November 2025

Quick facts

• If you receive a report of an incorrect address or mail is returned, and there is a forwarding address or an Address 2, update the address with the new or Address 2 information. Add a Comment field, "Address updated, please check other contact information. AG/NRW 11/5/2025"
• If you receive a report of an incorrect address or mail is returned, and there is no other information:
  • Change the Profile name to 5_Update.
  • Add a Comment field, "Please update address. BL/TRT 11/5/2025"
• If phone (voice or text) or email information is incorrect:
  • Update the notice type to the next available information in this order: email, phone, or mail.
  • Add a Comment field, "Please update phone number. 503-555-5555 is a wrong number. Notice type changed to mail. RY/CAP 11/5/2025" Use a similar Comment for incorrect text numbers or email addresses.
• When you have spoken to the patron and updated the contact information:
  • Update the Profile name and County, if needed.
  • Remove any Extended Info fields about the address update.  

Procedure

Patron moved and there's a forwarding address

1. The Post Office gives the forwarding address to the library in the form of a photocopy of the notice. These are processed at the Operations Center.
   1. Use the Modify User wizard to update the Profile Name in the Basic Info tab, if needed.
   2. Update the County in the Demographics tab to reflect the new mailing address, if needed.
   3. Add a Comment field in the Extended Info Tab: "Address updated. Check Phone Number. NK/OPS 3/3/2025"
   4. If the new address is outside the free service area, add a Commend field "Address updated. Check Phone Number. Out of Free Service Area EC/OPS 3/3/2025" and set the Profile Name to 5_Update.

Mail returned as undeliverable

1. If the patron's account contains an alternate street address (Address 2):
   1. Copy the information from Address 2 into the Address 1 fields so that future mailings will be sent to the alternate address:
   2. If the alternate address is out of the free service area:
      • Change the Profile Name to 5_Update.
      • Add a Comment field: "Out of free service area. KG/Cen 3/3/2025"
2. Undeliverable and an alternate address does not exist:
   1. Change the Profile Name to 5_Update.
   2. Add a comment saying: "Mail returned as undeliverable.  Please update contact info, Profile Name and County as needed. MM/GRG 10/15/2025."

Email returned as undeliverable

1. When an email is returned to the library as undeliverable, it is returned to a special email account and processed daily by the Contact Center. Contact Center staff will:
   1. Delete the email address.
   2. Add a Comment field: "Email bounceback. Ask patron to update email address or choose different notice type. Add sirsi@multcolib.sirsi.net to email contacts to receive email notices. Delete message after speaking with patron. SM/CC 05-06-2025"

Telephone number is wrong

1. When a report of a wrong telephone number is received follow the steps below.
   1. Open Modify User wizard.
   2. In the Addresses tab, remove the incorrect number
   3. If necessary, in the Demographics tab, change the notice type.
   4. In the Extended Info tab, add a COMMENT to update the phone or text number: "Update phone (or SMS notice) number. EES/CC 3/13/2025"

Updating the account after receiving new information

1. Use the Modify User wizard to access the account.
2. Remove the Comment from the Extended Info tab.
3. Update the necessary address, telephone and email information in the account. Update the Profile Name and County to reflect the new residential address, if needed.

Policy

Mail return is a term used when a patron has moved and the post office provides us a forwarding address, the mail or email we sent is returned as undeliverable, or the library receives a report that the telephone notification system called an incorrect telephone number.

Patrons must have a current address in their account: a residential address, a PO Box, or another address where they can receive mail. See Requirements for details.

If mail is returned, the account will be blocked until the patron updates the contact information. Proof of address is not required.

Rationale

The library must have a current address to determine eligibility for free library service. The library must have current contact information in order to contact patrons about holds, overdue materials or other issues in a timely manner.