Guidelines for Working with Other Libraries'
Preliminary and Minimal Bib Records

  1. 591 Notes
    Working with other libraries' records often entails the use of 591 notes. The following tips should be kept in mind.

    1. 591 tags should be added at the beginning or top of a MARC record rather than in the 5XX notes area.

    2. Often the data in the 591 tag includes the bib data identifier of the library that created a record. Tips on how to identify a creating library, and a list of bib data identifier codes for all UH libraries can be found at the SCCC Deduplication Website: http://www2.hawaii.edu/~paulb/

    3. Be aware that the Voyager system sometimes moves a 591 note to the middle of the record. If a record containing a 591 note is upgraded or altered by a Merge operation, a by-product of the operation is the reordering of tag fields. As a result, the 591 tag is moved from the beginning of the MARC record to middle of the record in the 5XX notes area.

  2. Exact Match Records

    1. Upgrading an Exact Match Record

      1. Only records that can be verified as exactly matching the item in hand should be upgraded.
      2. Upgrade the record, being careful not to delete any data needed by the other library or libraries using the record such as 590 notes, 891 data, 971 tags.
      3. Put in a 591 tag with the text:
        591   upcat XXX
        where XXX is the bib data identifier of the library that created the minimal record.

      4. If the exact match record being upgraded is another library's brief acquisitions record, also do the following steps:
        1. Purchase order records are normally suppressed from PAC display. Click on the System tab of the bibliographic record and remove the check mark from the box labelled "Suppress from OPAC" to make the record display in PAC.
        2. Check the System tab of the other library's holding record(s) to see if the holdings data is suppressed from PAC display. If the data is not suppressed, contact the library and let them know that they need to suppress their holdings data.
        3. Delete the following 591 note tags if present in the bib record:
          • 591   suppx
          • 591   XXX:ACQREC
            (where XXX is the bib record identifier of the library that created the record)

    2. Exact Match Records that should not be upgraded:
      Certain kinds of records should not be upgraded, even when they are exact matches:

      1. COF (Conversion-on-the-fly, Circ-on-the-fly, Cfly) records
        When you wish to add a full bib and find that another library has entered a COF record that is an exact match, do not link holdings to or upgrade the COF record. Instead, add a new full bib and put a deduplication note in the other library's COF record. Deduplication notes go in a 591 tag in the following format:
        591   dedup XXX keepx vid #####
        where XXX is the bibliographic identifier of the library that created the order, and ##### is the Voyager i.d. number for the bibliographic record you added. The dedup note will alert the other library that a more complete record may already exist for their item.

      2. Reserve records
        When you wish to add a full bib and find that another library has entered a Reserve record that may be for the same item, do not link holdings to or upgrade the Reserve record. Instead, add a new full bib. Do not put a dedup note in the other library's Reserve record.

      3. MARCIVE records
        Hamilton Library outsources the cataloging of government documents it receives via the federal depository library program to a service called MARCIVE. To keep up with the volume of government documents distributed, MARCIVE initially sends out brief catalog records for all documents shipped on a certain date. Over time, upgraded catalog records are distributed to replace the original brief records. Because MARCIVE records are regularly overwritten by later versions, it is a waste of time and energy to upgrade them locally. Local edits are lost when the record is overwritten.

        MARCIVE records can be identified by the following characteristics:

        1. In the 035 field, a number that starts with the letters tmp
        2. In the 040 field, a subfield with the code MvI
        3. A 500 note that starts with the text: Shipping List #:
        4. A 500 note that starts with the text: Shipping List Date:
        5. In the 949 field, the code MCV in subfield o

        When you wish to add a full bib and find that there is an exact match MARCIVE record for the same item, the recommended action is to link your holdings and item to the MARCIVE record without upgrading the record. Do not add a new full bib.

      4. BADACQ records

  3. Records That Are Too Brief to Verify an Exact Match

    1. Purchase Order Records
      If you have an item in hand that seems to match an existing Voyager brief order record for a work ordered by another library, but there is not enough data in the minimal bib order record to know for sure:

      1. Check the order status of the other library's item. Determine whether or not the item has been received. (While orders are suppressed from PAC, this can be done by using the record hierarchy button in cataloging. If orders are displaying in PAC, order status will also be viewable via the PAC.)

      2. If the ordered item has not been received, the purchase order can be changed. Go ahead and add a bibliographic record for your item to the database. After saving your record, put a deduplication note in the other library's minimal bib order record. Deduplication notes go in a 591 tag in the following format:
        591  dedup XXX keepx vid #####
        where XXX is the bibliographic identifier of the library that created the order, and ##### is the Voyager i.d. number for the bibliographic record you added. The dedup note will alert the other library that a more complete record may already exist for their item. Upon receiving their ordered item, the library can check your record, and if it matches their item, copy over the purchase order to the record you added. 591 tags should be added at the beginning or top of a MARC record rather than in the 5XX notes area.

      3. If the ordered item has been received, do not add a bibliographic record for your item. The purchase order cannot be changed, so the bibliographic record it is linked to is a keeper record. Wait until the library that ordered the item upgrades its record to see if it is a true match for your item. If your item needs to be sent out for circulation immediately, create a temporary, conversion-on-the-fly record for the time being. If the received date for the ordered item is not recent, contact the library to determine whether your item is a match for theirs and, if so, whether it would be okay to upgrade their order record to a more complete bibliographic record.

    2. COF (Conversion-on-the-fly, Circ-on-the-fly, Cfly) records
      When you wish to add a full bib and find that another library has entered a COF record that may be for the same item, do not link holdings to or upgrade the COF record. Instead, add a new full bib and put a 591 dedup note in the other library's COF record.

    3. Reserve records
      When you wish to add a full bib and find that another library has entered a Reserve record that may be for the same item, do not link holdings to or upgrade the Reserve record. Instead, add a new full bib. Do not put a dedup note in the other library’s Reserve record.

    4. Other brief records
      When you wish to add a full bib and find that there is a brief record that may be for the same item, do not link holdings to or upgrade the COF record. Instead, add a new full bib and put a 591 dedup note in the other library's record. As part of their ongoing deduplication work, the other library can check to see if their item is a match and relink to the full record you have added, or verify that their item is not a match, remove the dedup note and (hopefully) upgrade their brief record.

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