Re: Social Security Numbers vs Student ID numbers

[Zippy Nickerson <Zilpha.Nickerson@xxxxxxxxxx>]

We recently had to move away from the social security number as student ID to a random number.   Our computer center set up our download to overlay two barcode numbers, the primary number is a random number assigned by PeopleSoft and the second is the social security number.  Since only one number displays at a time the random number (first occurrence of a barcode) displays in the patron record, but in editing modes of the patron record the social security number appears as the second barcode number.   For our campus this was the most economically feasible solution since our ID cards have the social security number inbedded in a barcode on the student ID card and it kept us from having to replace all the existing ID cards.  The issue we ran into was having to be sure the barcodes were both 9 digits so a zero was added to the front of the random numbers.  We also have a bursar out interface and a program was created in conjunction with the bursar ftp process that does a "walk across" to translate the random number back to the social security number to load into our student financial system (which is not yet a part of PeopleSoft);

Zilpha "Zippy" Nickerson, Supervisor 
CWU Library - Circulation Services  
Ellensburg, WA  98926-7548
(509)963-3665
nickersz@xxxxxxxxxx 

>>> chvanhor@xxxxxxxxxx 02/26/02 09:20AM >>>
This is a question for academic libraries. Do you  use a student
identification number rather than a social security number?

We use Datatel and Innnovative. Right now our student records come over
with the social security number as the university ID number. We are
wondering if we can switch to the Datatel ID number as the university ID
number. We have had numerous requests from patrons in light of all of
the identity thefts which have been publicized.

Any one have any experience they can share?

Cherie Van Horsen
Lead Library Specialist/Circulation
Cabrillo College Library
Aptos, California



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