[Web4lib] logins

[Karen Merguerian]

David Cloutman wrote:


> Subject: RE: [Web4lib] logins
> Date: Thu, 26 Jun 2008 09:27:18 -0700
> From: DCloutman at co.marin.ca.us
> To: llight at herrickdl.org; web4lib at webjunction.org
> CC: 
> 
> You have several options here.
> 
> 1. WAM - This is bundled with III. It may be an enhancement that is
> purchased separately. It is what our consortium runs, and our library
> uses it for our proxy, for the time being.


We are using WAM with LDAP at the Northeastern University Libraries.  WAM has an option 
that can be set by the library such that, if users are logged into their library account, they may 
click over into licensed databases without having to re-log in.  

However, the reverse scenario--which I believe was the desired one--is not supported in WAM. 
AFAIK, WAM does not allow someone logged into the databases to connect 
to their library account without logging in again.  (To be sure by the way, 
you should check with iii--the options may differ in a consortium setting.)
 
While I appreciate the larger goal, maybe on the plus side, if a user walks away
from an authenticated database session, the next person to sit down at that
machine would not be able to click over to the catalog and automatically be logged in to see the first user's
personal or borrowing information.  The reverse scenario, where someone leaves a personal 
account open on the screen for others to find, is less likely, isn't it?
 
G. Karen Merguerian
Library Web Manager
Northeastern University Libraries
Boston, MA

> 
> 2. The aforementioned EZ Proxy, which is what a couple of other
> libraries in our consortium are doing. You can build this on your own
> machine and use the Patron API to authenticate. (The Patron API is an
> enhancement that you will need to purchase if it is not already running.
> 
> 3. Use Squid, an Open Source proxy server, and write an authentication
> script against the Patron API. I have a PHP class already written that
> grabs patron info from the server, and it would not be hard to roll this
> into a PHP authentication script that feeds into squid. If you don't
> like PHP, you can do it in Ruby (for which there is a pre-existing
> Patron API class available online), or PERL or Java or just about any
> language of your choice.
> 
> There are certainly other proxy solutions out there. The key is getting
> your consortium to set up either WAM or the Patron API and allowing you
> to host a proxy in the same DMZ as the catalog. Personally, I would
> advise against the WAM route.
> 
> - David
> 
> 
> 
> ---
> David Cloutman <dcloutman at co.marin.ca.us>
> Electronic Services Librarian
> Marin County Free Library 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org
> [mailto:web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Lin Light
> Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2008 5:37 AM
> To: web4lib at webjunction.org
> Subject: [Web4lib] logins
> 
> 
> We are working on our new webpage and have come up against something
> that I 
> need help with. I should say the firm that is working on our webpage. 
> We have a log-in issue. We want patrons to log-in in just once and have 
> access to all of our databases and we would like to have that same
> log-in 
> then cover their library account. We are not a stand-alone ILS but a 
> consortium system running III. It is a Windows based web server. Any 
> suggestions.
> 
> Lin
> 
> 
> Lin Light
> Head of Computer
>  & Technical Services
> Herrick District Library
> 300 South River Ave.
> Holland, MI 49423
> Voice 616-355-3727
> Fax   616-355-1426
> 
> 
> 
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