ILL Direct Request
Training Guide
ILLINET/OCLC Staff
October 2008
Direct Request Profiles Overview
Direct Request automates your request process; it automatically sends patron-generated requests created in your system to WorldCat Resource Sharing for fulfillment.
What do I specify in my direct request profiles?
You create a direct request profile for every group of eligible requests, specifying:
· Which requests are eligible for direct request
· The custom holdings path for requests to selected lenders
· A constant data record to apply to borrowing library information
What are the criteria for creating direct request profiles?
Every library has different criteria for creating direct request profiles. You are likely to group eligible requests and create your profiles based on the criteria most important to you. For example, based on your lending policies, your most important criterion may be whether an item is a loan or a photocopy. You may consider the patron’s status to be the most important element and create profiles based on each patron status. Another perspective might be to focus on potential lenders, building profiles based on holdings paths.
What can the FirstSearch administrator do?
The Direct Request Profiles screen allows you to view, print, create, edit and delete direct request profiles.
More information
· OCLC ILL Direct Request Planning Guide
http://www.oclc.org/us/en/support/documentation/resourcesharing/direct/planguide/default.htm
· OCLC FirstSearch/ILL Direct Request Link Reference Card
http://www.oclc.org/us/en/support/documentation/firstsearch/managing/directill/directill.pdf
OVERVIEW
In order to use the ILL Direct Request service, the following components must be in Patron Interlibrary Loan, Constant Data, Custom Holdings and Direct Request Profile(s).
Set-up is done in the WorldCat Services Administrative Module at http://firstsearch.oclc.org/admin.
How ILL Direct Request Works
1) Library patron searches for item and requests it.
2) Local System or FirstSearch transfers data to ILL form and sends request to ILL Direct Request via ISO-compliant protocol.
3) ILL Direct Request sends message to patron acknowledging receipt of request.
4) ILL Direct Request searches WorldCat for matching record.
5) ILL Direct Request determines eligibility of request based on library-designed profile.
6) ILL Direct Request sends eligible requests to lender(s); borrowing library receives notification via Request Manager.
7) ILL Direct Request loads ineligible requests into Request Manager for further verification and processing by library staff.
SETTING UP ILL DIRECT REQUEST
Resource Sharing
Patron ILL Settings/ILL Processing
The ability for patrons to use FirstSearch as an interlibrary loan tool must first be turned on in the WorldCat Services Administrative Module. Click on the Resource Sharing tab. Choose “ILL Processing” under Patron ILL Settings on the left side of the screen. Make sure “On” is checked for ILL Access.
Next, decide which databases you will allow ILL Direct Request to be used, and mark them as ILL Direct Request under the ILL Settings for Databases section.
Note: make sure you click on Save Changes in order for new settings to be saved when making any edits in the WorldCat Services Administrative Module.
Patron ILL Settings/WorldCat ILL Access
You may determine which document types will be eligible for interlibrary loan.
Patron ILL Settings/Patron ILL Request Form
Fill out the customizable Patron ILL Request form to suit your needs. You may change the field label names, and decide which fields will be required to be filled out by the patron and which fields may be left out of the form. In addition, you may choose to display a field for patron use but not make the field a requirement. You may even display fields with data completed by the ILL staff, but not allow patrons to modify the information.
Required by library = all three boxes checked.
Not required but available for patron use = “display to patron” and “modifiable by patron” checked.
Field will not be displayed to patron – no boxes checked.
Field displayed to patron but not modifiable = “display to patron” checked.
Staff ILL Settings/Constant Data
Constant Data allows you to enter library information into every ILL request you produce and into every ILL “Yes”, “Conditional” and “FutureDate” reply you send to borrowing libraries. This increases your efficiency (staff doesn’t spend time typing the same information over for every ILL request!) and effectiveness (correct information every time!). The Constant Data record may be edited at any time, even in the ILL work form (request) itself.
You may create more than one Constant Data record. Or, you can just create one record and edit the information as needed in the ILL work form. Many libraries have at least two Constant Data records: one for loans and one for copies. Since you don’t want a copy returned, the due date would be N/A, while for loans, a due date is present. It’s easier to remember to change the Constant Data record than it is to remember to change the due date.
There are two parts to Constant Data: Borrowing Information and Lending Information. We will start with borrowing information.
Boldface fields listed on the following page should be filled out in every ILL workform before a successful request is produced.
Borrowing Information
CD Name: create unique names for your Constant Data records or if you create just one record, use the system-supplied name of “Default”. You may also create Constant Data records for individual patrons that are frequent borrowers.
Need Before: this is the date by which you want the material. Type the date in this manner: +30. The system will automatically input the correct date 30 days from the day you produce the request.
ISSN and ISBN: you may indicate the type of request. If the type (loans/copies) changes for each request, consider selecting the type in the request itself instead of in Constant Data.
Edition: this field isn’t always needed and may be edited in the ILL Work form. If you feel that staff at a potential lending library may not be looking at your borrowing notes and affiliations, consider using this field to remind them; example: PLEASE SEE BORROWING NOTES AND AFFILIATIONS. Many libraries use fields for different purposes. In this case, the edition field is at the top of the ILL request and a note in uppercase letters will draw their attention immediately.
Ship To: type your mailing address here.
Bill To: “same” is automatically supplied in the text box by OCLC, since most libraries accepting interlibrary loan charges want the invoice to be mailed to the same address as what’s in the “Ship To” field. You may indicate a different address if needed.
Ship Via: list how you want an item mailed to you. Library rate is automatically supplied in the text box by OCLC. Examples of additional choices can be your ILDS route number or 1st Class. Make sure you don’t list only the ILDS route number; out-of-state libraries won’t know what that means! The text box accepts several characters, so you can enter more than one shipping choice for lenders to use.
ILL Fee Management (IFM): let other libraries know that you prefer to pay any ILL charges through IFM. Using IFM allows you to pay borrowing charges via your ILLINET/OCLC invoice, which means you’re writing one check per month for all charges instead of many checks for small charges (its not uncommon for the cost of a check to be $30 or higher).
Maximum Cost: the maximum cost you or your patron will pay for an item. This field isn’t always needed and may be edited in the ILL work form. Check the potential lending libraries’ ILL policies in the Policies Directory for possible charges.
Copyright Compliance: many libraries check for copyright compliance before lending an item. Choose either copyright law or CONTU guidelines (for photocopy requests).
Fax and Email: your fax and e-mail address.
Billing Notes: any billing note you wish to include in every request.
Borrowing Notes: any borrowing note you wish to include in every request.
Affiliation: it’s a good idea to list any affiliations or reciprocal borrowing programs you belong to; for example, LVIS (Libraries Very Interested in Sharing) or ILLINET (Illinois Library Information Network).
Patron Information
You may create a Constant Data record for particular patrons. Patron information is tied to the borrower’s part of Constant Data. The patron name field will display to the lending library. The remainder is confidential and does not display to the lending library.
Department and Status: good fields to fill out if you wish to keep data in that manner or wish to further identify the type of patron.
Notes: anything you feel is needed, such as “Mr. Doe likes to be notified by email when his materials are available”.
Lending Information
Due Date: when you as the lender want the material back. If you normally lend for 30 days, then type the Due Date as +30. The system will automatically input the correct date 30 days from the date you reply “YES” to a request. To respond to a serial request, make sure the Due Date is N/A.
ILL Fee Management (IFM): indicates that you agree to invoice the borrowing library for charges via IFM. IFM allows you to receive a credit equal to the amount of your ILL charge to the borrowing library that may be applied toward your invoice for OCLC services. When responding to a request, always check to see if the borrowing library wants to use the IFM service; this will be noted in the MaxCost field.
Lending Charges: this field isn’t always needed and may be edited in the ILL work form.
Shipped: -0 is supplied by OCLC. You may indicate a different number, as in –02, which would indicate you’re shipping in two days. However, it’s best to ship out ASAP!
Ship Insurance: this field isn’t always needed and may be edited in the ILL work form.
Lending Notes: any note you want to send to the borrowing library regarding the lending of an item. This field is usually filled out only when sending a conditional note to the borrowing library and doesn’t need to be present in most ILL requests.
Lending Restrictions: any restriction to the item. Example: delicate condition; use only under supervision. Lending restrictions may also be included in Lending Notes when you’re sending the borrowing library a conditional response.
Return to: your mailing address.
Return Via: how you want the item returned to you (library rate, ILDS, 1st class, etc.).
Staff ILL Settings/Custom Holdings
The WorldCat database can easily give you information about which libraries own the titles you want, which is critical for interlibrary loan. Custom Holdings allows you to specify preferred lenders in advance—which saves time, increases efficiency and reduces data entry errors.
Custom Holdings has two parts: groups and paths. Create your groups first, and then your paths. When you create your groups, think of them as types of libraries (LVIS, AV, reciprocal, etc.). The screen shot above is an example of a Custom Holdings group. You may create as many Custom Holdings groups as you need. Libraries may appear in more than one group. Group names are limited in the number of characters allowed so if you abbreviate, make sure you describe your group.
Click on Look Up Symbols and then click on Advanced Search in the Policies Directory to help you create groups. Note the Quick Tip box on the right side of the screen for help with copying and pasting symbols into your Custom Holdings work form. If you’re manually entering symbols, add them by typing them in the box next to “Symbols to be added or removed” in this manner: aau aac ade, etc. You don’t have to enter the symbols alphabetically. Click on Add Symbols. Your symbols will be added in alphabetical order for easy viewing and editing. The red question mark (?) next to each symbol allows you to access their interlibrary loan policies. If you take your mouse and hover over the symbol, the name of the library will appear.
To delete a symbol click on it once. The symbol will appear in the text box and then you may click on Remove Symbols. Click on New Blank Record to create additional groups. Click on Delete Record to delete a group.
After you have created your groups, create your paths. Paths tie the groups to your request. Think of your paths as types of material. You may create more than one path and groups may appear in more than one path.
There are a limited number of character spaces available when naming a path. If you abbreviate, describe your path.
Your groups will be listed on the left. Click on a group and then click on Add to add the group to your path. Choose all groups that apply to this path; use the Up and Down arrows to arrange the groups in the order you want WorldCat to search. WorldCat searches each group until it finds up to 5 symbols and will display a suggested lender string, with all libraries in each group that own the item also being displayed. Symbols are chosen randomly so that the first symbol listed isn’t always chosen first.
You can override the suggested lender string if you wish. If none of your groups own the item, you’ll be notified and you can then perform a search without using Custom Holdings.
Click on New Blank Record to create another path. Click on Delete Record to delete the whole record.
Staff ILL Settings/ILL Direct Request Profile
The final step is to create a Direct Request Profile. You may create as many profiles as needed; for example, you may have one for faculty and staff and another for students.
Fields in the ILL Direct Request Profile must match the fields in your patron’s interlibrary loan request. For this reason, it’s best to print a copy of your Patron ILL Request form so that you’ll remember what fields need to be filled out. For example, if you require your patrons to indicate patron status, then the patron status field must appear exactly the same way in the ILL Direct Request profile. For example, grad isn’t the same as graduate, and faculty isn’t the same as staff.