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Innovative Sierra with CapiraMobile

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Learn how interact with certain CapiraMobile features if Innovative Sierra is your connected ILS.

Overview

Each ILS product offers different features with respect to APIs used by third parties like OCLC in order to get data. In addition, each library can often customize their ILS setup, which makes it difficult to have a one-size-fits-all guide for some features. For these reasons, OCLC is often unable to help configure this information directly and library staff will need to discuss available options and values with their ILS administrator and/or vendor.

Carousels

To add a carousel to your app:

  1. Create a list of items in Sierra with the desired parameters for your carousel using Create List.
  2. Find the JSON query associated with your list and save it. Refer to JSON Saving and Reusing a Search (Create Lists).
  3. Send the saved JSON query via email or support ticket to OCLC Support.
  4. The Capira team will load the list for you, generating a carousel.

 Note: You do not need to maintain the list; this is just an easy way to generate the JSON query language required to display Sierra carousels in CapiraMobile.

Enhanced metadata display fields

Some additional metadata fields are available to be enabled. These fields will display in the app's search results, not in an item's details. For more information, see Enhanced metadata display. The following additional fields can be enabled when using Innovative Sierra:

  • Accelerated Reader
  • Lexile Values
  • Edition
  • Series
  • OCLC Number
  • Audience
  • ISBN(s)
  • UPS/ISXN

Hold options

The features below are allowed by the ILS, but may vary depending on your library's implementation.

  • Cancel a hold
  • Modify hold pickup location
  • Suspend/resume a hold

Search filters

Libraries can choose to configure any filters if supported by their ILS. It is not mandatory to use all filters or groups configured in your ILS, which allows each library to determine their ideal setup for patrons.

If no search filter is chosen by a user, or no options are displayed, the default is ALL. 

  • The default search material/format used if no option is provided or none is selected by a user is All Materials.
  • The default search library/location used if no option is provided or none is selected by a user is All Libraries/Scopes.
  • The default search index used if no option is provided or none is selected by a user is Keyword/Everything.
  • The default sort options used if no option is provided or none is selected by a user is dependent on your ILS, but it is usually Relevancy.
  • The default audience used if no option is provided or none is selected by a user is dependent on your ILS, but it is usually All Audiences.
  • The default collection used if no option is provided or none is selected by a user is dependent on your ILS, but it is usually Everything.

Search filter examples

These apply to libraries running Innovative Sierra of any version who have access to Version 6 or higher of the Sierra REST API. The REST API key provided to OCLC requires the BIB READ, ITEM READ, and VOLUME READ permissions enabled at a minimum for Search/Item Details information. Information about the current version of the Sierra REST API installed on your system can be found at: https://<your-ils-hostname>/iii/sierra-api/about.

An image of information about an installed version of the Sierra REST API including Version, SierraVersion, FullVersion, Revision, RevisionDate and Backwards Compatible information.

To learn how to add a filter, see Search filters.

Innovative Sierra filter examples

Material/Format filters

These filters are typically the same material codes configured in your ILS for bibliographic records. You may need to consult your ILS administrator or vendor for a full list of these values.

 Note: Multi-faceted material type filters are not supported.

An example of a material type code in Innovative Sierra that reads "a PRINTED BK/JNL".

Example display name Value
Books a
DVDs g
Blu-Ray b
eBook e
VHS z
Playaway q
Video Game s

Index filters

These are typically the same for all Innovative Sierra products and customers. You may use the table below as a complete reference.

Example display name Value
Title t
Author a
Subject d
Note n

Sort filters

The Sierra REST API does not support sort options at this time.

Audience filters

The Sierra REST API does not support audience filter options at this time. Contact Innovative to request additional fixed-length field limits for API Search. See Sierra - More About the Advanced Word Search Index.

Collection filters

The Sierra REST API does not support collection filter options at this time. Contact Innovative to request additional fixed-length field limits for API Search. See Sierra - More About the Advanced Word Search Index.

Library filters

These filters may vary based on how each library system chooses to configure their Bibliographic Location Codes. You may need to consult your ILS administrator or vendor for a full list of these values.

 Note: If you would like to enter a string of codes into one location filter, please contact OCLC Support.

Example display name Value
North Haven Public Library nh
Algoma Library alg
Cedar Point Library cp
Dowd Main Library dml
Dowd Branch Library dbl
Zenia Public Library zp