The new report contains sections for each fixed-fee product code (e.g., FIX1002, FIX1007, FIX1010 and FIX4500). Monthly activity for each nonbilled product code is reported in each section for the current year, as well as for a history year. If a library participated in fixed-fee pricing this past year, the history year will show activity for all 12 months of FY 1997-98, plus activity for July 1998. The history YTD-Total column is for the entire year rather than just through the current month. This is different from the quarterly MUTRS reports.

If this is the first year a library has subscribed to fixed-fee pricing, the only activity reflected on the first month's report will be for July 1998. The exception: any nonbilled activity for fixed-fee covered product codes will be reflected on the report even if a library was not a fixed-fee subscriber last year. Additionally, if there has been no activity in the two-year period covered, the product code will not be shown on the report.

If you have any questions about these monthly reports, contact BCR's Rosario Garza.

OCLC ILL ME for Windows Updating Errors

• Errors can be caused by ILL Micro Enhancer software sending information faster than the local Internet connection can handle it.

  ILL Micro Enhancer communicates faster than the Internet connection can transmit. This situation is characterized by records seemingly being updated normally (nothing in the error log), while the library later discovers the records did not update at all. The ILL Micro Enhancer is transmitting messages faster than the library's Internet line can handle them, so OCLC is receiving incomplete messages and cannot update the records. Conversely, the error messages from OCLC are not getting back to the ILL Micro Enhancer to alert it to a problem. Some items update, others don't, but since the ILL Micro Enhancer didn't get error messages, it reports that the updates were completed.

  The solution to this situation is for libraries to take advantage of ILL Micro Enhancer's scheduling feature and schedule batch updates for nonpeak times.

• A second potential cause is the User Interface command has been corrupted.

  This is characterized by multiple update errors recorded in the error log, but when the records are checked online, most show that they updated normally. When the OCLC access method is slow, many users click the Stop button to interrupt the log-on process and try again. With the next successful connection, the User Interface command can be corrupted and all the ILL Micro Enhancer update messages are sent through a different interface than the one for which the ILL Micro Enhancer is programmed. The ILL Micro Enhancer will receive confirmation messages from the inappropriate interface and interpret that they are error messages. When this happens, most updates will be correct. Any updates with editing like Yes(Loans) or Yes(Copies) or Conditionals won't update correctly because the editing format used by ILL Micro Enhancer is unique. To correct a library's records, update manually through Passport or re-enter the numbers in ILL Micro Enhancer and update again.

• Allow the logon macro to timeout before trying again. The user can speed this up by editing the logon macro to shorten the wait for the timeout. Edit the line CS.Receive 180, "SID:" to read CS.Receive 60, "SID:" Three minutes is a long time to wait.

• Perform updates during nonpeak hours.

An ILL-L subscriber recently reported on the presence of leftover records: A third complication is that libraries have remainder records in their logs after every update that do not reflect the batch just updated. It is similar to having leftover dummy transactions that were counted in the log but were not actually entered by any staff people and apparently are not actually acted upon by the Micro Enhancer. OCLC is currently unaware of how to eliminate these remainder records.

OCLC staff calls them "ghost records." Again, they are caused by some sort of interruption/corruption of the library's connection to OCLC during the update process. OCLC does not yet have a feel for whether the records actually are updated when they become ghosts. To eliminate them, make sure everything has been updated and then go into the directory and delete all the files that begin with N_.

As OCLC develops the next version of ILL Micro Enhancer for Windows, staff will try to Internet proof the communication between ILL Micro Enhancer and OCLC to eliminate these situations.

Dewey Cutter Macro Now Available

When invoked, the macro provides the appropriate cutter number in 092 $b field of the bibliographic record. The default cutter is based on the main entry in the record. However, users can choose to cutter on other text in the record by highlighting the desired text and invoking the macro. The macro will then provide the cutter number based on the highlighted text, replacing any information that may already be present. The reformat command is also issued by the macro, and that will insert the 082 $a field information (if present) into the 092 $a field, providing a complete Dewey call number.

The macro is available for downloading from OCLC's web site. You will need a valid OCLC authorization number and password. To download the macro, go to top1-6.prod.oclc.org/psw/, choose either Macros or Software and Documentation. The macro requires 1MB of available space on the computer hard drive. The installation procedure provides both the Cutter Four Figure Table and the Cutter-Sanborn Four-Figure Table. A readme file is also included.

New Workstation Offered

Upgrades available include a 17-inch monitor ($347), 6.4GB hard drive ($147) and Windows NT 4.0 ($105). Users can also purchase additional memory, 32MB ($111) or 64MB ($303) non-ECC DIMM. For users requiring a coaxial Ethernet connection, a 3COM Ethernet adapter is available ($147).

For a complete description of the workstation including technical specifications, check the following web site: www.oclc.org/oclc/wksta/m6350_indepth.htm or contact Regan Harper at BCR.