Relais: New Interoperational Processes for Document Supply Service
For many years the National Library of Australia has worked towards automating the interlibrary loans and document delivery services provided to libraries and individuals. In August 2005 the Library purchased the Relais Enterprise system and the first phase, enabling libraries to create requests through a web form, was implemented in December of the same year. The second phase of the project has now been completed, enabling interoperation between Libraries Australia Document Delivery (LADD) and Relais that allows both systems to exchange requests and messages based on the interlibrary loan ISO protocol. This phase took much longer than expected, involving software upgrades to both LADD and Relais, staffing changes and at least five rounds of testing before interoperation between the two systems finally commenced on 12 April 2007.
So what does this all mean? For the Document Supply Service, it means many improvements. The majority of requests are now received through a single system, whereas previously requests were received through three online systems (LADD, Online Computer Library Centre—or OCLC—and Shares) as well as by email, fax and mail. Interoperability between Relais and OCLC/Shares will be added during the final phase of the implementation. Relais has therefore simplified workflows significantly, making it easier to respond to queries and follow up problems. It has reduced training requirements and streamlined the request management processes, with staff now needing only to learn how to use Relais to be able to process all interlibrary loan and document delivery requests. In addition, Relais has a scanning program, so the scanning of documents is now integrated with request processing, and invoicing has been simplified, with a file of interlibrary loan activity being extracted each month and loaded into the financial management system. Relais has also streamlined the following up of missed or problem requests, and it enables the Library to produce quite complex usage reports.
For libraries, the impact of Relais will vary.
For LADD users, there are a few changes. For requesters, requests made to the National Library of Australia (ANL) will now be transmitted to Relais through the LADD gateway. This means no change to the way libraries currently request from ANL through LADD, but the ANL location will now appear as ‘IANL’ on the Preliminary rota on the Rota details screen when creating a request. In addition, the requesting library will receive a different cover sheet from the previous one for items supplied by the Document Supply Service. For suppliers, the ANL interlibrary loan/document delivery request number (which appears as the TGQ number on LADD) is now very different. It now has two components: a prefix and a number, e.g. COR-10010689, RUS-10010690, XPR-10010692, CDC-10010983 or CDP-10010985. To find ANL requests in LADD on the ILL Request Search screen, enter ‘IANL’ for a ‘Requester Symbol’ search. To find a specific request, search by TGQ and enter the entire prefix-number combination, e.g. ‘COR-10010689’. Requests from ANL will need to have the ‘GEDI’ parameter deselected next to ‘E Delivery Params’ before submitting on the final Shipping screen.
For libraries that usually send requests to the Document Supply Service by email, the website now offers the best option for requesting. It includes the ability to request a user-ID and password for accessing Relais, and with this user-ID the library is not only able to place requests easily, it can also track the request and find out its current status. For details visit the Document Supply Service website at http://www.nla.gov.au/dss.
For libraries that usually send fax requests, the website again offers the best option. If the request is urgent, select the appropriate service level.
For Copies Direct users there are no apparent changes, but behind the scenes the requests now feed directly into Relais, thereby speeding up the supplying process.
Overall, Relais has streamlined Document Supply Service workflows and processing requests is now much easier, while our client libraries should find requesting a faster and more efficient process. The final phase of implementation, due by December this year, will bring even more improvements to this service.
Margarita Moreno
Document Supply Service



