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

OCLC Update

By Regan W. Harper
Two User Guides Discontinued in Print
Two OCLC user guides have been discontinued in print: Searching WorldCat User Guide (MAN8079) and Authorities User Guide (MAN8104). They continue to be available online (in both HTML and PDF formats) at the OCLC Documentation Web site: www.oclc.org/support/documentation/. The online versions are up-to-date and will continue to be updated whenever the information contained in them requires revision.

Electronic Version of Usage Statistics Available
If you have been receiving the paper OCLC Marketing Trends Reports (MTRs), you'll want to check out the new OCLC Product Usage Statistics (OPUS), the now available electronic replacement for the paper MTRs.

MTRs reports, available only in hard copy, were mailed quarterly. The new OPUS reports will be available monthly on the 8th of each month. The reports will be replaced each month, but will contain information for the fiscal year (July-June). Like MTRs, OPUS will compare your library's usage for the current fiscal year against the previous fiscal year.

The reports containing July-September activity for FY 2004-05 are available for viewing and downloading via the Product Services Web (PSWeb). You need a valid OCLC authorization number and password. To get your reports:

Go to the PSW site psw.oclc.org/ and select Records and Reports for a list of all available records and reports.
Scroll down to and select OCLC Product Usage Statistics (OPUS).
Enter a valid OCLC authorization number and password — contact BCR's Cheryl Burkert (cburkert@bcr.org) if you don't remember yours — then press Enter.
Select either View or Download.

The report includes both billable and nonbillable activity. If you have any questions about your report, contact Regan Harper, Linda Gonzalez or Rosario Garza at BCR.

Union List Migration Update
OCLC will provide the functionality to maintain local holdings (LDRs) in the Connexion browser in June 2005, when OCLC plans to retire Passport software for Union Listing service. OCLC has chosen the Connexion browser as the first interface for this functionality as it supports a broad range of users maintaining their local holdings manually. Libraries will still also be able to use OCLC's batchload service, Local Data Record Update (LDRUS), to maintain local holdings in WorldCat. These local holdings will continue to display in FirstSearch databases and OCLC Resource Sharing, as well as being added to the Connexion browser.

OCLC will continue to release more details about the Union List service migration over the next few months.

Changes to ILL Pricing
Beginning July 1, 2005, pricing for WorldCat Resource Sharing (formerly referred to as the FirstSearch staff view) and ILLiad 7.0 will move to subscription only, and transaction pricing for these services will be discontinued. Subscription pricing provides libraries with unlimited access to OCLC's resource sharing and union list services for a predictable price. According to OCLC, this will allow libraries to improve service to their users and confidently plan their budgets.

Libraries may move to ILL subscription pricing at any time. Libraries enrolling in ILL subscription pricing will also see a freeze in their telecommunications charges. To receive an ILL subscription price quote, contact BCR's Regan Harper (rharper@bcr.org), (303) 751-6277, x120/(800) 397-1552, x120.

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