OCLC ILL Options Offer Cost
Savings and Convenience

OCLC ILL Web Interface
OCLC introduced the new OCLC ILL Web interface this past fall. While primarily geared to small and medium-sized libraries, the Web interface offers many convenient options for large libraries as well.

The Web interface makes it easy for library staff to manage their constant data, custom holdings and direct request profiles. Even if staff continues to use Passport software and the ILL Micro Enhancer for daily ILL work flow, they also may log on to the Web interface to update these other areas. Any work completed on the Web will also show up in Passport and vice versa.

To log on to the Web interface, go to illweb.oclc.org and enter a valid ILL authorization and password. From the welcome screen, choose the ILL Settings tab. Library staff can add, delete and edit constant data records, as well as custom holdings groups and paths in ILL Settings.

OCLC ILL Consolidated Pricing
OCLC ILL users have the option to choose between traditional transaction-based pricing and consolidated pricing for the 2002-2003 fiscal year. Consolidated ILL pricing can save some libraries money. To determine if your library will save money using consolidated pricing, BCR has created a Web page with an interactive worksheet at www.bcr.org/~bss/quoteform-ill.html.

Consolidated pricing gives libraries a single price that includes the following 12 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 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 is not 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 continue to be issued as a separate product code (OTC 4561). Libraries that participate in consolidated pricing receive a $0.03 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. OCLC ILL users also can determine if their libraries would benefit from consolidated pricing by visiting BCR's Consolidated Pricing vs. Transaction Based Pricing Web page at www.bcr.org/~bss/quoteform-ill.html. This page includes an interactive worksheet designed to determine if consolidated pricing will save a library money. Any library with declining OCLC ILL activity should remain with transaction-based pricing if the difference between their consolidated ILL estimate and transaction-based estimate is within $100.

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 2002-2003 fiscal year (June 30, 2003). The order form is available on OCLC's Web site. Go to the Forms page at www2.oclc.org/forms, then click on Resource Sharing and then on ILL Consolidated Pricing for Interlibrary Loan. No paper order form is available.

All libraries currently enrolled in consolidated pricing will remain so unless they cancel their current orders by July 15. To cancel, library staff should go to the form (www2.oclc.org/forms, click on Resource Sharing and then on ILL Consolidated Pricing for Interlibrary Loan) and make a note in the comments box to cancel the library's order.

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

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February 27, 2008
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