Prepare and plan
There are a few things you can do to prepare for your use of Tipasa.
Learn more in a training course: Introduction to Tipasa
Message Board
Use the Message Board located below the Quick Links section on the Tipasa home page to find information about scheduled system maintenance, training opportunities, ILL-related webinars, and other information about the ILL system.
Browser compatibility
Use the browser compatibility chart to ensure your systems are up to date and can support Tipasa.
OCLC Policies Directory
Add or update your records in the OCLC Policies Directory. The OCLC Policies Directory allows you to:
- Communicate to other libraries your library’s schedules, contacts, and collections, as well as lending and copying policies.
- Automatically deflect some lending requests based on criteria your library specifies.
Once logged in, on the home screen under Quick Links, click OCLC Policies Directory.
For more information, see OCLC Policies Directory. For training related to the OCLC Policies Directory, see:
- Establishing Policies in OCLC Policies Directory
- Basics of deflections
- Fine-tune your Policies and Deflections: A workshop
- Requires Community Center login.
OCLC Service Configuration
Administrative settings for Tipasa are maintained in OCLC Service Configuration. On the home screen, under Quick Links, click OCLC Service Configuration to go to Service Configuration. For more information on these settings, see OCLC Service Configuration settings.
| Configuration | Uses | Additional information | Training |
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Constant data (borrower data and lender data) |
Store frequently-used data, such as address information, and apply it to requests. |
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| Custom Holdings groups and paths |
Automatically build lender strings, which are libraries to which your borrowing request will be sent, based on your preferred lenders. Also used for deflections and for lending priorities groups and proven senders. |
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| Automated Request Manager | Automate the processing of new borrowing requests. |
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Automations and Smart fulfillment
Increase the speed of delivery of materials based on policy data, lending history, licensing agreements, format preferences, and more.
Refer to Smart fulfillment for more information. For training related to Smart fulfillment, see Automate your Request Process: A workshop (Requires Community Center login).
Automations allow library staff to configure automated ILL workflows. Automations are composed of match criteria you define along with actions you want the system to perform on matched requests. This automated process selects the fastest lenders to get resources into the hands of users quickly.
Print settings
Add your logo to book straps. See Print for more information.
For training related to printing, see:
Additional features
Find information about additional Tipasa features that you and your staff may want to learn more about as you begin.
| Feature | Uses | Additional information | Training |
|---|---|---|---|
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Borrowing workflows |
Efficiently process new requests from your library’s patrons. |
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| Lending workflows | Efficiently process lending requests from other libraries. | ||
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Interlibrary Loan Fee Management (IFM) |
Reconcile resource-sharing charges and payments with other libraries through their monthly OCLC invoice. |
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| Document Delivery | From the Document Delivery queue, fill requests with items from your own collection or choose to use this as an opportunity to educate patrons on how to search your collection more effectively. | ||
| Proven Senders | Designate individual lenders who provide good quality documents as proven senders. Proven Senders can be combined with automations to allow patrons to receive copies as soon as the lenders scan and send them. See Automated Request Manager for more information. | ||
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Reports |
Track metrics, spot trends, and monitor your library’s Tipasa usage |
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