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Administrative Set-Up Guide for SILC: A Guide for Experienced FirstSearch Administrators
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The Statewide Illinois Library Catalog (SILC) provides access to the collections of Illinois libraries through a single, easy-to-search database, with the ability to expand your search to a subgroup of Illinois libraries, all Illinois libraries or the world through the WorldCat database. The result: an easy way to search SILC and find the materials you need.
SILC will be available through your OCLC FirstSearch account, including access to WorldCat and other databases provided by the Illinois State Library or your library.
Through SILC, you may:
§ See holdings for your own and other participating Illinois libraries
§ Expand your searches to all Illinois libraries and all of WorldCat at the global level
§ Ensure consistent search results with a single, rich set of indexes
Important Changes
The following five areas are particularly important to you and/or your library’s FirstSearch administrator:
- Changes OCLC will make to your library’s FirstSearch account to optimize SILC
- Actions you can take now to prepare for changes to your library’s FirstSearch account
- Suggested changes to further customize SILC
- Setting up direct links into SILC
- Activating Patron OCLC ILL within FirstSearch
1. Changes OCLC will make to your library’s FirstSearch account to optimize SILC
On behalf of libraries participating in SILC, OCLC will be modifying FirstSearch accounts through the FirstSearch administrative module. We will change the following:
- Colors: The color scheme used in the group catalog will be blue. All users of SILC will see this uniform view.
- Logo: The logo for SILC will appear in the upper left-hand corner of the search screen. It is the same logo found at the top of this page. The text in the upper left corner will read: Statewide Illinois Library Catalog. The logo is persistent throughout the session. It can be viewed at: http://www.eliillinois.org/silc/images/silclogo.jpg. In addition, the logo itself will be a hotlink to http://findit.ilsos.net/OCLC/, which is an information page for SILC.
- Display All Libraries: This functionality will be set to ON. This specifies that users can display holdings information for all libraries, not limited to the group holdings.
- SILC database default: Patrons will automatically search all participating Illinois libraries in their regional system with the ability to change their search to another subgroup or expand their search to all Illinois libraries or WorldCat. If your library is not part of a regional system, patrons will automatically search all Illinois libraries with the ability to change search to subgroups or expand to WorldCat.
- Custom Web Links: Up to three custom links to Web sites will appear in the upper right-hand corner of SILC. (Note: Existing links will not be overwritten.) These links offer users the ability to quickly link to:
o Find-it Illinois: http://www.finditillinois.org/
o IL State Library Catalog: http://library.ilcso.illinois.edu/isl
o IL State Library Page: http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/library/home.html
- Web OPAC links: If your library participates in a consortial catalog within the regional library systems, OCLC will add links to the regional system’s Web OPAC. The links will allow users to link to item-level shelf status information. (Note: Existing Web OPAC links will not be overwritten.) For more information on Web OPAC links, click below:
2. Actions you can take now to prepare for changes to your library’s FirstSearch account
Your library needs to take no action if you haven’t customized the aspects of FirstSearch mentioned in the previous section; OCLC will make these changes to your FirstSearch administrative module. However, if your library has already customized these or other aspects of FirstSearch, you may wish to note those settings. We suggest that you review your library’s FirstSearch settings and print the site map of the FirstSearch administrative module, so that you’ll have a record of your current settings.
More about the FirstSearch administrative module: You may customize your FirstSearch account through your FirstSearch administrative module. To access the administrative module, go to: http://firstsearch.oclc.org/admin and enter your administrative log on and password. For complete instructions on using the administrative module, go to: www.oclc.org/support/documentation/firstsearch/managing/adminref
To view or print your current settings for screens OCLC will modify:
1. In the FirstSearch administrative module (http://firstsearch.oclc.org/admin),
click the Site Map/Print link in the upper, right-hand corner of the screen.
The system displays the Site Map/Print screen.
2. Click the box in the Display column for the following screens:
§ Your Library
§ User Interface Colors
§ Library Holdings
§ Web Library Catalogs
A check mark appears in each box that you selected.
3. Click the Display button.
The system displays the Print screen that lists the settings for each screen that you selected.
3. Suggested changes to further customize SILC
In order to maximize your experience with SILC, your library may want to consider further customizing the FirstSearch Web site for your patrons through the FirstSearch administrative module:
- Shelf status information: Help your users find items in your library by providing them with shelf status information. This feature lets you add a link to your library's Web OPAC or Z39.50 catalog from SILC, allowing users to link to item-level shelf status information. For more information on Web and Z39.50 OPACs, please click below.
o Web OPAC
- Adding your own logo and URLs for branding: When your users log on to SILC, a logo will appear in the upper left-hand corner of the screen. You can further brand the FirstSearch service with your library’s logo, making your users aware that they’re searching the Illinois Group Catalog through your library. Click here for more information on branding.
- Changing search settings: Simplify searching for your users by choosing the default search screen they’ll use to search SILC: Basic, Advanced or Expert. Click here for more information on search settings.
§ Customization: Customization can be done using the FirstSearch administrative module at http://firstsearch.oclc.org/admin. You’ll need to log on with your FirstSearch Administrative authorization and password. Please contact ILLINET/OCLC for more information.
For complete FirstSearch documentation, please visit: http://www.oclc.org/support/documentation/firstsearch/
4. Setting up direct links in SILC from your Web site
You may configure access to your group catalog using one or both of these methods:
A. Automatic Log on Method using IP-address recognition: IP-address recognition lets your users click on links on your library's Web pages to access FirstSearch and your group catalog automatically without typing in the FirstSearch authorization number and password. Once you set up IP-address recognition through the FirstSearch administrative module, the following links will provide same seamless entry to the group catalog. The following links are special IP-address recognition URL’s, which should not require any additional editing. Once you have IP address recognition set up, place the appropriate link from below, on your library’s Web page.
NOTE: Please remember that there are no hard returns in the URL.
Statewide Illinois Library Catalog: This is a FirstSearch IP address recognition line that logs a registered IP address on as an Illinois library patron.
http://firstsearch.oclc.org/fsip?db=IllinoisCatalog&screen=basic
Remember, these links work only for users who access the group catalog from a workstation with an IP address that you specified. (FirstSearch Admin à Authentication/Access à IP-address recognition).
For more information on configuring IP-address recognition, please visit: http://www.oclc.org/firstsearch/documentation/ip/
B. Remote Log on Method using WebScripts: A user accessing your library's Web pages from a remote location cannot use IP-address recognition to log on to FirstSearch if the user's IP address is not recognized. Remote access is supported by WebScript automatic log on scripting. It is recommended that you consult your library's system administrator to determine the best method for providing remote access to FirstSearch.
To offer the WebScript automatic log on process, an institution must have the following:
§ A CGI 1.1-compliant HTTP server running at your site
§ Permission to execute the CGI scripts and the WebScript application
§ A system administrator with knowledge of CGI
In the Script Package OCLC provides the WebScript CGI application and a FirstSearch script template. The system administrator will need to modify the script template to create a script for your institution.
For more information on WebScript, please visit http://www.oclc.org/firstsearch/documentation/auto_logon.htm
5. Activating Patron OCLC ILL within FirstSearch
When you turn on ILL access within FirstSearch, your library’s users can click a text link on a resource citation and go directly to a Web form that lets them request the resource themselves.
You decide how requests are handled, by database. You can send the request to the OCLC ILL review file for staff review, submit to OCLC ILL Direct Request or send to the e-mail address of your choice. In WorldCat, you can even enable access by document type, so that users are not offered the ILL option for items such as archival material.
Turning on ILL access is easy, for complete instructions go to the Quick Start Guide at: www.oclc.org/ill/migration/quickstart_illuserrequests.pdf
Also, you can refer to the ILL Set-Up Guide for SILC: A Guide for New FirstSearch Administrators.
If you have further questions about SILC, please contact ILLNET/OCLC:
Connie Frankenfeld, cfrankenfeld@ilsos.net, 217-782-5432
Suzanne Schriar, sschriar@ilsos.net, 217-785-1533