• Collections & Technical Services
• July-August 2006
• Issue: 204

Local Holdings Record Updating Batch Service Re-instituted

In May 2006, libraries regained access to OCLC's Local Data Record Updating batch service to maintain local holdings in WorldCat. On hiatus during the migration of the Union Listing system, OCLC is now accepting new Local Holdings Record Updating projects.

The OCLC LHR Updating service enables libraries to add or update OCLC local holdings records (LHRs) in WorldCat through batch processing.

Frequency

You may submit batch files on a regular schedule of your choice, or you may update with a one-time batch project and then maintain your LHRs online through the Connexion Browser.

Additional information and Documentation

See the OCLC Update Local Holdings Records web site for more information: http://www.oclc.org/batchprocessing/options/holdings/localdatarecords/default.htm.

General guidelines are listed at: http://www.oclc.org/batchprocessing/options/holdings/ localdatarecords/guidelines.htm.

For details about record requirements, see the specifications at: http://www.oclc.org/ batchprocessing/options/holdings/localdatarecords/dataspecifications.htm.

The user guide related to this service, formerly titled OCLC Batch Services: Local Data Record Updating Guide, Third Edition, is currently under revision. OCLC hopes to have it available soon.

General guidelines

• Each holdings record, regardless of format, must contain the OCLC control number of its corresponding bibliographic record.
• You must supply all holdings records associated with a bibliographic record even if there is a change to only one of the holdings records. Each holdings record sent for a specific bibliographic record must represent the holdings data for only one copy.
• Your holdings information can be formatted as either:
  • Compliant with the MARC 21 Format for Holdings Data (MFHD), and you or your system vendor must be able to output a file of the holdings data compliant with that format; or
  • “Patterned” non-MARC holdings data. The key to successful batch processing of “patterned” non-MARC data is that field descriptions and their content must be associable in a simple, consistent, discernible and predictable way across the entire file. Non–MARC data will be unusable if the description/content relationship varies or has to be derived on a record-by-record basis. Examples of commonly used non-MARC data formats are Excel© spreadsheets, Access© databases, and Word© documents. Some fields are required, while the inclusion of others is based on content.

To get started

To begin using this service, complete the new stand-alone order form for the LHR Updating batchload service at https://www3.oclc.org/app/ldr/. A sample file is submitted as part of the evaluation process.

Costs

The cost of this service is as follows:

• There is no charge for processing data.
• A one-time fee for evaluation and setup (TAP 3921) of $353 (not included in your cataloging subscription) will be assessed.
• Possible extra evaluation hours will be billed for extensive custom programming.

For additional information see the web sites mentioned above or contact Nylink at 518-443-5444/ 800-342-3353.

[OCLC - edited]