Loansome Doc: Update Your Institution Information

Posted by nwsoadmin on June 10th, 2005 Posted in: Resource Sharing & Document Delivery

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NLM recommends the following steps to help you and your patrons best utilize the new features and interface of the redesigned Loansome Doc.

1. REVIEW NEW LOANSOME DOC FEATURES

The release notes list the new features that were added including those that libraries can use to customize the registration process. For the release notes, see http://www.nlm.nih.gov/docline/docline_rel_info_v2_5.html. See also the tutorial available for LD patrons at: http://nnlm.gov/train/tutor/docline/ld/ld_using.html.

2. REVIEW LOANSOME DOC OPTIONS IN YOUR INSTITUTION RECORD

With the release of DOCLINE 2.5, Loansome Doc libraries should review the LD service options in their institution record to ensure accuracy and to take advantage of the new features.

In DOCLINE, go to Institutions, Update, Loansome Doc page.

If you provide Loansome Doc service, “Loansome Doc Provider” should be set to Yes.

Please verify that your “Provides” service and “Charges” for service values accurately reflect your service policies for each user category (e.g., Affiliated user, Unaffiliated Health Professional, etc.) Check the box under “Provides” if you provide service for that user population, and the box under the “Charges” column if you charge that user group for Loansome Doc service.

LD libraries are encouraged to enter concise “Loansome Doc Comments” describing their service, referring users to their LD web page, as appropriate. These comments display to potential and current LD users during the Registration process and on the LD patron’s Account page. The service comments allows libraries to communicate key facts to users searching for a document delivery provider. The comments field is limited to 300 characters.

Suggested sample wording for the Comments field includes:
* Deposit account required for users not employed by institution. See our web site for services and fees.

* Same day service for articles requested by 10am Eastern Time. $7 per article for materials owned by library. $11 fee for material obtained from other libraries.

(If you serve affiliated users only, indicate this with explicit language to clarify for users)
* Service provided to faculty, staff, and full-time students of Shelby University.

* Service available to employees and medical staff at all facilities in the BlueSky Health system.

(If you require separate registration with library, please note this in your comments.)
* Must also complete library registration form. See our web site for registration form. No requests will be processed until both Loansome Doc and library registration are completed.

The comments should not include any ILL or DOCLINE specific information as this information is intended for LD patrons, and not libraries.

Note: You do not need to list the URL in your service comments – If you’ve entered your Loansome Doc home page URL in your institution record (Address page), this automatically creates a hyperlink on your institution name in
the display. The Registration section allows libraries to customize the sign up process for their library.

Verify the delivery methods are accurate for Loansome Doc. The values were copied from your ILL settings.

If you wish additional language on the display requesting patrons contact you prior to registration, set the ‘Display “Contact library before proceeding” message to users’ option to Yes. Please note that this is a display option – it does not prevent registration or orders, as the software cannot verify that the patron-library conversation actually occurred.

If you wish to prompt the patron for a library-defined data element (Identifier) during registration process, set “Require library defined identification from user during registration” to Yes. Libraries then must provide the label that displays for that data element and the instructions for the user.

Sample suggested labels and instructions include:
* Label: University ID number
Instructions: University faculty, students and staff must enter their University ID. All others enter valid library card number. Contact library PRIOR to registration for library card if you do not have one.

* Label: Library card number
Instructions: Enter your 14 digit library card number. Patrons must be registered Memorial Hospital Library users prior to ordering documents from us.

3. REVIEW WHAT POTENTIAL PATRONS WOULD SEE DURING REGISTRATION

Once you’ve changed your Loansome Doc options, we suggest that you view your institution record as it displays in the LD registration process to see how it will appear to patrons. Try to look at your comments and your Registration choices from the perspective of an end-user who may be unfamiliar with your institution and services. Choose your wording carefully. You can modify comments and other Loansome Doc options, as needed, as you have experience with users registering and contacting you with questions. You do not need to complete the registration to view the process, but we recommend viewing the search results, the Contact Library page, and the Terms & Conditions page as you add and modify information.

We also recommend users review the resource page created by the Regional Medical Libraries for Loansome Doc libraries. See
http://nnlm.gov/libinfo/docline/loansome_lib.html for valuable tips and hints in setting up and managing your Loansome Doc service.