NEWS FROM OCLC
Submitted to OLAC for ALA Annual, June 2005
By Jay Weitz
OCLC Terminologies Pilot
OCLC is exploring a service that provides access to multiple controlled vocabularies for libraries, museums, and archives to create consistent metadata for their collections. Selected mappings between vocabularies are provided to assist in relating terminology. The service would provide one-stop access to terminology resources and would be accessible through any Web-based metadata editor. OCLC Connexion Browser and Client users will incorporate this potential service into their workflow during the pilot period, June-July 2005. During the pilot, OCLC will conduct market research (in the form of online surveys and/or phone interviews) to solicit feedback from participants. As a result of the pilot, OCLC expects to gain insight on how better to serve user needs for a terminologies service. The technology for this pilot project is provided by OCLC Research using a new framework from Microsoft. For more information about the pilot, a Website is also accessible at <http://www.oclc.org/productworks/terminologiespilot.htm>. The Web page has a list of current terminologies used in the pilot, links to the terminologies on the OCLC Office of Research Terminologies Services Website, and the work instructions for the Connexion Client and Browser. Note that the link to the actual terminologies is not available to anyone outside of the pilot participants.
Connexion Changes, June 2005
On June 4, 2005, OCLC completed maintenance changes to the OCLC Connexion service that have an impact on both Connexion Browser and Connexion Client users. Among the changes:
- Add Call Numbers/Subject Headings to Master Records
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Catalogers can now add a call number or subject heading(s) on a master database record, regardless of their library's profile, as long as that call number or subject heading scheme is not already present in the record. For example, if the library is profiled to add LC subject headings only, catalogers can now add NLM subject headings as long there are no NLM subject headings present in the record.
- Validation
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In some cases, the system previously automatically changed the tag and/or subfield for some validation errors. The system will now report these issues as validation errors so that catalogers can resolve the errors as needed. For example, prior to this change in validation practice, if an invalid ISBN or ISSN was entered, the system automatically moved the data to subfield $z; with the change in validation practice, the data fails with a validation error and the cataloger can determine if the data was entered incorrectly or if it should be moved to subfield $z. Another example includes entering multiple occurrences on non-repeatable tags: In the past, if a cataloger entered two 245 tags, the system automatically changed the second one to a 246 tag; now the data fails validation and the cataloger can determine how to resolve the tagging issue.
- Validation error messages have been updated to include the occurrence numbers for tags and subfields, the position of the data, and MARC designations for the fixed field and 006. Additional validation changes will be included with Connexion Client 1.40 (July).
- In Connexion Client, if a cataloger edits an unlocked record and plans to replace it, s/he no longer receives a validation error message on an element that s/he is authorized to add, change, or delete. For example, if a cataloger has a CONSER or National Enhance authorization, s/he can now add, change or delete field 042 and validate without receiving a validation error on the record.
- Format of Data
- In some cases, the system automatically fixes the format of data such as changing lowercase and uppercase values for fixed field elements. For example, if a lowercase "k" is entered for the Encoding Level, the system automatically changes this to uppercase "K." This will continue to work in the Connexion Browser; however, Connexion Client 1.30 users must enter this type of data in the correct format or records will fail validation. Connexion Client version 1.40 (July) will resolve this issue.
- Replaced Date in Bibliographic Records
- The "Replaced Date" in bibliographic records in the Connexion Browser now includes the full timestamp instead of just the year, month, and date. This is the same format that is included in the 005 field in exported records, and it matches how authority records display. Connexion Client users will see the full "Replaced Date" in Client 1.40 (July).
- Authorities 040
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When an authority record is replaced, the library's MARC Organization Code is now added to the 040 subfield $d.
LC Adding Machine-Generated Contents Notes
On February 1, 2005, the Library of Congress began enriching bibliographic records with scanned table of contents (TOC) data in field 505, adding information that was previously available only via 856 links. The 505 data will be generated from theTOC information and supplied by computer program. It will be preceded by the label, "Machine-generated contents note:". The 505 indicators for these machine-generated notes will be set to "8" (No display constant generated) and "blank" (Basic; single occurrence of subfield $a). Since the scanned TOCs come in a wide variety of formats and structures, some errors are to be expected in the placement and configuration of the 505 textual strings. ISBD punctuation (space, hyphen, hyphen, space) will be inserted after each line break within the TOC. Chapter and page numbers will appear as captured from the scanned TOC images. The 505 data will not undergo review for punctuation. LC records with existing 856 links to TOC texts will be batched processed, modified, and redistributed on a daily basis until all of the approximately 60,000 records containing links from the 856 to LC's Web-based dTOC (digital table of contents) records are enhanced. The 856 links to the dTOCs will remain in the records. This effort should make table of contents information more readily available within MARC records and increase access to this valuable data. (Questions or comments regarding the scope or data content of these records may be directed to: John Byrum, Regional and Cooperative Cataloging Division, Library of Congress, Washington, DC 20540-4380; <jbyr@loc.gov>; 202-707-5196.) As with all contents notes, these 505 fields will be available for editing by any library with a full-level (or higher) cataloging authorization. If a cataloger edits a machine-generated 505 field to conform to standard AACR2 practice, the indicator should be changed, and the words, "Machine-generated contents note:" at the beginning of the field should be removed. See Technical Bulletin 246 for further information on Database Enrichments: <http://www.oclc.org/support/documentation/worldcat/tb/246/>.
Alpha, Beta, and Gamma – Change in Practice
In preparation for OCLC's change to full UNICODE compliance, and in anticipation of the availability of Greek, Hebrew and Cyrillic script support, OCLC is announcing a change in how the Greek characters α, β, and γ are entered. Effective immediately, catalogers are requested not to enter these characters in bibliographic records. Rather, the name of the character should be entered, enclosed in square brackets. For example:
Instead of:
Application of α -hydroxyl
Enter as:
Application of [alpha]-hydroxyl
Instead of :
α-, β-, and γ-spectroscopy
Enter as:
[Alpha]-, [beta]-, and [gamma]-spectroscopy
This change in practice is effective for all cataloging interfaces. These characters have already been converted to text in existing records in the WorldCat database. This will bring OCLC input in line with the recommendations of the LCRIs for 1.0E, Greek Characters. OCLC documentation and interfaces are being changed as necessary. Support for Greek characters will be implemented in 3rd quarter, 2005 in the Connexion Client.
Bolinda Publishing Contributes Records to WorldCat
Bolinda Publishing Pty. Ltd. is now contributing its MARC records to WorldCat for use by the OCLC membership. Bolinda is Australia 's leading unabridged audio book and large print book publisher and specialist library supplier, with offices in the United States and the United Kingdom , as well as in Australia. Its imprints are Bolinda Audio and Bolinda Large Print Books, and Bolinda also represents many other audiobook providers within Australia. (For more information on Bolinda, see its Website at <http://www.bolinda.com/>.) Bolinda is contributing original records for its titles to WorldCat. (See #57316413 and #57316406 for two examples.) In addition, when a Bolinda record matches a record already in WorldCat, its ordering information is added to the record in a 938 field. (See #55591932 for an example of a matching record.) Bolinda titles within the cataloging system may be searched by means of the vendor search (command line search "vn:boli" in Connexion).
OCLC Pilot Designed to Increase Use of Libraries' E-Serials
OCLC will begin a pilot project in June 2005 that will make it easy for library staff and patrons to find and use full-text electronic journals in library collections. The pilot will involve 20 libraries and four partners--TDNet, EBSCO, Serials Solutions and Ex Libris. The pilot will make e-serials as visible as print materials in WorldCat and will expose those records to searchers on the open Web through the Open WorldCat program. During the pilot, OCLC will receive monthly holdings statements representing the e-serials collections of participating libraries from partners in the pilot or, in some cases, directly from the libraries. OCLC will automatically set and maintain those holdings in WorldCat on behalf of the participating libraries. This collaboration will allow pilot libraries to efficiently contribute their e-serials collections to WorldCat and ensure that these holdings are current and accurate. Pilot libraries will also register their OpenURL resolvers with OCLC, which will allow authenticated end users to easily access full-text online content. The pilot will drive use of these electronic collections through greater visibility in WorldCat applications such as the OCLC FirstSearch service, WorldCat Resource Sharing services, and the WorldCat Collection Analysis service, and on the open Web through the OCLC Open WorldCat program. The pilot is expected to last four months.
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Last updated: November 11, 2005
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