Part of the six-part Patron Management in Destiny Library Manager and Destiny Resource Manager: Where to Start series. 

Once you know how patron data gets into Follett Destiny® Library Manager, the next question is just as important: are those records actually ready for the start of the school year? 

Whether your district uses Scheduled Patron Update, OneRoster, or another import method, the next step is the same: make sure patron records are current and ready for daily service. 

In my experience, this is where small issues start showing up fast. A student is in the system, but the site association may need updating. A new staff member is loaded but not set up the way you expected. A transfer happened, but the record has not caught up yet. 

None of these problems are unusual, but they can create frustration in a hurry. This post is part of a beginning-of-year patron management series, and this is the point in the process where I recommend slowing down just enough to do a practical review. 

I work with Follett Software now, but before that I was a Destiny customer, first as a school librarian and later as a district coordinator. After years of managing school and district records, I learned that clean patron data makes everything feel easier. When records are current, students and staff can move through the start of the year with fewer interruptions. When they are not, district and site teams spend valuable time reacting instead of preparing. 

Why This Review Matters 

Patron records affect more than checkout. They support circulation, access, reporting, and the day-to-day work that depends on students and staff being in the right place with the right information. 

For Destiny Resource Manager, record readiness also includes confirming that patrons have the appropriate Access Level and Resource Group for the resources they need to use. A patron may exist at the correct site but still need a resource-access setting reviewed. 

When records are current, most people never think about them. When they are not, the problems tend to show up at exactly the worst time. That is why I think of this as one of the most useful behind-the-scenes tasks you can do before the year gets busy. 

What “Not Ready” Usually Looks Like 

Beginning-of-year patron issues do not always show up as items requiring attention. More often, they look like small data mismatches that can create additional work if they are not reviewed early. 

You might see: 

• New students or staff who are missing 
• Transfers that have not been reflected yet 
• Users associated with the wrong site 
• Outdated grade levels, homerooms, or other key fields 
• Records that need manual cleanup after staffing or enrollment changes 

These are the kinds of issues that can quietly slow everyone down if they are not caught early. 

A Practical Record-Readiness Review 

Once you have confirmed how your district’s import works, ask: 

• Are new students and staff loading as expected? 
• Are recent transfers showing up correctly? 
• Are patrons associated with the right schools or sites? 
• Are there obvious gaps or outdated fields to address now? 
• Are there record patterns that suggest cleanup will be needed before traffic picks up? 

You do not have to catch every issue before the first day. The goal is not perfection. The goal is to reduce the problems most likely to affect students and staff once the year gets moving. 

If your district uses Scheduled Patron Update, confirm that the process is aligned to your beginning-of-year needs. A quick review of the setup, timing, and recent results can help you catch issues before they affect students and staff. Schedule a Patron Update Overview is a good refresher Help Article in Destiny. 

What I Would Check First 

If I were doing a beginning-of-year patron review, I would start here: 

• Spot-check a few new student records. 
• Review a few new staff records. 
• Confirm recent transfers landed where they should. 
• Look for missing or outdated site associations. 
• For Resource Manager users, confirm the Access Level and Resource Group at the applicable site. 
• Check whether any resource or instructional-material checkouts are affected by a transfer or site change. 
• Note any patterns that point to a larger cleanup need. 

That kind of quick review can tell you a lot. Sometimes the issue is isolated. Sometimes it points to a broader process question to address before schools get busier. 

Helpful Refreshers 

Destiny Training: Destiny Welcome Back to School is a good resource for this time of year. It covers tasks such as printing patron barcode labels or library cards, managing homerooms and locations, updating loan policies, and uploading patron pictures. 

If you need to spot-check a missing student or staff member, Add Patron Records Manually is another useful Help Article. It covers required fields, patron types, access levels, email addresses, and additional site associations. 

Your Beginning-of-Year Takeaway 

Before the year begins, set aside time to review whether patron records are current, complete, and aligned to the right students, staff, and sites. 

• Confirm new students and staff are loading correctly. 
• Review recent transfers or site changes. 
• Spot-check records for missing or outdated information. 
• Note cleanup that should happen before things get busy. 

A little review now can prevent a lot of frustration later. 

Read Next: How to Prevent Duplicate Patron Records and Barcode Conflicts in Destiny 

Read Previous: Destiny Library Manager and Destiny Resource Manager Patron Imports: What to Check Before You Update Records 

This post is part of the six-part Patron Management in Destiny Library Manager and Destiny Resource Manager: Where to Start series. 

About the Author 

Richelle O’Neil spent a decade serving schools as both a librarian and district administrator before bringing that firsthand experience to Follett Software. As a Customer Success Manager specializing in the Follett Software Library Suite, she understands the day-to-day realities schools face and what it takes to support them well. At home in Texas, she is usually trying to keep up with her two rescue dogs, Ben and Gracey.