the Z305-BOR-TYPE and/or Z305-BOR-STAT in a patron record does not update current checkouts in the Events file (e.g., Z35-BOR-TYPE, Z35-BOR-STATUS) to match. Am I correct that at from the point we change the values in the patron records, we have "broken" our circulation history, so that:
* past events will be reported under the conditions/codes used at the time the transaction was made?
* codes 'reused' from the old code system to the new code system will be 'merged' for reports made of events that span the overlap period?

Is there a provision / machinery for updating Z35 events (either 'current' or all) to correspond to changes in Z305 patron records for the designated library?

Resolution:
ITEM 1: You can use 2-character alphanumerics for either or both.

ITEM 2: As you say, past events will be reported under the conditions/codes used at the time the transaction was made; and codes 'reused' from the old code system to the new code system will be 'merged' for reports made of events that span the overlap period.
There is no provision / machinery for updating Z35 events (either 'current' or all) to correspond to changes in Z305 patron records for the designated library.

• Article last edited: 10/8/2013