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

Make the Move to OCLC
WorldCat Resource Sharing

By Ann Schwab OCLC WorldCat Resource Sharing, formerly referred to as the FirstSearch staff view, is now available to all OCLC ILL users. Libraries are no longer required to link their ILL authorization to a FirstSearch authorization to access the service. All valid OCLC ILL authorizations and passwords now work to access WorldCat Resource Sharing (firstsearch.oclc.org/), as well as the FirstSearch administrative module (firstsearch.oclc.org/admin/).

Don't know your authorization and password? Contact Cheryl Burkert — cburkert@bcr.org, (800) 397-1552, ext. 114 — for a list of your library's active OCLC ILL authorizations and passwords.

Other recent enhancements to WorldCat Resource Sharing include:

Staff ability to place requests in FirstSearch databases other than WorldCat — Link your ILL authorization to your FirstSearch authorization in the FirstSearch administrative module and gain the ability to produce requests in other databases and access full text. If you've already linked your authorizations, you don't need to do anything. Access to additional databases is already available.
Staff ability to link to local catalog — Staff may now link directly to their Web-based or Z39.50 local system to obtain availability and call number information for an item in a request.
Patron ability to cancel or renew requests — Users may now cancel and/or renew requests without staff intervention. You control whether patrons may access this feature via the FirstSearch administrative module.

If you're experiencing a problem using WorldCat Resource Sharing, you may now check a list of open issues at www.oclc.org/ill/migration/issues.htm. The list includes known problems, along with their approximate fix dates.

Remember, OCLC will end the functionality of Passport for ILL, ILL Web, ILL Micro Enhancer (ILL ME) and ILLiad 6.x on May 1, 2005. Those who use Passport for ILL, ILL Web, ILL ME or ILLiad 6.x for ILL must begin to use WorldCat Resource Sharing or OCLC ILLiad 7.0.

To learn more about the ongoing migration of OCLC ILL functionality into FirstSearch:

Visit OCLC's migration Web site at www.oclc.org/ill/migration/default.htm.
Subscribe to OCLC-SHARING-L, OCLC's broadcast-only e-mail list created to keep users of OCLC ILL informed of upcoming enhancements. To subscribe, go to https://www3.oclc.org/app/listserv/ and complete the subscription request form.

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Make the Move to OCLC WorldCat Resource Sharing

Make the Move to OCLC
WorldCat Resource Sharing