1. 11/5/2008 Updated 1/12/2009 Zack Lane ReCAP Coordinator
Access Permissions
11/5/2008
Updated 1/12/2009
Zack Lane
ReCAP Coordinator

2. Factors Controlling Access
There are two main factors controlling access to ReCAP materials
User permissions: Who is placing the request?
Item Permissions: What restrictions does the object have?

3. User Permissions Who is placing the request?
1) Patrons: place requests in CLIO. Patrons may also have mediated requests placed by staff.
2) Staff: have several methods of placing requests. Access to the ReCAP Request Forms is controlled by UNI.

4. User Permissions cont.
Patron access to online requests requires an active UNI
UNI authentication is maintained by CUIT
Any active UNI is sufficient to place requests, including printing UNIs
Alumni may need to re-activate UNI
Non-affiliates must contact the Library Information Office at or (212)

5. User Permissions cont.
Staff place requests through one of several modes
Access to staff request forms requires active employment and an active UNI
Circulation staff will primarily place Mediated Requests on behalf of patrons
Staff may place requests via CLIO for personal use
See ReCAP Request Mechanisms for more information

6. What restrictions does the object have?
Item Permissions
What restrictions does the object have?
All items at ReCAP must have two identifying pieces of information: 1) barcode and 2) customer code
Most items at ReCAP have an assigned CLIO location; all records in CLIO must have an assigned location
CUL controls request permission using CLIO location; ReCAP controls delivery location using customer code
Managing collections at ReCAP requires coordination between two institutions, two databases

7. Item Permissions cont.
The two databases are referred to in shorthand as Voyager (CUL) and GFA (ReCAP)
Voyager and GFA contain different, but related, sets of data
Voyager is an ILS, designed for library collection management
GFA is a proprietary system designed for high-density library storage facilities
Voyager and GFA do not “talk” directly to each other
CUL staff periodically retrieve files from GFA

8. Item Permissions cont.
Columbia University Libraries as an entity is divided into department libraries.
Each department library may be divided into several different collections.
Collections have one or more CLIO locations.
Local access permissions are associated with collection/CLIO location
Columbia University Libraries
Avery Library
Burke Library
LC Stacks
“uts”
Ware Coll.
“war” “war,ref”
Van Ess Coll.
“uts,essxx1” “uts,essxx2”

9. Item Permissions cont.
See CPM-500 for a complete list of CLIO location codes; 484 total

10. Item Permissions cont.
CLIO locations have an associated circulation status (Item Type).
Loan period is determined by several factors.
Loan period is a combination of owning library, patron group and tk.

11. Access Permissions CUL controls request permission using CLIO location
ReCAP controls delivery location using customer code

12. Item Permissions cont.
Customer code is the key element to understanding item permissions
Customer code determine access permission and delivery location for collections at ReCAP
Customer codes are loosely synchronized with both CLIO locations and barcode prefix

13. Customer codes represent one of three things:
Item Permissions cont.
Customer codes represent one of three things:
Delivery Location
Collection
Delivery Location and Collection

14. Item Permissions cont.
Requests are authenticated at ReCAP by comparing the requested delivery location to the customer code table
If the requested delivery location is not permitted, the request is sent back as a failure
This is the cause of most failed requests
Staff are not aware of the delivery restrictions in the customer code table