The Mystic application, as with all applications in the Pergamon family uses two different types of authorised accounts, which can sometimes confuse Mystic clients:

• Users
• Readers

Logging in however, is performed using the same authentication form on the splash page of the Mystic application. This authentication form can be configured to a limited extent.

In Mystic, a User is a member of staff, volunteer, manager etc. whose principle role in this area is as a 'staff' level member of the library and who is able to assist readers in their use of the library environment.

As such, Mystic Users (sometimes called Staff Users in documentation to assist in the distinction) are responsible (if authorised to do so) for creating reader accounts, setting authentications, cataloguing, circulating loans etc.

Staff User Accounts have access to the staff menu, which is located in the toolbar at the far-right most toolbar icon.

In Mystic, a Reader is a traditional user of library services (in its verb form, not noun). Readers are able to both borrow and return items from the library, as well as utilise a range of services provided by Mystic such as OPAC (Online Public Access Catalogue) searches and any research facilities which the library has permitted access to via the Mystic interface.

Most readers do not typically have Staff User permissions (see below), and can only access services provided by the left-hand side-bar.

Readers are also permitted some level of automated or non-authenticated access to Mystic services via the MysticAIR system (if enabled), which is discussed further in the MysticAIR concept article.

All Staff User accounts can be linked to a single reader account.

This enables two additional features in addition to traditional 'pure' concepts of a Staff User and Reader as separate user types:

• A Staff User can have their own Reader account, therefore allowing them to use Library services are a normal Reader (such as borrowing books) and be kept separate from their Staff User duties.
• A Reader can be attached to a limited-access Staff User account, allowing trusted Readers to perform assistive duties - this is particularly useful in Community Libraries who may be dependant on volunteers, or in Schools where a trusted Student may assist in library use for a class.

In both cases, if a Reader to Staff User link has been made, logging in as one type of user will also automatically engage the permissions afforded to the other type of user. Users do not need to login separately for the two different types of services.

If enabled, some features of Mystic may require secondary authentication in addition to the authentication made when first logging in to the application:

Security Authorisations are required when additional security has been enabled on a particular feature of Mystic, such as the User Manager or Lookup Manager. In this case, when selecting the function Mystic will ask for the current user's login name and password a second time to ensure that the workstation has not simply been left unattended.

If a user attempts to perform an operation and it is refused (e.g. trying to issue an item which breaches current rules, such as too many items), it is sometimes possible to override the restriction. In this case, Mystic will ask for the username and password of a suitably authorised administrative users to allow the operation to proceed.

Mystic Linked Help Files
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