[Web4lib] Use SSL on Patron Account Pages?

[Pruntel,Alison]

Please excuse cross-posting, as I'm querying several lists I subscribe
to.

 

We've had a patron complain because we do not use SSL/encryption when
they log into their patron account using our Web OPAC (III's
Millennium). Luckily, III provides a way to enable this fairly quickly,
but we're of course going to have to spend money on purchasing a
certificate from Verisign. My director asked if all other libraries are
doing this, and as I poked around other Northern Virginia library sites
and checked the "Log in to my account," type of areas of their online
catalog, I noticed none of them are using SSL/encryption. I was actually
kind of surprised, thinking it was just something that slipped by us
only.

 

I would be much appreciated if you could check and see if your library
uses SSL for the patron information functions of your Web OPAC and let
me (or the list) know whether or not you do secure that information and
if so/not, why did you (your library) opt for this? I think most
web-savvy people assume that when they are logging in to a Web site,
whether their library account or a commerce site like Amazon, they
assume that the data is encrypted. 

 

Thanks in advance,

 

 

Alison Pruntel 
Electronic Resources Librarian 
Fauquier County Public Library 
11 Winchester Street 
Warrenton, VA 20186 
540-349-2770 (voice) 
540-349-3278 (fax) 
http://library.fauquiercounty.gov 
http://fcpleresources.blogspot.com/