MackinVIA FAQs

Your MackinVIA Administrator account can be accessed through Mackin.com. After logging in, click on My Account > MackinVIA. Alternatively, you can go to https://www.mackinvia.com/admin and log in with your Mackin.com email address and password.

In your MackinVIA Administrator account, you have access to a proprietary report engine for resource usage with the ability to run reports for a single MackinVIA collection or multiple locations. Additionally, you can view historical Backpack activity for your users. Backpack activity includes checkouts, online reads, assignments, requests, and favorites. Please Note: Mackin has the ability to disable access to Backpack activity upon request.

You can activate special offers from the “Promotions” tab within your MackinVIA Administrator account. Promotions include free digital resources and trials. If MARC records are available for a promotion, you can download them here after activation.

Yes – the MackinVIA URL is https://www.mackinvia.com/. Additionally, please visit our Downloads page to access MackinVIA images, as well as widgets with HTML code.

Yes – MackinVIA supports connections for Canvas, Schoology, Google Classroom, and more! Please visit the Integrations section of our help guide for information on establishing these connections.

Yes – MackinVIA can be accessed on any desktop, laptop, or mobile device with a supported browser. If users would like to download titles to access offline, our free MackinVIA App is available for all major mobile devices as well as Mac and Windows desktop and laptop computers. Please visit Supported Platforms and Devices for more information.

Yes – Once a Mackin-hosted resource is checked out, it’s easy to download it to a device for offline access using the MackinVIA app.

A Backpack is an individual account used to store and manage digital resources. Users can save favorite resources, check out and request Mackin-hosted titles, view and edit notes, and access assigned resources.

There are several ways to create Backpacks in MackinVIA:

• Users can create their own Backpacks through self-registration.
• You can create Backpacks for users within your MackinVIA Administrator account, either individually or through an import of user data.
• You can send a file of user data to eservices@mackin.com, and we will set up the Backpacks for you. Once setup is complete, any files containing user information can be returned if requested, and all copies in our possession will be destroyed.
• We can work with you to automate Backpack creation through a free integration with your user management system or library catalog, also known as Backpack Authentication.

A user ID and password are the minimum requirements. Optional information includes first name, last name, user role, and email address. Email addresses will only be used to notify users that a requested title is available for check out or when a checkout, request, or hold has been canceled by the administrator.

We support Backpack Authentication through secure FTP uploads, LDAP, SIP2, and Single Sign-On (SSO). Our SSO integrations include Alexandria, ClassLink, Clever, Follett Destiny, Google, Microsoft Office 365, and SAML. Contact Mackin’s Integrations team for more information on setting up this connection.

We are moving forward with our ILS partners to create connectors that allow MackinVIA resource information, including circulation and title availability, to sync with and display in library catalogs. Please contact Mackin’s Digital Services team for more information.

No – Most eBooks can be opened and read without needing to be checked out. However, eBooks will need to be checked out if users are going to download them for offline use or if the titles are subscriptions with a set number of checkouts (i.e. 26 checkouts).

You can set checkout limits and loan periods from the “Settings” tab within your MackinVIA Administrator account. The maximum number of checkouts is 99, and the maximum loan period is 21 days.

Single-user resources can be accessed by one user at a time. Multi-user resources can be accessed simultaneously by an unlimited number of users at a single site. The license type is determined by the publishers.

The majority of our eBooks and digital audiobooks are perpetual and do not need to be renewed. However, some resources are only available as subscriptions for a predetermined time period (i.e. 1-year or 3-years) or checkout limit (i.e. 26 checkouts). The access type is determined by the publishers.

Interactive eBooks contain additional, engaging features such as narration, animation, quizzes, and more. These titles are hosted by the publishers, and the features vary by platform.

Resource details, including licensing, access type, and other pertinent information, will be listed in blue text next to the titles on the “Search Results” page. Additionally, you can click on any title to access the full record and view more information.

If Mackin hosted, under the price on Mackin.com it will read MackinVIA [resource type]. Alternatively, it could read Publisher Hosted. Resources listed as MackinVIA Digital are hosted by Mackin and will open in the MackinVIA Reader. Some resources are hosted by publishers. These resources will be accessible in MackinVIA but will open and display in the publisher’s platform.

There is no fee for the MackinVIA platform. You only pay for the digital content that you choose to purchase for your school or library.

Currently, Mackin offers more than 2 million eBooks, over 65,000 digital audiobooks, hundreds of educational databases, and a large selection of streaming videos.

Yes – Every eBook and digital audiobook purchased from Mackin comes with an enhanced MARC record that you can load into your library circulation system. Each record contains a link to the specific title in MackinVIA from the 856 tag. After the MARC records have been loaded into the catalog, users will be able to discover MackinVIA resources alongside other titles in your OPAC.

Assigning barcodes to MARC records for digital resources is optional. It can be useful if you want to keep track of the resources in your library circulation system. Please Note: Some circulation systems require barcodes in the MARC records before allowing the resources to be imported.

Yes – A unique feature of MackinVIA is that you are able to Bring Your Own License. We realize that you may have purchased digital resources before adopting MackinVIA, so we built our platform to be open and robust enough to accommodate this very common request from our customers.

Digital resources purchased from other vendors can be added using the Add New Resource tool in your MackinVIA Administrator account, or you can request a migration from Mackin’s Digital Services team. Please see our Migration Policy for more information.

When your existing digital resources are migrated into MackinVIA, a link to the host platform is established. Whenever possible, Mackin will work with the vendor of the product to authenticate it within MackinVIA, so no additional logins are necessary.

On average, it takes up to 1-2 weeks for a digital order to be filled and the titles to appear in your MackinVIA account.

You can manage digital subscriptions from your MackinVIA Administrator account. To renew a resource, click the Renew button next to the title in your Subscription Manager and select it to a Mackin.com list for ordering. You can also contact us to request a quote.

This depends on the publisher. Some publishers will allow you to renew your subscription through Mackin, while others require you to renew through the source from which the subscription was originally purchased. Please contact Mackin’s Digital Services team to determine if this option is available.

Yes – If requested, digital purchases can be set up to allow for sharing between schools or libraries. Mackin’s Digital Services team will work with you to ensure that orders meet the licensing requirements of our publishing partners. Please Note: Sharing digital content is limited to future purchases. Existing resources purchased at the site level cannot be shared retroactively due to publisher licensing restrictions.

No – Each school or library will have their own MackinVIA account. This is the only account users will need in order to access digital purchases from Mackin, regardless of the purchasing entity. Individual site purchases will automatically flow into MackinVIA. Shared digital content will be distributed to the requested individual account(s) and the licensing and circulation will be seamlessly managed by MackinVIA.

The user may be entering incorrect login credentials. If you manage Backpacks for your school or library, please log into your MackinVIA Administrator account and update the user’s user ID or password. If your school or library has Backpack Authentication, please contact Mackin’s Integrations team for assistance.

Please provide the following to our Integrations team when reporting a MackinVIA login error:

• Location
• User role
• Method of access – browser or app
• Browser and/or device information
• Optional: User ID
• Optional: Screenshot of error message

With Backpack Authentications, MackinVIA relies on how your user data is organized. Staff members may not be designated to a specific location, causing them to be directed into a default MackinVIA account. To change accounts, please have staff use the Change School feature in their Backpack profiles.

Yes – While logging into your Backpack with the approved authentication is preferred, you can still access your school or library’s guest account if needed. To log in as a guest:

1. Go to https://www.mackinvia.com/.
2. Leave the school field blank.
3. Enter the guest user ID and password for your school/library.

While we work with other vendors to authenticate migrated resources, it is not always possible to eliminate an additional login. In these situations, users will need to log into the vendor’s website after opening the resource from MackinVIA.