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Customize passwords and timeouts

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Learn how to use WorldCat Admin to customize passwords and timeouts for FirstSearch.

The Passwords screen in the administrative module provides the following features to let you customize passwords:

  • Change your FirstSearch service patron password: Lets you control access to the FirstSearch service patron interface.
  • Change your FirstSearch service staff password: Lets you control access to the FirstSearch service staff interface.
  • Change your WorldCat Services Administrative Module password: Lets you control access to the WorldCat Services Administrative Module and usage statistics.
  • Change your FirstSearch statistics password: Lets you control access to the FirstSearch Usage Statistics service.
  • Change or delete your full-text password: Lets you control access to full text in the FirstSearch service.

The General screen in the administrative module provides the following features to let you specify timeouts:

  • Timeouts: Session minutes: Lets you specify the number of minutes that FirstSearch waits for a request before ending a session.
  • Timeouts: Full-text minutes: Lets you specify the number of minutes that FirstSearch waits for a request before ending a session if the screen displayed contains the full text of a journal article or other document.

FirstSearch service patron password

purpose Controls access to the FirstSearch service patron interface.
location Administrative module --> Authentication/Access --> Passwords
default setting Temporary FirstSearch service patron password included in the welcome letter sent by OCLC when your FirstSearch account began.
Available value(s) FirstSearch service patron password
Your FirstSearch account must have a FirstSearch service patron password. OCLC suggests the following guidelines for new passwords:
  • Use at least 4, but not more than 10, characters in the password.
  • Use only letters (a-z) and/or numbers (0-9) in the password. The FirstSearch service patron password is not case sensitive.
  • Do not use spaces, punctuation, or symbols in the password.
  • For added security, specify different characters for each password. For example, do not specify the same password for accessing the administrative module that you specify for accessing the FirstSearch service.

FirstSearch service staff password

purpose Controls access to the FirstSearch service staff interface.
location Administrative module --> Authentication/Access --> Passwords
default setting No default, or previous setting.
Available value(s) FirstSearch service patron password
Your FirstSearch account must have a FirstSearch service patron password. OCLC suggests the following guidelines for new passwords:
  • Use at least 4, but not more than 10, characters in the password.
  • Use only letters (a-z) and/or numbers (0-9) in the password. The FirstSearch service patron password is not case sensitive.
  • Do not use spaces, punctuation, or symbols in the password.
  • For added security, specify different characters for each password. For example, do not specify the same password for accessing the administrative module that you specify for accessing the FirstSearch service.

WorldCat Services administrative module password

purpose Controls access to the WorldCat Services Administrative Module and usage statistics. When you change the administrative password, the new password is valid immediately for access to the administrative module and valid the next day for the FirstSearch Usage Statistics service. Use the previous administrative password to access usage statistics until the new one takes effect.
location Administrative module --> Authentication/Access --> Passwords
default setting Temporary WorldCat Services Administrative Module password included in the welcome letter sent by OCLC when your FirstSearch account began.
Available value(s) FirstSearch service patron password
Your FirstSearch account must have a FirstSearch service patron password. OCLC suggests the following guidelines for new passwords:
  • Use at least 4, but not more than 10, characters in the password.
  • Use only letters (a-z) and/or numbers (0-9) in the password. The FirstSearch service patron password is not case sensitive.
  • Do not use spaces, punctuation, or symbols in the password.
  • For added security, specify different characters for each password. For example, do not specify the same password for accessing the administrative module that you specify for accessing the FirstSearch service.

FirstSearch statistics password

purpose Controls access to the FirstSearch Usage Statistics service. You can use either your statistics password or your administrative password to access usage statistics. You can share the statistics password with staff who need to view usage statistics but do not need to view or change administrative module settings. Password changes go into effect the day after you save them for accessing usage statistics.
location Administrative module --> Authentication/Access --> Passwords
default setting No default, or previous setting.
Available value(s) FirstSearch service patron password
Your FirstSearch account must have a FirstSearch service patron password. OCLC suggests the following guidelines for new passwords:
  • Use at least 4, but not more than 10, characters in the password.
  • Use only letters (a-z) and/or numbers (0-9) in the password. The FirstSearch service patron password is not case sensitive.
  • Do not use spaces, punctuation, or symbols in the password.
  • For added security, specify different characters for each password. For example, do not specify the same password for accessing the administrative module that you specify for accessing the FirstSearch service.

Full-text password

The FirstSearch full-text password features lets you control access to full text in FirstSearch. For more information, see Full-text password.

Session timeouts

purpose Lets you specify the number of minutes FirstSearch waits for a user request before ending the session (does not control full-text screens, which are controlled by full text timeouts).
location Administrative module --> Authentication/Access --> General
default setting 15 minutes.
Available value(s) Any number between 5 and 30.

Full-text timeouts

purpose Specify the number of minutes that FirstSearch waits for a request before ending a session if the screen displayed contains the full text of a journal article or other document.
location Administrative module --> Authentication/Access --> General
default setting 15 minutes.
Available value(s) Any number between 15 and 45.