ILLiad may be set up to import formatted email requests from a number of external sources. Setting this up requires additions to both the EMailImport and Customization tables as well as other customization keys.
System Manager Keys
Two keys in the ILLiad Customization Manager need to be configured to enable email importing and set the importing schedule. These keys are located under System | Email.
| EmailImportActive |
Setting the value to Yes enables email importing by the System Manager. Example: Yes, No This key follows separate configuration rules for Shared Servers. See Shared Server Configuration for more info.
|
|---|---|
| EmailImportInterval | How often, in minutes, the System Manager should import emails. Set to 30 by default. Example: 30 |
The EMailImport Table
To configure your importing options, open the ILLiad Customization Manager and navigate to System | EMail | EMailImport. This will open the EMailImport table for editing. Add the following information for each entry in the table:
| EMailNumber |
The number of the email importing option being set up. If you set up three different EmailImportNames, these will be 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Always begin with 1 and add sequentially. For example, if you set up an EmailImportName as Email Requests then that email type would be EmailNumber 1, then if you set up another EmailImportName as Borrowing Requests that would be EmailNumber 2, and so on. This field follows separate configuration rules for Shared Servers. See Shared Server Configuration for more info.
|
|---|---|
| NVTGC |
The symbol for Borrowing. For most standard single-server institutions, this will be ILL. For Shared Server institutions, a set of entries for each email importing option will need to be set up for each symbol in the SSS system. This field follows separate configuration rules for Shared Servers. See Shared Server Configuration for more info. |
| EMailImportName |
The name of the option you are setting up. Name the import type whatever makes sense for your ILL operation. Example: Email Requests This field follows separate configuration rules for Shared Servers. See Shared Server Configuration for more info.
|
| ProcessType | This should be set to Borrowing. Borrowing is currently the only ILLiad process type supported. |
| TableName | This should be set to Transactions. The system will store imported information in this table. |
| FieldName |
Enter the field to be imported here. These fields will be imported into ILLiad. The Username field is required for the import to function properly from a technical point of view. From a usability perspective, you will probably want to add entries for the LoanTitle, LoanAuthor, PhotoArticleTitle and PhotoArticleAuthor fields, and possibly others, as well. |
| TagValue | The tags within the formatted email that correspond to the FieldName(s) to be imported. Examples: "Title: " for Loan Title, "Author:" for LoanAuthor, etc. |
| DefaultValue | The default value to be input into the imported request if a field does not exist or is left blank by the user when making the request. Examples: "Not Entered", "Not Found", etc. |
You will have multiple entries in the EMailImport table for each import type you set up. There will be one entry in the table for every FieldName to be imported into each import type.
To assist with configuring the EMailImport table, a template CSV file is available that can be pasted directly into SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) in order to minimize basic errors in setup. The CSV will handle configuring the following fields for import and can be modified as needed:
- Username
- RequestType
- LoanTitle
- ISSN
- LoanAuthor
- LoanDate
- ESPNumber
- Location
- CitedIn
- PhotoArticleTitle
- PhotoJournalTitle
- PhotoJournalInclusivePages
- PhotoJournalIssue
- PhotoJournalVolume
- PhotoJournalMonth
- PhotoJournalYear
- PhotoArticleAuthor
- ItemInfo1
- NVTGC*
- This field will contain a default value "ILL" used in configuring the optional user creation functionality (See Creating Users from Email Importing for more information).
*Note that the TableName for the NVTGC field is User.
The Customization Table
For each of the Customization Keys below that contains EMailImport1, every time there is a new email import type, a new key with the superseding number is created. For example. the second email import type will begin with EMailImport2, the third import type will begin with EMailImport3, and so forth, with all of the relevant custom keys duplicated for each email import type. This allows for EmailNumber specific imports based on each email being imported (not each field being imported).
Open the ILLiad Customization Manager and navigate to System | General | Customization. Add the following custom keys for each email import type that you set up in the EMailImport table:
| EMailImport1ArticleStatus |
Specifies the status to which the system should assign article requests received via email import. Example: "Awaiting Request Processing". Note: If you create a new status for this purpose, you will need to add that new status to the CustomQueues table as well. |
|---|---|
| EMailImport1LoanStatus |
Specifies the status to which the system should assign loan requests received via email import. Example: "Awaiting Request Processing". Note: If you create a new status for this purpose, you will need to add that new status to the CustomQueues table as well. |
| EMailImport1LoanTag | This is the tag in the email that the system will reference to determine the Request Type. If the system finds this tag within the body of the email, it will determine that the request is a Loan Request. If the system does not find this tag it will determine that the request is an Article request. |
| EMailImport1UserID | This is the UserID for the email account to be imported. |
| EMailImport1Password | This is the Password for the email account to be imported. |
| EMailImport1PopHost | This is the mail server for the email account to be imported. |
| EMailImport1PopPort | This is the mail port for the email account to be imported. This is usually 110. |
| EMailImport1SSLEnabled | This is the key that needs to be added to support email importing on SSL hosts. |
To assist with configuring the Customization table, a template CSV file is available that can be pasted directly into SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) in order to minimize basic errors in setup. The CSV will handle configuring the following keys with the following values:
- EMailImport1ArticleStatus: Awaiting Request Processing
- EMailImport1LoanStatus: Awaiting Request Processing
- EMailImport1LoanTag: //%RequestType%
- EMailImport1Password: ''
- EMailImport1PopHost: pop.gmail.com
- EMailImport1PopPort: 110
- EMailImport1SSLEnabled: Yes
- EmailImport1UserID: ''
The Awaiting User Verification Queue
This queue is a part of the default ILLiad server installation. Unless removed from the Custom Queues table, it should exist in all recent ILLiad Installations. If the Awaiting User Verification queue does not already exist, open the Customization Manager, go to System | Custom Queues | CustomQueues, and add a custom queue called Awaiting User Verification. This queue will be used by the system for any requests imported into ILLiad that do not match to an existing User in the ILLiad database. The Awaiting User Verification custom queue should contain the following information:
| QueueName | Awaiting User Verification |
| ProcessType | Borrowing |
| NVTGC | ILL |
Optional: Creating Users from Email Importing
As an optional feature, you can set up ILLiad to create new users when email is imported. If the email requests are imported and no existing user is found, the system can create a user based on the information is given and default values that you set. To do this, you must create additional entries in the EMailImport table as shown here. These entries pertain to creating a new user and do not replace the Transaction entries discussed above.
| EMailNumber | The number of the email importing option being set up. If you set up three different Email importing types, these will be 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Always begin with 1 and add sequentially. |
|---|---|
| NVTGC | This should be set to the symbol for Borrowing. For most standard single-server institutions, this will be ILL. For Shared Server institutions, a set of entries for each Email importing option that will need to be set up for each symbol in the SSS system. |
| EMaiImportName | This should be set to the name of the option you are setting up. Example: Email Requests. Name the import type whatever makes sense for your ILL operation. |
| ProcessType | This should be set to Borrowing. Borrowing is currently the only ILLiad process type supported. |
| TableName | This should be set to Users. The system will store imported user information in this table. |
| FieldName | Enter the field to be imported here. These fields will be imported into ILLiad. The following fields are required to create new users from Email Importing: 1. Cleared 2. DeliveryMethod 3. Department 4. EMail Address 5. LoanDeliveryMethod 6. NotificationMethod 7. NVTGC (The DefaultValue column for this field must contain a specified value.) 8. Status 9. WebNote: The Usernamefield is always required by the previous setup process. |
| TagValue | These should be the tags within the formatted email that corresponds to the FieldName(s) to be imported. If there are no tags for the required information, you can set up a default value (see below) to seed the new user record. |
| DefaultValue | This is the default value to be input into the imported request if a field does not exist or is left blank by the user when making the request. |
You will have multiple entries in the EMailImport table for each import type you set up. There will be one additional entry (referencing the Users TableName) in the table for every FieldName to be imported in each import type. In addition to creating entries in the EmailImport table, you will need to configure the EmailImportAutoUserRecord key.
The EmailImportAutoUserRecord Key
After setting up the EmailImport table to create user records during email importing, you'll need to configure the EmailImportAutoUserRecord key. This key is located in the ILLiad Customization Manager under Borrowing | Importing.
| EmailImportAutoUserRecord |
Setting the value to Yes allows ILLiad to create user records during email imports if the username could not be found. Example: Yes, No This key follows separate configuration rules for Shared Servers. See Shared Server Configuration for more info.
|
|---|
Shared Server Configuration
There are two different ways to set up Email Importing for a shared server institution. Option 1: Each NVTGC will be configured with a different email address for each site. Option 2: One NVTGC and one email address will handle all the emails being imported.
The remaining keys and tables not listed below should be configured as normal.
Option 1
- EmailImportActive Key- Since each NVTGC will be utilizing a different email address for the import, the key needs to be set to Yes for each NVTGC and ILL. For example, if there are two sites ABC and DEF, there should be an entry under the key set for ILL, ABC, and DEF.
- EMailImportName & EmailNumber- Each NVTGC should be listed as the EmailImportName with the corresponding Email number. For example, the first NVTCG would be EmailImportName ABC EmailNumber 1, the second NVTGC would be EmailImport Name DEF and Email Number 2, and so on for the remaining NVTGC.
- NVTGC- An entry should be made for each NVTGC handling imports. There should be the same amount of NVTGCs listed as there are EmailNumbers.
- Awaiting User Verification Queue- An entry should be made for each NVTGC.
Entry Example 1:
| QueueName | Awaiting User Verification |
| ProcessType | Borrowing |
| NVTGC | ABC |
Entry Example 2:
| QueueName | Awaiting User Verification |
| ProcessType | Borrowing |
| NVTGC | DEF |
- EMailImportAutoUserRecord- If you're configuring ILLiad to create user records during email importing, this key should be set to Yes for each NVTGC handling email imports.
- EMailImport table- Additional entries should be made into the EmailImport table to reflect the number assigned to the EMailNumber for each EmailImportName. The custom key for the first email import type will begin with EMailImport1, the second import type will begin with EMailImport2, and so forth, with all of the relevant custom keys duplicated for each email import type. The values for the following fields will be different for each email import:
- EmailImport1UserID
- EmailImport1Passoword
- EmailImport1PopHost
- EmailImport1PopPort
- EmailImport1SSLEnabled
Option 2
- EmailImportActive Key- Since one email is being used, the key needs t to be set to Yes for ILL. If you are using an NVTGC other than ILL for importing, you'll need to have the EmailImportActive key set to Yes for both ILL and the NVTGC that will handle the importing.
- EMailImportName & EmailNumber- Since there would only be one email being used, that would be EmailNumber 1 with an import name that would best explain its purpose (e.g., Email Requests).
- NVTGC- The NVTGC should list the default ILL unless you are using an NVTGC other than ILL for importing, then you'll need an entry for that NVTGC. There should be the same amount of NVTGCs listed as there are EmailNumbers.
- Awaiting User Verification Queue- The Awaiting User Verification Queue would be set up the same as a single server since only the default NVTGC is being used. Unless another NVTGC will handle the importing, then the default ILL should be used in the NVTGC field.
| QueueName | Awaiting User Verification |
| ProcessType | Borrowing |
| NVTGC | ILL |