Submit Your Cataloging FAQ HERE!
Disclaimer: This is a work in progress and as more FAQ are listed the organizational structure will change, please be patient.
Initials in Records
(who to blame if there is a mistake)Deleting Multiple Fields/Subfields
(how to really alter a record and feel powerful)OCLC Record Loading
(and other free loaders you should know)Locally Saved Files
(includes a Bonus question for 50 points)Locking Records
(you'll learn this lesson after doing your work twice)Record Updates in Web OPAC
(or reasons why you might kick your trash can)Stopping a Search
(because the search is just too darn slow!)Adding the Aleph Sys. Number to a Bib.
(because a long string of digits is hard to remember)CCL to Retrieve Records by LC Call No.
in Search
(almost useful . . .)Retrieving Records by Call No. Using a Service
(so we all can crash the server)Open More than One HOL Record
(Tatiana can't keep this one all to herself ;)Pushing "Services" Files to the Cataloging Module
(how to use your reports!)Deleting Records
(and other dangerous tasks)Duplicate Recs. and 001 Field
(very important!! no quip for this one)Item and HOL Linking
(inter-personal relationships of Items and HOL)
Where Do I Put My Initials When I Complete My Cataloging?
In a 599 field, BUT do not add your initials until AFTER you have loaded the record into ALEPH!!! Do NOT add your initials in a 599 while in CatME or Connexion.
What Basic File Management Do I Need to Know? And What About My Locally Saved Files?
"new" .mrc records are produced by Aleph every time you work with a title, etc...But . . .
How to Delete Your Local Files:
- do a search on your local computer files for *.mrc; you will find a long list of
new###.mrc (### being digits)- File menu in Aleph, there is a selection "Delete all New* records"
This process will eliminate the entire list of this category of records, but you must make sure that you are not in the middle of working on a record.
For 50 Bonus Points:
What we have not discussed is the procedure for saving"new" records with another name so they won't be deleted (if you are still working on a title not entered into the server) and come up with some sensible plan of how periodically these records should be removed while considering the unforseen dangers of accumulating too many or unintentionally deleting needed ones. NOTE: ALEPH will delete all New* records saved on local drive automatically every 48 hours to save space.
But My Changes Aren't Showing Up in the Web OPAC!! What NOW?
If you have done some editing and you want to see the results in the OPAC immediately, perform your search (author, title, etc.) and when your record is displayed and you don't see the results of your changes, click on the REFRESH button. It is the one that looks like a piece of paper with two arrows chasing each other in a circle. It's in the same toolbar as your Browser BACK button.
This is a reminder that with STP you can now access the University of Florida Libraries Catalog via your Smathers Libraries homepage. We first provided the URL http://uf.aleph.fcla.edu But now you can also open up your George A. Smathers Libraries homepage (some of us have it as a default site on Internet Explorer) and click on UF Libraries' Catalog--it will take you to the current view of the UF Libraries Catalog.
The cataloging trainers are encouraging everyone to look at the results of their work on the WebOPAC as soon as they have done some cataloging work. Please send us any questions you may have if something doesn't look quite right. Or if you notice anything else about the Public Catalog, let us know, and we can notify Public Access or those responsible for the Public Catalog view. Cataloging Trainers Email
What if I Still Don't See My Changes?
- Did you save your changes to the server?
What if I Really Need to Delete Many Fields or Subfields in HOL and Bib. Records? Do I Have to Do One at a Time?
Selecting and deleting fields and subfields
If you want to select a few consecutive fields for deleting, put your cursor on the first subfield a, do a left click on your mouse and hold and move to highlight the fields you want. Or use press Shift and usedown or up arrow key. This will highlight only the fields + subfields, not the Tags. Then press Ctrl+F5. To delete individual field/subfield simply put cursor on tag or subfield and use Ctrl+F5 or Ctrl+ F7. You can always use Undo command if you decide to undo the delete.
What Do I Need to Know About Loading Records from CatME and Connexion?
The order of matching through the OCLC server is currently set as follows.
1. NOTIS number in 035:9 :$$a of OCLC record
2. ALEPH number in 599: : $$a of OCLC recrd
If you want to use a NOTIS number as a match point, you can. This may be particularly helpful right now when so much of our material includes the NOTIS number. This match will work for records migrated before the freeze - in other words, records with NOTIS number APT9800 or lower.
- If the OCLC loader does not find a NOTIS number to match, it will look next for a match on Aleph number.
- If the OCLC loader does not find an Aleph number to match, the record will load as new.
HINT for Aleph System Numbers (where are they?): If the Aleph record does not have an 001 containing the system number and you want an 001 to copy/paste the system number into the Aleph record, save the bib record to the server. The save process will add an 001 to the record.
Locking Records -- I never had to do this in NOTIS!
Records are not automatically locked when being edited as they were in NOTIS. Remember to lock records to prevent a situation where mulitiple staff are editing a record at the same time. To do this, go to File--Lock record. Saving the record to the server automatically unlocks it, or to unlock manually, go to File--Unlock record.
My Search Query is Taking Forever, and I Can't Stop It!!
If you are running a search and you want to stop it: look in the bottom left corner of your Aleph window and find the servers and click on the servers. The server is highlighted in blue here. A stop a message should appear like the one below; the search is stopped!
How Do I Get a Finite Set of Records by LC Call Number in the Search Module?
The way you do a find search (binoculars) and get a specific set of records is to use the CCL option (3rd tab). The search can only get as general as the first period in the subfield h in the 852. If you try a search like this:
LCI=AE* you will not get any hits because no call number has just letters before the first period.
LCI=AE5* you will get hits for all AE 5. but not AE 53.
LCI=KFF 11.7* you will get hits for KFF 11.72 because the search went beyond the first period
The search assumes that what ever you enter is the call number to the "." unless of course like the third example go beyond the first period. So, this is not great, but it works.
How Do I Retrieve a Set of Records by LC Call Number for a More General Group (all the Ks or Zs) Using a Service?
You can do this from the Search module or the Cataloging module. Change your library to UFU60 (the HOL library).
Click on Services. Choose Retrieve Catalog Records. Select Retrieve Catalog Records (ret_01).NOTE: This report may use up much of the server resources so, if you want to practice running the report -- use the TEST region; if you need this report to do your work please run the report at Midnight or late night on the weekends. If you are unsure please check with Julia Allen.
Below is a screen shot of a report that retrieves all of the K LC Call Nos. If you have any questions refer to the HELP file for the report and if you still have questions ask Julia Allen. This report is in the TEST region, so feel free to check it out. The retrieval report file name is "call" and the print report is "call_p." The "call_p" file is the one you can view in your file list.
Once submitted and completed, the retrieval service (ret_01) (ex. in TEST, "call") is in the scratch directory and you can pull this file up in the Cataloging module. This functionality of opening retrieval reports in the search module allows you to actually WORK on a SET of RECORDS that you have RETRIEVED using queries that are not available in the Search module!! For example, you can push a set of HOL records into the Cataloging module!
Not to mention the fact that when you open the file, it will tell you how many records were retrieved (this is especially nifty if your report doesn't tell you!), you can do this in the Search module or the Cataloging module. To learn more, bribe Julia Allen with food that has lots of cheese or dairy products in them (no chocolate, please). :)
NOTE: Not all reports can be opened in other modules.
I Need to Open More than one HOL Record!!!
When the HOL window opens (after you key Control + O), highlight one HOL record then hold down the Control Key and click on another HOL record; both records should be highlighted and they will both open when you click Modify.
How do I delete a (bib, item, or HOL) record?
Deleting Items
All cataloging staff have permissions that allow item deletion. To delete an item, highlight the item in the Item List window and click the Delete button. Be careful to choose the correct item from the list. Students do not have permission to delete items.
Deleting Holdings
Cataloging supervisors, Authorities staff, and Database Maintenance staff have permissions that allow holdings deletion.To delete a holding, retrieve the holding and type Ctrl+R (or Edit--Delete--Delete record from server). If there are items attached, you will be prompted to delete the items before deleting the holding. Cataloging staff should add the following to the holding: STA SUPPRESSED and an 852 $x non-public note explaining why the holding should be deleted (e.g., created in error). Notify a supervisor to delete the holding.
Deleting Bibs
Cataloging supervisors, Authorities staff, and Database Maintenance staff have permissions that allow bib deletion. To delete a bib, retrieve the bib and type Ctrl+R (or Edit--Delete--Delete record from server) or highlight it in the Nav Map and click the Delete BIB button. If there are holdings and items attached, you will be prompted to delete them before deleting the bib. In addition, you have to delete the Administrative (ADM) record prior to deleting the bib. After deleting a bib, it can only be retrieved using the system number.
Cataloging staff should add the following to the bib: STA SUPPRESSED and a 599 note explaining why the bib should be deleted (e.g., duplicate). Notify a supervisor to delete the bib. As was the case in NOTIS, acquisitions records attached to bibs may prevent permanent deletion.
If I am Duplicating a Record in Aleph will the 001 Update in the New Record?
YES. But, just in case, you can update the 001 field manually using the Open Form function (Control + F) and change it to the correct #.
What do I Need to Know About the Links Between Items and HOL Records?
If there is one item attached to a bib record when a holding is created, Aleph will automatically link the item to the holding.
If there are two or more items attached to a bib record when a holding is created, the cataloger must manually link the holding to the appropriate item(s). A link will not happen automatically. In this case, it is easier to call up the item records and use the "Retrieve Holdings" button to create the holdings record(s), rather than creating the holdings record(s) from the bib record.
Last Updated June 1, 2004
