A c t i o n f o r L i b r a r i e s — J a n u a r y 2 0 0 3

OCLC Update

By Regan W. Harper

New CatExpress User Guide Available
The fourth edition of the CatExpress User Guide, with coverage of record export and label printing, is now available at www.oclc.org/oclc/cataloging/catexpress/guide/ in PDF, HTML and Word formats. Users may download the Word version and make custom edits to reflect local practice. The editing feature is especially attractive to groups that have to use the same set of procedures in several libraries.

The contents of the guide are also available as help topics when users are logged on to Express via Connexion.

Change in Entry of Diacritics in Connexion
Beginning February 16, 2003, OCLC Connexion browser users will enter diacritics following the character they modify instead of preceding the character. This change will conform to Unicode standards and bring OCLC's handling of diacritics more in line with worldwide practice.

Users will continue to have the option of entering diacritics using bar syntax, copy and paste or a Unicode-enabled keyboard, as they do now. The display of bar syntax when in edit view will be optional. Users will be able to select the option to display bar syntax under Admin Options in Connexion. If users access Connexion via Internet Explorer, they will be able to enter diacritics by selecting the characters from a pop-up dialog box. This is similar to the character selection box currently used in Passport and the Cataloging Micro Enhancer. Important points:

A pop-up box for easy diacritics entry will be available for Internet Explorer users.
When using Connexion, users will enter the diacritic following the character.
There will be no change to the entry of diacritics in Passport or Cataloging Micro Enhancer.
No changes will be required for record export; records will be exported in the same format as they are currently.

Connexion's November Enhancements Installed
The OCLC Connexion November 2002 Enhancements, installed November 24, includes these features:

Netscape 4.x Warning: OCLC will end Connexion support for Netscape 4.x on January 19, 2003. Beginning November 24, when you log on with any 4.x version of Netscape, you receive a warning message.
Error Messages: Error messages in Connexion were upgraded to provide more consistent terminology.
Choosing Tab Changes Screen Display: Clicking on another tab will now take you to the default search screen for the newly selected service tab.
New Logon Screen: The new logon screen contains a new area, Related Links, which users may find helpful before logging on to Connexion. The Dewey-only Session under Related Links toggles the logon button action and allows a choice between a Dewey-only session and a regular Cataloging session. Clicking on Local Browser Settings provides the ability to enter up to five authorization/password combinations. If you have an authorization and password displaying on the logon screen, clicking on Product Services Web takes you directly to Product Services and does not require an additional logon.
Quick Tips: Several Quick Tips have been added throughout Connexion.
Cataloging Search Results Brief List Display: For WorldCat searches only, the revised brief list now mirrors the lists seen when searching WorldCat via Passport or Cataloging Micro Enhancer. The new view also provides fuller record information, such as OCLC control number and indicates whether your institution holds the record. You now have the option to display search results divided into sets of up to 10 records per screen or see all search results (up to 99) displayed at one time.
Hot Link to Record: The hot link for each record is now on the record number.
Jump Bars: The jump bars have been revised for easier, more intuitive movement through lists and records. Buttons have been added to the appropriate record and/or list screens for easier navigation back to Group Results, Search Results and Browse Results. Jump bars appear at the top and bottom of the screen.
Actions List: The Actions List is renamed Action/ Sort. The options on the Action/Sort list are now in alphabetical order.
Bibliographic Record Display and Record Edit Screens Edit/Action/View Lists: To eliminate the need to scroll, a third list has been added, and the options on the lists have been reorganized. The three lists are Edit, Action and View, and their options are now available in alphabetical order. Edit/Action/View lists appear at the top and bottom of the screen.
Select and Apply Bibliographic Constant Data on the Fly: The new action, Select Constant Data (on the Edit list), lets you retrieve and apply a constant data record on the fly.
Create Multiple Records: New buttons have been added to the Create Multiple Records screen that provide three options for setting My Status.
Authorities Search Screens: Options are available to hide or show See and See Also references both on the Search Authorities screen as well as the Action/ Sort list in search results screens.
Authorities Search Results: The sort order for authority records when controlling headings with multiple matches or for browsing and searching results has been enhanced. When results sets contain 500 or fewer records, the alphabetic main entry sort is automatic. For results sets up to 1,500 records, an option to sort by main entry is provided on the Action/Sort list. For results sets greater than 1,500 records, no sorting is available.
Authority Record Display and Record Edit Screens: The command, Save Record, has been added to the Action list for authority records.
Dewey-only Session Timer Extended to 120 Minutes: With this install, Dewey- only sessions now time out after 120 minutes of inactivity, instead of 40 minutes.
Automatic Logon From Dewey-only Session to Cataloging (and vice-versa): You can navigate from a Dewey-only session to a separate cataloging session without logging on again. The opposite also applies; you can easily navigate from an existing cataloging session to a separate Dewey-only session.
Pathfinders: With the November install, the Pathfinders database moves to the Oracle platform.
Collection Management Tab: Because access to ACAS is now provided as a link from the Connexion logon screen, the Collection Management Tab and the related option under Preferences are no longer available within the Connexion service.

For more information, contact Regan Harper (rharper@bcr.org) at BCR.

Language Sets Available at New Web Store
Librarians can now order OCLC Language Sets online via a new Web store. OCLC's goal is to deliver a convenient, secure, easy-to-navigate ordering mechanism that can speed ordering, reduce order errors and simplify repeat orders.

The Language Sets Web store was created to incorporate many of the conveniences of commercial online shopping, including secure log on, credit card processing, persistent customer profiles, confirmation that an order has been received (on-screen and e-mail) and links to additional information.

The OCLC Web store includes security features. When a library creates an account, all contact information, cataloging preferences and other information are saved in a secure library profile that can be accessed by the user to speed future ordering. Credit card account information will not be stored.

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