Best Practice. How to search for existing patron accounts

This is the longest and most detailed "Best Practice" entry we've ever posted but I think you will appreciate the comprehensive information.  Feel free to use it to enhance your own staff instructions.  Thank to Joe at Madison PL for providing this Best Practice.

Before creating any library account we want to determine whether or not a patron already has an account in our database.   This is done, of course, by searching for the person’s name in Koha.  Here are some steps to follow that will help you conduct the most thorough search possible, and some guidelines to remember if you think you’ve found a preexisting account:

1. Search using an abbreviated version of patron’s name.   The results that are generated when one searches for patrons in the Check Out or Search Patrons fields are based on any existing exact character string matches in the database.  So, if you abbreviate a first name you increase the likelihood of catching any existing accounts that may be under some derivative of the patron’s name.
• Example:  If Donald Larson is applying for a card, your search could look like this: DON LARSON.  This will generate a list of any existing accounts for Don, Donny, or Donald Larson.
• Searching this way has its limits:  you can only abbreviate AFTER the first character of the name.   Thus, if Robert Loblaw is wanting a card, searching for OB LOBLAW will not generate a list of Rob, Robert and Bob Loblaws in the system, but will generate a list of Obi-wan, Obed, and Oblong Loblaws.  Not helpful.
• DO NOT include middle names or initials in your search:  doing so will cause your search to be overly specific, and will exclude any prior account that may not have included a middle name or initial.
• You can also abbreviate last names if you think doing so might be of benefit
2. Search names using an asterisk (*) for more flexibility within the Search Patrons field.  Asterisks serve as a wildcard and will take the place of any character(s) in a given position, which can be useful when searching for names that have less conventional derivatives.
• Example search queries and expected results:  *ONY ->Anthony and Tony;  JO*N -> John, Jonathan, Johnathan, Johnny, Jon; MA*G -> Margaret, Margie, Maggie;  JO*E -> Joseph, Joey, Joe
• You can only use one asterisk per search term (e.g. JO*N LARS*N will work; JO*N* LA*RS*N will not)
• Asterisks DO NOT work in the Check Out search field; only use them when searching within the Search Patrons field or in the Advance Patron Search options.
• Use an asterisk in the place of an apostrophe (O*BRIEN), hyphen (BAXTER*BIRNEY), or space (VAN*GUNDY) to search for any accounts that may or may not include them.
3. Other information: 
• During the migration of patron accounts from Dynix to Koha, apostrophes were deleted from any patron names that included them.  So, when registering a patron whose name involves an apostrophe, it’s especially important to check for previous accounts both ways; an asterisk where the apostrophe would be allows you to search for both at once.
• With dual last names, you’ll also want to search each of the last names individually, to catch any accounts that may be listed under only one of them.
4. Search for a unique first name by itself:  by excluding the last name from your search, it will have potential to pick up any prior accounts that may have been issued under a different last name.
• Real life example:  When reviewing an application recently, I searched for the patron’s first name (Bettye) alone, and discovered that four of the six search results (all having different last names) belonged to two separate people.
• Don’t use this technique for people named Sarah, or John, or Jennifer, et al.
5.  Criteria to consider when determining whether or not someone has had a prior account
•  Name:  does the first and last name on the person’s ID match the name (or possible derivative) on an existing record?  Is there a matching middle name or initial?  Is the name particularly unique (Robert Smith vs. Beezow Doo-doo Zopittybop-bop-bop)
• If the person’s ID lists a middle initial or name, you don’t have to check every existing account where the first & last names match, but the middle name/initial do not match.  DO, however, check any account in Koha that doesn’t list a middle name/initial.
• Date of birth:  does DOB match, or is suspiciously close (do they differ by a day, or exactly a year?  Could the difference be explained by a typo?)?
• Address:  does the address listed on patron’s ID or proof of address match the address listed on an existing account? 
6. Post-search procedural options
• There are no feasible prior records --> create new account
• There is a possible record --> conduct patron interview
• “Oh, it looks like you may have had a card before.  Have you ever lived in *name of town/village/city listed on the account* before?”  or “Have you ever lived on *name of street/avenue/boulevard*?”
• If person says “yes”, then amend existing account as necessary.
• If person says “no”, then consider the preponderance of the evidence and the totality of circumstances:  do most signs point to the person having a prior account?  Does the prior account have significant fines or charges owed on it? 
• If yes, do not issue a card, and refer person to clerk or library assistant, or supervisor. 
• If no, create a new account, but include a note on the application indicating the existence of the possible duplicate.
• Refrain from mentioning any existing fines that may be owed on the account in question until after ownership of the account has been established; often the likelihood of someone laying claim to a prior account is inversely proportional to the amount owed on it.
7.  Other points of consideration:
• A person is only allowed to have one account, PERIOD.
• If a child is a part of two households, we DO NOT issue a separate card for each household.  It is up to the parents/guardians to determine how the account is managed and how possession of the card is handled.
• A person may have a library account OR an internet access account—NOT both.
• If someone is signing up for a library card and you discover they already have an internet access account, do NOT create a new library account.  Instead, convert the WEB user account into a library account by amending the appropriate fields in the record once photo ID and proof of address are shown.
• If someone owes a substantial amount on their library account, do NOT issue her/him a separate WEB user account if she/he still wants to use the internet; we do not revoke internet privileges based on fines/charges owed.  Instead, write down the patron’s barcode number, or issue a new physical card, if lost.