Eventually we would like to ask the Metadata and Cataloguing Subcommittee to make a recommendation on minimum bibliographic standards in the form of a Briefing Note. This backgrounder will serve as a source of information, guide exploration and discovery for the committee in that work and provide context for the decision.

Background

It will be very important to establish minimum bibliographic standards for the CLSP. So much of the work done by the Bibliographic Standards Working Group has laid an excellent foundation for our new Alma/Primo environment, but the Metadata and Cataloguing Subcommittee may find that they need to reassess some past practices. Now that we are in a shared system it will be very important that everyone adhere to a set of minimum standards. At some point we want CLO to re-endorse the minimum standards.

Minimum Bibliographic Standards

What are minimum bibliographic standards?

The OCLS minimum bibliographic standards are a set of content and encoding guidelines that are needed to describe resources and facilitate discovery. Resource Description and Access (RDA) provides bibliographic description rules for resources loaded to the Colleges’ Union Catalogue. MARC21 is the encoding standard that is used to put this resource description in a machine readable format. MARC21 is used by Alma/Primo a mechanism to facilitate search, faceting/filtering and discovery.

Why do we need to use them?

Bibliographic records loaded to and from the Network Zone (NZ) have the potential to be used by all CLO libraries, impacting use and discovery for all. 

Example 1: the resource type information in Alma’s bibliographic records display is dependent upon coding in MARC21 control fields, particularly LDR, 007 and 008. The content in these control fields determine how records are filtered and displayed to all staff in Alma in both the Institution Zone (IZ) and the Network Zone (NZ). For more information visit the section on the Resource Type Field in https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Product_Documentation/010Alma_Online_Help_(English)/010Getting_Started/050Alma_User_Interface_%E2%80%93_General_Information/Searching_in_Alma#Rules_Used_to_Create_the_Resource_Type_Field_MARC_21_KORMARC_and_UNIMARC.

Example 2: Primo VE search sections, facets and filtering are equally dependent upon coding in the control fields for end user display. For more information, visit https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Primo/Product_Documentation/020Primo_VE/Primo_VE_(English)/120Other_Configurations/Mapping_to_the_Display%2C_Facets%2C_and_Search_Sections_in_the_Primo_VE_Record and https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Primo/Product_Documentation/020Primo_VE/Primo_VE_(English)/050Display_Configuration/050Configuring_Local_Resource_Types_for_Primo_VE

nimum_Standard_Feb2019FinalVersion1Minimum_Standard_Feb2019FinalVersion1

Implementation and Migration Discussions to Date

Item material types: Item Material Types are system defined based on MARC tags in the LDR, 007/008 of the bibliographic record. As discussed in Example 1 above, If bibliographic records linked to the Network Zone (NZ) from member libraries do not meet a minimum set of MARC rules, resource type mapping as well as faceting/filtering in Primo VE may not perform as expected. Visit Mapping to the Display, Facets, and Search Sections in the Primo VE Record for more context. If all libraries can apply a common minimum bibliographic standard, then we should see system wide consistency of application through the Primo View It and Get It tabs. 

Protected Local Fields in IZs and the NZ: Libraries that wish to maintain local information in their IZ record can do so through the use of local tags.  It has been approved that “Individual colleges will use 950-999 fields to hold data that is local to the institution and should not be ‘overwritten’ by data in Network Zone records. All colleges will use the 900-949 fields to hold data that is common across the network and should not be overwritten my Community Zone records.” (See Briefing Note -2 - Protected Local Fields in IZs and the NZ)

During migration, if a 900-949 tag has $9 LOCAL subfield, it is removed and the tag is kept in the NZ.” For additional context, visit the Ex Libris Knowledge Base, Local Extensions (MARC).

Note:  that adding local extensions to records maintained in the NZ may require some configuration of the MD (metadata editor).  Additional information is available here: https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Product_Documentation/010Alma_Online_Help_(English)/100Managing_Multiple_Institutions_Using_a_Network_Zone/03_Managing_Records_in_Consortia/010Network-Managed_Records_in_a_Network_Zone#Adding_Local_Extensions_to_Bibliographic_Records_in_the_Network_Zone

Examples of Consortia Local Fields Best Practices:

ORBIS CASCADE ALLIANCE RESOURCE: Local Fields Best Practices, FAQ, and Tables

SUNY SHARED LIBRARY SERVICES PLATFORM RESOURCE MANAGEMENT BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD NETWORK ZONE AND LOCAL FIELDS

Alma Tools and Resources

Searching in Alma - Understanding how to search in Alma is key to gathering sets of records for editing and ordering purposes - and it’s also key to understanding the impact of cataloguing decisions on search outcomes. The persistent search box is located at the top of every page. Search options available to each user depends upon user roles. Also see Repository Search Results to learn how to save and reuse queries.

Metadata Editor - The Metadata Editor (MD Editor) enables you to view and edit bibliographic, holdings and authority data. The MD Editor runs in an ‘always on’ mode. Staff with the appropriate roles may access the MD Editor from Resources > Cataloging > Open Metadata Editor, or by simply clicking ‘Edit Record’ for a specific titles in their search results. Users have options to use the basic editor or the ‘Open Form Editor’ by clicking (Ctrl+F) from a given field/subfield.

Note: edits to records linked to the NZ will be seen by all libraries.

Normalization Rules - “Normalization rules are used to change or update bibliographic metadata at various stages.” Normalization rules can also be applied to import profiles; imports from external search resources, edits via the "Enhance the record" menu in the Metadata Editor.” These rules can be applied through the MD editor to individual records or groups of records using the MarcDroolNormalization. Normalization rules can be applied to records at the IZ and the NZ. The Ex Libris Knowledge Center page on normalization rules contains information, video on applying normalization rules, including syntax, conditions, record elements and a list of actions. Normalization Rule Examples can also be found in the Ex Libris Developer’s Network.

Merge rules - Merge rules provide instructions on how two records are to be merged when importing records, handling records that already exist or copy cataloguing using an external resource. This page provides information on basic merge rules, creating merge rules, examples and syntax.

Record Import - Import profiles can be configured to import a range of files, such as EOD, authority and bibliographic data. Import Profiles (local & network) — set of instructions to load, normalize (edit), match/merge/overlay, create inventory etc. Import profiles can be created to fit the needs of any particular vendor. Any number of import profiles can be created. See Managing Import Profiles for detailed information on creating/editing import profiles, including match methods and validation.

Authority Records - Alma is equipped to handle multiple subject authorities, but only one type of name authority can be used (global or local). Local authority definitions can be added. This page does not consider the application of decolonized authority records.

Next Steps?

In test Alma/Primo environment, test records that have met current BSWG minimum edit (test display; faceting/filtering, etc.)

Review suitability of existing requirements for new environment – what needs to change or be redefined? For example, will you need to redefine your policy on the use of unique identifiers? For examples from other consortia, see ORBIS CASCADE’s Policy: Use of OCLC and Record Identifiers and Policy: Importing Records to the Network Zone Without Consistent OCLC Numbers

Do minimum standards need to be adapted to new environment prior to clean-up? Or can certain minimum clean-up efforts be accomplished regardless?

Are there any new NZ requirements? For example, consortia such as Orbis Cascade and SUNY have agreed on Alma Network Zone policies. For more information, see: ORBIS CASCADE ALLIANCE, Policy: Alma Network Zone, as well as SUNY’s, MSP 28, Policy: Working in Alma and the Network Zone and MSP-3, Policy: Alma Network Zone (NZ)

Cataloguing policies adopted by other library systems to support Network Zone cataloguing:

• GALILEO INTERCONNECTED LIBRARIES (GIL): Framework for GIL Libraries Cooperative Resource Management

• SUNY Resource Management

• Harvard Resource Management

• Orbis Cascade Technical Services Documentation

Other Best Practices:

OLAC Catalogers Network: Best Practices for Cataloging Streaming Media