| USMAI Consortium of Libraries |
| University System of Maryland and Affiliated Institutions |
Description: Regularly scheduled patron loads allow campuses to eliminate manual creation and update of records. These loads reduce the errors that occur in manual record manipulation. Consistently scheduled patron loads throughout the year keep patron records up-to-date and thereby allow shorter expiration time periods. For all campuses USMAI formatted patron files are transferred by the campus to an ITD site. ITD performs pre-processing on all campus files to accommodate USMAI overlay specifications. A file formatted for the Aleph patron loader (PLIF) is created by the pre-processing and loaded using Aleph. A loader report is generated that is used by local circulation staff for processing and administrative tasks. The final step in the implementation of a patron loader is automation. Automation of the patron loader allows for daily or weekly loads that are unmediated by ITD staff. Generally only updated or new records are loaded when a patron load becomes automated. Once a month a full file will be loaded. Loading patron records on a daily/weekly basis allows for finer control over expiration dates.
ALEPH Patron Loader Implementation Steps
In development for: All campuses
Click here for more information on the current status of patron loaders by campus
| USMAI | ITD | Metalib/sfx | Aleph |
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