How can I set up ILL access from FirstSearch?

The following solution can be found in Help for the FirstSearch administrative module, or in the Administrative Module Reference Guide (Chapter 7, "Customize Interlibrary Loan for patrons").

Log in to the FirstSearch administrative module and click the Resource Sharing tab.  Then, in the left-hand panel, under Patron ILL Settings, click ILL Processing.  The ILL Processing screen displays.

How the ILL Processing screen works

The ILL Processing screen contains an ILL Access box. Turn ILL access on by placing a check in the box if you want users to be able to submit ILL requests while using FirstSearch. If the box is not checked, users cannot submit ILL requests.

Choose which option you prefer for displaying your library's holdings in the ILL Button Display Options field. If you choose to display always, an ILL button will always be displayed to the user on Search Results screens.

The ILL Processing screen also contains a text entry field that allows you to customize the text for your ILL link.   (See Customize the text for the link to the ILL Request Form in the FirstSearch admin Help for more information).

The Database ILL Settings section of the ILL Processing screen lists the databases included in your FirstSearch account that are suitable for ILL requests. Databases for Z39.50-compatible library catalogs will also appear here if you have configured them for "individual display."  (See Z39.50 Library Resources: overview and needed information in the FirstSearch admin Help for more information.)

For each database, you can choose any of the following options if your library has access to the OCLC ILL service. If it does not, you can choose ILL via E-mail or ILL Access off for each database.

• Click the button for OCLC ILL Review File if you want your library staff to review, in the OCLC ILL service, all requests that users submit while using the database. To use this method, your library must have access to the OCLC ILL service.
• Click the button for OCLC ILL Direct Request Profile if you want all requests that users submit while using the database to be processed automatically using the OCLC ILL Direct Request service. For this option to work correctly, you must also create ILL Direct Request profiles. To use this method, your library must have access to the OCLC ILL service.
• Click the button for ILL via E-mail if you want each request that users submit while using the database to be sent to your library in an e-mail message. If you choose this option, you must also specify one or two of your library's e-mail addresses to which ILL requests submitted by your users can be sent. Click the Resource Sharing section of the main menu, then choose ILL via E-mail from the drop-down list under Patron ILL Settings in the sidebar menu to go to the screen for specifying the e-mail addresses. This method does not use the OCLC ILL service. Your library may use the ILL via E-mail method whether it has or does not have access to the OCLC ILL service.
• Click the button for ILL Access off if you do not want users to submit ILL requests while using the database.

Hints for using the ILL Processing screen

• If you make changes, click Save Changes before leaving the screen. If ILL access is turned off (the box is not checked), your users cannot submit requests in any database and the settings for the ILL Request Form, ILL Processing by database and ILL via E-mail are ignored.
• If your library does not have access to the OCLC ILL service, you must also specify one or two e-mail addresses to which ILL requests submitted by your users can be sent. Click the Resource Sharing section of the main menu, then choose ILL via E-mail from the drop-down list under Patron ILL Settings in the sidebar menu to go to the screen for specifying the e-mail addresses.

Last revised: 14 May 2008