Department: Technical Services
Procedure: Authority Files from Marcive

rev. 29 Oct 2021

Purpose: New catalog records are sent to Marcive to check the validity of headings, so that we do not have to do so at the time of cataloging.

Overview: This procedure covers sending bibliographic records to Marcive for authority work, and reloading them and any new authority records after the review.

Required Knowledge/Skills: Principles of authority work, basic Web site/Web browser familiarity, MARC tags, Galileo codes, how to open calls with Innovative, and the following Sierra functions: create lists using a saved search (#100667) rename lists (#100671 ), sort lists (#104037), create statistical reports (#105586), output and input files (#106000 ) edit bibliographic and authority records (#105541), run headings reports (#105752). In general, these procedures are not repeated below in detail. Only information unique to running these functions in the course of authority is provided.

Safety Issues/Precautions: Staff performing this work must proceed carefully. Mistakes could be easily compounded in the database and be difficult to fix.

Equipment/Supplies: PC with Sierra/ Admin Corner connection, connection to the Internet, ability to print.

Sierra Procedures
(See Appendix A for Telnet procedures)

1. Create a list in Sierra of bibliographic records of fully cataloged records that have not previously been sent to Marcive.

a.Use an empty list with room for 5,000 records.
b.Use the Sierra search that is saved for this purpose called "Authority Express--Do not delete." (#100667). A copy of the search is attached to this
procedure as Appendix B.
c.The naming convention for the list is AE year-mo-day.

2. Do a statistical report on the list to check for errors in the bibliographic records. (#105586)

a. Use the query saved for this purpose called “Authority work analysis.” You will need to edit the query to make sure it runs against the correct list.
The query is run on field statistics with multi fields split.
b. Look for any bibliographic level location code other than "law" or "main", for material type codes that are "-", "bad codes", or unusual codes,
e.g. "a" (archival), or for bib level codes that are not “s” or “m”. Note how many records have erroneous codes of each type.
c. Go back to Create Lists to sort the list by the code with the errors. (#104037) Find the erroneous records, which should sort to a findable location.
d. Fix the erroneous records.
e. Repeat for each code if necessary.
f. Sort the list by title and de-dup it before going on to the next step.

3. Output the file to Marcive using Data Exchange (#106000)

a. Open Data Exchange in Sierra Cataloging.
b. Use the drop down menu in the center of the screen to select Output MARC records to another system using FTS.
c. Highlight any old authority work files and click on Delete.
d. Click on Create. Type the file name in the box. File name convention is VALUMMDD
e. Select Review from the drop down menu on the left. Find the list you created above.
f. Click on Start. After the file is created, click on Close.
g. Highlight the file to be transferred. Click on Put PC.
h. Marcive requires files be sent via https (link on s-drive>techservices>login information)
i. Email processing@marcive.com to inform that a new file has been uploaded

(The next few steps use the time while Marcive is processing the file to prepare for loading the records.)

4.Clear the headings report so that you have a clean file when you reload the records. (#105752).

a.Clear the headings report as done on a weekly basis. See separate procedure.

5.Every two or three months, check the Marcive bib record template to make sure Bcode3=a.

a. In Sierra cataloging, go to click on the Admin drop down menu and click on Settings
b. Click on the Record template tab. Click on ltibib to see the template.

6.Every two or three months, make a list of locally created or edited authority records.

a. Search on Acode1=m, l, or e. Begin searching for the records at .a1111939x.
b. Keep a printout of the full authority records in your notebook.

7.If the bib file is large, open a telnet session so you can monitor the transaction file during the load. (M, I, F, S). –

a. The transaction file should continue to rise and fall throughout the load. It may go as high as 65 records before it goes down.
b. If it continues to rise and doesn't go down, stop the load and call Innovative (1-800-444-2344) for immediate assistance. Ask for the Help Desk.
Our site code is VALP. Tell them "Control is down."
c. You must also watch how fullness of the transaction file. If the file gets about 85% full, call the CLR Circulation Manager-on-duty (x5366) or
Alison Downey (x6183) to run an extra daily backup and clear the bib temp file.

8. Get the authoritized bib records from Marcive.

a. If the load is going to be large, it is best to do it after 5 p.m.
b. Open Data Exchange in Sierra Cataloging.
c. Use the drop down menu in the center of the screen to select Load AUTHORITIZED BIB records from LTI (LTI was previous authority provider and template remains the same).
d. Highlight any old files and click on Delete.
e. Click on Get PC.
f. Select the Desktop and find the bib file.
g. Highlight the file and click on GET. A timeline will appear that notes the progress of the transfer.
h. After the transfer is complete, compare the byte numbers to the numbers shown by Marcive.
i. Click on Close.

9. Preprocess the records.

a. Highlight the file Click on Prep.
b. On the next screen, click on Start.
c. When the process is done, compare the number of MARC records. It should be the same as on your original list.
d. Click on Close.
e. Highlight the file with the .ofts extension and delete it.

10. Load the records into Sierra.

a. Open Data Exchange in Sierra Cataloging.
b. Highlight the file to be loaded. Click on Load.
c. Do a test load by loading the entire file in test mode. Click on Test. Look at the test load error report for possible problems.
d. (Optional). If there are no problems from the test load, repeat the process and load 10 records. This time click on Load.
i. To look at the 10 records, go back to Create lists.
ii. Sort your original AE file by Bcode3. The authoritized records should have overlayed on the original records but the Bcode3 should now be “a.” These will sort to the end of the list.
iii. Look at the last ten records in the list to make sure they were all updated today; that the Bcode3=a, and that the records look complete.
e. If you skip step d, or there are no problems with the ten-record load, click on Load to load the rest of the file. It won’t hurt to reload the original ten if you did step d.
f. When the load is done, look for possible problems. Make that you loaded the correct number of records and that all records overlayed.

11. Get the new authority records from Marcive.

a. If the load is going to be large, it is best to do it after 5 p.m.
b. Open Data Exchange in Sierra Cataloging.
c. Repeat the step 9 and 10 with the Subject and Names file and using the related load profiles in Sierra.

12. Preprocess the records

a. Highlight the file Click on Prep.
b. On the next screen, click on Start.
c. When the process is done, compare the number of MARC records. It should be the same as on your original list.
d. Click on Close.
e. Highlight the file with the .ofts (or .nfts) extension and delete it.

13. Load the records into Sierra.

a. Open Data Exchange in Sierra Cataloging.
b. Highlight the file to be loaded. Click on Load.
c. Do a test load. Click on Test. Look at the test load error report for possible problems.
d. If there are no problems from the test load, repeat the process and load the records.
e. When the load is done, look for possible problems. Make that you loaded the correct number of records and that all records overlayed.

14. Create lists of problem authority records to check.

a. Go to Headings Reports mode in Sierra cataloging.
b. Create each report as you would for normal cataloging.
c. Click on Tools, then Create review file.
d. Choose the type of record you are saving, either bib records or authority records.
e. A screen will open showing all saved lists. Choose and empty list and click OK.
f. Repeat the above steps for every report needed. Note how many records you are saving for each report. This is important since it will help you find the lists later.
g. Go to Create lists. Fine the files you just created. The names will all begin “headrpt”.
h. Rename the lists using the following naming convention AEyear-mo-day Type of Report.

16.Resolve issues with problem authority records. (See separate procedure).

APPENDIX
Authority Express:
Saved Search for finding fully cataloged records that have not previously been sent to Marcive

BIBLIOGRAPHIC CAT DATE greater than "01-01-1990"

AND BIBLIOGRAPHIC BCODE3 equal to "-" AND

BIBLIOGRAPHIC MARC Tag 001 greater than "1"

OR BIBLIOGRAPHIC CAT DATE greater than "01-01-1990"

AND BIBLIOGRAPHIC BCODE3 equal to "-" AND

BIBLIOGRAPHIC MARC Tag 049 has "IV"

The search can be retrieved by clicking on Retrieve saved query, after selecting an empty file, naming it, and selecting Search. It is currently number 6, Authority express njg DO NOT delete.

First part of search: This will include all fully catalog records which have not been sent to Marcive for authoritization. (After we receive records back from Marcive, bcode3 is changed during loading. After authority express processing, bcode3 is coded “a”.) Requiring a cat date limits records to
cataloged records. Including MARC tag 001 excludes the preliminary Shipping List records we receive from Marcive. (These are considered preliminary cataloging, but are not permanent OCLC records (via Marcive), so we do not do authority work on them.)

The second part, following “or” will include full MARC records keyed by librarians, because such records have a four-letter IVU code entered in the 049 field.

Because Innovative Boolean searching processes “and” before “or”, criteria which are common to both parts of the search (cat date, and bcode3) must be repeated in the second part of the search.

Originally created by Naomi Goodman 6-22-07
Updated by Donna Resetar 3 Aug 2007, 9 Aug 2013
Updated by Alison Downey 29 Oct 2021

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