March 2024

Quick facts

• Accommodation user profiles provide options for patrons to help manage their library accounts.
• Accommodation users' hold shelf period is 2 weeks. Hold slips will have one-week pick up by dates, but Symphony and hold notices will have the correct date.
• Depending on the user profile, the accommodations are for a smaller number of checkouts, longer loan periods, a smaller number of renewals, and/ or a larger number of holds.
• If the patron does not volunteer to change their user profile, staff must consult with a PIC, supervisor, lead worker, or Contact Center staff before limiting use of the library. Contact Center staff must be consulted before assigning an A_1_ITEM user profile.
• To find an Accommodation User Profile: Modify user > Basic info > Profile name & also Extended Info > History
• In addition to Accommodation User Profiles, there are many other Patron account and service options you can offer. 

Quick reference chart for accommodation user profiles:

Note: Accommodation users' hold shelf period is 2 weeks. Hold periods are extended by report after holds are filled. Because of this, hold slips will have one-week pick up by dates, but Symphony and hold notices will have the correct date.  

Procedure

1. Staff can Clear fees as an accommodation.
2. If the patron has a caregiver who can work with the patron to manage their library account, staff can offer these options:
   1. There are no late fines.
   2. Ask the patron if there is someone who can help them manage the account.
   3. Ask a caregiver to keep the patron's library card number, so they can access account information easily.
   4. Items will be automatically renewed up to 50 items, unless another patron is waiting to use them. A notice will be sent when items need to be returned.
   5. Notices may be sent to a caregiver by email, text, phone or mail.
   6. Designate a space for incoming and outgoing library items, so it is easy to find items that need to be returned to the library.
3. Offer the patron an accommodation user profile.
   1. Patrons can volunteer to use any accommodation profile.
   2. If the patron does not volunteer to change their user profile, staff must consult with a PIC, supervisor, lead worker, or Contact Center staff before limiting use of the library.
   3. User Profile A_1_ITEM should only be assigned after consulting with Contact Center staff, after other fee clearing options have been exhauste d.
   4. Before a user profile A_5_ITEM is used, staff must:
      1. If the patron does not volunteer to change to an A_5_ITEM user profile, consult with a PIC, supervisor, lead worker, or the Contact Center staff before limiting use of the library.
      2. Review the specific features of the user profile with the patron. If needed, ask the caregiver to help prepare the patron for the limit. Ask how the patron may react if they cannot check out or renew items. The caregiver may request a letter outlining the responsibilities of the patron, caregiver and library, which may be provided by Contact Center staff.
   5. All staff can assign an A_6_WEEK user profile without consulting other staff members.
4. In Extended Information, document the accommodation in a HISTORY field and include staff initials, location, and date. If applicable, the HISTORY field should include agreements with the patron and/or caregiver and caregiver contact information. For example:
   1. HISTORY: User profile A_5_ITEM set after talking with caregiver Alex Johnson at 503-555-5555 and Contact Center staff. Caregiver will receive email notices and check account online every week. SC/HDL 5/22/2019
   2. HISTORY: User profile set to A_6_WEEK. SC/HDL 5/22/2019
   3. HISTORY: CLR_PATRON $98 and user profile set to A_1_ITEM. Patron may call Contact Center at 503.988.5123 after one year to ask about increasing this limit. SC/HDL 4/23/2019
5. In Basic Info, set the patron to user profile name A_5_ITEM or A_6_WEEK. Only set the user profile to A_1_ITEM after consulting with Contact Center staff. Save and close the account.

6. If the patron lives outside of the free service area and must pay a fee for services:
   1. Add the $180.00 registration fee to the account.
      1. Unlike the PAID user profiles, the fee is not automatically added and must be added manually. Use the Billing a User wizard in the Special group, and add a $180.00 bill with a PAID_CARD reason.
   2. Add a HISTORY field to the account that this is an Accommodation/Fee registration.
   3. Manually set the expiration date at one (1) year from the registration date.
   4. As with all fee registrations, payment is required at registration.
   5. Renew fee registrations following A-D above.
7. Patrons with user profiles A_5_ITEM and A_6_WEEK may restore their user profile to a standard user profile at any time, unless there is a HISTORY field stating otherwise.
8. Patrons with a A_1_ITEM user profile may have privileges extended after demonstrating successful use of the library for one year. This will be documented in a HISTORY field in Extended Info. Please ask patrons to call the Contact Center at 503.988.5123 after the deadline has passed.

Tip

The Disability Accommodations Group (DAG) and Accommodation services pages on Commons, and the Accessibility page on the public website have more information on accommodation options for using the library. 

Policy

Multnomah County Library provides options and services for patrons with disabilities to help them manage their library accounts. The library has three different user profiles to accommodate patrons.

• Patrons may volunteer to change to an accommodation user profile.
• Patrons may change A_6_WEEK or A_5_ITEM profiles, if there are no conditions noted, back to standard user profiles at any time.
• Patrons with an A_1_ITEM user profile, or a COMMENT field that states that the patron will take out few items for a period of time, may contact the Contact Center with questions or after one year to determine if checkouts may be increased.
• User profile A_1_ITEM may be assigned if the patron volunteers for the change or after consultation with the Contact Center. There may be conditions set for use of the library. If there are conditions set, staff should consult with Contact Center staff before changing the user profile.
• User profiles A_5_ITEM may be assigned if the patron volunteers for the change or after consultation with a PIC, supervisor, lead worker or Contact Center staff. There may be conditions set for use of the library. If there are conditions set, staff should consult with Contact Center staff before changing the user profile.
• Accommodation user profiles are set in the patron's current account and are not a separate registration. All other standard Registration requirements and circulation policies apply.
• All accommodation user profiles:
  • Items will be billed if they are overdue for 49 days
  • Keep holds on the holdshelf for 2 weeks
  • Allow 4-hour laptop and accessory checkouts that do not count toward take-home checkout limits
  • Have access to E-Books and other electronic resources.
• User profile A_1_ITEM accounts cannot be used for ILL services.
• Checkout limits for patrons with A_5_ITEM user profiles include Interlibrary Loan (ILL) items.
• The Contact Center may also be able to clear or adjust fees multiple times as an accommodation. See Clearing/Waiving fees for details.

A_5_ITEM USER PROFILE

• The library will assign an A_5_ITEM user profile to patrons who need the accommodation of a reduced checkout limit to manage their library accounts. It is at the discretion of the patron and, if applicable, a caregiver to decide when an account has become difficult to manage.
• The A_5_ITEM user profile allows five items to be checked out to take home at one time and a maximum of two renewals for each item.
• There may be conditions in History fields for this user profile.

A_6_WEEK USER PROFILE

• The library will issue library cards with an A_6_WEEK user profile to patrons who need:
  • More time to use library materials
  • More time to get to the library to return materials
  • More time on the holdshelf, such as for patrons who receive mail notices
  • More holds at one time
• The checkout and renewal loan period for an A_6_WEEK user profile is 6 weeks.
• A_6_WEEK patrons may have 25 holds at one time.
• Interlibrary Loan loan periods are set by the lending library and may not be 6 weeks.
• For E-Books, patrons only have the option of a 6 week checkout.

A_1_ITEM USER PROFILE

• A_1_ITEM user profiles will be assigned to patrons who need the accommodation of very limited checkout limit to manage their library accounts. The goal is to allow some access while minimizing loss of materials.
• This user profile usually be assigned after consulting with Contact Center staff after other fee clearing options have been exhausted and patrons have consistently demonstrated that they cannot manage a standard library account.
• This user profile should be used temporarily in most situations. If a patron is able to demonstrate successful use of the library for one year, borrowing privileges could be extended.
• A_1_ITEM user profile allows one physical item to be checked out to take home at one time and a maximum of 2 renewals for each item.
• Interlibrary Loan items may not be checked out with this user profile.
• There may be conditions in History fields for this user profile.

Rationale

The library will offer reasonable accommodations and options to help patrons manage their accounts. Accommodation user profiles may be offered if standard options do not work.

The purpose of A_5_ITEM user profile is to accommodate patrons who have difficulty keeping track of large numbers of items and returning them on time.

The purpose of A_6_WEEK user profile is to accommodate patrons who have difficulty visiting the library or using library materials in the standard three-week circulation period.

The purpose of A_1_ITEM user profile is to allow some library access to patrons who consistently have difficulty managing a standard account, have exhausted all fee clearing options, and who do not have any other options for internet, book, or media access.