Patrons, sometimes referred to as borrowers or users, are managed in Infiniti. Patrons have profiles which determine how they access and interact with your catalogue. Patron management tasks include: patron registration and edit (either manually one by one, imported manually by reading a suitable CSV import file, or uploaded automatically by preparing a suitable CSV file). The patron import allows you or your IT Manager to import and update library patrons with data from your school's administration system or other source into Infiniti. This is an interactive facility which is run as required by you or your IT Manager.


All patrons who require access to Infiniti or LibPaths must be registered with a basic profile. Patron profiles can also be registered or updated via manual entry, manual import or automatic import. After registration, you can also optionally:

  1. Import patron contacts for email correspondence,
  2. Import patron images, and
  3. Import patron groups.
Patron profiles can also be permanently removed from Infiniti and LibPaths.


Note: Infiniti does not support the concept of shared logins.


Access To Search Your Catalogue


Infiniti does not support "random access" to your catalogue. To allow any person to search your library catalogue you must one or some of the following:

  1. Create one or more generic or anonymous accounts which will allow anonymous searching of your catalogue for items stored in specific sites or locations. Generic accounts are restricted to searching only the sites you assign to each generic account. Note: The identity of any person searching will be regarded as anonymous.
  2. Optionally allocate one only generic account as your public search that can anonymously search your library catalogue. Note: The identity of any person searching will be regarded as anonymous.
  3. Create one or more personalised individual accounts which will allow individual searching of your catalogue for items stored in specific sites or locations. Individual accounts are restricted to searching only the sites you assign to each group they belong to. Note: The identity of the individual searching may be recorded.


Note: Only personalised individual accounts are permitted to borrow from your library.


Import Patron CSV File


Go to: Settings> Users > Import


There are two (2) patron user import options. Both require a CSV file:

  • ad hoc import - interactive import run periodically as required to export data from a student administration system and manually import it into Infiniti.
  • autoSync transfer - a background non-interactive process that automatically transfers data from a student administration system into Infiniti on a regular basis.

Note: autoSync app, the non-interactive import facility is available as an alternative option to interactively importing patrons. Best practice is to read the information below before using the autoSync.


Manual Import File Pre-checks

  • Decide which data elements will be updated. Every CSV import file must include the username (matching key) and a least one other data element. Note: If the username matches an existing username in Infiniti, the existing profile record will be updated. If the username does not match an existing username in Infiniti, the a new profile record will be created unless the check finds Library barcodes and/or Admin Ids in the file that have already been used by different Usernames in Infiniti. These records will be highlighted light red on the Preview screen and will not be imported. The Usernames in Infiniti will have to be updated to match the import file if they are not correctly aligned.
  • Check your Academic Period is set to the current Academic year.
  • Check you have the Cohorts created for the importing cohorts, e.g., 20xx for incoming new students.
  • Review CSV file import column order in Infiniti. Note: CSV file column order is critical for success. The CSV import file column order must match the column displayed on the import page in Infiniti. Rearrange the order of the columns on the import page to match the column order in your CSV import file. Mismatched column order will result to invalid data recorded for each profile and may prevent the import from processing to completion.
  • To ensure Single Sign On (SSO) capability, ensure that usernames in the CSV import file match those already in Infiniti, i.e., each patron's username in the CSV import file must match their current Infiniti Username and their network logon ID or other SSO authentication system. The formula is Infiniti Username = CSV import file username = authentication system identifier. Note: Failure to ensure usernames match will result in duplicated users and failed SSO.
  • Import staff and students using separate CSV import files.


Preparing Import Data


Do you have your CSV data file from your student administration system? 

  • Choose I am adding or updating users option
  • Check your column labels in the CSV file match those you have chosen and that the columns are in the same order
  • Check the list below to see which fields are mandatory
  • New users require a full import of all their fields, including Graduating year, Enabled, Staff member flag (if a staff member). If updating current users the CSV import file can comprise the username and the data elements being updated.
Field Descriptions
  1. Username *- is the mandatory matching key for updating an existing user record or creating a new user - may be the same as your network logon if SSO required, Library barcode or Admin ID if SSO not required. Note: There is a separate option on this update screen to align existing username to a new username.
  2. Password -  if importing an internal Infiniti password, it is case sensitive and must have a minimum length of 8 characters. Note: An Internal password is not required if your school is using SSO.  Infiniti will fall back on this password if outside the School network and SSO not available.
  3. Primary email address - main email address for this patron; optional. Note:  all other contacts for patron use the Contacts import.
  4. Library Barcode * - mandatory for borrowing; can be the same as Admin Id or Username but must be unique to this patron.
  5. Admin System ID = your school administration system code for each user; used to match photos named AdminId.jpeg.
  6. Gender - the patron's gender.  M, F or blank.
  7. Given name - optional patron's given name or first name.
  8. Middle name - optional patron's middle name.
  9. Preferred name - optional patron's preferred name.
  10. Surname*- patron's surname or family name.
  11. Enabled * enabled [boolean]: acceptable flags are:
    • active = Y, yes, true, 1.
    • inactive = N, no, false, 0.
      Note: This data is mandatory for all new users.
  12. Staff Member * enabled [boolean]: acceptable flags are:
    • staffmember = Y, yes, true, 1.
    • staffmember = N, no, false, 0.
      Note: This data is mandatory for all new users including students.
  13. Generic - only tick if this profile describes an anonymous OPAC user.
  14. Either:
    1. Graduating year * - year the student will graduate from the top year level at your school, e.g., 2025, 2035. Note: Mandatory for all students if importing a full record and not using academic level below. Not applicable or required for non-academic users, e.g., staff or parents. Non-academic users must be imported in a separate CSV file.
    2. Academic level - current year level for the student. Note: Mandatory for all students if importing a full record and not using graduating year above. Not applicable or required for non-academic users, e.g., staff or parents. Non-academic users must be imported in a separate CSV file.
      Note: At least one of these values is mandatory and must be present in the import file.
  15. Campus - only required if multiple campuses are in use and is the patron's primary or main campus. Note: Import ID for the Campus must be used in the CSV file Campus column e.g.,is found in Settings  > enrolment > Campus > edit required campus.   Patrons can be assigned to only one campus. This field is only displayed if you have defined campuses. 
  16. Form class - optional sub-groups for Current Academic period, will import into the currently set Academic period, e.g., 20YY. Note: Not applicable to non-academic users, e.g., Staff.
  17. Presentation Group - only required if the patron's presentation group if is enabled. Note: The presentation group must be a current presentation group added in Settings  >
    Users > Display > Presentation Groups    .

 

Hints And Tips

  • You can drag the column headings on the Infiniti import screen to match your data import file column order.
  • If a column of data contains leading "zeros”, the column must be formatted as text, e.g., numerical ID’s ("0001234") or form classes ("06"). In Excel right click on the column > format cells> number tab > text > OK.
  • Make sure there are no formulas or filter in your data columns.  
  • The header row can remain in the CSV import file. It will not import and will be displayed as an invalid line, however it will not stop the other rows in the data file from importing.
  • Infiniti will create any new form classes from the file and update students from old form classes during the import process. 


A spreadsheet containing student and teacher samples can be found here.


Note: Always check the Preview columns are aligned exactly with the data before processing. If in doubt, Close the update, check the file and start again.


Import New Or Update Existing Accounts


Go to: Settings> Users > Import


Note: It is imperative that username matches for existing users being updated. Using a different username than the one already recorded in Infiniti will create a new record. Use this link to align Usernames if needed before an import of existing patrons.


Once you have your Excel spreadsheet saved in CSV format you are ready to follow the next steps to import your users: 

  1. Choose to add or update existing users.
  2. On the Users tab, Select all is checked by default - Deselect all fields to start with a clean import screen.
  3. Check fields to build your list of Import fields - this must match the order and number of your CSV import file columns or you will receive a message to this effect.
  4. If columns are not in the same order as the screen fields, use the template of field names to drag and drop the columns to match your CSV file column order.
  5. to browse your computer network to find your CSV import file. Click the Open button in the browse file screen.
  6.  to ensure your data is aligned under the correct headings. Any invalid lines will be highlighted light red. Mouse-hover over the line to see why the record cannot be imported. 
  7. If you need to make a change to the csv file,  , make the changes, and repeat this step.
  8. If all lines on the screen remain unchanged and the only invalid line (light red) is the Header line, thenthe import file.
  9. The screen will give you a message to say your import is successful and the number of added, updated, invalid, and total records will be displayed. 
  10. New user data added will be highlighted green in the list, updated users are yellow, and invalid user data rows are light red.

Change Usernames For Existing Accounts

You can choose to change existing usernames to new values. Note: This is usually done to enable single sign on.


Merge Patron Accounts


Each patron should have just one profile record or account. Where patron records have been duplicated you can merge them including their loan records.


Go to: Settings> Users

  1. - click the dropdown arrow.
  2. - to enter merge assistance mode.
  3. is displayed.
  4. Locate patron records to be merged.
  5. - select records to be merged.
  6. - to merge profile and loan records.


Blacklisted Email Addresses


Patrons with an invalid email address will be by Amazon Web Services (AWS) when using the AWS email server. Blacklisted patrons can only be reinstated if their email address is corrected. You can remove a blocked email from the blacklist as required. Blacklist alerts also display in circulation.