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OCLC Again Offers ILL Users
Consolidated Pricing Option

By Ann Morrow Schwab
Once again, OCLC ILL users have the option to choose consolidated pricing for the 2001-2002 fiscal year. Traditional transaction-based pricing also continues to be available.

Consolidated pricing gives libraries a single price that includes the following 12 existing product codes:

     ILL 4501 ILL Produce
     ILL 4502 ILL Produce from Review Record
     ILL 4504 ILL Direct Produce
     ILL 4505 ILL Direct Profiled Produce
     ILL 4506 ILL Direct Search and DH
     ILL 4511 ILL Referral
     OTC 4561 ILL Lending Credit
     SBL 0431 ILL Searching (Derived/Numeric)
     SER 0314 ILL Keyword Searching
     SCN 0315 ILL Scan Title Search
     IDH 3581 ILL Display Holdings
     IDH 3611 ILL Union List Display
     IFM 4572 IFM Administration Fee
 

With consolidated pricing, library staff members do not have to worry about what kind of search to perform. Libraries are allowed four searches for every ILL request (OCLC produce) performed.

The four-searches-to-one-produce average is not calculated on a per transaction basis, but rather aggregated and averaged on a yearly basis. This 4:1 ratio will not be a problem for most libraries, as the current average for all libraries is 2.6 searches for every ILL produce. Searches above the 4:1 ratio are billed on a per-search basis. The current charge for these additional searches is $0.75 per search.

Lending credits will be issued as a separate product code (OTC 4561). Libraries that participate in consolidated pricing receive a $0.02 greater lending credit than libraries using traditional transaction-based pricing.

In June, BCR mailed all OCLC ILL users a cost comparison between traditional transaction-based pricing and consolidated pricing. To see if your library would benefit from consolidated pricing, you may also visit BCR's Consolidated Pricing V.S. Transaction Based Pricing Web site at www.bcr.org/~bss/quoteform-ill.html. This site, created by Regan Harper, includes an interactive worksheet designed to determine if consolidated pricing will save your library money over traditional transaction-based pricing.

Libraries can enroll in consolidated pricing at any time during the fiscal year. Once enrolled, however, a library is committed until the end of the 2001-2002 fiscal year (June 30, 2002). The order form is available on OCLC's Web site at www3.oclc.org/app/illconsolidated/.

All libraries currently enrolled in consolidated pricing will remain so unless they cancel their orders by July 15. To cancel a consolidated pricing order, go to www3.oclc.org/app/illconsolidated/ and note in the comments box you would like to cancel your order.

For more information on ILL consolidated pricing, contact BCR's Ann Schwab at aschwab@bcr.org.

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February 27, 2008
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