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Masquerade as a Patron

Use Masquerade mode to view a patron's account in Aspen and assist them with holds and account issues.

Using Masquerade mode, library staff can:

  • Assist a patron in navigating search results
  • Assist a patron with questions about their account
  • Place holds for a patron
  • Reset a patron's PIN

Accessing "Masquerade" mode

  1. From your library's Aspen catalog, login with your staff account (note: this is not a barcode)
  2. You can access Masquerade mode from two places:
    1. My Account landing page toolbar menu.
    2. By clicking your username to reveal the My Account quick-access tools.
       menu options under my account pagemenu dropdown under username
  3. Enter the patron's Library Card Number at the prompt.
     library card number field
  4. The account name now displays Acting As.
     acting as message in the header

Useful tips

  • Masquerade mode will automatically sign out after 3 minutes of inactivity.
  • Masquerading as a patron will not update the Last Activity Date, unless you place a hold or take action on the account.
  • Library staff with an OPAC Administrator account can masquerade as other library staff accounts within their library; Library staff cannot masquerade as library staff accounts for other libraries.

 

Related Training:
Aspen All Staff: Masquerade Mode and Holds