Illiad NCIP Plug-in : Alternate User Identifiers

Background

In order for the Plugin to match the ILLiad patron request with the corresponding Alma patron account, there needs to be a match point between both systems. Not all campuses will use the “Primary ID” nor will they necessarily use the "username" from ILLiad.

Best practice recommendations

For those campuses who have a different arrangement of identifiers, each will need to modify the IDS_NCIP_Client.lua file--in the Addon folder of your Illiad client software--with the ILLiad data field that holds the unique patron identifier that will match the unique Alma patron identifier.

Procedures in Alma

Open the .lua file in a text editor and navigate to the function calls listed in the chart below.

Use the approximate line number to locate the statement, local user = GetFieldValue("Transaction", "username"). Change the variable "username" to the ILLiad field name that contains the unique identifier that needs to be passed to Alma. 

For example, if you set up ILLiad to hold a social security number(ssn) in the patron account, you would make the following edits to the .lua file:

1. In buildAcceptItem(), Change the following call: local user = GetFieldValue("Transaction", "username"); TO local user = GetFieldValue("Transaction", "ssn");  
2. In buildCheckInItemBorrowing()  Change the following call: local user = GetFieldValue("Transaction", "username"); TO local user = GetFieldValue("Transaction", "ssn");
3. In buildCheckInItemLending() Change the following call: local user = GetFieldValue("Transaction", "username"); TO local user = GetFieldValue("Transaction", "ssn");

Action log