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OCLC Support

Relais Portal FAQ

Find frequently asked questions about the Relais Portal.

With the current web pages, my library handles patron authentication outside Relais, is this approach still available with the Relais Portal?

The authentication process that you use now can continue to be used in the Relais Portal. You can pass over into the Relais Portal pages an OpenURL that contains information to identify the patron. The following tags are supported in the OpenURL.

  • PI (or id)= Patron ID
  • PS (or surname) = Patron Surname
  • UL = User Login (as assigned in Relais)
  • UP = User Password (as assigned in Relais)
  • RK = record key
  • authzid = an authorization id obtained from the Relais authentication service (this is a new option)
  • PL = preferred language

The PI, PS, UL, UP and RK can be encrypted. Please contact OCLC Support for additional information.

As well as the tags with patron information:

  • LS = Library Symbol must be provided
  • group = patron is optional (If external authentication is being done for staff or for other libraries then group = staff / library is mandatory)

Examples:

  • https://symbol.relais-host.com/user/login.html?group=patron&LS=symbol&UL=ID&UP=PASSWORD
  • https://symbol.relais-host.com/user/login.html?group=patron&LS=symbol&PI=ID&PS=SURNAME

Can the wording used for the request status, e.g., Submitted, In Process, On Loan, Unfilled, Complete, be modified?

Yes you can change the wording to suit local requirements.  Please contact OCLC Support for a configuration change.  Indicate the current word(s) and the word(s) you would like to change to.  

In what format and what size should the logo be for the Relais Header?

The logo file can be provided as .png or any format that can be converted to .png, e.g., .jpg.  It is recommended that the logo have a width less than 300 px and a height less than 80 px.

Can a full header and footer be added to the pages?

In the initial release of the pages a logo can be added to the top left of the page.  Work is currently underway to extend the options for customizing the pages including a header and footer.  

Is there an option for a patron or library to request their login / password, e.g., if it has been forgotten?

This option was not included in Relais Portal 2.  It will be included in a future update.  

Are the login credentials case sensitive?   

The login credentials that a patron or library enters are the same as in the 'old' web forms.  The Login and Password combinations created in the Relais patron and library records are case-sensitive.  

With the library’s “change password” option, will that change the library’s password in our database or will the request go to staff to make the change?

If a library uses My Profile -> Change Password to change their password, the change is made in the database, staff do not need to make the change.  

Can we choose what is displayed in the history? 

The information displayed in the history can be configured in the same way as in the 'old' web forms. For example specific rows and columns can be hidden.  

What are the definitions of the statuses that display on the Request List and Request Details?

Following is a list of the statuses that display and their definitions.  Note that it is not possible to configure which of these statuses display or do not display.  

  • Submitted - the request has been submitted
  • In Process - staff is working on the request
  • Shipped - in a shared system, a loan has been shipped from one member library to another
  • Unfilled - the request has been updated with a reject code since the item cannot be supplied
  • Cancelled- the requester has cancelled the request
  • Article Sent - the document has been sent to the requester
  • On Loan - the item is currently on loan to the requester
  • Overdue - the item on loan to the requester is overdue
  • Complete - the request has been updated as returned, damaged or lost

In the request templates, is 'Request Source' used for the source of the citation?

Request Source is typically assigned automatically.  It is a code that is used to indicate how the request was received or submitted, e.g., W for Web, I for ISO.  By default this field is hidden and typically will remain that way for most customers.  The 'Source of Information' is used to indicated the source of the citation.  This may be prefilled for some requests created via OpenURL

In the request templates, is 'Requester Info' used to enter the end user id in Library requests?

'Requester Info' is used to enter information about the patron/requester.  Typically 'Requester Info' is hidden on the patron forms but displayed on the forms for other libraries.  

When completing the Request Templates spreadsheets what does 'Required' mean?

If under the Required column you indicate Yes, this means that the requester must fill in this field.  It is not possible to indicate a field is Hidden and is Required.  

When completing the Request Templates spreadsheets what does 'Show if data' mean?

If for this field under the column Hidden you indicate Yes and under the Show if data column you indicate Yes, this means that ONLY if there is a corresponding value in an incoming OpenURL or from a patron or library record, the field will display on the request form.  Otherwise this field will not display on the request form.  

Once the forms are in use, are we able to modify them ourselves or do we submit a Support ticket?

Once your forms are in production if you want to make any changes please contact OCLC Support for a Configuration Change.  

What browsers are supported for the Relais Portal?

The following browsers are supported

  • Chrome 23, 24, 25+
  • Firefox 17, 18, 19+
  • IE 9, 10+
  • Safari 5, 6+
  • Opera 18+

Note:  IE 8 is supported but not recommended