E-book Cataloging Using the WorldCat Knowledge Base

Charleston ConferenceNov. 8, 2012Holly Tomren@htomren

Institutional context: III, Summon About 150,000 ebooks About 20 ebook

providers, multiple collections

Small staff Individual cataloging for most packages

not feasible; look for batch solutions

Ebook metadata Different providers = different workflows Different frequencies Notifications are rare Not all vendors provide MARC records Quality of vendor MARC records varies Not all vendors provide info about

changed records (UPD, DEL) Few provide OCLC numbers/holdings

Workflow: Varies by Vendor Example A: WorldCat Collection Set;

monthly email notification, retrieve via FTP; NEW only, no UPD or DEL

Example B: generate files on demand from web interface; separate NEW and DEL files; not OCLC records

Example C: generate file on demand from web interface; 1 mixed file (NEW & DEL); no control numbers, no match point

Workflow: Varies by Vendor Example D: generate file from web

interface based on date; no DEL notifications

Example E: provides records through multiple sources but coverage different in each source; lots of cleanup, bad links

Example F: updates collection constantly, but MARC records only once a year

Workflow: Varies by Vendor Example G: provides records and

notification; OCLC numbers not in records but in separate spreadsheet

Example H: No MARC records; title spreadsheet available

Example I: No MARC records, no title list; check website manually

Sometimes looks like this…

Tools of the Trade MarcEdit Excel Local scripts Load Profiles (III) Global Update (III) Listservs

MARCEDIT-L BATCH-L

WorldCat Knowledge Base Currently only using for ebooks, not

ejournals 3 phase approach to implementation:

1: Collections that have no MARC record source – replace manual workflows

2: Collections with especially “challenging” MARC record workflows

3: Collections with reliable MARC records, but want to consolidate sources

WCKB Workflow Select collections in KB, set up MARC

customization options (one time) Daily record notifications via email Download files via FTP Clearly identified NEW, UPD, DEL

Separate with MarcEdit if necessary Load records without editing Minimal spot checking, comparison

WCKB Benefits Retrieve records for all providers in one

place, including NEW, UPD, DEL Notification – no more elaborate schedules Customizable records – less in-house editing URLs are correct Efficient way to manage provider-neutral

records OCLC holdings set, OCLC numbers included Free with OCLC cataloging subscription

Greater Discoverability Worldcat.org, WorldCat Local Anything powered by WorldCat API

(Mobile apps, Google “Find in a Library,” Selection tools, LibX, etc.)

WCKB Wishlist Improved record matching More ebook collections in KB, better

coverage “Expert Community” functionality

… all of this is on the way

Conclusion More efficient workflow More thorough and accurate access to

ebooks in our catalog & discovery tools Still a combination of WCKB + other

methods for now, but will move more ebooks to WCKB as time goes on

Thank you!

Holly TomrenHead, Metadata Services

Drexel University Librariesholly.tomren@drexel.edu