• Collections & Technical Services
• September 2006
• Issue: 205

Save Time Using Connexion Client And Browser

Fall is often a busy time so it might also be a great time to learn a few timesaving tips that you may have missed while migrating to Connexion. In this issue, we’ll look at a few tips for Searching and for using Constant Data.

Searching for active serials:

Tired of wading through records for closed and discontinued serials? Use the Date2 index, which will limit your search to records with specific end dates. For instance, if you are trying to find serials that are currently published, the Date2 value should always be 9999. Construct a search using the Date2 index (label yy:) and value “9999.”

For example, you can find journals with the word “antiques” in the title that began publication after 1990, and are still currently published using the following search:

ti:antiques yr:1990- yy:9999 mt:per

This brings us to material types:

You are probably familiar with format type qualifiers for physical format, such as “bks” for books, or “ser” for serials, and “vis” for visual materials, but did you know that there are now over 100 new material type indexes? These material types allow you to limit your searches to specific physical types, such as toys ( mt:toy) or dvds (mt:dvd), or specific audiences, such as primary school (mt:pri )

So for example, you could find a list of all the LeapFrog toys for primary school age kids with the following search:

pb:leapfrog mt:toy mt:pri

To find out more about materials types and the new index labels, see “Searching WorldCat Indexes,” at: http://www. oclc.org/support/documentation/worldcat/searching/ searchworldcatindexes/.

Tips for Constant Data

Have you tried using constant data yet? It is a great way to save time and avoid repetitive stress injuries from typing the same data over and over. A constant data record is a partial bibliographic or authority record you create that contains standardized content for reuse when you create or edit a record. If you use the Client, you can automatically apply a default constant data record to every record you retrieve in batch searching, or that you import from a file of MARC records. You can store constant data records online, or if you are using the Connexion Client, you can also choose to store constant data records offline in Client local files.

Some common functions that can be improved through the use of constant data include:

Adding local fields and data required for processing and loading by local systems.

Creating customized workforms for specific projects, that include complete or partially completed fixed field values or variable fields.

Developing and maintaining local standards for bibliographic records, for specific collections, or for different types of resources, including specialized notes and call number fields and controlling series statements.

In addition to complete and partial fields, you can apply blank variable fields and subfields using constant data. You can also protect existing fixed field elements, while replacing others in one step when you apply constant data.

Creating Empty Fields:

You would do this when you want to add a variable field to a workform or an existing record consistently, but you do not know what the content of the field should be ahead of time.

To create an empty variable field in a Constant Data record, simply enter the word BLANK in upper case, surrounded by vertical bars (press SHIFT Backslash to get the vertical bar).

If you need to create a field with subfields, that does not contain any values in the subfields, enter the delimiter and subfield code, a space, then the word BLANK in upper case, surrounded by vertical bars.

Example of an empty field added to a record:

544 0_ |BLANK|

Here’s how this would look when applied to an existing record:

Here is the same example, with an empty subfield e added:

544 0_ |BLANK| ‡e |BLANK|

Here’s how this would look when applied to an existing record:

Protecting Existing Fixed Field Elements

When you apply constant data, you have the choice of applying either variable fields, or the fixed field, or both. There are times you may wish to replace just one or two elements with fixed field data from a constant data record. Here is how to do it:

Type asterisks (*) in the data area for each fixed field element that you wish to protect. You must type one asterisk for each character of the element value.

In the following example, you can see how to set up constant data fixed field elements to protect all elements other than “Form.” This constant data record will merge only the value in the form element into the bibliographic record’s existing fixed field.

Type *	ELvl *	Srce *	Audn *	Ctrl *	Lang ***
BLvl *	Form s	Conf *	Biog *	MRec *	Ctry ***
	Cont ****	GPub *	LitF *	Indx *
Desc *	Ills *	Fest *	DtSt *	Dates ****,****

Here is how this looks after applying the above constant data fixed field:

For more information about Constant Data, see Client and Browser documentation:

Detailed information about constant data creation for client users is available at http://www.oclc.org/support/ documentation/connexion/client/cataloging/constantdata/ #cat_cd_create_htm .

Connexion browser users may want to refer to “Create a constant data record from a workform” http://www.oclc. org/support/documentation/connexion/browser/cataloging/ use_bib_cd/#rc-rec-edit-cd-create .

Note: Basic content of this article was drawn from OCLC’s Connexion Tips web page. To see more useful tips, go to: http://www.oclc.org/support/tips/connexion/default.htm .

[Lauren Pinsley, OCLC Services Manager, Nyink]

Collections & Technical Services Contact Information

Please contact Lauren Pinsley (pinsleyl@nylink.org), Lynne Graziadei (graziadeil@nylink.org) or Mary Edgerton (edgertonm@nylink.org) at Nylink with any questions. They are available via email or phone (518-443-5444 / 800-342-3353).