A c t i o n f o r L i b r a r i e s — A u g u s t 2 0 0 4

OCLC Update

By Regan W. Harper

New IP Address Added for Connexion Browser
OCLC has added another IP address for TCP/IP export with the Connexion browser: 132.174.2.69. If your site uses a firewall, it must be configured to recognize and accept export data from the following IP addresses: 132.174.2.69 (new), 132.174.2.5, 132.174.2.21, 132.174.2.67, 132.174.2.73. The port range for these IP addresses remains 30000-30499. Please make any necessary changes to your firewall to ensure that TCP/IP export continues to work properly.

If you have any questions, please contact Regan Harper, Linda Gonzalez, Ann Schwab or Rosario Garza at BCR.

ISBN-13 OCLC Interim Support>br> A new international standard is expanding the current 10-digit ISBN to 13 digits: the three-digit prefix that identifies the book industry (currently 978), followed by the core nine-digit number and the recalculated check digit that validates the internal integrity of the whole number. As such, it will also be identical to the EAN Bookland 13-digit code that is encoded in the bar code printed on the back of the book. While the official date for moving to this new standard is January 1, 2007, some publishers expect to begin printing both the current 10- and the new 13-digit ISBNs in materials later this year, allowing them to transition more easily to the new ISBN-13.

For further details, see www.isbn-international.org/en/revision.html and www.isbn-international.org/en/download/implementation-guidelines-04.pdf.

The Library of Congress expects to begin recording ISBN-13 numbers in LC records October 1 of this year. Because OCLC is in the process of moving to a new system/database platform, and because this implementation will not be completed by October, OCLC will adopt the following interim support for ISBN-13 numbers in WorldCat. This will allow OCLC to focus on completing the migration to the new platform without having to retrofit systems that will soon be retired.

Records loaded into WorldCat from Library of Congress and other trading partners:

OCLC will convert a 13-digit number appearing in field 020 subfield $a to an EAN (field 024, first indicator 3).
If the record contains a 13-digit ISBN without a corresponding 10-digit ISBN, OCLC will convert a 13-digit ISBN beginning with 978 to a 10-digit ISBN, modifying the check digit along the way, as well as convert to an EAN as indicated above.

Online input:

For original records, libraries should input ISBN-13 numbers into an EAN field (024, first indicator 3) rather than inputting into the ISBN field (020).
For copy cataloging that contains an ISBN-13 on the piece but not on the record being edited, users with full-level or higher authorization may add the ISBN-13 numbers into an EAN field (024, first indicator 3) as a database enrichment using system lock and replace capabilities. Users who do not have full-level authorization may report these to OCLC Quality Control Section using one of the many error reporting options: online system, e-mail, fax or mail.
OCLC libraries should not input ISBN-13 numbers in an 020 field. If libraries do enter the 13-digit ISBN in an 020 field, validation will move the number to $z indicating that it is an invalid ISBN. Such numbers will not be indexed and retrieved as the user might expect. (See "Searching" below.)

Searching:

No indexing/searching changes will be implemented at this time. Libraries can search for ISBN-13 numbers using the "Standard Number" index, which covers both the 020 $z and the 024 fields.
ISBN-13 numbers will not be retrievable using the ISBN index during this interim period.

After implementation of the new system/database platform is completed, OCLC will add support for the ISBN-13 numbers in the 020 field for batchload, online input and searching.

OCLC ILL Migration Update
During the next 13 months, OCLC plans to launch the new resource sharing system, based on the OCLC FirstSearch interface. Many of you may have already seen this new interface that will, by July 2005, replace the following interfaces to OCLC ILL: ILL Web, ILL Micro Enhancer (ILL ME) and Passport for ILL.

OCLC will provide monthly updates on the progress of this migration through the FirstSearch staff view. We encourage you to subscribe to the new listserv, OCLC- SHARING-L, to receive all migration updates, as well as other news about resource sharing at OCLC. Just complete the listserv subscription form at https://www3.oclc.org/app/listserv/.

In June, OCLC added to FirstSearch most of the borrowing and lending functionality available through ILL Web and plans to complete these changes in August with the addition of custom holdings functionality. Other functionality, such as referral capability, batching of requests for update/print and many new features, will be made available throughout the coming year.

Later in 2004, OCLC plans to have batch processing capabilities in place as well as the ability to deflect requests based on local data records and information you have placed in the ILL Policies Directory (so now's the time to create and update those policies: www.oclc.org/ill/migration/policies.htm). OCLC also plans to add basic, patron-tracking capabilities.

OCLC is currently developing the method for providing access to the resource sharing system through FirstSearch to libraries that either receive their FirstSearch access through a consortium account or do not have a FirstSearch account. This access should be in place by the end of 2004. Current plans target retiring the Web interface to OCLC ILL, Passport and ILL ME in the second quarter of 2005.

For more information about the new look of OCLC ILL, or to discuss your own migration plans, contact Ann Schwab (aschwab@bcr.org) at BCR.

To learn more about PromptCat, visit OCLC's Web site www.oclc.org/promptcat/default.htm, or contact Linda Gonzalez (lgonzale@bcr.org) at BCR.

ILLiad Support Changes
In June, OCLC's ILLiad support availability was extended to 9 p.m. (Eastern Time). Hours of OCLC telephone support are 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday-Friday. For more information on OCLC's support hours, check out the support area of OCLC's Web site: www.oclc.org/support/.

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