Re: Barcode searching in webopac

[Elizabeth Thomsen <et@xxxxxxxxxx>]

> I just entered my 
> patron barcode ad got  nothing, but the page header and footer.  

But you do also get a Request button, and if you click on it, you get 
the validation screen.

Although I don't think this would happen a lot, it does bother me to 
have the system search for patron barcodes and display matching numbers, 
and then apparently accept holds on those numbers.  Even though this 
just results in holds on completely unrelated bib records, this 
definitely looks funny to anyone who fools around with it.  Our patrons, 
and our libraries, are serious about patron confidentiality, and I don't 
want to enable things that even look like potential security gaps in 
this area.

I do believe that Innovative could, and should, make barcode searching 
available in the web catalog, with the ability to restrict these to item 
barcodes only.  Whether that means separate barcode indexes, or having 
the catalog program know enough not to display barcodes that are 
associated with p numbers rather than i numbers.  Being able to 
distinguish between patrons and items seems pretty basic to me.

-- 
Elizabeth Thomsen, Member Services Manager
NOBLE: North of Boston Library Exchange
Danvers MA 01923
et@xxxxxxxxxx