The FREESHARE library group has 1400+ DOCLINE libraries as members and represents the largest DOCLINE library group. Understandably, library staff can be lulled into joining FREESHARE with the prospect of free article delivery 24/7 while at the same time having a large cadre of libraries from which to borrow. Below are a few thoughts about FREESHARE membership of which everyone should be aware.

First, FREESHARE libraries are committed to providing all materials, regardless of service level, at no charge. This includes any surcharges and normal rushes as well as urgent patient care requests. To quote Julie Kwan, Associate Director of the NN/LM Pacific Southwest Region (PSR), “This has been the practice since the inception of FREESHARE. If you receive a charge from another FREESHARE library, get in touch with them. It is most likely an oversight that is easily corrected.” PSR is also charged with maintaining the FRESHARE policy page at: http://www.nnlm.gov/rsdd/freeshare/index.html

Second, if a library’s collection is unique, there is a possibility of unanticipated busy periods. Rather than being a negative, this is an indication of the scarcity of the product.

Third, if FREESHARE is not right for you, and your library is an open DOCLINE library in the SE/A, one of these sixteen smaller (SE/A only) library groups may be of interest to join:

Atlanta Health Science Libraries Consortium - AHSLC

Association of Memphis Area Health Science Libraries – AMAHSL

Consortium of Southern Biomedical Libraries - CONBLS

District of Columbia Area Health Science Libraries - DCAHSL

Georgia Interactive Network for Medical Information - GaIN

Mid-Atlantic Chapter Lending Network  – MACLend

Maryland Association of Health Sciences Librarians – MAHSL

Mississippi Biomedical Library Consortium  – MBLC

Miami Health Sciences Library Consortium - MHSLC

Northern Virginia Health Sciences Librarians  – NVHSL

South Carolina Health Information Network - SCHIN

Southeastern Network on DOCLINE  – SEND

Southwest Virginia Health Information Librarians – SWVAHILI

Tampa Bay Medical Library Network - TABAMLN

Tennessee Health Sciences Library Association – THeSLA

Tidewater Health Science Librarians   – THSL

Please note that each library group has governance and eligibility requirements, some more formalized than others. Our RML policy states that Borrow Only libraries are not allowed membership in any library group. Additionally, there are library groups that overlap two or more NN/LM regions and these tend to be collection specific, such as Pediatrics, Osteopathic or Naval libraries.  If you are interested in one of these library groups, or if you have questions about library groups in general, please send an email to PJ Grier (SE/A DOCLINE Coordinator).

Remember, you can view members in any library group by going to DOCLINE’s Search Builder feature. Select More Search Options on the Institutions tab homepage. Then view the drop-down Select Search Field and select the appropriate Library Group.  Next, Add to Search, the name of the library group and then click Search at page bottom. The Search-Results will display all of the Institutions (a.k.a. open DOCLINE Libraries) in the particular library group. As with any DOCLINE search result you have the opportunity to print or download the information.

Prepared By:  PJ Grier, Outreach/Access Coordinator, NN/LM, SE/A

If your library is scheduled to close during the Labor Day holiday period, remember to submit your Out-of-Office requests to the SE/A Regional Medical Library (RML), via DOCLINE, for approval by Wednesday, August 31st.

In addition to the Labor Day Holiday on September 5th, the RML office will be closed this Friday, September 2nd due the Baltimore Grand Prix which is closing the University of Maryland Baltimore, where the RML offices are located.  So, our last day to process requests is this coming Thursday, September 1st.

As a reminder, DOCLINE 4.6 will be released tomorrow morning, Tuesday, July 26, 2011.  DOCLINE will be unavailable Tuesday morning from 7:00 AM to approximately 8:00 AM Eastern Time while we make the software changes.

For information on DOCLINE 4.6, see http://www.nlm.nih.gov/docline/docline_rel_info_v4_6.html

Edited by:  PJ Grier, Outreach and Access Coordinator, NN/LM, Southeastern Atlantic Region

NLM is in the final preparation stages for the release of DOCLINE 4.6 which completes updates and enhancements to the Requests module with changes to Loansome Doc Transfer and the Resubmit features.  It plans to release DOCLINE 4.6 on the morning of Tuesday, July 26, 2011.  We anticipate that DOCLINE will be unavailable for approximately one hour Tuesday morning from 7:00 am to 8:00 am while changes are made.

By popular demand, NLM will again host a “What’s New” webinar to introduce the new features of DOCLINE 4.6. Detailed information about the What’s New session will follow in a separate message, but here are the dates so you can block off one of these times if you would like to attend:

Session 1:  Wednesday, July 27, 4:00 – 5:00 pm  (EDT)
Session 2:  Monday, August 1, 2:00 – 3:00 pm  (EDT)

To learn about the upcoming changes, see the Release Notes with screenshots:  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/docline/docline_rel_info_v4_6.html

Note: DOCLINE online help and FAQs will be updated once DOCLINE 4.6 is released.

Edited by: PJ Grier, Outreach and Access Coordinator

Please note that this message further clarifies an earlier post that was distributed under “DOCLINE – MLA 2011 Update”, dated May 23, 2011.

The “National Maximum Charge” that limited Resource Libraries to charging $11 was removed as a requirement for Resource Libraries in the NN/LM contracts for 2011-2016. The change was effective May 1, 2011.  As needed, Resource Libraries may raise ILL fees to recover costs.   Primary Access Libraries and Other libraries were already able to charge fees necessary for cost recovery.   As always, all charges and provided services must comply with the copyright law.

NLM removed the $11 limit because we had received multiple requests from Resource Libraries who stated they were unable to recover their costs at $11 per article.   Additionally, Resource Libraries were permitted to charge above the $11 limit via surcharges which caused confusion among network members in regards to the expected charge.  The removal of the National Maximum permits all libraries in the Network to charge cost recovery based fees.

As a point of reference on lending, during the previous contract period of May 2006-May 2011, Primary Access Libraries filled nearly 43% of the DOCLINE requests.  Resource Libraries filled just over 31% of the requests.  “Other” libraries borrowed lent just over 22% of requests.

We recommend that any libraries changing their fees provide adequate notice to their regular borrowers, and through regional lists.  Borrowers may wish to review their Routing Tables.   Borrowers unable to find a lender can route requests to NLM, whose base ILL fee remains unchanged at $9.

If libraries need assistance with Routing Tables, searching for lending partners, or other aspects of DOCLINE, please contact the SE/A’s DOCLINE Coordinator, PJ Grier, pgrier@hshsl.umaryland.edu

by PJ Grier, Outreach and Access Coordinator, NN/LM, SE/A Region

This is a reminder to all DOCLINE users, that effective on May 1, 2011, the national maximum charge of $11.00 per article has been eliminated. This charge affects Resource Libraries as it previously applied to them; primary access libraries and others are not affected. As a result of the new RML contract (2011 through 2016), Resource Libraries within our region of the NN/LM can charge an appropriate fee that will allow them to recover costs.

The 2011 Annual Conference of the Medical Library Association just concluded in Minneapolis, MN (the “City of Lakes”) on May 18th. For members who did not attend the annual conference,  here is a MLA blog (http://npc.mlanet.org/mla11/?p=1596 ) posted by Katie Zybeck that is a good recap about items covered by Maria Collin’s (National Library of Medicine) presentation during the DOCLINE Users Group Meeting on Tuesday, May 17, 2011. Items included usage statistics, historical trends, a review of last year’s DOCLINE 4.5 enhancements, the national maximum cost, a discussion of NLM’s Print Retention initiative and a brief Q&A session. DOCLINE’s serials holdings will be central to the Print Retention initiative.

DOCLINE users should remember to keep their institutional record up-to-date and as well as the need to possibly adjust their routing tables in light of the lifting of the national maximum cost requirement for Resource Libraries.  As always, if you have any DOCLINE questions, please send me an email at pgrier@hshsl.umaryland.edu.

Join us in marking a milestone in the lives of both the RML and one of our most stalwart staff members: Evelyn Peyton, whom you will know as the voice of the RML—the voice on our outgoing voicemail message, the voice that answers the phone and says, “Regional Medical Library” when you call, and the voice that has helped countless librarians with DOCLINE questions—will be retiring on April 29, 2011.

Evelyn has been with the University of Maryland since November 1980 and with the RML since August 1989. It is with sadness that we say goodbye after these many years of cheerful service to the state of Maryland and to the NN/LM SE/A region. While we know that Evelyn will probably miss us, also, we are happy that she will now have time to pursue other interests, to sleep in, and do all the other things we imagine retirees gleefully doing while we continue to clock in.

Evelyn has been a vital member of our staff and we hope you will join us in celebrating Evelyn this week and wish her a happy retirement.

EFTS saves time and money.

For a limited time, the RML has several “starter” awards available for active DOCLINE libraries. Starter funds are in the amount of $200.00. If approved, funds will be deposited into an EFTS account under your DOCLINE LIBID symbol. Even better, there is no time limit in which the funds must be used. To find more information about the benefits of joining EFTS, go to: https://efts.uchc.edu/common/index.aspx .  You will also find a sample (“ROI”) quantitative analysis that shows the dollar savings derived from converting to EFTS, if you need to prove value with finance colleagues.

The electronic award application is painless and takes just minutes to complete. Why not start enjoying the benefits and ease of EFTS by joining the electronic processing initiative like so many fellow DOCLINE libraries?  Questions about EFTS can be directed to efts@uchc.edu, or 860-679-4500.

EFTS saves time and money.

For a limited time, the RML has several “starter” awards available for active DOCLINE libraries. Starter funds are in the amount of $200.00. If approved, funds will be deposited into an EFTS account under your DOCLINE LIBID symbol. Even better, there is no time limit in which the funds must be used. To find more information about the benefits of joining EFTS, go to: https://efts.uchc.edu/common/index.aspx .  You will also find a sample (“ROI”) quantitative analysis that shows the dollar savings derived from converting to EFTS, if you need to prove value with finance colleagues.

The electronic award application is painless and takes just minutes to complete. Why not start enjoying the benefits and ease of EFTS by joining the electronic processing initiative like so many fellow DOCLINE libraries?  Questions about EFTS can be directed to efts@uchc.edu, or 860-679-4500.

GETTING THE BEST OUT OF DOCLINE
MLA 3CE

There are 3 seats still available for the onsite DOCLINE class in Washington, DC next week.  If you are interested in attending, please send PJ Grier an email with your contact information and TYPE: “DOCLINE CLASS – HOWARD UNIV” in the subject line.  Placement will be made on an “as received” basis.

The class will run from 2PM to 5PM on  March 17, 2011 and will be hosted by Howard University – Louis Stokes Health Sciences Library,  Room 219, Washington, DC.