Next-Generation Notifications for Group aware libraries
There are special considerations for Group aware library environments using Next-Generation Notifications (NGNs), including which institutions send each notification type, how to configure multilingual templates, and how to plan your rollout of NGNs.
Caution: Rollout of Next-Generation Notifications for Group aware libraries should be coordinated across all group members.
When any member library enables an NGN type, its corresponding legacy notification is disabled for that institution only. To prevent patrons from receiving a mix of NGN and legacy emails when borrowing from multiple libraries, OCLC strongly recommends that all member institutions enable NGNs at the same time. For fiscal notifications, all member institutions must configure billing templates and assign them to all patron type policies before rollout to avoid receipt interruptions.
Legacy notifications will not be turned off until mid-2027. For more information on making the switch to Next-Generation Notifications and resources to help with this transition, visit Getting ready for Next-Generation Notifications.
For more information about how Circulation works with Group aware, see Group aware for consortia. To learn more about NGNs, see Next-Generation Notifications.
Which institution sends each notification
In a Group aware environment, notifications are not always sent by the patron's home institution. The sending institution is determined by the Configuration Controller (the policy owner for each notification type). The table below maps each category to its controlling institution and policy.
| Configuration Controller | Controlling policy | Notification types |
|---|---|---|
| Patron's home institution |
|
|
| Patron's home institution | Hold Request Policy | |
| Item's institution | ||
| Item's institution | ||
| Item's institution | ||
| Item's institution | Scheduling Policy |
Multilingual configurations for Group aware libraries
Next-Generation Notifications supports templates in multiple languages for groups that include institutions using different locales. The notification language is determined by the patron's home institution's locale as configured in the WorldCat Registry — not by an individual patron's preference.
Language selection and localization
When a notification is generated, the system checks the patron's home institution's locale (set in the WorldCat Registry Currency and Locale settings). If a template has been configured for that locale, the notification is sent in that language. If not, it falls back to the default language template.
To activate multilingual support, at least one member institution must have a different language or country selected in WorldCat Registry. Once configured, additional language tabs appear in the template editor for each locale in the group.
The default tab reflects the configuring institution's locale. The data fields and block structure are configured on the default tab and carry over to all locale tabs. You cannot add different data fields on a per-language basis. Subject, Logo, Header, and Footer text are entered separately for each locale.
Note: Notification templates created using the Auto-generate template feature also allow the editing of localized notifications. Once a template has been created using the Auto-generate template feature, a tab will appear in the editor for each configured locale. For more information about automatically generating templates, see Auto-generate template. For more information about configuring locale and language in the Service Configuration, see Currency and Locale.
Notification types
Multilingual templates are available for notifications controlled by the item's institution, where the patron's home language may differ from the owning institution's default. Notifications always sent by the patron's home institution do not require multilingual templates.
The following notification types support multilingual templates:
| Notification type | Multilingual template | Controlled by | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loan Due Date Reminder | Supported | Item's institution | Tab per locale configured in the group. |
| Loan Overdue Notice | Supported | Item's institution | |
| Loan Long Overdue Notice | Supported | Item's institution | |
| Recall Notice | Supported | Item's institution | |
| Recall Overdue Notice | Supported | Item's institution | |
| Recall Due Date Reminder | Supported | Item's institution | |
| Restricted Loan Due Date Reminder | Supported | Item's institution | |
| Restricted Loan Overdue Notice | Supported | Item's institution | |
| Automatic Renewal Failure Notice | Supported | Item's institution | |
| Checkout Due Date Confirmation | Not required | Patron's home institution | Always sent by patron's home institution. No multilingual template needed. |
| Due Date Change Confirmation | Not required | Patron's home institution | Always sent by patron's home institution. |
| Loan Claim Confirmation | Not required | Patron's home institution | Always sent by patron's home institution. |
| Loan Returned Confirmation | Not required | Patron's home institution | Always sent by patron's home institution. |
| Bill Notices (New Bill, Reminder, Resolution, Refund) | Not required | Patron's home institution | Always sent by patron's home institution. |
| Hold Request notifications | Not required | Patron's home institution | Always sent by patron's home institution. |
| Fulfilled Schedule Deletion Confirmation | Supported | Item's institution | |
|
Fulfilled Schedule Expiration Confirmation |
Supported | Item's institution | |
| Fulfilled Schedule Notice | Supported | Item's institution | |
| Fulfilled Schedule Reminder | Supported | Item's institution | |
| Schedule Request Confirmation | Supported | Item's institution | |
| Schedule Request Deletion Confirmation | Supported | Item's institution |
Rollout guidance for Group aware libraries
Before you enable Next-Generation Notifications:
- Confirm with your group administrator or governing body that NGN adoption is approved and coordinated for the whole group.
- Ensure all member institutions create and assign templates to relevant policies before the rollout date.
- For fiscal notifications: configure billing templates for all patron types at every member institution. Missing templates can prevent staff from generating receipts when a bill is resolved.
- Agree on a single rollout window. When one institution enables an NGN type, that institution's corresponding legacy notification is disabled immediately.
Enabling and disabling Next-Generation Notification types
Caution: If some group members enable NGNs before others, patrons who borrow from multiple institutions may receive NGN-formatted emails from some libraries and legacy emails from others. Because this mixed experience can be confusing, coordinated rollout is recommended.
When NGNs are enabled:
- The system schedules NGN notifications going forward for relevant on-loan items and active holds.
- Legacy notifications of that type are suppressed.
- For series notifications (overdue reminders), the system recalculates schedules based on current policy.
When NGNs are disabled:
- Queued NGN notifications of that type are cleared. Legacy notifications resume.
- There is a known edge case where patrons may receive a legacy notification on the same day an institution disables NGN, depending on the legacy batch job timing.
Use Send Test Email on each template to verify rendering before rollout. For multilingual groups, test each locale tab individually. Group administrators may want to review templates across member institutions to ensure consistent logos, web links, and reply-to addresses.
Limitations in Group aware environments
Note: The following behaviors reflect the current system design. To view active enhancement requests (Ideas) related to these limitations in the WMS Circulation Community, or to suggest an idea, visit Next-gen Notification Ideas.
- Sender identity: All NGN emails are sent from no-reply@oclc.org. The sending institution's identity is not reflected in the From address. Libraries can configure a Reply-To address to route patron replies correctly, but the displayed sender name and domain cannot reflect the patron's home institution.
- Patron-preferred language: Notification language is determined by the patron's home institution's locale in the WorldCat Registry — not by a per-patron language preference. Patrons cannot independently select or manage a preferred notification language, and institutions cannot configure per-patron language overrides.
- Context-based personalization: Notifications are tied to the Configuration Controller institution (item's institution or patron's home institution). It is not currently possible to personalize a hold fulfillment notification using both the patron's home library branding and the pickup location's local instructions in a single notification. Libraries can include pickup location messages in hold fulfillment templates to add location-specific content.
- Account and profile links: Web links configured in General Settings are specific to each institution. When a notification is sent by an item-owning institution, any "My Account" links in the template point to that institution's patron portal — not the patron's home institution. Libraries should review web link configuration carefully to minimize confusion for cross-institution patrons.