Swedish Population Archive

Innovative can modify Sierra to allow your library to retrieve patron information from the Swedish Population Archive (SPAR) database. If this feature is enabled, when you create a new patron record, Sierra prompts you to search the SPAR database for that patron's SPAR ID. If Sierra finds the patron in the SPAR database, it imports the patron's name, current address, and SPAR ID into the NAME, ADDRESS, and SPAR ID fields in the new patron record.

Setup

To have this feature enabled at your library, contact the Help Desk. Before enabling the feature, an Innovative staff member will contact you and ask for the following information:

The IP Address of the SPAR database
The port that your system uses to connect to the SPAR database
The login that you use to connect to the SPAR database
The password that you use to connect to the SPAR database
The value that Sierra should place in the PMESSAGE field in the patron record to mark that that record was created on-the-fly

The staff member will contact you again after he or she has enabled this product for your library.

Creating New Patron Records

When you create a new patron record in Circulation Desk or, during checkout, enter a patron barcode that the system does not recognize, you can attempt to retrieve information about that patron from the SPAR database. (For information on how to create patron records, consult creating a patron record and create patron records on-the-fly). Sierra prompts:

Query SPAR database?

If you do not want to retrieve information about the patron from the SPAR database, choose No. If you do want to retrieve information about the patron from the SPAR database, choose Yes. Sierra prompts:

Enter patron's SPAR ID

Enter the patron's SPAR ID (e.g., key '096104527231') and then choose OK. The system attempts to connect to the SPAR database and then searches for the patron record.

Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)

The system connects to the SPAR database using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) security from OpenSSL. OpenSSL is cryptographic software written by Eric Young (eay@cryptosoft.com). The system's SSL security includes software developed by the OpenSSL Project for use in the OpenSSL Toolkit (http://www.openssl.org/).

Entry Found

If Sierra locates the patron record in the SPAR database, it does the following:

imports the patron's name into the NAME field
imports the current address into the ADDRESS field
records the patron's SPAR ID in the SPAR ID field

Sierra prompts you to enter other patron information before it displays the new record.

Invalid Entry

If Sierra cannot find the SPAR ID that you entered, it informs you that it cannot find the "spar record." You can create the patron record without retrieving information from the SPAR database or you can begin again and enter a new SPAR ID.

Cannot Connect

If Sierra cannot connect to the SPAR database, it will inform you. You can create the patron record without retrieving information from the SPAR database or you can begin again and enter a new SPAR ID. If the problem persists, contact the Help Desk.