See interlaced notes below, Don..
 
P. Michael McCulley, Librarian II / Information & Technology
San Diego Public Library, 820 E Street, CA 92101-4806
Phone: 619-238-6678 / FAX: 619-238-6639
E-mail: [log in to unmask] 

>>> [log in to unmask] 4/23/2007 4:29 PM >>>

If I understand you correctly, you want to allow "instant
registration" so that a user can register and immediately use online
databases, without having to step foot in a library?  Further, this is
something you anticipate for the future, and not something you want
_just_ for migration?

>> Yes, exactly.. we have the option of doing it now with DRA Classic, if we can without too much heavy lifting.. but, we also can just work on the Unicorn upgrade for this, deploying it as a new eCard option when we hopefully launch that on/about August 2, 2007..

Assuming I'm understanding your correctly, I have a couple ideas.  All
in all, it depends really on how you authenticate access to your
databases (SIP/NCIP or just dummy 'Does this meet the rules for a
valid number'?-type authentication).  I'm going to assume that it's
the second (or, perhaps if you use number 1 you can also check number
2 if number 1 comes back with a 'soft' failure [user not registered...
denial would be caused by delinquency/expiration/etc]).

>> Authentication varies here, like I imagine most libraries.. we do have EZProxy, and I was looking again yesterday at Useful Utilities for possible notions to use.. right now, card number and PIN failure are pretty dead-end for users, except to call in the problem and "we" fix it manually in the system (renew their card, change the PIN, etc.)..

My first thought would be to create a "dummy" registration system.  A
person fills out a form online.  The contents of this form are
e-mailed to a library.  The system generates a number that meets the
validation criteria for the databases, but would not be valid for the
PAC or the like.  For example, if your libraries use a patron barcode
scheme 2BBBBXXXXXXXXC (where B is a branch ID number, XXXXXXXX is the
patrons' "serial number" at that particular branch and C is a
mathematically-calculated checkdigit), your "electronically-generated"
barcode numbers could use a branch ID of something you'd be unlikely
to utilize in the system (such as 9999, so a sample barcode may be
29999000000014).

>> This may indeed work, and I'm thinking to host this dummy system off the server with EZProxy running on it.. our schema for the card numbers is 01336xxxxxxxxx, but I don't know if we can allow either DRA Classic or Unicorn to accept other faux numbering schemes, perhaps.. good ideas!

A second option may be to frequently create a number of "dummy" patron
records with real barcode numbers.  These barcode numbers will then be
placed in a database on your web site.  A patron will register using a
web form, and when he/she clicks "submit" the application will be
e-mailed to the library staff.  He will then get his real card number
and PIN and can use this for requesting items in the PAC/etc.  He
would then be instructed to come to the library to get his actual
card.  The staff would take the e-mail application and update the
"dummy" registration to reflect his actual data.

>> We envisioned these temp cards to be upgradable to permanent (real) cards, by any visit to any library.. the temp record would just be updated manually with the holder's information, and a "real" barcode would be added (via scan) to the record, replacing and overwriting any "temp" number.. you can see the way this was done on the Sirsi Horizon system by Boston Public/Metro-Boston Library Network here..
http://catalog.mbln.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp 
 
>> I like how the user/patron gets to pick their own PIN (personal identification number)..

A third option would be to not utilize numbers at all.  If you can add
an authentication to your database provider to support access from a
referer page, you could create a temporary-use form on your web site.
A user would have to fill this out, and upon completion he can access
your databases (because the referer would be your web site).  A
downside is not all database vendors support this type of
"authentication", and many firewalls are beginning to block
HTTP_REFERER.
 
>> Interesting notion.. but, with the variations in the some 80-odd databases here, this would be a more problematic route to go down..

As a final note, if Patron Self Registration from the OPAC is a
feature you may find useful (for databases or otherwise), file an
enhancement request with SIRSI.  Quite a number of systems' DO support
a self-registration mechanism, and chances are it's probably on their
"to-do list" anyway... But, if people start asking for it, the
priority will rise!
 
>> I'm just getting access to the Sirsi Support Forums, and yes, I intended to ask the members there about ideas for this, and recommend via channels they officially try to do this as a system enhancement.. maybe it will shoot up the priority list ;)..

Good luck in your migration, and I hope this helps!
--Don McMorris

>> Incredibly helpful, Don.. I owe you beer+ :)..
 
Best,
Michael

On 4/23/07, Michael McCulley <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> We have the older Sirsi DRA Classic system here at SDPL, and while we are migrating soon to Unicorn from SirsiDynix, we already can see something we're interested in doing that seems "beyond" Unicorn's capabilities.
>
> Has anyone seen or heard of coding/scripts or hacks/workarounds to provide eCards (temporary library cards) via Unicorn? We'd like to issue temporary cards via the Unicorn interface or our public Web site for "immediate" access to the databases, say good for 30-60 days, and, later, they can be upgraded at any of our library to a full-access library card. As an aside, we'll have the hosted version of Unicorn, so we won't have the system/files on any local servers we can access.
>
> We've noticed with interest that some Horizon systems, III, CARL, etc. can do this, but thus far, I can't see anyone with Unicorn that has done this. Any type of library (academic or public) is a good source, if you've heard of something. Please drop me a note via e-mail, or post here.
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Michael
>
>
> P. Michael McCulley, Librarian II / Information & Technology
> San Diego Public Library, 820 E Street, CA 92101-4806
> Phone: 619-238-6678 / FAX: 619-238-6639
> E-mail: [log in to unmask] 
>