Bug 39792 - Patron Home Library has too much responsibility
Summary: Patron Home Library has too much responsibility
Status: NEW
Alias: None
Product: Koha
Classification: Unclassified
Component: System Administration (show other bugs)
Version: Main
Hardware: All All
: P5 - low enhancement
Assignee: Bugs List
QA Contact: Testopia
URL:
Keywords:
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Reported: 2025-04-30 17:53 UTC by Christopher Brannon
Modified: 2025-05-21 20:43 UTC (History)
8 users (show)

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Description Christopher Brannon 2025-04-30 17:53:17 UTC
The patron home library setting controls too much, particularly with consortium libraries.

We use the home library to list the patron's patron (default) library and pickup location.  However, we have to track patrons via taxing group for our consortium.  Because patrons can change which library is their default library, we can't use this setting as a reliable source for what tax group they belong to.  So instead, we have to use a patron attribute.

However, this patron attribute, while perfect for reporting who belongs to which group, serves no functionality like controlling what database subscriptions a patron has access to based on their taxing group.  Most SIP communications do not support this extra attribute on the vendor side.  Nor does this attribute help when it comes to purchase suggestions.  Purchase suggestions are directed at their home library, rather than the library that they are funding through taxes.

With our current setup, we can also use one single account for a staff member so they can be from a different taxing group than the library they work at.  We don't let staff have the ability to change their branch on the staff side of Koha, because it would be too easy for them to be in the wrong branch when they are doing transactions.

Without having this separate taxing entity attribute, we would have to have two accounts for staff, one for personal library use, and another for work use.

I think too much weight is being put on the home branch setting.  I would love to be able to use the home branch setting as a setting that only the library sets, not something the patron controls.  It would define what library or tax group they are paying into, and would still be the setting that vendors use, and what the purchases suggestions would be directed to for that patron.

I would like to see a second setting that would only control the default pickup location, which the patron would have control over, but we could set for them on request.

Ultimately, it might be a good idea to have a separate third setting for libraries to set for purchase suggestions, but if a default pickup location were created, that would be a huge improvement.

I might even suggest a fourth setting (maybe in preferences along with the catalogue preference) that allows you to set the library or libraries that the staff member can log in to.  If not set, they could log into any of the libraries.  Otherwise, it would only allow them to log into specified libraries.  This would change the login form though.  I would exclude picking the library on the login form, and prompting the staff member for the library from a list of allowed libraries after they login.

This might be suited for multiple bugs, but I think this needs to be considered so that this one setting doesn't control so many things that might be in conflict with each other.
Comment 1 Paul Derscheid 2025-04-30 18:38:13 UTC
Hi, some of these pain points we do share in Germany.

For example, I would be very interested in how you would prefer taxes to be handled in Koha from a US perspective. Of course in Germany we have slightly (or not so slighty) different laws and regulations.

Disentangling the home library and the default pickup location is also something that I think makes sense (and have implemented once already for one use-case).

The branch dependent login is certainly also useful and sounds sensible.

In summary, I think it would make sense, to have this bug as the base for a tree of bugs, where each of the descendants tackles one particular aspect of this. Essentially what you suggested, but I'd encourage you to do exactly that.

I do see the need too and think this is more manageable in smaller pieces.
Comment 2 Andrew Fuerste-Henry 2025-04-30 18:51:57 UTC
(In reply to Paul Derscheid from comment #1)
> I do see the need too and think this is more manageable in smaller pieces.

+1 to all of this. Good ideas
Comment 3 George Williams (NEKLS) 2025-04-30 21:43:27 UTC
A new field to set a borrower's pickup location separate from home library would be awesome.
Comment 4 Christopher Brannon 2025-04-30 23:37:06 UTC
We did note that Aspen maintains it's own pickup location preference, along with an alternate pickup location preference.  I would suggest that this might be a good thing to model.  Maybe Aspen could sync settings with Koha down the road?
Comment 5 Christopher Brannon 2025-05-01 15:16:45 UTC Comment hidden (obsolete)
Comment 6 Christopher Brannon 2025-05-01 15:48:24 UTC Comment hidden (obsolete)
Comment 7 David Cook 2025-05-01 23:28:46 UTC Comment hidden (obsolete)
Comment 8 David Cook 2025-05-01 23:30:23 UTC
(In reply to Christopher Brannon from comment #6)
> Please disregard my disregard.  :/  I wish there were a way to delete my
> comments. 

Sometimes I wish there was a way to delete comments too, although that could lead to situations of "I never said that...".

My goto way of going "ah please ignore that" is to add a "tag" of "obsolete". You should be able to do that by clicking on "[tag]" in the upper right corner of the comment, typing in obsolete, pressing enter, and then saving the changes.
Comment 9 Christopher Brannon 2025-05-01 23:32:01 UTC
(In reply to David Cook from comment #8)
> (In reply to Christopher Brannon from comment #6)
> > Please disregard my disregard.  :/  I wish there were a way to delete my
> > comments. 
> 
> Sometimes I wish there was a way to delete comments too, although that could
> lead to situations of "I never said that...".
> 
> My goto way of going "ah please ignore that" is to add a "tag" of
> "obsolete". You should be able to do that by clicking on "[tag]" in the
> upper right corner of the comment, typing in obsolete, pressing enter, and
> then saving the changes.

Thanks for the tutorial!
Comment 10 Owen Leonard 2025-05-19 14:53:46 UTC
*** Bug 38791 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
Comment 11 Christopher Brannon 2025-05-21 20:43:16 UTC
(In reply to Owen Leonard from comment #10)
> *** Bug 38791 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

Why?  Seems unrelated.