CDL Opens January 20, 1999 — Features Directory, Update, and Request

Several important new tools for discovery and access will be released along with the opening of the CDL Website (http://www.cdlib.org) on January 20th, 1999.

The browsable and searchable Directory of Collections and Services is a core component.  The Directory will provide unified access to electronic journals, databases, and finding aids in the Online Archive of California, plus descriptions of services.  It will serve as a new entrance point to the Melvyl Catalog and California Periodicals Databases and to the many CDL-hosted abstracting and indexing databases.  It will provide new access to finding aids in the Online Archive of California.

The Directory eventually will be collaboratively maintained.  (See item #5 below for further information about the evolution of the Directory and its underlying vocabulary.)  Upon release it will permit a “campus view” of available digital resources at the user’s choice.  (See the Directory’s User Guide for more information.)  Specific views, including subject-based views, can also be created for a particular library’s “entrance” to the CDL.

UPDATE is an automated process that performs weekly searches on selected databases. On January 20th it becomes available via the web.  The results contain records that have been added to the system in the previous week.  Results are saved online as Update Results and may also be emailed to the user.  Only UC faculty, staff, and students may use the Update service.  Each user must first set up a Personal Profile with which the Updates will be identified.  Then Updates will be run from searches that are selected from the user’s Search History, which is automatically saved in the Personal Profile.

The Update function can be used with most of the CDL-hosted databases.  CDL-hosted databases with an @ in the name (e.g., PREMEDLINE@NLM) will not be available for Updates.

REQUEST, known during development as patron initiated requesting (PIR), will also be available with the opening of the CDL.  When a user clicks on displays a record, the Request button will appear in the cluster of action buttons (Print, Mail, Download, Save, etc.).  Clicking on Request will take the user to a form to complete in order to initiate the requesting process.  Only UC faculty, staff, and graduate students will be able to use Request.  An authorized user may borrow books not owned by his or her campus libraries.  If the user is eligible for campus document delivery service, Request can also be used to borrow books that are owned by the campus libraries.  (Document delivery service, however, is not available at all campuses.)

Consult your “PIR Liaison,” ILL staff, or the website at http://www.cdlib.org/libstaff/pir for more information.

Users can continue to use and test the pre-release site at http://www2.cdlib.org/ until January 20.