Network-based interlibrary loan in the international environment: a report on the activitiesof OCLC EuropeAuthor(s): David BuckleSource: Fontes Artis Musicae, Vol. 35, No. 3 (Juli-September 1988), pp. 184-189Published by: International Association of Music Libraries, Archives, and Documentation Centres(IAML)Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/23507464 .

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184 D. Buckle: Network-based interlibrary loan in the international environment

Related to these are the magazines devoted to the organ. The oldest was the periodical De

Schalmei; tweemaandelijks tijdschrift voor Organisten, published between 1946 and 1950 by organ

player Gabriel Verschraegen. From 1952 until 1972 it was continued by De Praestant; driemaande

lijks tijdschrift voor orgelcultuur in de Nederlanden, directed by Flor Peeters and with Titus Tim

merman as chief editor. A few years later the torch was handed on to Orgelkunst, with organ

player Kamiel D'Hooghe as chief editor; whereas L'organiste; organe de l'Union wallonne des or

ganistes, published since 1968, was its counterpart in the French-speaking part of the country. Secular choral singing too is represented by some journals which are however not discussed in de

tail: Bulletin delà Fédération des sociétés chorales (1925—1940), De Zanger (1930—33), De Koor

zanger (1932—34), Canto (1959—1965) and ANZ-Mededelingen (1973— ). Some composers —

not necessarily of Belgian origin —

enjoyed the privilege of having their own journal or yearbook :

Between 1902 and 1907 the Jaarboek van het Peter Benoit-fonds was published and the Associa

tion wagnérienne de Belgique edited the Feuilles wagnériennes from 1960 up to 1966. Published

between 1978 and 1981 by Les Amis belges d Albert Roussel, an initiative of public notary André

Peeters, were the Cahiers Albert Roussel. In 1981, the Association Kodâly de la Communauté

française de Belgique began with Le Paon.

Finally there are the periodicals or information journals published by concert associations

(Agenda musical), opera-theatres (Prologue) or broadcasting corporations (Cléspour la musique,

1969—1976; Muziek en woord, (1974— ) and magazines devoted to the development of new li

stening techniques and discographie news. A precursor in this field was Le Magazine du disque,

published by Paul Michel, (Ghent, 1931); later on followed by Microsillons (1955-56), Discorama illustré (1959) and especially Revue des disques (1950—80) where Clément Dailly, Marcel Doisy and others published their authoritative reviews of records. Platen kiezen (1966-1970) presented Flanders with the best discographie information.

As a general conclusion we can establish the fact that a rather small country like Belgium with

some 300 music periodicals has contributed significantly to the study of music life, both in the inte

rior and abroad. True enough, a number of magazines are only of local interest and various jour nals were only published for a short period of time. But then again, others have reached an inter

national level and the countless information they present us with each day while doing our re

search, gives sufficient evidence of their value. The Belgian music periodicals may be considered

as a spectrum where so many tendencies and points of interest have found an outlet. In our coun

try, their contribution to cultural education in general and musical taste in particular cannot be

underestimated.

Network-based interlibrary loan in the international environment: a report on the activities of OCLC Europe* David Buckle (Birmingham)*

Describes the functions of the OCLC Interlibrary Loan (ILL) subsystem within the context of the extensive

range of online library services derived from the rich bibliographic resource of more than 18 million titles and 290 million locations of those titles. The bibliographic data are analyseifby type of material, date of publica

Paper given at a meeting of the Project Group on the Universal Availability of Publications in Amsterdam, June 1987. David Buckle is Managing Director of OCLC Europe.

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D. Buckle: Network-based interlibrary loan in the international environment 185

tion and language. Reviews the international strategy being pursued by OCLC to enable libraries to share re

sources with each other in the Americas, Europe and the Asian/Pacific regions, and offers a particular analysis of that strategy in a number of countries in Europe.«

Interlibrary Lending In the United States the OCLC Interlibrary Loan Subsystem became de facto a "national" sys

tem. Other countries, particularly here in Europe, developed structures quite different for this

purpose. Each of those systems, whether based on a national database, national library or other

research institution, still has a requirement for accessing both bibliographic information, holdings information and the documents themselves which it cannot satisfy within its own national resour

ces. The national centres in the United Kingdom (British Library Document Supply Centre); France (Bibliothèque Nationale Centre de Prêt); Denmark (Statsbiblioteket Aarhus); and Can

ada (National Library of Canada) together with individual libraries in Finland, Denmark and

West Germany now utilise the OCLC database for interlending and we hope will actively work

with us in planning and defining the next generation of our interlending system in order that we

may more effectively support their users.

For those of you not familiar with the OCLC Interlibrary Loan Service, let me quickly describe

it to you. The OCLC Interlibrary Loan (ILL) Subsystem provides an efficient cost-effective way for libraries to expand services and share resources. Such features as online creating, transmitting

and responding to loan requests enable staff to bypass many of the labour-intensive tasks tradition

ally associated with processing ILL requests, resulting in faster loan processing. The subsystem

first became available in 1979. It now has more than 3,100 users, including nine national centres in

Europe, who send an average of 55,000 requests per week. There are nearly 243 million locations

attached to the more than 15 million bibliographic records in the OCLC database. A borrowing

library may request a specific item from up to five potential lenders. The ILL Subsystem auto

matically forwards the request to each of the selected libraries in turn until the request is filled.

Borrowing and lending libraries may update an online record of the request from the time the re

quest is made until the transaction is completed. A message file keeps both borrowing and lending

libraries informed of the status of the request. The OCLC Online Union Catalogue enables a library to verify ILL requests in an expanding

database of bibliographic records. Having located a record for an item, the borrowing library then

requests a workform and selects potential lenders. In most cases there is a list of symbols which

identify holding libraries attached to each record, from which a library may choose up to five lend

ers for each request. The system automatically transfers bibliographic information from the On

line Union Catalogue onto an online ILL record, together with information about the borrowing

library which is stored in a "constant data" file. This virtually eliminates the need to type any infor

mation onto the ILL workform.

The system forwards the request to the first potential lender. If the library does not respond af

firmatively within four working days, the system sends the request to the next potential lender,

and so on until the request is filled. Using a variety of search keys, the library can check the status

of the request in the system's transaction file, and there is a message file to draw attention to new

requests, recall and renewal notices, and other important information. Online messages appear

in borrowers' and lenders' files simultaneously. After a lender agrees to supply the item, the sys

tem automatically transfers routinely used information such as shipping date, due date and return

address to the online record. The lender may add any other information concerning restrictions on

use, borrowing charges, and special notes. The lender then ships the item. The system updates the

ILL record and automatically transmits this information to the borrowing library. The

system automatically notifies borrowers and lenders when items are overdue, and queries wheth

er items have been received. Loan transactions can be accessed in many ways, including title, au

thor/title, and ILL transaction number (system-supplied). Borrowing libraries can retrieve re

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186 D. Buckle: Network-based interlibrary loan in the international environment

cords by borrower's name or by the library's own assigned ILL serial number. Lenders can retrieve

records by local class number.

ILL is supported by an online Name-Address Directory which provides up-to-date information

on addresses and lending policies of ILL Subsystem users. The ILL Subsystem provides access to

document suppliers such as the British Library Document Supply Center (formerly the British

Library Lending Division), the Center for Research Libraries, the Centre de Prêt at the Biblio

thèque Nationale, University Microfilms International, Chemical Abstracts Service, and the Uni

versal Serials and Book Exchange (USBE). Monthly statistical reports on libraries' borrowing and lending activities are available.

The Online Union Database is a bibliographic resource as well as an interlending tool. The val

ue not only of current cataloguing but also retrospective conversion for world wide resource shar

ing is immense. Perhaps this is particularly so in the areas of printed music and sound recordings which may be rather less represented in traditional national databases. OCLC has a special place in the history of online cataloguing of music. OCLC was the first bibliographic utility to make the

Library of Congress MARC music format available (in 1976) with the Library of Congress only be

ginning distribution of music records in MARC format in 1984. Music librarians have by their ac

tive participation in the various users groups and in particular in the OCLC Music Users Group been instrumental in the building of this area of the database and in the setting of input standards.

OCLC has also been most responsive to the needs of music librarians and I am sure that they would agree that the introduction of the music publisher's number index was an important step for

ward. Statistics show that there are consistently 2-3,000 music publisher number searches perform ed each day making it the fourth most used number search (after OCLC number, LCCN and

ISBN). Statistics are useful and on 11th April 1987 there were in the OCLC database: 440,421 sound

recordings records (2.96 %), and 306,195 music scores (2.08 %). I referred to OCLC's twin resources of its database and network. The international network is

not only important in allowing access to the bibliographic records and holdings information and

the traditional OCLC subsystems such as cataloguing and interlibrary loan but also in its potential for linking databases to create international and supra national databases and networks which will

ultimately provide the infrastructure for an international academic scholarly network to facilitate

resource sharing and information exchange on a global basis. Such plans are not simply realised

and are seldom realisable by one institution or indeed one country. OCLC's international strategy has been developed on the basis of our assessment of library needs in North America, Europe, and elsewhere and have to be tempered by our pragmatic assessment of what may be realised and

what may be delivered through our systems and network architectures. It has also been developed

by working together with other national institutions and organisations with similar goals for mu

tual benefit. OCLC has therefore been sensitive to the importance of language, standards and tra

ditions including existing networks. In addition OCLC has encouraged and fostered and, of

course, adopted the emerging international standards so necessary in addressing an international

library community.

However, the utilisation of interlending systems is only one of the rewards derived from a much

more fundamental and long term activity of international cooperation and exchange of bibliogra

phic data, expertise and the search for standards.

Progress In the Federal Republic of Germany we have entered into an accord with the Deutsches Biblio

theksinstitut to explore ways in which both the library communities we serve may benefit by shar

ing bibliographic and other resources. The usefulness of the OCLC bibliographic resource was

determined by data contributed by seven university and research libraries, which were selected by the Deutsches Bibliotheksinstitut and included the Staatsbibliothek Preussischer Kulturbesitz, Berlin, the Library of the Free University of Berlin, the Library of the Technical University of Ber

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D. Buckle: Network-based interlibrary loan in the international environment 187

lin, the University Library of Düsseldorf, the University Library of Heidelberg, the University Li

brary of Tubingen and the University Library of Essen. An evaluation was also conducted in asso

ciation with a number of OCLC member libraries in the United States which accessed the serials

database (Zeitschriftendatenbank) maintained online by the Deutsches Bibliotheksinstitut. The

results of both evaluations have been most encouraging and we look forward to working with the

Deutsches Bibliotheksinstitut now that its Verbund Katalog of Monographs is online to assist in

the large programme of retrospective conversion to be undertaken in the Federal Republic of Ger

many. OCLC has also concluded an agreement with the United States Army libraries in Europe, which has its headquarters in Heidelberg. This online cataloguing service supports 107 libraries

throughout Europe.

An evaluation similar to that conducted at the Deutsches Bibliotheksinstitut was also conduct

ed with PICA (Bibliotheek-Automatisering) in The Netherlands. The libraries participating in cluded the Zeeland Public Library, Middelburg; the Catholic University, Tilburg; Tilburg Public

Library, the Royal Library, the Dutch Bibliography, and Groningen University Library. On aver

age, during the evaluation, about fifty percent of the data searched for was retrieved from the

PICA database. The unsuccessful searches were passed to the OCLC database. Fifty percent of

the titles searched for on the OCLC database resulted in hits, adding in real terms an average of

twenty-five percent more titles retrieved for the participating libraries. Utilizing both the PICA

database and the OCLC database, the libraries on average increased their coverage from 50 % to

75 %, a very significant result. OCLC and PICA are currently negotiating an agreement which

will establish OCLC as the PICA database of secondary resource.

Evaluations undertaken in France are perhaps the most extensive to date. Separate evaluations

were conducted at the Bibliothèque Nationale, at libraries under the responsibility of the Mini

stère de l'Éducation Nationale and the Direction du Livre et de la Lecture. An Accord was conclud

ed between the Ministère de l'Éducation Nationale which resulted in a number of initiatives and

agreements in the Autumn, 1986. An Agreement was concluded with the Bibliothèque Nationale

for the use of the OCLC Interlending Service by the Centre de Prêt. A separate Agreement was

concluded with the Direction du Livre et de la Lecture to undertake an evaluation of the OCLC

database at the Bibliothèque publique de Massy, the Bibliothèque publique de Rouen and the Bi

bliothèque publique d'Information. These evaluations were only recently completed and we

await a report and recommendations from the Direction du Livre et de la Lecture.

Perhaps the most exciting Agreement (about) to be concluded is with the Direction des Biblio

thèques des Musées et de l'Information Scientifique et Technique (DBMIST), to work in associa

tion with L'École Nationale Supérieure des Bibliothèques Serveur Universitaire Nationale pour l'Information Scientifique et Technique (SUNIST), which enables the sixty-five university libra

ries of France to undertake their cataloguing online using the OCLC database and cataloguing

subsystem. During the next five years all these libraries will be brought online. OCLC will provide

all their required catalogue output, will provide machine readable data in support of their local on

line catalogues and will also supply their bibliographic data to SUNIST, which will maintain an on

line union database in France, to be used for resource sharing, particularly interlending. The

initial five year programme requires all of the university libraries to undertake their current cata

loguing online with OCLC, many will also embark on major retrospective conversion program

mes using OCLC's offline conversion service MICROCON.

In Belgium the Université Libre de Bruxelles is also using the OCLC MICROCON Service for

the conversion of their catalogue into machine readable form. This program is one of the largest

conversion projects using our MICROCON Service. Over400,000 titles are expected to be convert

ed within the next three years. The Université Libre de Bruxelles has also recently contracted

with OCLC to use our Reference Service which will enable them to search the OCLC database

online and retrieve data; this will enable the library to gain immediate access to the database in

support of their offline conversion programme.

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188 D. Buckle: Network-based interlibrary loan in the international environment

Similarly, the University of Barcelona has concluded an Agreement to embark upon an exten

sive retrospective conversion programme. Initially the University Library is processing off-line

using the MICROCON service. It expects to start current catalogue processing online within the

next few months. In Portugal the National Library has an extensive library automation pro

gramme under development. At the centre of this programme is the catalogue of the National Li

brary which it proposes to convert into machine readable form. This machine readable database

is envisaged as the national resource for the conversion of the catalogues of the major public libra

ries and the university libraries in Portugal. OCLC is in the process of establishing a six months

evaluation of its database by the National Library. The National Library plans to establish an in

itial machine readable database online some time early in 1988.

In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland forty academic and research libraries cur

rently utilise the OCLC bibliographic database. These include The British Library; twenty Univer

sity Libraries, which include five of the consortium of University Research Libraries (CURL), the Universities of Oxford, Manchester, Leeds, Glasgow and Edinburgh, thirteen college libraries

and six corporate libraries. OCLC works closely with the British Library Document Supply

Centre, which uses our Interlending System, to both make and receive requests. We also work

closely with the British Library Research and Development Department Jointly appraising research

programs and jointly funding some of those programs. We similarly work with the British Library

Bibliographic Services Division in the exchange of MARC data. OCLC has a growing relations

hip with the regional library bureaux in the United Kingdom. OCLC has been invited to partici

pate in the British Library funded VISCOUNT project which is managed by LASER (London and the South Eastern Region) and which includes the National Library of Scotland, the British

Library Document Supply Centre, the North-West Regional Library Bureau and the South-West

Regional Library Bureau. The project will determine the feasibility of establishing a national on

line interlending system in the United Kingdom. The OCLC database is being evaluated as a se

condary resource.

OCLC is also working with the Vatican Library in determining how to assist them to convert

some of their rare and rich collections into machine readable form. OCLC is conducting an evalua

tion of the MICROCON service at the Vatican Lilbrary to assist them in converting their more re

cent acquisitions and to enable them to build a machine readable database for their recently acquir ed online local library system.

In the Scandinavian countries OCLC is at different stages in establishing working relationships with libraries. In Sweden we have concluded an Agreement with Bibliotheksjanst AB (BTJ) to

enable them to utilise the OCLC database online. BTJ serves the public and school lilbraries of

Sweden, it uses the OCLC database as a reference resource and authority file. As you well know

the University, College and Research Libraries in Sweden are served by a national network and bib

liographic database which is managed by LIB RIS. LIBRIS has recently agreed to participate is

an evaluation of the OCLC database. The evaluation will be conducted at a number of university libraries over a period of six months. The intention of this evaluation, like others in Europe, is to

determine the value of the OCLC database as a secondary resource. Similar evaluations are plan ned in Denmark, Norway and Iceland. In Denmark the State and University Library (Statsbiblio

teket) at Aarhus is already regularly using the OCLC Interlending System as do libraries in Finland.

An increasing number of library schools in Europe are accessing the OCLC systems and data

base for teaching purposes. This service is part of OCLC's educational program which may be used

by the library schools free of any OCLC charges. There are therefore a wide variety of ways in which

libraries in Europe perceive their interest in and ambition to work in partnership with the library communities of the United States and to share and utilise their respective rich bibliographic resour ces. OCLC merely acts as a conduit to achieve their goals. I am confident that significant mutual benefit will result from an association between these library communities. I am certain that the results of the evaluations conducted by OCLC will demonstrate the validity of that confidence. The future that all these library communities look forward to is, I think, exciting. OCLC with its

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M. Bliss: Indexing policy a t RILM 189

long experience and emphasis on research as a not-for-profit organisation will offer an increasingly attractive range of products and services to its international membership. The New OCLC Online

System and Network; the introduction this year of CD-ROM based products and our development of electronic publishing and document delivery systems for the future are, I believe, the founda

tions for a vast international collaborative information service for scholars and researchers that

will go far beyond bibliographic processing and interlibrary lending and borrowing, but this is a

subject for future discussion.

Indexing policy at RILM - present perspectives and future prospects* Marilyn Bliss (RILM International Office New York)*

The RILM index incorporates an author and a subject index. The author index is automatically generated, the subject index is not; terms are selected from the RILM Thesaurus, which provides controlled subject ac

cess. New terms are added if it is felt that a topic is not adequately treated, or not easily found. RILM is also

available via the online Lockheed DIALOG database, which uses free text and boolean searching techniques. Different search strategies are used for the printed index and the online index.

Abstracts about non-European cultures take longer to index than others, due to undefined and unfamiliar

terminology. It is helpful, therefore, if the abstractors in such areas can supply clarification and explanatory notes for names of composers, instruments, manuscripts, etc. to assist the non-specialist. In each succeeding RILM volume, more information is contained about non-European cultures.

Introduction

RILM Abstracts of Music Literature has recently completed its 15 th volume of yearly compila tions of significant literature published on music. Coverage has grown tremendously

— from 2532

abstracts in Volume I to 6742 abstracts in Volume XV. RILM's third cumulative index, covering vo

lumes XI-XV, must provide access to over 31,000 abstracts of material as wide-ranging as the

world of music itself. This paper will explain RILM's indexing process and philosophy, compare search techniques between the printed index and the DIALOG database, and especially explore

indexing of material outside of the mainstream of European culture.

Components of the printed RILM Index

The RILM index incorporates two types of indexes; the author index and the subject index.

These two indexes are generated separately and merged in the fourth issue of each volume. The

author index is automatically generated and includes the following: authors of books, articles, dis

sertations, etc.; editors and translators; reviewers; and composers, when a musical edition is pre

sented or reviewed. After automatic generation and alphabetization, the author index is proofread

for possible mistakes or inconsistencies, such as the use of initials instead of full given names.

These inconsistencies are then resolved using RILM's previously accumulated information in

combination with appropriate primary source materials. The second, and much more problematic,

index is the subject index. This is not a computer-generated index. Each term included in the

subject index is chosen by the indexer in accordance with indexing policy as outlined in the RILM

English-language thesaurus.

: Paper given at a meeting of the Project Group on Classification & Indexing in Amsterdam, June 1987.

Marilyn bliss is inaex t-cutor 01 kilm ADsiracis.

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