MLA 1998. NLM Technical Bulletin. May-Jun 1998

Question: We've been putting our serials information into OCLC and then it goes into SERHOLD. I've been told that we're going to have to select or go through a regional library to input our information that will be drawn off of OCLC into the SERHOLD database. Is this just a temporary measure until we're putting our SERHOLD information online? I am confused about this.

Answer: The majority of SERHOLD participants who submit their holdings via OCLC are in Region 3. Region 3 will probably load OCLC holdings at the end of this year. Because holdings are updated on an annual basis in batch mode, some holdings soon become out of date. Many regions have been encouraging libraries to update their holdings online. With the current Online SERHOLD system, there are only a few libraries that can update holdings. For example, there are four online SERHOLD codes for Ohio right now. With the new SERHOLD system, which is tentatively scheduled for implementation Summer, 1999 [corrected 1998/07/14], NLM plans that each library who wants to update their holdings will have the rights to do so. It is up to both the RML and the SERHOLD participants to decide if they want to use the current online codes and have a "regional library" update their holdings or wait until the new SERHOLD system is available and update their holdings themselves.

Question: A similar question for Region 1 libraries who are now reporting their holdings through UCMP online. Will we no longer have to do that if we can do our SERHOLD holdings online directly?

Answer: We are encouraging every region to allow libraries to update their own holdings. We are currently having discussions with the Region 1 and Region 8 RMLs. Our goal is give every library the opportunity to update their own holdings.

Question: With the new SERHOLD will libraries be able to download their own holdings and in what formats?

Answer: At the SERHOLD coordinators meeting yesterday the ability to download holdings on demand was requested. With the new system, we had planned for libraries to be able to ftp their holdings. However, these holdings would only be refreshed once a year. The two proposed formats are USMARC and ASCII (similar to the holdings format that we currently provide). NLM will consider the request to download holdings on demand and, after discussing this proposal with our programmers, we will make a decision.

Question: Will the FTS2000 number be available until the new DOCLINE comes out?

Answer: Yes.

Question: I noticed that during the presentation that a Loansome Doc user must indicate that they accept the copyright restrictions which apply for delivery of articles from the National Library of Medicine or for any of the other supplying libraries in the United States. Canadian copyright law is extremely different that U.S. copyright law and if we're implementing Loansome Doc in Canada there is going to be a need for Canadian users to be able to read and accept a relevant posting rather than a U.S. one for Canadian libraries supplying the same document. Is there a possibility of having Canadian or users outside the United States see a relevant copyright notice and accept it before ordering documents?

Answer: NLM staff will need to discuss your suggestion with CISTI, The Canadian MEDLARS Centre.

Question: In your redesign of DOCLINE have you given any consideration to adding a cell beyond the National Library of Medicine. Specifically, so that libraries can start using commercial document suppliers to fill requests that cannot to be filled through the academic and hospital system that precedes them. The advantage to having them beyond NLM is because they are more expensive suppliers, but we'd be able to use them as a last resort using our common processing stream.

Answer: We are aware that our DOCLINE users are interested in having commercial suppliers available through DOCLINE. This is currently being discussed at NLM. We appreciate your comment and we will consider your suggestion.

Question: Is it correct that the new DOCLINE system will only be accessible through the Web and that there will be no more dial in access?

Answer: That is correct.

Question: Will there be the capability with the new system to print out the incoming request immediately or will I have to download or capture it?

Answer: NLM is discussing this. We have not decided on specific options.

Question: Particularly in smaller libraries that have either one person or a part-time person it is very difficult. We need to be able to print the requests and get them done because we have so many people waiting for our services we can't spend a lot of time on DOCLINE. I was curious about what you said about the problems with telnet. Do you mean that telnet will no longer be used?

Answer: That's correct. We are designing a new system that will not require telnet capability. The DOCLINE system is our legacy system and the telnet capability was the only resource that NLM could implement for Internet access.

Question: Will we still be able to use Quick Doc?

Answer: Yes. NLM has been working with Jay Daly. We have been explaining to him our plans for the redesign of DOCLINE.

Question: With the new format are you going to provide a field for comments for the libraries? I find that I am using the same line I use for the comments for another library for our own comments. For example, the way the patron wants to have his document delivered. Are you planning to add a line for use inside the library?

Answer: Right now we are not considering a comment field for libraries.

Question: My question is about the availability of the video we just saw. I know my ILL staff would really like to see that.

Answer: NLM will make copies of the video and send them to the RMLs. Contact your RML if you would like to borrow it.

Question: On the Loansome Doc registration form it indicates that the user must have a LIBID when they register. We don't give out our LIBID number until we have a User ID. I would like for the form to tell the user to contact the Regional Library for numbers before they fill out the registration. Because what they are doing is filling out the registration not having a LIBID number getting off the system, calling us, then we have to set up the contract with them, then they have to get back on the system again and fill in their LIBID number. It really impacts on the Loansome Doc person because it involves two telephone calls to us to complete their registration. Is there anything you can do about that?

Answer: NLM has worked with the RMLs to establish a registration information page that must be read by the Loansome Doc user prior to completing the registration page. The registration page indicates that the user should contact his library prior to using the Loansome Doc service. There should only be one phone call if the directions are followed.

Question: I imagine that everything that you are doing is going to be year 2000 compliant.

Answer: Yes.

Question: Can you please make this fact evident in some kind of documentation for us to use with our information technology people? Hospitals are getting extremely paranoid about this especially on the networks that are in our hospitals which have some firewall sensitivities which in my case are limiting my Internet access. I think some documentation would really help us to communicate to our information tech people that it is year 2000 compliant and also information like what versions of Netscape or explorer we should use to access the improved DOCLINE.

Answer: Your suggestion is very good. We will be working closely with the regional DOCLINE coordinators. They will have information that they will be able to include in their regional newsletters and perhaps on their listservs.

Comment: We just need some communication tools to help us in our settings.

Question: Are there plans for allowing international libraries, other than Canada, to enter their holdings into SERHOLD and eventually get into DOCLINE?

Answer: Yes, there are plans to allow international libraries access to DOCLINE. Right now we have several international medical libraries that are on DOCLINE, specifically our MEDLARS Centers. We are trying to gather information on other international medical libraries that should be on DOCLINE. NLM is discussing the possibility of collecting holdings data from international libraries. However, if we decide to do so, the data will not be collected until after the new system is implemented.

Question: We are getting many requests for Loansome Doc service from people who are insisting that documents are free. So, when you are reviewing the Loansome Doc pages maybe there is a way to make that clearer to people that various libraries have different policies. When they call, they are very insistent that it is a free service and at most of our institutions it is not, especially for people outside who are not affiliated with the institution.

Answer: The Loansome Doc registration information page has gone through several revisions recently. Initially we bolded a lot of information. We received comments there was a little too much bolding. So we revised it again. NLM staff will discuss your suggestion.

Question: Does it say that PubMed is free and Loansome Doc is not?

Answer: There is a statement in there that says "There may be a separate charge incurred for each article you request."

Comment: You may want to redesign it so that there are check boxes next to these very important things that they must check that they've read that particular line before they submit.

Question: One of our network members yesterday asked me about electronic full text and I could see that in the future this could be totally automated if the library has access to electronic full text at the back end. I wondered if you had any comments about that?

Answer: This is currently being discussed at NLM.

Question: I have a question about an electronic fund transfer option similar to the OCLC? Another question regarding statistics that many of us recalculate in our institutions and while we are reinventing this can we pay some attention to that so that they will be useful to us at the other end as well. For example, collection development, copyright, etc.?

Answer: We discussed the electronic fund transfer payment system with Regions 1 and 8. NLM has agreed to print information on the DOCLINE receipt to alert potential lenders that the borrower is a participant in an electronic payment system.

Regarding the statistics, NLM is discussing how the data will be provided.

Question: Is there a way or will there be a way to delete users while in the administrative section of Loansome Doc? Some of my patrons forgot their password or they have registered 3, 4, or 5 times with new passwords. We'd like to clean up our records and also clean out records for people who have left our institution or that we no longer have an agreement to serve.

Answer: There is no way for you to delete Loansome Doc patrons. We appreciate your comment and NLM staff will discuss this issue.

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