Remote customer authentication in public libraries

[Stacy Pober]

Our library started restricting users to currently valid "in good standing" 
cardholders recently.  The transition has meant a bit more work for us.

The circulation system we use cannot automatically update the valid user
list, so we manually update it on a weekly basis.  The cardholder information
is not generated locally and at the very least, we would have a one or two
day lag in activating cards, even if we tried to update them on a daily 
basis. 

Newly issued cards now have a lag of up to a week or so between the time the 
card is issued and the time when remote access works for that user.

We've already had some users requesting to be added into the remote access 
system on an urgent basis.  I've been trying to think of a reasonable policyk 
for this.  There are only two people who have privilege and the ability to add 
users, and both are busy people.  Adding new users as the requests come in 
would get quite time consuming if there was significant demand for this. 

I'm thinking of just trying a policy of saying that our library users have 
remote access approximately a week after their cards are issued (or a week 
after they've cleared their record of fines and overdues.)  

I'm curious what the policy on this is at other libraries.  Obviously, it would 
be best if we could have new users added into the remote access system in real 
time.  We will be changing to an new circulation/catalog system in the next few 
years, so that may be an option in the future. 

Stacy Pober
Information Alchemist
Manhattan College Library
stacy.pober at manhattan.edu



> From: "S. O'Connor" <soconnr at interlog.com>
> To: web4lib at webjunction.org
> Subject: Fwd: Remote customer authentication in public libraries
> Message-ID: <5.0.0.25.0.20020709215753.01c11490 at mail.interlog.com>
> 
> >I am interested in finding out what public libraries are doing with 
> >regards to remote customer authentication for access to third-party 
> >commercial databases.
> >
> >Specifically, are there any libraries out there limiting remote access to 
> >electronic resources only to library card holders in "good standing" with 
> >the library?  In other words, are patrons denied remote access if, for 
> >example, their library cards' priviledges have been suspended, have 
> >outstanding fines or have any other kind of blocks on their records?
> >
> >So far, I have only talked to libraries whose authentication system weeds 
> >out remote users simply on the basis of them having a valid card or not.
> >
> >Thank you very much.
> >
> >&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&


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