The document describes the NCIP messages that the CircGateway sends to circulation systems when placing holds, accepting holds, checking out items, and checking in items. It highlights the important elements sent in each message, including the UniqueUserId that identifies the patron and UniqueItemId that identifies the item. For place hold and accept item requests, the UniqueBibliographicId or UniqueItemId is used to specify the item depending on if it is the lending or borrowing side. Checkout sends the item barcode and institutional patron ID, while checkin only needs the item barcode. These NCIP messages allow libraries to share information and process requests between their circulation systems.
1. NISO Circulation Interchange Protocol (NCIP)
The screenshots on the following pages are the NCIP messages that the CircGateway sends to the
circulation systems. We send all the top level elements that have a solid outline. We also send some
optional ones (dashed outline). The important elements are highlighted here:
RequestItem – This is what we send to do a place hold on both lending and borrowing side.
There are slight differences in the elements that we send depending on lending or borrowing side
that I’ll highlight below.
o Lending side
UniqueUserId – This represents the user identifier of the institutional patron
(patron record that represents the borrowing library).
UniqueBibliographicId – This is the element that we use to hold the OCLC
number that represents the item.
o Borrowing side
UniqueUserId – This represents the user identifier of the actual patron that is
borrowing the item.
UniqueItemId – We use this element on the borrowing side instead of the
UniqueBibliographicId. This holds the item barcode that represents the item.
AcceptItem – This is what we send to the borrowing side to have their circ system create a
temporary item that represents the item and place a hold on it on behalf of the user
o UniqueUserId – This represents the user identifier of the actual patron that is borrowing
the item.
o UniqueItemId – This holds the item barcode that represents the item.
o BibliographicDescription – Holds the item data that they need that describes the item.
CheckOutItem – We send this to the lending site to check-out the item to the institutional patron.
This happens when the lender ships the item to the borrower.
o UniqueItemId – This is the barcode of the item that the lender entered.
o UniqueUserId – This represents the user identifier of the institutional patron (patron
record that represents the borrowing library).
CheckInItem – We send this on both the lending and borrowing side.
o UniqueItemId – This is the main element that we send. This has the item barcode.
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