Library Training Server Set-up

If you are using the library’s Sierra training server to develop your integration, follow these steps:

  1. Obtain an API key and create a secret from the library system administrator.

    1. The library system administrator will need some information from you when they create your API key. Provide the following information to your library system administrator.

      1. Name — Name of the API key recipient within your organization

      2. Email address — Email address of the API key recipient within your organization

    2. Ask the library system administrator to create an API key for you with at least the Acquisitions Write (allows you to create order records in Sierra) permission. The administrator may also want to assign you the Orders Read permission (allows you to read order records) or other permissions depending on the application you’re developing.

      NOTE: See the How to Obtain an API Key at a Library Site section of Getting Started document on the developer portal for more details on API key creation for your library’s server.

  2. After obtaining your API key and secret, enter them below or elsewhere for future reference:

    Table 2: Library Training Server API Key and Secret
    Parameter Description Value
    API Key API key received from the library  
    API Secret Secret you chose for the API key  

  3. In addition to the API key and secret, you will need to ask the library for the following information marked below with an asterisk (*). The other parameters below can be derived from those received from the library as described. Enter the library supplied values and then derive the other values and write them in the table below for easy reference:

    Table 3: Library Training Server Test Data *provided by the Innovative library
    Parameter* Description Value
    App Server Hostname* Fully Qualified DNS name of the Sierra app server (e.g., www.library.com)  
    Base URL Used to access the Sierra API endpoints on the Sierra app server. Construct a Base URL using the App Server Hostname obtained from your library by concatenating the Base URL with /iii/sierra-api/. For example, if the library’s app server hostname is www.library.com, then the Base URL would be https://www.library.com/iii/sierra-api  
    Authentication URL Used to create an OAuth2 token. Create this URL by concatenating the Base URL with /v6/token. For example, http://www.library.com/iii/sierra-api/v6/token.  
    Acquisitions URL Used to create a new order in Sierra. Create this URL by concatenating the Base URL with /v6/acquisitions/orders. For example, https://www.library.com/iii/sierra-api/v6/acquisitions/orders.  
    login* The Sierra username to associate with created orders. Login controls the accounting unit assigned to orders.  
    location* The shelving locations or branches for which the order is placed.  
    fund* The fund code against which the material is encumbered and paid.  
    vendor* The library-defined code for the vendor who handles the order. NOTE: You may want to ask the library to set up additional unique codes so that orders made through the API can be easily distinguished from regular orders during the testing period.  
    NOTE: The Sierra login determines the accounting unit assigned to orders. And the accounting unit determines the fund codes that can be used to create an order and encumber the fund.

  4. Lastly, the load profile table on the library’s server at $IIIDB/data/m2btab.oapi will need to be updated so that the incoming MARC data for the titles being ordered is mapped to the correct fields within the order and bib records. If the library is not sure if this has been done, or if they would like a specialist to do this for them, they can open a service request with Innovative support.