How to Use the CDL Helpline Web Site

The first time you go to the CDL Helpline web site, click on the New Users: Sign Up Here link and fill in the new user form. Once you've signed up, your email address becomes your user id and your password is whatever you set it to be. Then click the login button.

Once logged in, you can:

• Search the KnowledgeBase: Search for "known" problems and solutions in the KnowledgeBase.
• Submit a Request: Report a problem.
• View Requests: You can view the status of any ticket (request) submitted by University of California staff.

The submit request form is very straightforward; as mandatory fields, it requires subject, contact information (which is filled in automatically when you log on), type of problem (pulldown menu), and description (of the problem). Additionally, you can attach a file, such as a screen shot, using the attachments feature (optional).

Currently, the type of problem pulldown menu includes the following options:
vendor issues*, UC-eLinks**, Melvyl, Request, other CDL services.

* If you select vendor issues as the problem type, a dialog box pops up with another pulldown menu that allows you to further define the type of vendor problem you are reporting. Subcategories include:

1. Access problems: Use to report access problems to any/all parts of the resource.
2. Content problems: Use to report missing content, broken links or PDFs, etc.
3. Vendor site problems: Use to report when you cannot access the vendor's site at all (e.g., "cannot connect to server" message).
4. Misc/other: Use to report any other vendor problems.

** For the most part, you should always use the "Report problems with UC-eLinks" link on the UC-eLinks menu to report specific UC-eLinks problems since the article citation and database information is automatically supplied. However, you can submit generic problems you've noticed with the UC-eLinks service via this menu option. Note: if the UC-eLinks service is completely unavailable, always call the CDL Helpline at (510) 987-0555.

You'll receive email when any action is taken on your ticket or whenever anyone, such as the vendor or CDL staff, responds via email to your ticket. The email will be from the CDL Helpline <helpline@cdlib.org> and the subject line will include ticket-identifier information after the subject text you entered:

	From: CDL Helpline <helpline@cdlib.org>
	To: Enduser.Test-Account@ucop.edu
	Reply-to: helpline@cdlib.org
	Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003 13:05 -0700
	Subject: UCSF cannot access OUP ejournal titles ENTRY=5 PROJ=1

Very important information here: Reply directly to the CDL Helpline email address and do not alter the subject line. (You can remove "Re:" or "Fwd:" from the subject line if these bother you; removing these will not affect the functioning of the ticket-identifier information.)

Finally, always remember to call the CDL Helpline at (510) 987-0555 to report urgent/critical outages, such as when a major service (UC-eLinks, PubMed, Ovid databases, etc.) is unavailable.