By Rosario Garza

If your library uses the OCLC FirstSearch and Interlibrary Loan services, you can test drive the new OCLC ILL Direct Request service free during January-March 1999. OCLC ILL Direct Request allows your users to send unmediated ILL requests directly, from either your local system or from FirstSearch, to potential lenders and suppliers.

The OCLC ILL Direct Request service further automates your library's ILL borrowing process. If you have a local system with an ILL interface that adheres to the ISO 10160/10161 ILL protocols, your users can search your library's OPAC, web or local/remote databases for the information they need. Once they locate the needed item, your users can submit an ILL request through the FirstSearch/ILL link. The ILL Direct Request service can search WorldCat (OCLC's online union catalog), locate potential lenders through Custom Holdings paths and produce the OCLC ILL request. Requests that fail to be produced through this process will go automatically into the library's Review file for ILL staff to process.

To help promote the new ILL Direct Request service, OCLC is waiving charges for the unmediated ILL requests that come in through this service and go out to potential lenders without having to go to the library's Review file. If a request routed through the ILL Direct Request service ends up in the library's Review file, the normal transaction-based fees for ILL Produce will apply.

To use ILL Direct Request, you must have the FirstSearch/ILL link turned on in the FirstSearch Admin module. Libraries also must have web-accessed ILL profiles and Custom Holdings paths set up for the ILL Direct Request service to work. These profiles allow ILL staff to define what conditions must be met for a request to be sent through ILL Direct Request. The profiles contain the names of Custom Holdings paths and constant data records and serve as filters.

If you are interested in trying out ILL Direct Request, but have questions about the service, contact BCR's Bonnie Robinson at (303) 751-6277 or (800) 397-1552. She can discuss the service with you, help you set up the ILL profiles and assist you in choosing potential lenders to include in the Custom Holdings paths.