• Article Type: General
• Product: MetaLib
• Product Version: 3

Description:
Enhancement Request: Guest users should be able to create session-specific resource sets and be able to access them from the eShelf > My Databases.

Under Find Database, an unlogged-in, Guest user can click on the "Add to Clipboard" + (plus) signs and get the "Added to My Sets" icon in response. The message suggests that it is possible to create a personal set. But when the user goes to My Space, no list of databases is available. Also, in MetaSearch, there is no "My Databases" option in the left pane

Searching a one-time set of databases is a feature that users and librarians desire. MetaLib should permit a user to create a personal set of databases to search during a particular session, without logging in. At some MetaLib sites, the majority of users work as Guests.

This issue is also not documented.

Resolution:
As soon as they log in, users can see any temporary database sets created and any databases selected during the session but before logging in.

It is possible to add some or all of the Authenticated user's eShelf options to the Guest user's eShelf.
In the example below shows these 3 lines already added to myspace-toolbar. The inclusion of :
<li id="toolbarMyDB" class="$5200">
<a href="&server_vir?func=my-sets-1">//My Databases\\</a>
</li>
in the myspace-toolbar file's "<!-- all -->" section, adds access to My Databases for the Guest user's eShelf. However, all saved databases and sets will only exist for the duration of the session.

<START_SECTION><!-- all -->
<div id="toolbar">
<ul>
<li id="toolbarMyEshelf" class="$5100">
<a href="&server_vir?func=eshelf-2">//eShelf\\</a>
</li>
<li id="toolbarMyDB" class="$5200">
<a href="&server_vir?func=my-sets-1">//My Databases\\</a>
</li>
<END_SECTION><!-- all -->
<START_SECTION><!-- logged-in -->
<li id="toolbarMyDB" class="$5200">
<a href="&server_vir?func=my-sets-1">//My Databases\\</a>
</li>
<li id="toolbarMyEJ" class="$5300">
<a href="&server_vir?func=my-ejournal-1">//My e-Journals\\</a>
</li>
<li id="toolbarMyHis" class="$5400">
<a href="&server_vir?func=history-1">//History\\</a>
</li>
<li id="toolbarMyPref" class="lastItem $5500">
<a href="&server_vir?func=preferences-1">//Preferences\\</a>
</li>
<END_SECTION><!-- logged-in -->
<START_SECTION><!-- tail -->
</ul>
</div>
<END_SECTION><!-- tail -->

Regarding documentation, in the User Interface Guide, in the Self Registration section, on page 12, the paragraph reads:
"MetaLib provides an optional self-registration component, which allows guest users to register and obtain personalized services. MetaLib saves the user information and authenticates these users against the MetaLib user database.
Self?registered users have access to My Space features available to logged in users, and have permission to access resources depending on how self-registration was set up locally (see Implementing the Self?Registration Module on page14)."

• Article last edited: 10/8/2013