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DOCLINE® Eligibility Guidelines

Introduction: General Information about DOCLINE

DOCLINE is the National Library of Medicine's (NLM) automated interlibrary loan (ILL) request routing and order referral system. The DOCLINE system was developed to improve document delivery service by linking the journal holdings of member libraries and by routing the requests quickly throughout the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM).

Eligibility Guidelines for new DOCLINE Libraries

Health sciences libraries and libraries at institutions with a health sciences mission are eligible to apply for access to NLM's DOCLINE system. Libraries may also be invited to join DOCLINE as part of their affiliation with the NN/LM, as either a full member or as an affiliate member (your RML office can help to determine what level of membership is best for your institution). Each potential DOCLINE library in the U.S. must contact the Regional Medical Library (RML) in its region to determine its level of eligibility and to apply for participation. The phone number for all regions is: 800-338-7657 (800-338-RMLs).  Commercial document delivery vendors are not eligible for participation in DOCLINE.

Libraries in Canada should contact the Canada Institute for Scientific and Technical Information (CISTI).

Libraries in Mexico should contact Ms. Ruicha Mishra at the Houston Academy of Medicine Texas Medical Center Library or call (713)799-7880 for information about DOCLINE participation.

Currently, libraries located outside of the U.S., Canada, or Mexico are not eligible for DOCLINE membership. 

Libraries interested in requesting ILL from the National Library of Medicine that are not eligible for DOCLINE should consult NLM's ILL home page for more information.

DOCLINE Application Process

All potential DOCLINE applicants should follow these procedures:

  1. Contact your Regional Medical Library (RML) by email or telephone (800-338-7657).
  2. Let the RML determine the best level of membership in the NN/LM for your institution (full member or affiliate member).
  3. Let the RML establish an Institution record and set up a user account for your institution. Each library may choose its own login code and password.
  4. Provide all data for every category of information in the newly created Institution record, and establish a routing table.
  5. Submit serial holdings to DOCLINE within three (3) months of becoming an active participant.

DOCLINE Responsibilities of Members of the National Network of Libraries of Medicine

Network Members agree to:

  1. Contact the Regional Medical Library (RML) to become a DOCLINE participant and to establish a system account.
  2. Comply with the minimum system requirements for DOCLINE
  3. Comply with copyright laws governing your country or legal jurisdiction.
  4. Protect the system from unauthorized access and use.
  5. Provide and maintain all data for an accurate institution record in DOCLINE.
  6. Log in to DOCLINE daily to receipt requests or to update the status of loan requests. Maintain awareness of the DOCLINE system-applied time limits for receipts and updates.
  7. Create and maintain an appropriate routing table in DOCLINE, and review it annually.
  8. Enter and maintain holdings in DOCLINE Serial Holdings for which libraries have rights to provide interlibrary loan, reviewing titles at least annually.
  9. Submit new serial titles to be added to LocatorPlus to NLM.
  10. Notify the regional DOCLINE coordinator of any changes in the library's status (network membership, closings/mergers, consortia membership changes, etc.).
  11. Submit suggestions for system enhancements to NLM when appropriate.
  12. Subscribe to NLM's DOCLINE-L email discussion list to receive communications about DOCLINE.