Items, Copies, and Consumables (oh my!)

Do you know the difference between the Item Tab and the Item List Tab, between Tracked and Consumables titles, and between a Copy and an Item? Do you know how to use Batch Add Items for tracked titles and consumables?

If you maintain physical, non copy-specific inventory at your library (that is, inventory where all copies are interchangeable), this reference is for you!

Contents

• Tab Overview
• Tracked vs Consumable
• Copy vs Item: What is the difference?
• Add a Holding
• Batch Add Items - Tracked titles
• Consumables Inventory

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Remember: You are always welcome to call or email Keystone Customer Support with questions! 

Support for NLS' Parental Acknowledgement requirement for patrons under 18 was released in KLAS v7.8.22

For an overview of how it works, please see the NLS Parental Acknowledgement support announcement, then read on for answers to some Frequently Asked Questions.

1. What is the best way to add the Acknowledgement for an existing patron?

On the patron's Main tab (Alt-1), Update the record (Ctrl-o) and add then remove a space to any of the name fields. Save the record (Ctrl-s), and the Acknowledgement prompt will be triggered.

2. What needs to be included on the Alternate Contact record for the Parent/Guardian?

On the patron's Contact tab (Alt-2), an AltContact record is required with the Contact Sub Type of either Parent or Guardian, and the contact's Full Name.

(10/11/2024 Addition) The contact's name can be entered as Firstname Lastname or Lastname, Firstname, and you can include or leave out a middle name or middle initial, but it must be a full name (more than one word) in the Name field: "Mary Jane", not just "Mary." (/end addition)

If the Email is present, that is also synced to PIMMS. All other fields (description, mailing address, phone) are for your use and information only.

If the patron has more than one Alt Contact, a ParentalAck Contact Preference (bottom right star icon, or Functions menu) is also required.

3. Can I add a Note to the ParentalAck Property?

Yes! Notes on the Property record for the Parental Acknowledgement are not required or synced to PIMMS, but if you would like to use them for your own purposes, contact Keystone Customer Support and we can enable the field. 

At this time, the note can only be added on the patron's Preferences tab (Alt-4). If you want to track something using the ParentalAck property's Note field and want it added to the Acknowledgement prompt, let Customer Support know and we'll see about adding it in a future release.

4. How can I find my Juvenile Patrons?

You can Query for Juvenile patrons from the Patron module using the Magnifier glass icon, the Queries menu - Query, or Ctrl-q.

On the Quick Search tab, set:

• Patron Type | Begins | P
• Main Status | Equals | A
• Birth Date | Is Between | 01/01/2007 | 01/01/2025   (Or with the dates adjusted to be today minus 18 years to today.)

You might want to save the query for later using the Save Query Parameters button right after the Saved Queries field. Then, use the Begin Search button. The Query Results will open with the count and list of results.

Some things you can do from there:

• Use the Export to Excel button (Alt-Ctrl-x) to save the list in Excel. This also lets you copy the Email column to use for sending email notifications or reminders.
• Double-click any result to open the Query Set. Then use the Functions menu to select Labels. Switch the radio select to Print Labels for: Entire Query. This lets you print the labels for a physical mailing.

5. Can I exclude Juvenile Patrons that already have the Acknowledgement from my query?

This requires the Merge Queries function.

1. First, run the Query above, and double-click (or select and enter) on any result to open the Query Set.
2. Run a new Query, with the same criteria on the Quick Search, and these additional fields on the Advanced Search tab (Alt-2):
   • Preference | Type | Equals | ParentalAck
   • Preference | Code | In | Yes,No   (to instead exclude only the Yes acknowledgements, use Equals | Yes instead)
3. Begin Search. From the Results page, double-click any result to open the Query Set.
4. From the Queries menu, select Merge Queries.
5. Set Query A to your Query from question 4, and Query B to your most recent Query, then set the Merge to In A Not B.

The combined results will be listed on screen. Again, you can use Export to Excel to save the list and/or get the list of emails, and you can double-click any result to open the Query Set to browse in KLAS and/or print mailing labels.

Have a different question?

Don't hesitate to reach out! Whether it's a PIMMS Resubmit Report entry that's puzzling you, curiosity about what is and isn't required or synced, or anything else related to KLAS--we're happy to help!

To support the new Parental Acknowledgement requirement from NLS, 7.8.22 includes a number of important changes.

1. When you update an individual Patron record - a value in the BirthDate field will now be mandatory.
2. When you update a Juvenile patron's Main tab, KLAS will ask for the Acknowledgement status and date received/signed.
3. The Acknowledgement is stored and updatable on the Preferences tab.
4. Juvenile patrons also need a Parent or Guardian Alternate Contact.
5. KLAS will be able to blockJuvenile patrons without a positive Acknowledgement anda Parent/Guardian contact.
6. When Acknowledgement and Contact information have been entered or updated, that information will be sent to PIMMS.

Barring any last-minute problems, this update will be applied to all early release and auto-update customers for installation Wednesday, 10/02/2024. All other LBPD / Talking Books libraries are encouraged to schedule the update as soon as possible.

Read on for the full details on each of the above items.

1. Birth Date is now mandatory

To ensure that both KLAS and PIMMS can correctly identify juvenile patrons, the full date of birth is now mandatory for individual patrons. This will be in effect for new patron records, and for records being updated.

If a patron refuses to give their birth date, a value of 01/01/1900 should be used. 

2. Prompt for Parental Acknowledgement

On the patron Main tab, when any updates are saved to a relevant patron record, you will now be prompted to provide the Parental Acknowledgement.

Relevant patron records are:

• Patron Type: Any Individualpatron type (PA, PJ, etc)
• Birth Date: Less than 18 years ago today
• Acknowledgement status: not already set to Yes

This prompt will have the options: Yes, No, or Not Received, and a field to enter the date that acknowledgement was received.

3. ParentalAck property

Once the prompt has been answered for a patron, the data will be saved for viewing or updates on the patron's Preferences tab (Alt-4) as the new property type "ParentalAck." 

The property will have fields Ack Answer (Yes, No, Not Received, or Not Applicable) and Answer Date.

If a No or Not Received later becomes a Yes, if a Yes is later rescinded, or the answer otherwise needs to be edited, that can be done here, along with providing the updated Answer Date.

4. Parent/Guardian contact preference

NLS needs to know the responsible party that provided the Acknowledgement. This person's name and email address should be saved as an Alternate Contact with a subtype of "Parent" or "Guardian" as appropriate.

If more than one such Alt Contact is on the patron's Contacts tab (Alt-2), the one responsible for answering the Acknowledgement must be designated as the "ParentalAck" contact preference (using the 'Add Contact Preference' gold star icon in the bottom right toolbar, or Functions menu - Add Contact Preference). 

If only one Alt Contact is on the record, the contact preference is optional. 

5. Block relevant patrons without the Acknowledgement

Once you are on 7.8.22 and indicate that you are ready to start blocking relevant patrons without the Parental Acknowledgement (or on the January 1 cutover date), we will apply the configuration to automatically apply the block.

Patrons that will be blocked are: 

• Patron Type:Any Individualpatron type (PA, PJ, etc)
• Birth Date: Less than 18 years ago today
• Acknowledgement status: not set to Yes
• AltContact: no Parent or Guardian AltContact on file

If there are multiple Parents and/or Guardians on file but none are designated as the ParentalAck contact using the Contact Preference, the patron will not be blocked, but will be included on the PIMMS resubmit report for correction.

6. PIMMS Sync

The information in the ParentalAck property, the ParentalAck contact preference (or sole Parent/Guardian AltContact if no preference is set), and the full birth dates for all patrons will be now communicated to PIMMS. 

If you have further questions or concerns, please get in touch! As always, we'll be here making sure the transition goes as smoothly as possible.