A c t i o n f o r L i b r a r i e s — J u n e 2 0 0 5

OCLC Update

By Regan W. Harper
View New WorldCat Resource Sharing Tutorials
A series of eight tutorials (with more to come) will give users an overview of many aspects of OCLC WorldCat Resource Sharing. The tutorials take only 10 minutes to 25 minutes to complete. You can take a look at them at www.oclc.org/support/training/firstsearch/tutorial/. The tutorials include:

Overview: Those who know little about resource sharing or are new to OCLC WorldCat Resource Sharing, may want to check out this overview.
User Interface and Logon: This short tutorial demonstrates how to log on to WorldCat Resource Sharing and describes the various screens and features included.
Borrower Basics: Anyone using WorldCat Resource Sharing for the first time to generate requests may want to view this tutorial.
Lender Basics: This tutorial shows how to respond to a borrowing library's request.
Interlibrary Loan Fee Management: This short tutorial shows how to send and receive payment using WorldCat Resource Sharing.
Constant Data: Demonstrates how to create constant data records, edit and delete existing records and apply constant data to requests.
How to use the Request Manager: The Request Manager, formerly the ILL Message File, provides a snapshot of a library's WorldCat Resource Sharing activity and access to requests.
Batch Updating: This tutorial shows how to save time and effort by printing and processing multiple WorldCat Resource Sharing requests in sets or batches.

For more information, contact Heather Clark (hclark@bcr.org) at BCR.

WorldCat Resource Sharing Quick Reference Available
A four-page quick reference guide provides users with the basics of OCLC's new WorldCat Resource Sharing (formerly Interlibrary Loan) service. The WorldCat Resource Sharing Quick Reference is divided into Borrowing Tasks and Lending Tasks, addressing the following major topics: creating requests, updating requests, borrower required fields, request history, nonreferral days, constant data, custom holdings, direct request profiles, updating requests, lender required fields, printing requests, OCLC use statistics, administrative functions, batch updating and reasons for saying no.

To request a print copy of WorldCat Resource Sharing Quick Reference, please send an e-mail message to orders@oclc.org. You can also request copies directly from BCR by contacting Cheryl Burkert (cburkert@bcr.org). The document is also available online at www.oclc.org/support/documentation/ill/using/refcard/WCRS.pdf.

Obtain WorldCat Collection Analysis Reference
The OCLC WorldCat Collection Analysis service enables you to analyze your library's collection and compare it to the collections of other libraries. The analysis reveals your collection's strengths and weaknesses, as well as gaps in subject matter coverage and overlaps with the collections at other libraries.

The new WorldCat Collection Analysis Quick Reference is your guide to the essentials of this system. Some topics covered are:

Analysis Dimensions (publication date, language, format, audience).
OCLC Conspectus (a subject hierarchy).
Subscription Types (individual institution or group subscriptions).
Collection Analysis Types (four types of collection analysis are covered).
Overlap and Uniqueness of Collections.
Collection Analysis User Interface (brief descriptions of screens in the interface).
Administrative Functions (limiting an analysis, creating a comparison group, creating a secondary group).

The WorldCat Collection Analysis Quick Reference is available both in print and online. A PDF version is found at www.oclc.org/support/documentation/collectionanalysis/quickreference/collanalysis_quickstartcard.pdf and an HTML version at www.oclc.org/support/documentation/collectionanalysis/quickreference/default.htm.

To request a print copy, send an e-mail message to orders@oclc.org.

WorldCat Searching Reference Card Revised
A newly revised WorldCat Searching Reference Card is now available on the Web at www.oclc.org/support/documentation/worldcat/searching/refcard/default.htm. This version should be used with the OCLC Connexion browser and client 1.30. A print version is in the works, but until it is completed, the PDF version can be obtained at the above URL.

RSS Feeds Now Available for Dewey
OCLC has announced the availability of RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds from the Dewey Web site, allowing subscribers to pull, at their convenience, updated content from the Dewey Web site.

The five feeds, which provide the latest Dewey news and information, include:

Dewey Mappings: DDC mappings to other vocabularies.
Dewey News: information about discussion papers and other news to help stay up-to-date with Dewey.
Dewey Tips: Tips for classifying with Dewey and using WebDewey and Abridged WebDewey in OCLC Connexion.
Dewey Updates: DDC mappings to other vocabularies, new and changed entries and news about Dewey Services enhancements.
Dewey Journal: Dewey Decimal Classification news and announcements, DDC mappings and tips. The Dewey Journal encompasses items from all the Dewey RSS feeds.

More information, including how to subscribe, is available at: www.oclc.org/dewey/syndicated/rss.htm.

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