Explanation of Ex Libris software Primo in terms of what is controlled by the discovery layer (Primo) and what is controlled by the Integrated Library System (e.g. Voyager) when you are using OPAC via Primo (OvP). Presented at ELUNA 2014 in Montreal.

1. OPAC VIA PRIMO (OVP):
SORTING OUT WHAT IS
PRIMO AND WHAT IS THE
ILS
Alison Hitchens, University of Waterloo Library
ELUNA 2014, Montréal

2. What is OPAC via Primo (OvP)
 Full integration of patron requests, display of
holdings and library account information into the
Primo user interface
 Application Program Interface (API) used to
request data from the ILS but display in Primo
using Primo look and feel
 Voyager, Aleph and Alma*
 Change from OPAC via Link (OvL) which linked
out to the ILS user interface for holdings, request
and account information display (with Primo
version 3)
*Alma only uses OvP API for My Account
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3. Documentation
 "Interoperability Guide"
 chapter: Configuring OPAC via Primo
 Voyager-Primo Integration User's Guide
 some additional configurations in the
vxws.properties file
Note: this presentation uses Voyager examples
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4. Primo or ILS?
Primo
 Fields to display
 Order of fields and number of items
 Labels
ILS
 Data
 Permissions
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5. Reminder – Account in OvL
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6. My Account - Loans
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7. My Account – Loans Detail
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8. My Account - Requests
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9. My Account – Fines & Fees
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10. My Account – Blocks &
Messages
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11. My Account – Personal Settings
Note: whether an update to e-mail in Primo
updates the e-mail in the ILS depends on
whether you are using Aleph or Voyager (and
which version)
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12. Reminder: Locations in OvL
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13. Locations
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14. Locations – Item Details
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15. Locations – Holdings Notes
Primo – define which holdings fields to pull from ILS; control
labels “Summary Holdings” and “Holdings Notes” ELUNA 2014 OvP
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16. Reminder: Requests in OvL
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17. Requests
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18. System Messages
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19. Where are changes made in
Primo?
 Code Tables – OPAC via Primo subsystem
 Mapping Tables – OPAC via Primo subsystem
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20. OvP Mapping Tables (not full
list)
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21. Example OvP Mapping Table
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22. OvP Code Tables (not full list)
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23. OvP Code Table Example
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24. Troubleshooting*
 You can use the adapter templates to see the ILS
response to a variety of API calls
Back Office>Advanced Configuration>Mapping
Tables>Mapping Tables>ILS Gateway>ILS Adaptors
Templates
 Copy the call template and fill it in with the
appropriate information.
 Use the server to log the response from the ILS
 If the ILS is sending the correct data then the
issue is probably with Primo
*With thanks to Maxine at Ex Libris Support.
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25. Availability in Primo
 Not related to OvP
 Information from the PNX – Display –
Library Level Availability
<availlibrary> $$IWATERLOO $$LWATERLOO
LIBRARY $$1UW Porter. Book Stacks. 6th-10th Floors.
$$2(PR2910 .S435x 2006 ) $$Savailable $$31 $$40
$$5N $$63 $$Xtriudb $$YUWPOR </availlibrary>
 Real time availability check for change in
status
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26. Thank you!
Alison Hitchens
Cataloguing & Metadata Librarian
University of Waterloo Library
Waterloo, ON Canada
ahitchen@uwaterloo.ca
Twitter: @ahitchens
Acknowledgements: thanks to Tami Ezra for
checking the slides for correctness
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