acquisitions improvements: loading blackwell’s collection manager orders into aleph 500
TRANSCRIPT
Acquisitions Improvements:
Loading Blackwell’s Collection Manager Orders into Aleph 500
McGill University Libraries
Aleph Release 14.2 Patch 5
NAAUG 2003 Poster Session – May 2003, Iowa University
McGill/NAAUG 2003 Poster Session
3
Summary: This poster session describes the work
undertaken by McGill University Libraries, Ex Libris and Blackwell’s Book Services to enable the successful loading of Collection Manager order records into McGill’s Aleph catalogue.
The new workflow improves acquisitions productivity, ensures order records appear in the OPAC for users and provides a more accurate view of Aleph budgets for the bibliographers.
McGill/NAAUG 2003 Poster Session
4
Objectives:1. McGill Libraries places over 15,000 to 20,000
firm orders per year with BBS on the Collections Manager system.
2. For each firm order placed, the bibliographic, order and pricing information needs to be transferred between systems, so that Acquisitions staff do not need to enter this information twice on separate and different systems.
McGill/NAAUG 2003 Poster Session
5
3. Aleph should use the information entered on the Collections Manager order record to automatically create:
1. an order record 2. an item record3. a bibliographic record4. a holdings record (not implemented at McGill)
5. an encumbrance on the correct Aleph budget
McGill/NAAUG 2003 Poster Session
6
4. Brief records should appear immediately in
the Aleph database to reduce the potential for duplicate orders being placed by Library staff.
5. A user’s OPAC search should reveal records describing orders the Library has placed, rather than only finding newly received items.
McGill/NAAUG 2003 Poster Session
7
6. The procedure should be simplified to enable
Technical Services staff to control the process, matching their workflow, without the need for Systems staff intervention.
7. Bibliographers should be able to look in Aleph for an up-to-date picture of their account balance and be able to request a report of ALL open orders.
McGill/NAAUG 2003 Poster Session
8
Workflow:1. Order and queue creation2. File transfer3. Aleph processing4. Error report5. File archiving6. Follow-up on errors
McGill/NAAUG 2003 Poster Session
9
1. Order and queue creation
On CM, there are two ways to create an order: Call up a “request” entered by the
bibliographer and make it into an order.
Create an order using information from a paper slip.
McGill/NAAUG 2003 Poster Session
10
Flagging records for the export queue.
On a record by record basis, or by marking a group of records for export.
Corrections can be made to the FUND or DEPT. field once the record is in the queue.
Create the export queue. The date is part of the queue name.
McGill/NAAUG 2003 Poster Session
11
Check to see if the queue has been created.
On CM, this is called the “ Review Export File Status” screen.
Record the completed file size.Note the number of records and bytes.This information is used later in the process.
McGill/NAAUG 2003 Poster Session
12
2. File transfer Load FTP software and connect to BBS’
FTP site. McGill uses WS-FTP.
Transfer the file to the Library’s Novell server. No need to rename the file. Verify that the “number of bytes” from CM
matches the size of the file on the library server after the transfer.
McGill/NAAUG 2003 Poster Session
13
3. Aleph processing Login to the ALEPH Staff Menu and select
Custom Services, Collection Manager jobs, “Load Brief Records”.
Submit the job, carefully entering the file name and the number of records. If the file is larger than 300 records, change the
run time to 18 o’clock, so that the processing will start after 6 pm. Aleph’s processing of files locks the library and large files will create noticeable system delays for students and staff.
McGill/NAAUG 2003 Poster Session
14
4. Error report As soon as the job ends, Aleph will email the
results to the job requestor (LTS) and LSO staff.
The email contains a report from each of the job steps and any errors detected.
Look for condition code 0, at the bottom of the email. This indicates a successful job.
McGill/NAAUG 2003 Poster Session
15
5. File archiving After a successful job, move the CM
export file into a different directory on the Library server.
McGill calls this directory “Uploaded_CMO_files”
These networked files are backup nightly by the Library’s backup server routines.
McGill/NAAUG 2003 Poster Session
16
6. Follow-up on errors Records not loaded
Any incoming records that match an existing record in the database (based on the 035- BBS overlay number) are copied by the job script into a file on the Library server called:
“ CMO_matches_rejected”
This file may contain duplicate incoming records or records with another record’s overlay number.
McGill/NAAUG 2003 Poster Session
17
Invalid location codes
A default code is assigned for any invalid location. Browse the Aleph shelf list to find any records created with this default McGill calls this location “ STAFF MAIN”.
Invalid budget codes A phantom encumbrance will be created. On a weekly basis, run the Custom
Services report which identifies these errors.
McGill/NAAUG 2003 Poster Session
18
No Item record
An item record will not be created if the default item status “01” is invalid for the sub library.
The p_file_96 error listing will identify these cases.
McGill/NAAUG 2003 Poster Session
19
Aleph set-up steps: Specify options in the program
definition table.
McGill required separate tables for USD and GBP currency processing.
tab_collman_uk_deftab_collman_us_def
McGill/NAAUG 2003 Poster Session
20
Aleph set-up steps:
Specify the order sequence in the definition table.
McGill used “DOC NO” so order number relates to ADM system number.
OR, a prefix can be added to all orders.
McGill/NAAUG 2003 Poster Session
21
Create the fix routine.
The fix routine is used to change the MARC fields of the incoming record and add generic call number.
McGill created “ collman035.fix”.
McGill/NAAUG 2003 Poster Session
22
Sample BBS brief record The CM export file from the vendor contains standard
MARC records with the following additional fields:049 $$a library location code049 $$b item barcode (optional)980 $$a invoice date (YYYYMMDD)980 $$d vendor note980 $$f invoice number980 $$g number of copies980 $$b list price980 $$e net price980 $$c currency981 $$b fund code
McGill/NAAUG 2003 Poster Session
23
Fixes made to enable the process:
Ex Libris
1. Longer location processing. Z30-COLLECTION option in tab_yankee_def needed to be adjusted to read 10 characters so McGill’s location codes could be read and transferred correctly.
McGill/NAAUG 2003 Poster Session
24
2. The load program was adjusted to set a
claim date in the order record.
3. Correct mapping of the bibliographic records’ ISBN field (020) into the order field (Z68-ISBN).
4. Allow for larger program definition table (p_collman_def ).
McGill/NAAUG 2003 Poster Session
25
McGill
1. A program was created to separate the CM export file into two files, based on the currency (USD or GBP) and the vendor. Each file requires a different run through the load program (p_file_96).
McGill/NAAUG 2003 Poster Session
26
2. A Unix job script was created to control the sequence of programs used to process the export file. The sequence included steps to check for duplicate records. McGill calls this script “ rjx_cm_brief”.
3. The script was added the Aleph Staff Menu, Custom Services so LTS staff could submit the job.
McGill/NAAUG 2003 Poster Session
27
BBS
1. When the LTS staff member flags an order for the export queue, the overlay number is now automatically transferred into the correct field on the export queue record.
2. The BBS system was modified to speed up the creation of the export file. Now the file is ready for transfer to the library within ten minutes.
McGill/NAAUG 2003 Poster Session
28
Findings:
1. Set Item Status.
It is very important to set the arrival status to ‘P’ in the tab_yankee_def table so that the Invoice/Arrive programs properly invoke tab42 to flip the item processing status from “OR” (On Order) to “IP” (In process).
McGill/NAAUG 2003 Poster Session
29
2. Set a default sub library location
to “catch” errors.
Tab_collman_def contains a “catchall” default sub library and collection (STAFF MAIN) to handle typos, so that an order is made in all cases.
McGill/NAAUG 2003 Poster Session
30
3. Check for “orphaned
encumbrances”.
The program (p_file_96) does not check to see that the budget code was entered correctly. It will create transactions on budgets that do not exist. A custom report was prepared to find these “orphaned “ encumbrances.
McGill/NAAUG 2003 Poster Session
31
New Workflow Advantages:Users
Brief records and orders in the OPAC within 24 hours of being placed by Library staff.
Acquisitions staff Double entry of order information on both
systems is no longer necessary. A reduction in the number of searches for
duplicates.
Bibliographers Aleph’s budgets and order reports are more
accurate.
McGill/NAAUG 2003 Poster Session
32
Enhancements still needed:
Ex Libris1. The load program (p_file_96) should be
enhanced:
To prevent orphaned encumbrances, if an order is not created.
McGill/NAAUG 2003 Poster Session
33
2. The creation of the order and
budget encumbrance by the program should be recorded in the Aleph order log.
2. Allow for more information to be transferred between systems in the MARC record input file.
Order group code Authorization group code
McGill/NAAUG 2003 Poster Session
34
BBS
1. Streamline the creation of the export queue.
When a group of records is exported, the CM screen has irrelevant data which staff need to remove to submit the request properly.
McGill/NAAUG 2003 Poster Session
35
2. Transfer information between CM system records, automatically.
When staff change a CM request into a CM order for export, the overlay number, internal note and order group code must be cut and pasted into the order fields by LTS staff and errors can be introduced.
McGill/NAAUG 2003 Poster Session
36
McGill
1. Improve the automation of the workflow.
Create a script to automatically check for the existence of the export file on the Library server and if found, automatically FTP the file to the Aleph server and submit the processing job script.
McGill/NAAUG 2003 Poster Session
37
Aleph programs used:
1. p_file_01 “ Convert MARC records”
2. p_file_02 “ Convert MARC records”
3. p_file_08 “ Modify MARC records” This program uses the fix table to modify the
MARC record input file.
McGill/NAAUG 2003 Poster Session
38
4. p_ manage_36 “Load Catalog
Records” This program checks the input file against
the MGU01 database and separates records into three files: exact matches, non-matches and multiple matches.
McGill/NAAUG 2003 Poster Session
39
5. p_file_96 “ Load YPB records”
This program processes the MARC input file and creates the Aleph bibliographic, order, item records and makes the budget encumbrance, based on the specifications entered by the library in the definition table.
McGill uses this program twice for a separated CM file, using different definition tables, one for each currency, USD and GBP.
McGill/NAAUG 2003 Poster Session
40
Aleph tables needed:
1. Load program definition table
tab_yankee_def
This table translates the order information between the systems and assigns sub library locations and Aleph record statuses. McGill created two of these tables, one for US orders and one for UK orders.
McGill/NAAUG 2003 Poster Session
41
2. Fix table for the MARC record input file
Yankee_add_own.fix
This table performs field translations on the input records, such as adding an OWN field or transferring the 001 to the 035 field.
McGill/NAAUG 2003 Poster Session
42
Documentation:
1. Ex Libris (available on Ex Libris Documentation Center website)
1. How to Load YBP files.doc, Release 14.2, Last Update 7 October 2001.
2. How to Batch Load BIB Records.3. How to Export BIB Records for Processing (and Re-import them).
2. Blackwell’s Book Services (available on BBS website)
1. CM Export Profile Form.
McGill/NAAUG 2003 Poster Session
43
3. McGill (available on LTS web site)
1. Blackwell’s Collection Manager creating requests. (LTS, February 2002)
2. Blackwell’s Files (Collection Manager and MARC with Books) FTP and loading into Aleph via Customer Services. (LTS, March 2003)
3. Blackwell’s files loading when using Collection Manager and creating order records. (Job scripting specifications, LTS, March 2003)
McGill/NAAUG 2003 Poster Session
44
Abbreviations:BBS - Blackwell’s Book Services
Blackwell's Book Services specialises in the supply of books and bibliographic support products to academic, research and leading public libraries throughout the world.
http://www.blackwells.com/
CM - Collection ManagerBlackwell's Book Services online selection and ordering system for over 2 million U.S. and U. K. imprints.
http://cm.blackwell.com/
McGill/NAAUG 2003 Poster Session
45
YBP – YBP Library Services, A Baker & Taylor CompanyYBP provides books and supporting collection management and technical services to libraries around the world. http://www.ybp.com/
LTS - Library Technical Serviceshttp://www.mcgill.ca/libraries-techserv/
McGill/NAAUG 2003 Poster Session
46
Poster Session Contributors: Library Technical Services
Joan Hobbins ([email protected])Sharon Rankin ([email protected])Pat Riva ([email protected])
Library Systems OfficeJane Aitkens ([email protected])Ron Johnston