Beth’s Blog

Many of the iBorrow participating libraries use OCLC as the lender of last resort.   If your library uses this functionality, this message is for you.  In Alleycat requests only went to OCLC when a staff member submitted them to OCLC from the Alleycat provisional file.  These requests were all mediated.
In iBorrow the software manages the OCLC connectivity in an unmediated mode.  iBorrow will submit requests to OCLC automatically just as it submits them automatically to participating libraries.   We have requested an enhancement to permit libraries to choose whether they want these requests to go to OCLC unmediated or to mediate them. 

We are also experiencing some difficulties with the OCLC connectivity.  The following summarizes:

1. Not all requests are going automatically to OCLC as they are supposed to.  If the short bibliographic information contained in the request does not include a number, such as the ISBN, ISSN or OCLC number, the request cannot go to OCLC.  A number is required.  Unfortunately, a bug in the software does not permit you to edit the short bibliographic information and put the number in.  To manage these you must manually enter them in OCLC if you wish for them to be fulfilled there. 

2. The requests that are going automatically to OCLC are not receiving the update information from OCLC.  The way this is SUPPOSED to work is this:

        a. iBorrow forwards the request to OCLC.
        b. OCLC sends a message to iBorrow saying that the request has been received and provides iBorrow with the OCLC review file number.

        c. iBorrow moves the request from Mediate New Loan to Receive Loan and includes the review file number in the request.

Because the messages are not coming back properly from OCLC the requests are not moved to Receive Loan and you still see them in Mediate New Loan even though they have been forwarded.  The requests in this status have the request number repeated in the ref number column in Mediate New Loan. 

SirsiDynix is working to correct the problem described in #1. 

SirsiDynix is working to correct the problem described in #2.  We will notify you as soon as the fix is made.  When the fix is made iBorrow will update all of existing requests that are “hung” in Mediate New Loan and move them to Receive Loan.  It will also update all new requests as they come in. 

Tomorrow, July 19th, iBorrow will be live for users at the SunLine libraries, Tampa-Hillsborough, Lee County, Pinellas Park and the Polk County Library Cooperative libraries. We look forward to working with staff in these libraries as we make this transition.We will continue to work with SirsiDynix to migrate the other Alleycat participants over the coming weeks. 

During iBorrow interlibrary loan training we discussed the local lending functionality in iBorrow. This is functionality that would enable a user to use iBorrow to request something held by his/her own system. The feature would pass the request to the user’s home library for fulfillment.
We are still involved in testing this functionality. It will not be available on July 19th when the first libraries go live.
We will announce to the group when the functionality is ready for use.
Thank you for your patience.

In preparation for tomorrow’s go-live for the first group of libraries some changes will begin taking place on Alleycat beginning later today.

2. Users of the libraries going live tomorrow should begin using iBorrow on July 19th. They can access iBorrow at www.iborrow.org or through a link from your library website. If users at these libraries attempt to log in to Alleycat they will be redirected to iBorrow. This will be effective at 8am on July 19th. 3. Libraries not in the first group to migrate to iBorrow should continue using Alleycat, business as usual.

Check out the new webpage at www.iborrow.org This new page directs users to the appropriate iBorrow portal. We currently have two iBorrow portals. One is for libraries who have OCLC as the lender of last resort. The other does not include OCLC. This new website also redirects users back to Alleycat if their library has not migrated yet.This new page will be continuously updated as we migrate libraries to iBorrow.

We need one more piece of setup information from participating libraries.

Agency events are points in the interlibrary loan workflow when URSA can notify the user of the status of his/her request.  Please use the Agency Events Request form here: http://www.tblc.org/iborrow-project/Agency%20Events%20Setup%20Form.pdf to tell us the events in which you would like to have notification done.  

On Thursday, July 13th instructions for downloading a new URSA client were provided to participating libraries. We asked you to install the new URSA client (or have your local IT department install it). To assist you, the instructions are available at http://www.tblc.org/iborrow-project/Upgrading%20the%20URSA%20Client.pdfThe first group of libraries to migrate to iBorrow will migrate on July 19th. These are: the SunLine libraries, Tampa-Hillsborough, Lee County, Pinellas Park and the Polk County Library Cooperative libraries. If you work in one of these libraries you will need the new client installed before July 19th. If you work in an iBorrow participating library not in this short list you have more time to get the new client installed.If you work in a library migrating on July 19th please email me at farmerb@tblc.org the status of your new client installation.