Email Notices

Concepts

PLS provides email notifications to alert patrons when: borrowed items will be due soon, borrowed items that are overdue, their patron account will soon expire, hold items are ready for pickup.

Email Address in the Patron Account

Staff Client

Staff can enter a patron's email address from Patron Account > Edit. If the patron has multiple email addresses, enter each email separated by a comma.

OPAC My Account

Patrons can add or edit their own email address by logging in to their account in the online catalog.

Problems with Email Notices

These notices are provided as a courtesy to patrons. They are not intended to replace date due slips, staff reminders at the point of checkout, or otherwise contacting the library or logging in to the catalog to verify a due date.

Patron does not regularly check their email

If the patron does not regularly check their email, do not put their email address in their record. Most of these notices are time sensitive. The notice is triggered by a circulation event, and all time ranges are based on that event date/time, NOT the date the patron reads the message.

Patron spam filters

System generated emails may be trapped by spam filters. Library staff should direct patrons to check their spam folder, or to add the library's email address to their contact list. Patrons are responsible for setting up their own email whitelists or contact lists; their email provider will have instructions for doing this. PLS staff cannot troubleshoot patrons' spam filter settings.

Wrong address

Staff should be very careful to enter a patron's email address into Evergreen correctly. Typos, or other errors, will prevent an email notice from being delivered to the recipient.

In these situations, a "bounceback" message will appear in the library's email account indicating that an email was not delivered. This message will include information to retrieve the patron in Evergreen.