Manage Deceased Patron Records

EAC recommends (but does not require) the following procedure:

Add an alert noting that the patron has been reported deceased and mark the patron's record as inactive by unchecking the "Active" box.

Libraries may choose to follow an additional procedure which includes more thoroughly removing information from the patron’s account by overwriting values with “deceased patron” and removing identifying details:

1. Change the patron's first name to "Deceased"
2. Change the patron's last name to "Patron"
3. Mark the phone number as invalid
4. Mark the email address as invalid
5. Change the account's expiration date to current date
6. Uncheck "Active" box
7. Delete the patron's address
8. Change the password
9. Save

Checked out items

If a deceased patron still has an item checked out, libraries may choose from among a few options. If the item belongs to another library, you should check in with the owning library before proceeding with any of the options:

1. Leave the item checked out. The item will eventually be marked as lost if it hasn't been already. All standard lost processes (including bill generation and email notification) will run.
2. Mark the item as missing. This will remove the circulation from the patron's account. Lost processes will not run.
3. If you don't believe the item will be returned, you could check in the item, forgive the fines, and delete the item.

The above procedures were reviewed by EAC on 2024-04-16