Global Grid for Learning

Benefits

• Secure SIS Data Roster Exchange: GG4L Connect is consent-based, requiring the school data administrator to be 100% in control of inviting or approving a vendor to access a subset or all of the school’s stored student information system (SIS) data.

• Privacy and Security: Privacy and security for staff, students, and guardians (and protecting the guardian-student relationship) are rooted in strong proof-of-identity, identity management, and user accountability technology practices.

• Governance: Provide oversight, accountability, and regulatory compliance for digital learning applications and data.

• IT Automation: Automated configuration, deployment, and lifecycle management of cloud applications increases security, allows applications to work faster, and reduces costs. Deploy in minutes instead of days or weeks.

• Application Usage Reporting: Gain insight into how, when, and from where students and staff are using applications and content. 

• Easy User Access: A personalized School Passport gives staff, students, and guardians quick and easy access to digital resources in one place with a single login.

• No Cost Membership: Schools and districts, anywhere in the world, are invited to join GG4L for free for life. GG4L does not charge schools and districts for core platform services.

• GG4L is a Public Benefit Corporation: GG4L is committed to doing good for the education community by providing safe, secure, and cost-effective access to digital learning.
  
  

Ecosystem Partners

GG4L works with several different partners to sync data and set up single sign-on capabilities.

SIS (Student Information Systems)

• Classlink. GG4L Connect is available in Classlink's list of integrated apps, so all you'll need to do is activate it!

• Clever.

  GG4L can consume CSV files in the Clever format. So if you're already integrated with Clever, you can reuse that integration. See 

  Clever's SFTP Instructions.

Check 

to see if your SIS is already integrated with GG4L.

SSO (Single Sign-On)

With GG4L, you can enable a button on Alexandria login windows that allows you and your patrons to sign in using GG4L credentials. These credentials can be from Active Directory, AD FS, G Suite, or LMS and SIS systems. See 

for a complete list.

Onboarding Process

Interested in getting the GG4L add-on? Here's what you'll need to do!

1. Consider your data and matching options.

If you have existing patron records in Alexandria, you will need to decide on a common identifier so the Alexandria and GG4L records can match. For this reason, information in the Barcode, Student # (Community ID), or Primary Email + Name fields in Alexandria must match a field in GG4L.

Here are some other things to keep in mind:

• GG4L fields will overwrite what's in Alexandria fields. Check out the field mapping table to see which patron information this applies to.

• If you want a GG4L field to be patrons' Barcode or Student # in Alexandria, you can use optional mappings to update those fields in Alexandria.

2. Register with Alexandria.

Contact our Sales Team at 1-800-347-6439 to add GG4L to your Alexandria license. Once everything is processed, you will receive a GG4L Onboarding email (like this) from COMPanion. It will contain a link to GG4L's Onboarding Form; please fill it out and submit it.

3. Register with GG4L.

After submitting the form, GG4L will send you an email within the next 24 hours about setting up a GG4L profile. They will assist you with importing patron data into GG4L, connecting to Alexandria through your GG4L profile, and learning how to manage your data. Once your data is verified, they will ask you to contact COMPanion Customer Support to enable GG4L in Alexandria.

5. Enable GG4L in Alexandria.

Customer Support will confirm that you are registered and have all the data needed to successfully sync before approving your activation request through GG4L. They will then guide you through the process of enabling GG4L and syncing your data.

6. Set up single sign-on (SSO).

If you would like the convenience of SSO, contact COMPanion Customer Support and they will help you enable it in Alexandria. This can be completed as they are first enabling GG4L for you (step 5) or afterwards. You'll then need to contact GG4L Support for help with enabling SSO in your GG4L profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who should I contact with questions about GG4L?

You can contact GG4L Support with questions about your GG4L profile at support@gg4l.com or onboarding@gg4l.com. Check your spam folder if you don't receive a response in a timely manner.

If you have questions about enabling GG4L in Alexandria, contact COMPanion Customer Support.

1. Add your client information.

Alexandria Customer Support will enter your Client ID and Client Secret Key for you. Click Save in the upper right corner.

2. Map your sites.

Click on Site Mapping. To match a site in Alexandria to one in GG4L, click on the site names and then the Match button. Once all sites are matched, click OK and then Save. This is required even if you are a single site.

3. Enable GG4L.

Click the Enable GG4L toggle. A warning dialog will pop up letting you know that Alexandria will disable SIF and Clever. If you have been using SIF or Clever with Alexandria, click Cancel and let Customer Support know. If not, click Begin.

4. Choose whether or not to allow patrons to log in with GG4L credentials.

When checked, an OR CONTINUE WITH GG4L button will display on each login window. Patrons and staff can then click on that button and use their GG4L credentials to log into Alexandria. See the SSO tab for more information.

5. Choose the types of users you want to automatically update.

Check the Students and/or Teachers checkboxes if you want those records to automatically update during Daily Operations.  

6. Modify field mapping.

Field mapping is automatically configured to match and overwrite fields in Alexandria with fields in GG4L. By default, Alexandria's Community ID, Barcode, and Location fields are not mapped with GG4L. If you use these fields to identify patrons between systems, click Modify field mapping to customize how they're mapped.

We will not attempt to match these unless you map them here. Take a look at these three fields in our field mapping table to see your options.

Click OK and then Save when you're done.

7. Sync your data.

Click Sync Now to initiate a full sync. A dialog box will pop up letting you know that the GG4L Sync Utility has been queued.

You can check Operations for details from the sync.

8. Fill out the Contact tab (optional).

If you would like to, click on the Contact tab and fill out all of GG4L's contact information. Be sure to click Save in the upper right-hand corner when you're done. This will make it easier for you and your staff to contact GG4L Customer Support if you experience problems or have questions in the future.

Field Mapping

Field mapping outlines how Alexandria matches and transfers information between softwares.

• During the first sync, GG4L data is paired with Alexandria patrons by matching one or more key identifiers, including GUID, Barcode, Government ID (SSN), Community ID (Student #), or Primary Email + Name. Blank fields are never used for matching. When matched, the GG4L GUID will be added to existing patrons. In future syncs, the GG4L GUID is how patrons will be identified and updated.

• We suggest sharing all requested data with Alexandria. However, if you choose to limit what is shared, know that the GUID, First Name, Last Name, Status, Role, and Primary School fields in GG4L are required.

• Information in GG4L fields will overwrite what's in Alexandria fields.

Here is a list of the corresponding fields in Alexandria and GG4L that are matched while syncing:

GG4L Single Sign-On

With the GG4L SIS Integration, you can enable a button on Alexandria login windows that allows you and your patrons to sign in using GG4L credentials (could be Active Directory, AD FS, G Suite, or LMS and SIS systems). 

Simply turn on Allow log-in with GG4L in GG4L Preferences, and the OR CONTINUE WITH GG4L button will appear on the regular login windows for both Librarian and Researcher. 

Clicking on that button will open the GG4L login window, where you and your patrons can enter your credentials and immediately log into Alexandria. Note that you do not need to enter a username and password before clicking on the OR CONTINUE WITH GG4L button.

^{GG4L Login}

GG4L School Passport

GG4L School Passport is a solution to ‘so many apps, so little time.’ With Passport, students can access all the apps you have set up for them with a single login.

First, log in to your GG4L admin account and make sure you have the School Passport application.

Then, find the Alexandria app in the School Passport Marketplace and add it for the appropriate groups (e.g. teachers and students).

You will need to configure the app with your school’s Alexandria url (example: mylibrary.goalexandria.com).

GG4L CampusKEY, powered by GG4L Passport, is an enterprise-grade, single sign-on (SSO) and identity management (IDM) platform that helps school districts securely and cost-effectively distribute third-party EdTech applications and content to students and staff.

Now, students can see their other applications when they sign in with GG4L in Researcher.

CampusKEY provides your students and staff quick, one-click access to all learning applications and resources right from within Alexandria. You’ll also receive hands-on access to all the metrics you need to see: who, when, and how your resources are being used.

CampusKEY requires separate registration.