CDLINFO LISTSERV, June 28, 2001, Vol.4, No.11
CONTENTS
- CDL Database Transitions
- Access to OCLC Databases Changing Soon
- Melvyl-T Update
- Access to Kluwer Full-Text (Julia Gelfand, UCI)
- For More Information
- CDL News
- Contacts for Questions or Problems
- Information about CDLINFO
1. CDL Database Transitions
a. Access to OCLC Databases Changing Soon
OCLC is making a significant change in the way they handle their Z39.50 databases. The result of this change is that the FirstSearch databases available from CDL via Z39.50 will ONLY be available in OCLC's web interface (native mode), sooner than the scheduled transition of December 2002.
This will have serious implications for users of these databases, and for reference and instruction library staff. Note: access to all of the OCLC databases via native mode is available now.
Given our existing commitments for the Melvyl Catalog Transition, the CDL-Hosted Abstracting and Indexing Databases Transition, and the July 2001 CDL Release, the transition date for the OCLC databases has been moved up, rather than expend our resources on making programming changes. This decision is based on the principles established by the Transition Steering Committee for determining when to decommission CDL-hosted databases.
Below is a list of the OCLC databases and the date that access to them via the CDL-hosted interface will end.
The OCLC databases that will change are:
| Database WorldCat (WCAT) PapersFirst (PAPR) ProceedingsFirst (PROC) ArticleFirst (JRNL) ContentsFirst (JRNLT) RILM Abs of Music Lit. (RILM) |
CDL-hosted interface ends as of December 2001 (web and telnet) December 2001 (telnet) December 2001 (telnet) mid-August 2001 (telnet) mid-August 2001 (telnet) mid-August 2001 (web and telnet) |
RILM
As part of the A&I transition, we are reviewing options for providing access to RILM. If this database moves to another vendor, we will make every effort to have the new access in place prior to mid-August.
HOW TO GET TO FIRSTSEARCH VIA THE WEB
Users must access the FirstSearch databases via the CDL Directory, since CDL does behind the scenes logon scripting. URLs to go directly to the CDL Directory records for FirstSearch are listed at the end of this message.
Bibliographic instruction for Fall 2001
Given these changes, library staff are encourage to seriously consider using the native mode for fall term bibliographic instruction sessions. OCLC offers a FirstSearch learning/teaching section on their web site, as well as a FirstSearch bibliographic instruction site.
FirstSearch Learning and Teaching Materials
http://www.oclc.org/firstsearch/learning/index.htm
FirstSearch bibliographic instruction site
http://www.oclc.org/oclc/fsbi/index.htm
URLs for Linking into Directory Records
Direct link to CDL Directory record for FirstSearch (all databases except PAIS & RILM)
http://www.cdlib.org/cgi-bin/search_title?title=FirstSearch+(OCLC)
Direct link to CDL Directory record for PAIS
http://www.cdlib.org/cgi-bin/search_title?title=PAIS+International+[via+FirstSearch/OCLC]
Direct link to CDL Directory record for RILM
http://www.cdlib.org/cgi-bin/search_title?title=RILM+Abstracts+of+Music+Literature+[via+FirstSearch/OCLC]
You can also link directly to other individual FirstSearch databases via the Directory. See http://www.cdlib.org/hlp/directory/linking.html for more information.
b. Melvyl-T Update
The first step in the Melvyl-T (Melvyl transition catalog) implementation has been completed. A pre-release version of the Aleph 15.2 software has been installed on the CDL development server. Fifty thousand bibliographic records have been loaded to form a first "test database" for Melvyl-T. The test database should be available shortly for CDL staff to begin evaluating the functions and capabilities of the Aleph software.In late fall 2001 a prototype database (of about 500 thousand records) is scheduled to be released. During this period, we will be gathering feedback from library staff and patrons and performing usability testing. The first production version (all 20 million records) is scheduled for release in March 2002.
On June 20-22, CDL staff spent three days in systems analysis and training sessions with Ex Libris staff, during which many of the features of the new 15.2 version were clarified. Information gleaned during these sessions will be essential for the continued planning for Melvyl-T.
2. Access to Kluwer Full-Text (Julia Gelfand, UCI)
For most Kluwer and Kluwer affiliate content licensed by the CDL, full-text access is available to all UC users. There are, however, still some cases where full text is not yet available. In these cases, users attempting to access full text currently encounter a "Payment Is Required" notice. Kluwer staff are aware that this message is misleading, but report that they may not be able to correct it until the end of 2001, when they complete migration to their new server.
3. For More Information
a. CDL News
Several items of interest, including "Milestones," "Progress Reports," "What's New," and previous issues of CDLINFO are posted on the CDL web site (http://www.cdlib.org/) under News and Developments. Please share news of this resource with your colleagues!Remember also that reports, working documents, and status information of particular interest to library staff, are all available at http://www.cdlib.org/libstaff/.
b. Contacts for Questions or Problems
If you have problems accessing or using the system or have questions, including questions about the status of electronic journal collections and Internet resources, you can contact CDL staff in one of the following ways:- For immediate assistance, call the CDL Helpline at (510) 987-0555. Callers with TDD equipment, please call 1-800-735-2929 in California for the telephone relay operator.
- Send an e-mail message to cdl@www.cdlib.org.
- Click on "News" at http://www.dbs.cdlib.org/ (also known as http://www.melvyl.ucop.edu) for information about system outages, problems with particular databases, the status of a resource, etc.
For information about whether your UC campus has access to a particular electronic journal or Internet resource, contact your local collection development officer.
c. Information about CDLINFO
CDLINFO is designed to inform UC Librarians, and the UC community, about the progress of the CDL, policy issues under discussion, and newly available electronic resources. We hope that subscribers from the UC libraries will pass on selected information from the newsletter to faculty, staff, and students on their campuses, as appropriate. More complete information about the CDL, as well as the Directory of Collections and Services which leads to digital resources, is available at the CDL website at http://www.cdlib.org.
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