Tools
Know patrons and circulation features.
1.3 Patron Import
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Get there: More > Tools > Patrons and Circulation > Import Patrons
The patron import tool can be used at any time to add patrons in bulk. It is commonly used in universities and schools when a new batch of students registers.
1.3.1 Creating Patron File
Your Koha installation comes with a blank CSV file that you can use as a template for your patron records. If you would like to create the file yourself, make sure that your file has the following fields in this order as the header row:
cardnumber, surname, firstname, title, othernames, initials, streetnumber, streettype, address, address2, city, state, zipcode, country, email, phone, mobile, fax, emailpro, phonepro, B_streetnumber, B_streettype, B_address, B_address2, B_city, B_state, B_zipcode, B_country, B_email, B_phone, dateofbirth, branchcode, categorycode, dateenrolled, dateexpiry, gonenoaddress, lost, debarred, debarredcomment, contactname, contactfirstname, contacttitle, guarantorid, borrowernotes, relationship, ethnicity, ethnotes, sex, password, flags, userid, opacnote, contactnote, sort1, sort2, altcontactfirstname, altcontactsurname, altcontactaddress1, altcontactaddress2, altcontactaddress3, altcontactstate, altcontactzipcode, altcontactcountry, altcontactphone, smsalertnumber, privacy, patron_attributes
The 'password' should be stored in plaintext, and will be converted to a Bcrypt hash.
If your passwords are already encrypted, talk to your systems administrator about options
Date formats should match your system preference, and must be zero-padded, e.g. '01/02/2008'.
The fields 'branchcode', 'categorycode' and all fields you have defined in the BorrowerMandatoryField preference are required and must match valid entries in your database.
If loading patron attributes, the 'patron_attributes' field should contain a comma-separated list of attribute types and values.
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The attribute type code and a colon should precede each value.
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For example: "INSTID:12345,BASEBALL:Cubs"
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This field must be wrapped in quotes if multiple values are defined.
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Since values can contain spaces, additional doubled-quotes may be required:
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"INSTID:12345,BASEBALL:Cubs,""BASEBALL:White Sox"""
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When replacing a patron record, any attributes specified in the input file replace all of the attribute values of any type that were previously assigned to the patron record.
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1.3.2 Importing Patrons
Once you have created your file, you can use the Patron Import Tool to bring the data into Koha.
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Choose your CSV file
![importpatrons]()
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Choose to match on 'Cardnumber' or 'Username' to prevent adding of duplicate card numbers to the system
![patronmatch]()
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Next you can choose default values to apply to all patrons you are importing
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ex. If you're importing patrons specific to one branch you can use the field on the Import form to apply the branch code to all those you are importing.
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Finally you need to decide on what data you want to replace if there are duplicates.
![patronmatching]()
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A matching record is found using the field you chose for matching criteria to prevent duplication
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If you included patron attributes in your file you can decide whether to add your values to existing values or erase existing values and enter only your new values.
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