Overdrive Integration with Koha

An OverDrive integration with Koha will give patrons the ability to search for OverDrive records, place items on hold and checkout them out in your Koha catalog.

Tutorial Video:

OverDrive Set-Up

There are some key pieces of information that Koha will need to get from Overdrive and some configuration options will need to shared with Overdrive in order to set up the API. The API will enable the communication needed between the two platforms.

First, apply for a developer account, requesting access to specific a specific authorization level (Client or Patron) based on the scope of your project.

Next, the application will determine if the library is requesting a new API client or new access for an existing client. Regardless of the New/Existing choice, the library will need to identify what API access is required. The choices are Discovery or Circulation.

Discovery is the connection between Koha and Overdrive that will allow your patrons to see the Overdrive collection.

Circulation gives the ability for your patrons to log into Koha and have access to their Overdrive account within Koha.

Once the application is completed, Overdrive will contact you and provide your library with the information needed to fill out the Koha Set-up below.

Koha Set-Up

The library will add configuration options in the system preferences that are specific to OverDrive found in the Enhanced Content Tab in the System Preferences.

1. Add the OverdriveAuthName. If your library has multiple branches, there is a link in this system preference, where AuthNames can be set up differently per branch.
2. OverdriveCirculation, OverDriveUsername, OverDrivePasswordRequired, will tell Koha how your users log into OverDrive.
   

OverdriveCirculation - Enable/Don’t Enable users to access Overdrive Circulation history and to circulate items.

OverDriveUsername - Overdrive uses either the patron's Card number/UserName for user access to OverDrive.

OverdrivePasswordRequired - Require/Don’t require if a password/pin is required for users to access Overdrive 

OverdrivePasswordRequired is a new system preference since this tutorial video was created.

1. Overdrive will also provide your library with a Client Key and Client Secret, these will be entered in the next system preference:
   

OverDriveClientKey

OverDriveClientSecret

1. The last two system preferences

OverdriveLibraryID - which will indicate to Koha to show items from the OverDrive catalog with this specific libraryID.

OverdriveWebsiteId - This will indicate to Koha on which website ID to authenticate.

OPAC

After this is set up, users will log into the OPAC and see a new tab in their account summary for their OverDrive Account. Patrons will then log into their OverDrive account and this will authorize the user into OverDrive authentication. When a patron searches in Koha, they can click to see records (real-time) in the OverDrive collection of the library, check them out, or place a hold on a checked-out item.

A patron will log into their account and will see all the items checked out and any items with holds.

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