Deactivate vs delete a patron

Two ways to remove a patron — deactivate (keep history) or delete (permanently remove).

Deactivate

• The default
• Patron can't sign in
• Patron disappears from the active patron list
• Loan history is preserved
• Holds are cancelled (no point holding a book for someone who can't pick up)
• Reversible: reactivate any time

When to use: most cases. The patron is no longer with you (moved, opted out, etc.) but you may want their history later.

Delete

• Permanently removes the patron record
• All loan history is anonymized (the loan still exists for statistics but the patron name is removed)
• Family ties broken
• Cannot be reversed

When to use: GDPR or similar privacy requests, accidentally-created patrons with no history.

Both options

Patrons → find them → Edit → Delete → choose Deactivate or Delete.

Family impact

• Deactivating a patron removes them from active family rosters but keeps the family record intact
• Deleting a patron removes the family tie entirely

Re-activating a deactivated patron

Patrons → Filter by "Inactive" → find them → Reactivate. They can sign in again immediately.