Patron Portal Guides & FAQ’s

Patron Portal Guidance

 

How do I edit or cancel a Reservation in Patron Portal?

Click the My Account button to load your account to view, edit, or cancel an open request.

Can I renew a current checkout in Patron Portal?

Currently you can’t renew checkouts using Patron Portal. If you would like to renew a checkout, please give us a call!  Equipment can only be renewed if it has not already reached the 7 day limit.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Media Centers are requiring a reservation to checkout resources, but how does that work?

To promote social distancing, the Media Centers require anyone coming to check out resources to have made a reservation on our Patron Portal ahead of time. To assist in ensuring pickups go as quickly as possible, all reservations will be assembled by Media Center staff so everything is ready for you to pickup by your scheduled pickup time. Reservations will need to be made a minimum of 4 hours prior to your pickup time. In order to limit traffic and to ensure your resources are ready for pickup, we ask that you arrive as close to your scheduled pickup time as possible.

How far in advance is it possible to make a reservation?

21 days

For how long can I reserve equipment?

Consider reserving equipment only for the length of time you need it.  In most cases you can make a reservation for up to seven days based on availability.

What is being done with regard to late policies?

The Media Centers are still enforcing fines for late returns. We have made several changes to our fine policy, some highlights include:

  • Late Fines will no longer increase during closed hours
  • All fines can be discussed privately with our managers through our Media Center Fine Appeal Form. This form includes late fines and loss/theft/damage fines. 
  • If you have a late fine you would like to dispute, you may appeal for a reduction or waive through our Media Center Fine Appeal Form. Your appeal request will be anonymous until your request is approved or denied. 
  • We no longer have a 30 minute grace period after your return time. This is to ensure that our equipment is easily turned around for the next patron in need. 
  • We no longer honor fines from any departmental cages on campus. Only a fine from the Media Center will prevent you from creating a reservation. 

Our full improved policy can be found here.

What if someone gets sick and can’t bring their equipment back in time for the next person who has the reservation?

If you are sick and can’t bring your equipment back in time for the next person, please contact the Media Centers as soon as possible. As always, please be sure to follow our community guidelines for coming to campus laid out in SAIC’s Make Ready plans and do not come to campus if you do not meet the guidelines. Our staff will work one-on-one with you to make the proper accommodations for each unique situation.

What is General Access/Authorized/Certified Access?

Resources are categorized as General (all patrons can access), Authorized (patrons must be enrolled in a specific department or course) or Certified (Participation in a workshop is required for certain advanced resources). Free Certification Workshops are offered weekly, after add/drop, during the Fall & Spring semesters. Media Center Certifications never expire and remain valid as long as you are enrolled.

Camera “M-1-PH” is my favorite Media Center camera. How can I reserve that specific camera in Patron Portal?

Patron Portal will only allow you to reserve a specific type of resource, but not a specific resource.  If there is a specific resource you want to reserve, please call the Media Center and a Media Center employee will be happy to help you reserve a specific one.

When I create a reservation in Patron Portal it says “Approval is pending”. What do I need to do to get approval for my reservation?

Due to an update in WebCheckout (our checkout software), reservations use the word pending until we start setting them up. Despite the wording, any reservations that show up under My Reservations on the My Account page of Patron Portal are approved.