Local Cataloging, Editing, and Updates

With few exceptions, all cataloging, edits and updates in bibliographic, item, order and checkin records automatically go from the local catalog to the union catalog.

New orders, new cataloging, circulation activity, changes in order and item status, and similar transactions are reflected in the union catalog within a few seconds after completion at the local site.

Union catalog software filters out additions and changes that aren't needed in the union catalog bib. record, institution linking field or institution records. For example, local notes (590) in the bibliographic record, and price, fund, and vendor information from the order record are not retained in the union catalog.

The central machine will not retain information when the record is coded for non-contribution.

When a local site deletes a record, the central machine will fetch another bibliographic record to use for other institutions that are attached to that record.

Special considerations

Call numbers. Prior to Rel.. 2001, changes to bibliographic call number fields were not automatically reflected in the union catalog. Explanation: The union catalog stores local call number information in the institution records. When the bib. record is sent to the union catalog for the first time, the call number is mapped to appropriate item and checkin fields in the institution record. Subsequent call number changes in bib. records at the local site did not "find and replace" information in the institution record fields. For call number updates made before installing Rel.2001 on the local system: To change the call number in the union catalog, cause a transaction in every item and/or checkin record attached to the bib. record. Those item and checkin transactions will cause the corresponding institution record fields, in the union catalog, to be updated with the new call number. The transaction may be, for example, changing the ICODE1 value, to exactly what it was. In some cases, the local system will realize that no real change has been made. To tell whether the local system recognizes and will process the item and/or checkin transactions, look for the message Make the change permanent? when quitting out of the record. Or use the option to "Send records to Orbis" in Database Maintenance module.

Journal title fields. Prior to the merger of the Orbis and Cascade catalogs, Orbis required a specific field separate from the title field to index to the Journal Title Index (JTI). Two fields are eligible for the Journal Title Index: 222 and 229. For detailed information, see the document titled Journal Title Index and Journal Title Fields.   Subsequent to the merger, the JTI was phased out and Scoping was installed, limiting to records coded as “serial” in BCode1.

Batch updates. Some projects, including those orchestrated by Innovative to make large-scale changes or batch edits, may require special attention to send appropriate transactions from the local to the central machine. Notify the union catalog specialist at Alliance or at Innovative to be certain that appropriate steps are taken when necessary.

Last updated: January 10, 2005

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