INFORMATION STORED ON YOUR J-CARD:

• Name
  
• Classification (student, faculty, or staff)
  
• Birth date (applies to students in the full-time programs, only)
  
• library bar code number
  
• ISO number (a unique, randomly-generated 16-digit number assigned to each cardholder). The ISO number is the only thing encoded on the magnetic stripe on the back of the card. Please note: for your protection, your social security number is not printed or encoded on the card at all. There is no information encoded on the card other than your ISO number.

How it works

When the card is swiped through a J-CARD reader, the ISO number on the back of the card is "read" by the reader. This information is transmitted via the campus network to the main J-CARD computer. In less than one second, the cardholder's record in the cardholder database is accessed for privilege and account information necessary to activate the reader function that the cardholder is attempting to access.

Example #1: Jay Hopkins, a sophomore, wants to use his card to make some copies at the MSE Library. He goes to a copy machine with a J-CARD reader and swipes his card. The ISO number encoded on his card is "read" by the reader and the J-CARD database is accessed. Jay's copy account is checked and it's determined that indeed, he has a balance and the transaction is authorized. This information is then transmitted back to the copy reader and Jay's available balance is shown in little neon numbers on the copy reader display. This entire process takes place in a split second!

Example #2: Homewood Academic Computing reserves the Krieger computer lab for registered students only. Janeen Hopkins is a former part-time student who took a class last year, but hasn't registered for anything since. One day she's on campus and decides to use the computer lab--she still has her old J-CARD, after all. But when she swipes her J-CARD at the lab entrance security reader, her ISO number is "read" and her record in the J-CARD database is accessed. It's determined that her card has been deactivated because she is not a registered student. This information is then transmitted back to the security reader and the turnstile remains locked, denying Janeen access.