Questions About Digital Access Accounts

[Austin Mullenix]

Hello all,

I hope that you are all safe and well. 

At Mesa County Libraries, we offer a Digital Access card in which patrons can set up a library account online and without coming into the library. This allows them to borrow limited digital content until coming into a library location and transitioning their account to one with more access and the ability to also borrow physical materials, as well. In light of the pandemic, we are trying to figure out a way to do this in a more expedient way.  Toward that end, I have a few questions I am hoping you can answer. Thanks for your time and help with this. 

1. Does your library offer such an account? 
2. If so, do you grant patrons greater borrowing privileges remotely? 
3. Do you do anything to see or verify an ID (especially in the form of an online procedure)? 
4. What does your process look like? 
5. How could it be improved?
6. What is working and what is not working for you with regard to the procedure? 

Thanks,

Austin 

Austin Mullenix

Head of Public Services

Direct Line: 970-683-2417

amul...@mcpld.org

[McClelland, Tim]

Hey Austin-

It sounds like our pre-COVID offerings are pretty similar.

Since the Boulder Library's closure, we've expanded these offerings for county residents. Here are the details:

1. Does your library offer such an account? Yes, previously it just gave access to some databases until the patron came in to get a full-access card.
2. If so, do you grant patrons greater borrowing privileges remotely? Yes, currently staff are extending these cards for Boulder County residents to Courtesy cards which allows Overdrive, Hoopla, Kanopy checkouts and three physical holds/checkouts with our carryout service. These are set-up as temporary cards good for 3 months. At that time, they will need to come to the library to show us their ID to formally upgrade to a full access account. 
3. Do you do anything to see or verify an ID (especially in the form of an online procedure)? Typically yes, but not at the moment
4. What does your process look like? They apply for the card online- https://boulder.flatironslibrary.org/MyAccount/SelfReg and staff reach out with their Courtesy card library number and explain what they can use and the expiration date.
5. How could it be improved? The expiration dates have been a moving target. So we've extended those multiple times (currently through September). We probably should have just set them for the end of the year, but we were hopeful we could return to normal quicker than that.
6. What is working and what is not working for you with regard to the procedure? Patrons have been thrilled with the access and I think we would consider it a success. Some non-county residents have been disappointed, but that's been a small percentage.

Hope that helps!

Let me know if you have any follow-ups.

Tim McClelland

Patron Services Manager

303.441.1803

mccle...@boulderlibrary.org 

Library & Arts

1001 Arapahoe | Boulder, CO 80304

boulderlibrary.org 

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From: cl...@googlegroups.com <cl...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Austin Mullenix <amul...@mcpld.org>
Sent: Friday, July 24, 2020 3:28 PM
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Subject: Questions About Digital Access Accounts

 

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[Cindy Martin]

Hi Austin,

Thanks for posing these questions.  Here is what Arapahoe Libraries has done to expand these services:

1. Does your library offer such an account? Yes, we are continuing to offer a temporary access number to patrons who have signed up for library accounts online.  Previously, patrons had access to some resources and a limited number of holds and checked-out items.
   
2. If so, do you grant patrons greater borrowing privileges remotely? Yes, since our libraries are not open to the public and are offering Park & Pick up services, we have updated the limits for Web Patrons with this temporary access number to match the borrowing limits of our ALD Taxpayers and Colorado Library Card patron categories. This means patrons whose accounts were created online ,or by calling the library, can now place up to 75 holds and check out up to 60 items.  
   
3. Do you do anything to see or verify an ID (especially in the form of an online procedure)? Not currently.  When our libraries reopen, patrons will need to get their physical library card by coming in to one of our locations and by providing a valid ID and proof of address.
4. What does your process look like? Patrons can apply for a card online at https://arapahoelibraries.org/get-a-card/ or by calling the library, where staff can help get them set up.
5. How could it be improved?  I'm sure improvements can be made, however, they may involve more time and effort from both the patron and staff.
6. What is working and what is not working for you with regard to the procedure? Some patrons (just a handfull) who live out of state are utilizing our services, when normally they would not be able to.   Otherwise, this is the simplest solution for allowing library access to new patrons.

CINDY MARTIN

Coordinator of Lending Services

 

A R A P A H O E  L I B R A R I E S 

303-542-7279 ext. 12715

Facebook  |  Twitter

cma...@arapahoelibraries.org

arapahoelibraries.org

 

 

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Subject: Re: Questions About Digital Access Accounts

 

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[Jennifer Hoffman]

DPL offers eCards via Quipu Group.  The ecard application includes name/address verification against address databases, in compliance with our online vendor agreements.

Customers with ecards can access most DPL databases but only those with a Denver address are able to access Kanopy.  They can place up to 3 holds on local (DPL) items but have to upgrade from eCard to permanent, in person by showing picture ID, in order to checkout those holds.

Our system was compromised about 6 weeks into the covid closure by international bad actors who posted instructions online for getting around our address verification system (basically searching to find valid name/address combos in CO and then registering under a false identity).

While the system caught and rejected over 18,000 fallacious registrations, more than 3500 made it through and began hitting our UDEMY site.  Gale shut it down for nearly a month, preventing all of our customers, both permanent and ecard, from using the resource until we'd negotiated a solution. So, at this point only permanent cardholders who have presented an ID in person have access to UDEMY.

We've also had to eliminate a checkbox that facilitated reg for students as that created another potential loophole for bad actors.  Unfortunately, this means inequity in serving these members of our community and significant extra work for our staff in registering school groups.

In general, eReg works great and is a huge convenience for us and our customers but thought I should share this cautionary tale.

-Jennifer 

Denver Public Library

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Jennifer J. Hoffman

Manager of Books & Borrowing

Denver Public Library

denverlibrary.org

720-865-2034