Collection Agency Exclusion
- Bethany Baker
- Tammy Poquette
This documentation explains how to exclude patrons from Collection Agency Reports.
Explanation
The Collection Agency Exclusion function in Sierra allows you to prevent a patron record from being included in the Collection Agency Reports for as long as the setting is applied in that patron’s record.
In order to utilize this function, you must have the Edit Collection Agency Settings permission assigned to your Sierra login. If you do not have this permission, contact the Marmot Help Desk.
Enabling Collection Agency Exclusion Setting on a Patron Record
Navigate to the patron’s record in Sierra via the Checkout function.
Search for the patron by name or barcode number. Once you have opened the patron record, click Edit.
In the next pop-up window, select Edit again.
In the dropdown menu that opens, click the box next to Collection Agency Exclusion.
Once this box is selected, it will have a checkmark and a note will be added to the patron record.
Save the patron record.
As long as the Collection Agency Setting box is checked and the “Collection Agency Exclusion” note is in the record, the patron should be excluded from the Collection Agency Report.
Disabling Collection Agency Exclusion Setting on a Patron Record
Navigate to the patron’s record in Sierra via the Checkout function.
Search for the patron by name or barcode number. Once you have opened the patron record, click Edit.
In the next pop-up window, select Edit again.
In the dropdown menu that opens, click the box next to Collection Agency Exclusion to uncheck it.
The note about Collection Agency Exclusion can be left in the patron record, as this setting requires both the box to be checked and the note in the record. However, it can also be deleted if it is not needed for your records.
Save the patron record.
Removing a Patron Already on the Collection Agency Report
If a patron is already on the Collection Agency report and should not be, the patron can manually be removed from the report.
Navigate to the Collection Agency Table using the Collection Agency function.
Select the library using the drop-down menu next to Setting.
Run a New Submissions report or an Updated Patrons report by selecting the respective button.
Once the report has run, select the patron record(s) that you want to remove from the report by left-clicking on the line(s) with the patron(s). Then choose Remove Patron.
If you remove the patron from a Collection Agency Report manually and the patron still owes money on their account, the patron may be included in the report at a later date. If you want the patron to be excluded from further reports, you must also follow the Collection Agency Exclusion steps.
The system will follow the applicable steps afterward, depending on which report the patron was removed from.
Report | Removal | Action |
|---|---|---|
New Submissions Report | Manual only | The system removes the patron record from the New Submissions Report and the Collection Agency table (see the note above about the necessary steps to remove a patron from future Collection Agency reports). |
Updated Patrons Report | Manual and Automatic (automatic removal occurs when the patron’s fines drop below the minimum amount set for the library. For example, if a library’s minimum amount is $50 and a patron pays their fines down to $20, they will automatically be removed from the Updated Patrons Report by the system.). | The system:
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Related Documentation
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Service/Topic and Roles Label Key (Marmot Knowledge Base)
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Collection Agency Exclusion (Marmot Knowledge Base)
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Collection Agency Settings (Admin>Parameters>Circulation - Sierra) (Marmot Knowledge Base)