BCR Logo Home Services Events Resources About BCR Search Site Map BCR Online
A c t i o n    f o r    L i b r a r i e s    —    F e b r u a r y    2 0 0 2

OCLC TIS Provides Complete Picture
of Libraries' Telecommunications Usage

By Regan W. Harper

Do you ever need immediate access to your library's OCLC telecommunications usage information? OCLC offers an online facility that allows you to obtain this information when you need it.

The OCLC Telecommunications Information System (TIS) provides BCR and OCLC member institutions with Web-based access to information about telecommunications usage for management and planning needs.

OCLC member institutions can request four reports:

  • Last 12-month Telecommunications Report - by Institution: The report contains the last 12 months of telecommunications usage, reporting the institution(s) connected, total monthly number of sessions, hours and bytes that are transmitted for each access method.


  • Last Three-month Telecommunications Report - by Authorization: The last three months of telecommunications usage is provided, reporting authorization number(s) used to connect, total monthly number of sessions, hours and bytes transmitted by access method for each authorization number. This includes zero authorization number information — session and connect-time information for services such as FirstSearch ILL, for which the authorization number is unknown (zero) but service and session information are known.


  • Last Three-month Telecommunications Report - by Authorization and Termination Type: This contains the last three months of telecommunications usage reporting the authorization number(s) used to connect and how each session for that number was terminated. Termination methods include normal log-off and timed-out disconnects.


  • Last 30-days Session Report: Includes information such as the authorization number and source IP addresses for all sessions in the last 30 days.

All four reports include Reference services authorization, session and connect-time information. You can see a complete picture of your library's usage of all OCLC services in one set of reports.

BCR can request information regarding member libraries for individual institutions or for groups of institutions. Library staff can request information concerning only their own institutions. All data is updated monthly. There are no OCLC charges for the OCLC Telecommunications Information System (TIS).

In addition, BCR can request:

  • Total Telecommunications Traffic for Group Report: This report contains connect hours by access method, multidrop equipment for each institution and simultaneous-user recommendations. If an access method has not been used in the last three months, it is not included. This report assists BCR in estimating the number of simultaneous users an institution or consortium will require for its cataloging, resource sharing and union listing activity either for migration to Flat Fee Internet pricing or to OCLC Dedicated TCP/IP access.


  • OCLC Price Analysis and Configuration Report: This report includes estimated Dial TCP/IP Access Charges, estimated Connect Time Internet Charges, estimated Flat Fee Internet Charges, estimated OCLC Dedicated TCP/IP Charges and estimated Current OCLC Access Charges.

TIS is available on the Web at www.stats.oclc.org/tis and requires an OCLC authorization number and password to log on. For more information or help using the OCLC Telecommunications Information System (TIS), look at the User Guide on the OCLC Web site at www.oclc.org/oclc/telecom/tis/network_guide.htm. Help is also available within TIS.


Comments to: shoffhin@bcr.org
February 27, 2008
Copyright © 2002 BCR