Sierra Password Training 03.09.2023
Table of Contents
- 1 Password Training 03.09.2023
- 1.1 Training Recording
- 1.2 Q & A Section
- 1.2.1 Sierra
- 1.2.2 Pika
- 1.2.3 OverDrive
- 1.2.4 Prospector
- 1.2.5 General questions
Password Training 03.09.2023
Training Recording
Q & A Section
Sierra
Q: Are the passwords case-sensitive?
A: Yes. The passwords are case-sensitive.
Q: Can the same password be used for multiple cards for a parent that does not want to remember the password for each child?
A: As far as system limitations, you can put the same password on multiple accounts. Marmot as your security consultants, we need to let you know so you can inform your patron that having the same password on multiple accounts does make it to where all accounts are breached if that one password is breached.
Q: Can patrons reuse the same password?
A: Yes, as long as the reused password is not the default password because those will get automatically reset on July 31st to a randomized password.
Q: Will the passwords have an expiration date?
A: Marmot is not going to enforce expiration dates at this time. When a patron resets their password in Pika, that information is communicated within their Sierra patron record. A library could create a workflow from that information to encourage patrons to change really old passwords.
Q: Will the passwords that are created by hand between March 28th and July 30th will those also be reset on July 31st?
A: No. Just the password that Marmot automatically created will only be impacted by the randomized password reset on July 31st.
Q: What are the requirements (e.g. length, numbers, special characters) for the content of the passwords chosen by patrons?
A: As far as the system limitations the minimum allowance is six characters in length. Marmot is suggesting that patrons are informed they should have a standard password that is 12 characters in length with a combination of alphanumeric and special characters. Examples of password complexity suggestions
Q: Other than saying “this is to protect patrons’ privacy”, can you suggest a standard sentence to share with patrons when they ask “why do I need a password?”
A: Here are some marketing materials available that people can borrow from to correspond with your patrons. Also, maybe something like this, "Currently there isn't a field in your patron record that you can control to prevent outside access to your account. Barcodes are not secure as they are freely shared. Your privacy is important to us and passwords allow us to fulfill that contract."
Pika
Q: I have never used Pika masquerade. How does staff log into this?
A: Here is documentation that explains how to use masquerade mode for Pika.
Q: if a patron has an email can they bypass the staff-involved process?
A: Yes, absolutely! With an email address, the patron will be able to reset the password themselves without staff involvement.
Q: When a patron creates a temporary account online for self-registration in Pika, how does the temporary PIN setup go?
A: Here is information about self-registration.
Q: What if patrons do not have an email address?
A: This is where they would need assistance from library staff to give the patron a temporary password in Sierra so they can change the password in Pika for themselves.
Q: Will there be verbiage in Pika that tells the patrons about the criteria for creating a new password?
A: Passwords need to be at least 6 characters long but can be up to 30 characters. When a patron is resetting their password in Pika, that information is listed in the pop-up box during the password resetting process. The only place that information does not display is when a patron is changing their password in the My Account section. A way to help your patrons to know more about the default password is with a system message designed by Marmot or by your Pika admin.
Q: How do cancel holds in Pika using masquerade mode display in the Sierra patron record under the View Cancel Holds section for the Check Out (Circulation Desk) function? Will it still say Web OPAC canceled it?
A: Yes, the canceled hold using masquerade mode will still display as being canceled by Web OPAC. With masquerade mode, you are essentially logged in as that patron without having to have their password.
Q: Will we be able to use test patrons with the Pika masquerade mode? Is everything set up for us to use the masquerade mode now?
A: Marmot has enabled Masquerade Mode for all library sites in production and staff patron types that we know are appropriate for the masquerade mode.
OverDrive
Q: Is the same password for logging in to Pika also used for Libby?
A: Yes. The passwords are the same for both.
Q: Since Libby checks against the ILS every 24 hours, if a patron changes their password on March 28th, will Libby still be using the temporary password for 24 hours?
A: If the patron uses the Marmot OverDrive site, they will be prompted to enter the new password. If they have not changed their password, they will be prompted to enter the temporary password. If the patron is logged into the Libby app, they will not be prompted to enter the password until the OverDrive system has authenticated against our Sierra system to realize there has been a change to the patron’s record. The communication between Libby and the Sierra ILS is constantly going on. As long as Libby is asking for authentication, it is not checking against a saved database. It is checking directly against the live Sierra system. Whatever password sits in the patron record at the time when the patron logs in it will ask for that password. Now, Libby saves their credentials to the patron’s account within the Libby app. If the patron changes their password, they will not be prompted right away to log back into Libby. Their credentials will be saved and sometimes within a 24-hour timeframe, that patron will be logged out of Libby and asked to reauthenticate with the new information in their Sierra patron record. This is just like if a patron had a new barcode in their Sierra patron record, the patron would be logged out of Libby at a certain point because Libby has realized the barcode has changed and it will want your new barcode because the old barcode no longer exists in Sierra. Also, you can instruct the patron to force Libby to authenticate with the new password by logging out and logging back into Libby.
Prospector
Q: What is the construction of the Prospector override code?
A: Override codes will be constructed as follows: /override/patron barcode
Q: Do you enter the Prospector override code in the PIN section?
A: No. The override code goes in the barcode or patron identification field.
Q: When will we be given the Prospector override code?
A: The Prospector override codes for the sites that have not already received them will be going out 03/13 - 03/17. Brandon will be sending those codes to your patron-initiated holds contact that we have on file. Brandon will send those codes through a secure method.
Q: So you only need the Prospector override code when you are placing a hold for a patron?
A: Correct. You would only use the Prospector override code when placing a Prospector hold for a patron.
Q: How will a patron place the Prospector hold for themselves?
A: They will need to enter their name, library identification, and password to place a hold for themselves in the Prospector system.
General questions
Q: Kanopy requires a password right now - will that password be affected by the March 28 implementation or will it stay the same for patrons?
A: The passwords that Kanopy requires now are Kanopy passwords that are saved on the Kanopy database. Marmot does not have any control over those passwords. The patron account within the Kanopy database remains the same and nothing will change.