Storing Patron Images Externally

If your library has acquired the External Patron Images product, you can link patron records to photographs outside the system.

Linking a Patron to a Remote Image

Perform the following steps to link a patron record to a remote image:

On the Remote Machine

  1. Save the image in a Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) or Joint Photographic Expert Graphic (JPEG) format. Note that Sierra optimizes displays images as 128 pixels wide and 144 pixels high and optimizes the display of images to fit these dimensions.
  2. Verify that you can view the image by entering its URL in your browser. If you cannot view it, Sierra cannot display it.

In Sierra

  1. Enable the Show patron photo Patron Display option for each login you want to allow to view or take patron photographs.
  2. Retrieve the patron record that you will link to the image.
  3. Open the patron record for editing.
  4. Insert a PAT IMAGE variable-length field, then choose OK. The system adds a new PAT IMAGE variable-length field to the patron record.
  5. In the PAT IMAGE field, enter the URL of the image according to the following format:

url:<location><file.extension>

For example, your entry might appear as:

url:http://www.wherever.com/pictures/me.jpg

  1. Choose Save. The linked image displays when you view the patron record.

Replacing Patron Images

If you want to replace the image that Sierra displays for a patron record, modify the PAT IMAGE field. To prevent the system from displaying an image for a patron record, delete the PAT IMAGE field.

Loading Patron Images

Links to patron images may also be inserted into patron records via a patron record load. To insert patron images through a patron record load, your library must be able to provide a data file that contains a unique matching tag for the existing patron records and the properly formatted PAT IMAGE field. Note that a new load profile may be required. For more information, contact Innovative.

Libraries that load patron records on a regular basis but do not load the link to remote patron images should protect the PAT IMAGE field from overlay. For information, see Load Tables.

See also:
Displaying Photographs in Patron Records