NLS Parental Acknowledgement FAQ

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.

Want more detailed or easier to print instructions? Download: Query for Juvenile Patrons that do not yet have an Acknowledgement.

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!