Masquerade as a Patron

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

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.
       aspen-masquerade-001.pngaspen-masquerade-002.png
  3. Enter the patron's Library Card Number at the prompt.
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  4. You'll be dropped into the patron's My Account landing page - the account name now displays Acting As.
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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

Using Masquerade mode, library staff cannot:

  • Pay a patron's bills
  • View a patron's checkout history

Useful tips

  • Masquerade mode will prompt to automatically sign out after one minute of inactivity, which returns you to your staff My Account page.
  • Library staff cannot masquerade as other library staff accounts with a higher level of permissions.
  • Masquerading as a patron will not update the Last Activity Date, unless you place a hold or take action on the account.