Circ/RSS Guidelines for Evergreen

Circ/RSS Guidelines for Evergreen - April 2025 (Google Doc)

The Circ/RSS Taskforce determined the following guidelines and definitions for regional use in Evergreen for the first 6-12 months. Future changes, additions and the creation of a more substantial Circulation Best Practices Guide/Manual will be developed by the Shared ILS Committee.

Patron Permission Groups 

Most Patrons in Evergreen will be under Standard Patron. This includes Juvenile, YA and Adult. Use the Juvenile checkbox to require guardian information and limit check out. Use the Stat Cat in the patron record to indicate J, YA A for statistical reporting purposes. 

All Patron Permission Groups, their uses, and behaviors can be viewed here. 

Patron Registration 

The Task Force and the Software have set required fields for patron registration. For a list of all available patron fields, with suggested completion action, as well as required fields see Creating a New Patron Account.

Task Force members are also providing a printable Patron Registration Form for both adult and juvenile registrations, including a full-page Google Doc form and an index sized Patron Registration Template Link via Canva (3 per page). Libraries may choose to adapt these registration forms to local practices as each form contains the minimum required fields. 

Patron Password

Unless the patron specifies otherwise, the last 4 digits of their phone number can be auto filled. Patrons are allowed to reset this in Aspen for themselves if they wish. Evergreen and Aspen allow for longer alphanumeric Passwords. Once a patron record is saved the Password cannot be viewed in Evergreen. Either staff or patrons must reset it. 

Optional Add Ons for Registration

Libraries may need to update their registration forms to include fields like Patron Hold Alias for self pick-ups. The Internet Access Level will default to “filtered” and is required but currently inactive. The "Allowing Others to Use My Account" field can be used for patrons who designate someone else to pick up holds.

Circulation Modifiers (Circ Mods)

Circ Mods are staff-only labels that control how items circulate and whether they follow standard or special hold rules—non-standard hold behavior must be set using a Circ Mod.  Most items will use the “Standard” Circ Mod, which reflects the library’s default settings (e.g., 21-day loans for most, 14 for ALB), while special collections or fine-based rules can be managed with custom Circ Mods and shelving locations.

Shelving Location

In Evergreen, Shelving Locations show where items are stored, but circulation policies should be set using Circ Mods—since hold policies can’t use shelving locations—and item format is determined by the MARC record, not the shelving location.

Standard Settings

Standard item settings are a 21-day loan, 2 renewals, no fines, auto-renewal with notice, and region-wide requestability, with optional Age Hold Protection for new materials.

Special Collections 

Each Evergreen library may designate a small portion of their collection as a special collection with custom borrowing limits.

These items usually have unique Circ Mods. 

What was previously called Permanent Local Request is now handled through Circ Mods, hold policies, and transit ranges. 

Each library is responsible for documenting their special collections. Questions should be directed to the owning library.

Non-Standard Settings for Specific Libraries

A few libraries have unique circulation needs:

• Libraries charging fines as of May 1, 2025: KEN, KAS, SPG, ZUM
  
  

• Albert Lea (ALB): 14-day loan period for all items until Jan 1, 2026, then switching to the standard 21-day loan

To keep things consistent for most patrons, these non-standard settings are allowed only when items are checked out at the owning library.

• Fines at KEN, KAS, SPG, and ZUM apply only to their own items checked out at their locations
  
  

• Albert Lea items:
  Loan for 14 days when checked out at ALB
  Loan for 21 days when checked out elsewhere
  
  

Each library must document their non-standard settings. Questions about these items should go to the owning library.

Age Hold Protection

Prevents new items from filling holds outside the owning library for three months from the Item Record Active Date - the date the item status is made Available. 

• Use of this feature is optional 

• It is applied on an individual item

• Can be removed manually at any time by owning library

• Use for new materials with high local demand, not every new item or replacements  

• Remains visible in the item after elapsed time but no longer applies

NOTE: Does not apply to On Order items as they have not yet been activated. In other words patrons can get “in line” for new materials but that hold will not be filled until protection elapsed

See Equinox Document for more details

Staff Login & Permission Groups

To protect patron privacy and secure the shared database, all staff will have named logins—no generic accounts will be used after go-live.

Most staff will have two Evergreen accounts:

1. Staff Account – With appropriate staff permission group (e.g., circ, circmanager, cat1, etc.).
   Format: first initial + last name - permission level (e.g., jdoe-circmanager)
   
   

2. Patron Account – For personal borrowing, with regular patron permissions.
   Format: barcode as username
   
   

More details on staff permission groups (circ, circ manager etc.) will be shared soon.

Filling Requests/Holds & Pull List

Holds in Evergreen work very differently from Horizon and are complex. The vendor suggests we stick with the default settings until we better understand the system. Libraries should expect changes in how pull lists and request fulfillment behave, and those that usually benefit from ILL dividends may see a significant reduction or loss of that benefit due to these differences.

Notices

Information on Notices in Evergreen.