[Editor's note: This is a summary of the remarks made at the NLM Online Users' Meeting: DOCLINE Sunrise Seminar, at the Annual Meeting of the Medical Library Association in Orlando, Florida, on May 28, 2001.]

n May 6, 2001, NLM released DOCLINE version 1.2. It includes major enhancements to Loansome Doc, Status/Cancel, and Help. Details regarding version 1.2 may be found in DOCLINE Version 1.2 Release Information.

DOCLINE-L
At the end of June, 2001, NLM will convert DOCLINE-L to LISTSERV software that provides many advantages to our users. Users will be able to get a weekly digest and there will be a searchable archives. Additionally, users will be able to request NOMAIL. The service is a Web interface. [Editor's Note: The conversion happened on June 28, 2001. More information on DOCLINE-L is available at: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/docline/newdocline_l.html.]

Contact DOCLINE Feature
NLM encourages users to send your suggestions using the Contact DOCLINE feature. There you will find four separate forms to ask a question, report a problem, send comments, or suggest an enhancement. Additionally, there are resource links for FAQs, the online manual, and the tutorial. Also, there is a link to contact your Regional Medical Library (RML). The web page allows libraries to send email messages to their RML from within DOCLINE.

NLM prefers that you send your suggestions and questions through the Contact DOCLINE feature because it includes additional information about your library that assists us when responding to your message. However, you may also email your suggestion or question to us at custserv@nlm.nih.gov.

Customer Service
Beginning in June, phone calls for the DOCLINE Service Desk will be handled by NLM's customer service. The majority of DOCLINE questions are received through email. The few phone calls that we do receive at the DOCLINE Service Desk concern NLM's interlibrary service or are calls from Loansome Doc patrons. These calls can be handled more efficiently through NLM's customer service. When DOCLINE users call NLM's customer service with a technical question, an email message will be sent to the DOCLINE Team, or your call will be transferred to a DOCLINE Team member.

Statistical Reports
Completing the DOCLINE quarterly reports which include the Summary Borrower Statistics, the Summary Lender Statistics, the Detailed Borrower Statistics, the Detailed Lender Statistics, and the Loansome Doc Detailed Lender Statistics are a top priority for the DOCLINE Team in the coming weeks. These reports are now based on data from the new DOCLINE system, and all new programs must be developed to produce the reports. It has been a time- consuming and labor intensive effort to prepare specifications, write programs, and examine the output for accuracy. We know many libraries are anxious to receive this data, and we apologize for the delay. These programs create over 28,000 reports for 3,200 libraries.

NLM plans to release the October - December 2000 quarterly reports in late July. [Editor's Note: These reports were released on August 2, 2001.] The January - March 2001 quarterly reports will be available after the October - December 2000 quarterly reports, including the regional quarterly reports, have been released to the network. Further schedule information may be found in the DOCLINE - Quarterly Reports (Statistics) FAQ.

ILL Protocol
During the past year, NLM has focused on the technical details and requirements of the ILL protocol. Working primarily with three partners, RLG, Pigasus and Clio, we tested each feature with the same ILL protocol model being utilized by our testing partner. Each test cycle resulted in adjustments being made by NLM or in many cases required modifications by our testing partners. As a result of our experiences, NLM is now in a better position to identify our own requirements for communicating via the protocol. Those will be made available to testing partners who wish to use the protocol with DOCLINE.

Browser Support
On an on-going basis, NLM plans to have resources dedicated to reviewing new versions of Netscape and Internet Explorer as they are released so that they will be compatible with DOCLINE. NLM began working on Internet Explorer 5.5 compatibility in late January and discovered a Microsoft bug that we felt precluded us from officially supporting it. NLM has a technical support ticket open with Microsoft, but we have received no word of when this may be resolved. In the meantime, users may choose to upgrade to Internet Explorer 5.5, but risk encountering problems with DOCLINE that NLM cannot address.

The problem with printing an extra page with Receipts is due to a change in frame handling by Microsoft and will be accommodated by DOCLINE in an upcoming release.

Billing for Network
NLM is working with the University of Connecticut Health Center to evaluate a network billing system. The model will be the existing Electronic Funds Transfer System (EFTS) program offered in Region 8.

Resubmit Feature
The Resubmit feature is under development and will be available in the next DOCLINE release. It will allow users to resubmit retired unfilled requests. From the home page, users click on the message link to display retired unfilled messages. In Status/Cancel, an arrow identifies requests that may be resubmitted. Users may review and revise the routing instructions and delivery information prior to resubmitting the request. Additionally, users have the ability to display the receipt and review the history of the request.

SERHOLD
Several major initiatives are underway with SERHOLD. NLM is in the process of programming the batch update of SERHOLD from OCLC data. We are also working with OCLC on a pilot project to update OCLC holdings data with data from SERHOLD. If the pilot project is successful, and after all programming is completed, libraries that have holdings in both OCLC and SERHOLD would have the choice of updating their holdings in SERHOLD and sending data to OCLC, updating their holdings in OCLC and sending their holdings to SERHOLD, or updating holdings in both systems.

The final batch update program that NLM will be working on is the MARC 21 to SERHOLD batch update. Libraries that have their holdings data in MARC 21 format will be able to update their holdings in SERHOLD with that data. At this time, specifications have not been written for this program

Two additional SERHOLD projects involve the output of holdings data in MARC 21 format. When this is completed, libraries will be able to generate their own holdings in MARC 21 format as well as the Standard and Delimited formats. NLM will also produce the Union List products in MARC 21 format as well as the Standard and Delimited formats. Specifications are being developed for these programs.

In the fall, NLM will begin investigating the feasibility of providing holdings data from SERHOLD to PubMed for libraries that use PubMed's LinkOut feature

Americans' with Disability Act - Section 508
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998 establishes requirements for any electronic and information technology developed, maintained, procured, or used by the Federal government so that it may be accessible to people with disabilities, including employees and members of the public.

The enforcement and effective date is June 21, 2001. However, institutions need not retrofit current web pages, only new pages and any changes made to current pages must conform to 508 standards.

Janice McPeak, NLM Associate, did a survey of DOCLINE pages by examining the content layout and applying the priority applications to determine compliance. The screen reader JAWS was also utilized to establish baseline usability for visually impaired clients. The pages were also navigated by means other than a pointing device (mouse). DOCLINE had only minor infractions; recommendations will be made and incorporated into forthcoming versions of the database. More information on Section 508 can be found on the Federal IT Accessibility Initiative Web site.

[Editor's Note: See NLM Online Users' Meetings 2001: DOCLINE Questions and Answers. NLM Tech Bull. 2001 Jul-Aug;(321):e? for the text of the questions and answers.]

By Rosalyn M. Leiderman
Public Services Division

Leidermen RM. NLM Online Users' Meetings 2001: DOCLINE Remarks. NLM Tech Bull. 2001 Jul-Aug;(321):e9c.