Transitioning individuals and library accounts
Hello Everyone, We are seeing more and more transitioning adults and teens in the library whose legal names are not their preferred names (and their legal names may not match their gender anymore). How is everyone handling this issue? Specifically with the information on their library accounts because I believe we have to put their legal name on their account. Are you putting their preferred names in their account somewhere? In a related question: Does anyone put nicknames on patron's accounts? For example, a patron's legal name is Robert James Smith but goes by James. Do you have some note somewhere with James as a preferred name? Any information on how you are handling this would be greatly appreciated... Thanks, Janelle Janelle (Martin) Bishop Head of Fiction Marguerite deAngeli Library Lapeer District Library 921 W. Nepessing St. Lapeer, MI 48446 jmartin@lib.lapeer.org 810-664-6971 ext 3218
We use the Ex Libris Alma ILS and there you can choose 'preferred name' as an option and it is a searchable field when looking up patron accounts. This is not only helpful for people who have 'transitioned' but also for people who go by a nickname or use their middle name, etc. It just makes us a more accommodating, considerate, patron-friendly institution! I think there are more vendors and companies adapting to this more flexible way of patron accounting. Take care, Rebecca On Wed, Oct 6, 2021 at 9:52 AM Janelle Bishop via Michlib-l < michlib-l@mcls.org> wrote:
Hello Everyone, We are seeing more and more transitioning adults and teens in the library whose legal names are not their preferred names (and their legal names may not match their gender anymore). How is everyone handling this issue? Specifically with the information on their library accounts because I believe we have to put their legal name on their account. Are you putting their preferred names in their account somewhere?
In a related question: Does anyone put nicknames on patron's accounts? For example, a patron's legal name is Robert James Smith but goes by James. Do you have some note somewhere with James as a preferred name? Any information on how you are handling this would be greatly appreciated... Thanks, Janelle
Janelle (Martin) Bishop Head of Fiction Marguerite deAngeli Library Lapeer District Library 921 W. Nepessing St. Lapeer, MI 48446 jmartin@lib.lapeer.org 810-664-6971 ext 3218
_______________________________________________ Michlib-l mailing list Michlib-l@mcls.org https://mail3.mcls.org/mailman/listinfo/michlib-l
-- *Rebecca R. Daly, MLIS* Head Librarian Sulo & Aileen Maki Library Finlandia University 601 Quincy St. Hancock, MI 49930 RIDES zf007 906-487-7253 Pronouns: she, her, hers
Just to be clear, YES, we do use the preferred name options for our patrons that have preferred names or go by nicknames, middle names, etc. I'm at an academic library and our institution is also looking to do this in the general student accounting system, as well. Thanks, Rebecca On Wed, Oct 6, 2021 at 9:59 AM Rebecca Daly <rebecca.daly@finlandia.edu> wrote:
We use the Ex Libris Alma ILS and there you can choose 'preferred name' as an option and it is a searchable field when looking up patron accounts. This is not only helpful for people who have 'transitioned' but also for people who go by a nickname or use their middle name, etc. It just makes us a more accommodating, considerate, patron-friendly institution! I think there are more vendors and companies adapting to this more flexible way of patron accounting. Take care, Rebecca
On Wed, Oct 6, 2021 at 9:52 AM Janelle Bishop via Michlib-l < michlib-l@mcls.org> wrote:
Hello Everyone, We are seeing more and more transitioning adults and teens in the library whose legal names are not their preferred names (and their legal names may not match their gender anymore). How is everyone handling this issue? Specifically with the information on their library accounts because I believe we have to put their legal name on their account. Are you putting their preferred names in their account somewhere?
In a related question: Does anyone put nicknames on patron's accounts? For example, a patron's legal name is Robert James Smith but goes by James. Do you have some note somewhere with James as a preferred name? Any information on how you are handling this would be greatly appreciated... Thanks, Janelle
Janelle (Martin) Bishop Head of Fiction Marguerite deAngeli Library Lapeer District Library 921 W. Nepessing St. Lapeer, MI 48446 jmartin@lib.lapeer.org 810-664-6971 ext 3218
_______________________________________________ Michlib-l mailing list Michlib-l@mcls.org https://mail3.mcls.org/mailman/listinfo/michlib-l
-- *Rebecca R. Daly, MLIS* Head Librarian Sulo & Aileen Maki Library Finlandia University 601 Quincy St. Hancock, MI 49930 RIDES zf007 906-487-7253 Pronouns: she, her, hers
-- *Rebecca R. Daly, MLIS* Head Librarian Sulo & Aileen Maki Library Finlandia University 601 Quincy St. Hancock, MI 49930 RIDES zf007 906-487-7253 Pronouns: she, her, hers
participants (2)
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Janelle Bishop -
Rebecca Daly