OCLC Update (June 2000 Action for Libraries newsletter) By Rosario Garza OCLC Sponsors Global Resource Sharing Group OCLC has formed the Global Sharing GAC to foster international resource sharing initiatives. More than 6,700 libraries in 28 countries use the resources of the OCLC WorldCat database and the largest online ILL system. Identifying libraries that are willing to lend internationally has been difficult. The Global Sharing GAC will make this identification easier and will formalize rules for OCLC ILL borrowing beyond state and national boundaries. To join the Global Sharing GAC, OCLC requires that libraries: Use ILL Fee Management as their only payment method. Return material via airmail or courier. Use fax or Ariel for nonreturnable material. Lend to all participants within the GAC. Profiling costs for libraries to join the global GAC will be waived. Libraries must update their ILL Policies within the Name Address Directory to provide the policies for lending internationally and to include their Ariel IP address or fax number in the communications field. The group's member libraries can issue a DHGS#P at the bibliographic record to view all holdings of libraries in the GAC. They may search the electronic Participating Institutions Lists to identify other members of the GAC to include in their Custom Holdings paths. OCLC is developing a Web-based agreement form that a participating library must complete, sign and forward to OCLC. OCLC will contact libraries that lend internationally inviting them to join the global GAC. OCLC realizes that many libraries outside North America do not have their complete holdings represented in WorldCat. However, by identifying libraries throughout the OCLC membership that are willing and able to conduct trans-border ILL, BCR and OCLC hope to foster the global spread of resource sharing initiatives. This GAC will provide a firm set of guidelines for participating libraries and make it easier for members to quickly identify international lending partners. Reasons for No The Reasons for No feature is described in Technical Bulletin 233 (TB233) at www.oclc.org/oclc/tb/tb233/frames_man.htm. TB233 also mentions the no-charge borrowing and lending reports OCLC offers. Just follow the instructions and sign up using your NAD organization record. The reports help lenders evaluate fill rates and borrowers to refine Custom Holdings groups. TB233 also has a link to a .pdf version of the Reasons for No bookmark that lists the reason codes and text in a format that can be kept near your workstation. The Reasons for No are ISOILL 10160/10161 standard reasons. OCLC didn't create these, but implemented that part of the standard within the OCLC system. The code numbers and ISOILL text are from the standard, allowing the reasons to move into and out of other standards' complaint systems and retain their value. In its system, OCLC has provided the optional input text abbreviations listed in TB233. To use the Reasons for No feature in the ILL Micro Enhancer, go to Tools/Options/General and select the check boxes that allow you to update with reasons and automatically download transaction history. BCR and OCLC are asking lenders to stop using the Conditional response to indicate an item is in use, lost, not owned, non-circ, lacking, etc. (reasons 1-12). With Reasons for No a lender can indicate the same circumstances without slowing the request. If none of the reasons come close to your situation, please use "Other." The point isn't complete disclosure, but to allow the request to move through the lender string and be filled as quickly as possible. Please use Conditional to indicate to the borrower those conditions that need to be met to allow the loan, such as "Require use of IFM" or "We charge $nn, please increase MaxCost" or "Bad citation." TB233 lists OCLC's preferences for when to use the Conditional response instead of Reasons for No. ILL Micro Enhancer 2 provides a Conditional Notes Manager that allows users to create and save up to 24 Conditional Lending Notes. Adding to Reasons for No Reports OCLC member libraries are starting to use the capabilities of Reasons for No and the free reports to evaluate lending fill rates and reasons for these rates. Lenders are identifying the items for which they respond "not owned," "lost" or "lacking" to correct holdings and union list data in OCLC's WorldCat, as well as their local catalogs. To assist in cleaning up the database, users have asked OCLC to add the OCLC bibliographic record number to the Reasons for No report data for both lending and borrowing. This change was implemented with the April 2000 report, which was available in early May. For more information about the Reasons for No enhancement and associated reports, see Technical Bulletin 233 at www.oclc.org/oclc/tb/tb233/frames_man.htm. BCR and OCLC appreciate the valuable suggestions from our member libraries. Thank you for your contributions to the service. MARC Bibliographic Update Status OCLC has installed several updates outlined in Technical Bulletin 236 (TB236). They are: Most MARC format changes specified in Technical Bulletin 236. Additions and changes to the OCLC-MARC Code Lists, including several changes to language codes. Workform/bibliographic record display and 006 prompt changes in the OCLC Cataloging service, including the addition of an 007 prompt in the Computer File format workform and a change in the default in Srce from fill to d in all workforms. Scans to delete obsolete codes for AccM (VIS) and Prme, and to delete fields 890, 901 and 911. In addition, AccM (VIS) and Prme were removed as labels in the record displays and 006 prompts, with blanks output for the obsolete positions. Implementation of Encoding Level 3 (Abbreviated level) to support special projects. Implementation of Encoding Level 4 to complete support of the Core-level standard. Complete information can be found in TB236 on OCLC's Web site at www.oclc.org/oclc/tb/tb236/index.htm.