[Editor's note: This is a transcription of the questions and answers from the NLM Online Users' Meeting: DOCLINE Sunrise Seminar, at the Annual Meeting of the Medical Library Association in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, May 9, 2000. The NLM Online Users' Meetings 2000: DOCLINE - Summary of Remarks was published in the May-June 2000 issue of the NLM Technical Bulletin.]

uestion:
Some Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) are DOCLINE users but they don't have reported holdings. How is that going to affect them with the new DOCLINE?

Answer:
There will not be any change for the AHEC libraries. They will not receive requests from other libraries because they do not have holdings entered in SERHOLD. Prior to joining DOCLINE, the AHEC users worked with the Regional DOCLINE Coordinator to establish their routing table based on agreements with network members who were willing to serve them.

Question:
So AHEC libraries can still participate in DOCLINE?

Answer:
Yes.

Question:
What are your plans for integrating DOCLINE services with e-commerce? What implementation plans do you have that will allow Loansome Doc users to pay for ordered documents using a credit card without being registered in advance?

Answer:
There are no immediate plans to allow Loansome Doc users to store a credit card number as part of their registration information because NLM would then be responsible for securing credit card information. All Loansome Doc users must identify a library that is willing to serve them prior to ordering documents. Loansome Doc users may explore payment options with their ordering library.

Question:
I would like to hear that there is some willingness to take into consideration that many of us are not Loansome Doc providers at this time because of the hassles involved in the accounting and registration of remote patrons with whom we don't have a relationship. I think this is a step that would make it more attractive for some of us to become Loansome Doc providers.

Answer:
We appreciate your comments. We will consider them as we continue to develop Loansome Doc.

Question:
Please clarify for the users who are borrowers only - do they still need to go in and update their DOCUSER record?

Answer:
Yes, they still need to update their DOCUSER record.

Question:
Is that the only step a borrow-only library needs to take?

Answer:
It is the responsibility of each DOCLINE library to keep its institution DOCUSER record up-to-date. All DOCLINE libraries should access their DOCUSER record and update new fields or correct out-of-date information. Even if you think your record is current, please review it carefully. Look at all the drop-down menus under all five tabs. For example, there are 6 separate contact name categories under the Contacts tab. If yours is a one-person library, it is still best to put the same name and contact phone in every category. It should not take longer than 30 minutes to review and update a record completely.

Your DOCUSER record will serve as the authority for many library services including interlibrary loan, availability of public services to internal and external users, and the identification of consumer health collections in network libraries. NLM will be using the information from the Consumer Health Services page to create a library referral section for MEDLINEplus. It is also important that you make changes throughout the year whenever a piece of information changes (telephone numbers, contact names, Ariel address, new Consumer Health web site, etc.).

Question:
Because Loansome Doc users are able to put in multiple LIBIDs, does that mean requesters have signed contracts with multiple providers?

Answer:
Yes, Loansome Doc users obtain the ordering library's LIBID only after the library has agreed to provide services to them.

Question:
With all the directories available, anybody can look up my LIBID and find what it is and just input it. I have had that happen.

Answer:
NLM is aware of the implications of a LIBID being available to a member of the general public who may use Loansome Doc. The public DOCUSER file will not display an institution's LIBID. Also, listings produced by the RMLs for general distribution to the public will not include the institution's LIBID.

In the new Loansome Doc patron adminstration file, Loansome Doc providers may obtain a list of patrons who have registered with their institution. If they begin receiving requests from Loansome Doc users who are not authorized to send requests to the library, then the Loansome Doc patron administration record should be updated as "Not Authorized." This will prevent new requests from routing to the institution. When the unregistered Loansome Doc users try to send an order, the system will display a message indicating that they are not authorized to use the library.

Question:
What kind of statistics will be available from the system on a monthly basis? How many ordered? How many borrowed? From whom you borrowed and who borrowed from you?

Answer:
For the first version of new DOCLINE, NLM will provide the same quarterly DOCLINE statistical reports that you currently receive. At this time, we do not have specific plans to provide monthly reports. The first set of reports, July - September 2000, will be available online around November 2000.

Question:
Are there plans to have different user IDs or accounts so that individuals who may be in the interlibrary loan department don't have access to update your library holdings?

Answer:
Yes, contact your regional DOCLINE Coordinator. They will establish separate accounts.

NLM Online Users'; Meetings 2000: DOCLINE Questions and Answers. NLM Tech Bull. 2000 Sep-Oct;(316):e5.