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Importing and Updating Patrons

Use Import / Update Patrons to add or update multiple manually managed patron accounts using an Excel or CSV file.

This process is intended for library staff with access to the ePlatform Admin area. For a single account, use the individual patron form instead.

On this page

Before you begin

Confirm that:

  • you have administrator access to your ePlatform portal;
  • your library uses manually managed patron accounts;
  • you have the student or staff data required for the import;
  • you know whether Year Level or Date of Birth is needed for content restrictions; and
  • the file will be saved in .xlsx or .csv format.

If patron accounts are managed through SSO, SIP2, LDAP, or an API, review your integration process before uploading accounts manually.

Open Import / Update Patrons

  1. Sign in to your library's ePlatform portal as an administrator.
  2. Open the Admin area.
  3. Select Patrons.
  4. Select Import / Update Patrons.

The complete navigation path is: Admin area → Patrons → Import / Update Patrons.

Download the sample template

Download the sample file from the Import / Update Patrons page before preparing your patron data.

  1. Open Import / Update Patrons.
  2. Download the sample template provided on the page.
  3. Open the template in your spreadsheet application.
  4. Use the template structure when entering your patron information.

Using the current sample template helps ensure that the file contains the headings and structure expected by ePlatform.

Prepare your patron file

  1. Open the downloaded sample template.
  2. Add the patron information to the appropriate columns.
  3. Check that every account includes its required information.
  4. Include Year Level or Date of Birth where your library uses the corresponding content restrictions.
  5. Review usernames, passwords, and other account information for errors.
  6. Save the completed file as .xlsx or .csv.

Follow the column headings and formatting shown in the downloaded template. Do not rely on an older spreadsheet if a newer sample template is available from the import page.

Patron information you can include

The documented manual patron data includes:

Information Guidance
Barcode or username Compulsory for a manually managed patron record.
Password Include the sign-in password where required by the sample template for a manually managed account.
Name Optional in the documented import format.
Role Optional in the documented import format.
Year Level Optional, but needed when your library uses year-level restrictions.
Date of Birth Optional, but needed when your library uses age-based restrictions.

Upload the file

  1. Return to Admin area → Patrons → Import / Update Patrons.
  2. Use the upload control to select the completed file.
  3. Follow the instructions displayed on the import page.
  4. Review the information shown before completing the import.

Do not close the page while the file is being processed.

Test the imported accounts

Test two or three accounts before distributing sign-in details to all patrons.

  1. Confirm that the test patrons appear on the Patrons page.
  2. Sign out of the Admin account.
  3. Open the reader-facing ePlatform library.
  4. Sign in using one of the imported test accounts.
  5. Confirm that the expected library content is visible.
  6. Borrow an available title to confirm that borrowing works.
  7. If restrictions are enabled, test accounts with different year levels or dates of birth.

Update existing patrons

Use the same Import / Update Patrons area when updating multiple manually managed accounts.

  1. Download the current sample template.
  2. Prepare the updated patron information using that template.
  3. Check the existing Barcode or username information carefully before uploading the file.
  4. Save the file as .xlsx or .csv.
  5. Upload the file through Import / Update Patrons.
  6. Review the affected patron accounts after processing.
  7. Test two or three updated accounts.

A bulk update is particularly useful when Year Levels or other patron information must be refreshed for a new school year.

Individual or bulk account management

Task Use
Add or edit one patron Admin area → Patrons
Add or update multiple patrons Admin area → Patrons → Import / Update Patrons

If the file cannot be imported

  • Download a new copy of the sample template.
  • Confirm that the file is saved as .xlsx or .csv.
  • Check that every patron has a Barcode or username.
  • Compare the file headings and structure with the sample template.
  • Check the file for missing or incorrectly entered account information.
  • Try a smaller file containing two or three test accounts.

If the problem continues, contact ePlatform Support. Include your library name, the file format used, the step that failed, and any message displayed by the import page.

Submit a request to ePlatform Support .

Frequently asked questions

Why did my patron import or update fail?

Check that Barcode is the first column and is populated for every row. Keep the column headings exactly as shown in the current sample file, use dd/MM/yyyy for dates of birth, and enter an integer for Year Level. The accepted file types are CSV, XLS, and XLSX; XLSX is recommended. A new Barcode creates a patron, while an existing Barcode updates that patron. If the import still fails, contact ePlatform Support and include your library name, file type, and the error shown—do not include passwords.

How can I find patrons who do not have an email address?

Export all patrons from the Patrons page, open the exported file in Excel or Google Sheets, and filter the Email column to show blank cells.