OCLC General Workflow for Batch Cataloging

Batch Work Cataloging: OCLC General Workflow

February 2021

Each batch project will bring forth new issues and potentials for problems, but the general workflow in general will follow some version of the steps outlined below:

1. If in Airtable, make view with useful columns, then import item rows into Excel Spreadsheet as needed.

2. Clean up Excel inventory and name columns to match MARC tags as needed (usually just 035 OCLC numbers, 090 or 099 call numbers, and 245 title fields; maybe 505 or, if any serials, 590 will also be useful to temporarily store the holdings information (to be used later for creating holdings records).

   1. If there are any serials:

   2. Sort by OCLC numbers, mark any duplicates, and move duplicates plus top item to another tab,

   3. Select the top row of each serial, move each title’s serials holdings data to a temporary 590 field on the first row of each,

   4. Delete all the extra rows for each serial, and re-paste augmented, de-duplicated rows into main tab again;

   5. Resort back to call number order.

3. Batch search in OCLC Connexion by copying the numbers from the column of OCLC numbers in the inventory:

   1. First replace (OCoLC) by * (asterisk), then paste into OCLC Batch Search as plain text. 

   2. Save entire Search list to a Local Save File.

   3. Select and download entire save file for later merge step.

   4. Keep save file of OCLC records for later OCLC holdings update in step 9.

4. Use the Excel inventory and MarcEdit to create brief records containing these fields: the 035 OCLC numbers (as the matchpoints), 245 titles (in case of error-tracking), 590 fields, if needed, 090 or 099 fields with our call numbers, and for preprocessed items, 949 fields.

5. With MarcEdit, Merge the brief records' the fields containing our local data or updated RDA versions of fields, into the downloaded batch file of OCLC records.

6. Run a set of batch cataloging steps on the merged records, checking for errors, format corrections, missing fields, Excel “escape” double-quotes, and so on.

7. Compile the edited records into MARC.

8. Finally, batch load the merged bib records into Sierra using the correct load table; depending on location of final batch project and whether the records have 949 fields for automatic item record creation.

   • For batch record loads with 949 fields containing non-LC call numbers, a further step may be needed: a Global batch Edit to fix call number codes (for instance, 086 or 099 call numbers).

   • There may also be Holdings Records creation needed for serial and multivolume set records.

9. Use the save file of OCLC batch-searched records to update Holdings on OCLC.

   1. Or, use OCLC’s batch-holdings update by OCLC numbers with the OCLC numbers from step 3a.

10. After a check of the loaded records, take batch work statistics, update Airtable, and, if necessary, send a notification email letting folks know when they can start processing items (for preprocessed items, no email may be needed).