Changing the logged in library
Every patron created on Koha is assigned to a branch, known as the patron home library. Which library a patron is assigned to can have an impact a variety of functions on Koha, including which fine and circulation rules are applied to checkouts, what information can be viewed and default information applied during cataloging.
When a patron logs in on Koha, they are automatically logged into their home library. This document will outline how on the staff side a patron can log into a library other than their home branch and how they can temporarily change the branch they are associated with after they have logged in.
Please note, neither of these processes will change the permanent home library of the patron. The changes outlined in this document will be reverted after the patron logs out and logs back in.
Choosing which library to log into
The Koha login page contains three fields of information
Username
Password
Library
The login page:
Username and Password are mandatory, meaning they will have to be filled in to gain access to the Koha site. However, it is not required to adjust the Library field. The Library field will be set to My library by default, which means Koha will automatically identify the home library of the patron logging in and direct them to that homepage.
However, if the My library box is clicked, a dropdown menu will appear, listing all available libraries that can be logged into. If the patron selects a different library to login into from this dropdown list and clicks Login, they will be taken to the homepage of that library, as opposed to their home library's home page.
The homepages of the different libraries within Koha will all have the same structure. The only immediate difference will be in the library name in the top right hand corner of the screen. This will always display the library the patron is currently logged into.
Switching libraries after logging in
Step 1 - Which branch is the patron logged into?
Regardless if the patron has logged into their own home library or a different library on the system, the process for changing the library they are working in is the same.
Go to the username and library in the top right hand corner of the screen. This will always appear in the format username | branch.
Step 2 - Changing the login branch
Click this blue link and a dropdown menu will appear.
Click Set library and a new page will appear with a box labelled Set library.
In the box beside the line Choose library there will be the library the patron is currently logged in at.
Click this and a dropdown menu of libraries will appear.
Select a different branch than the one appearing the in the right hand corner of the screen and click Submit.
The page will revert to the homepage and in the top right hand corner will be the username and branch as before. However, while the username will have remained the same, the library name will have changed, signifying the patron is logged into a different library.
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