OCLC Online Union Catalog Research Articles

Spell Checking OCLC‐MARC Records

In an attempt to reduce typing errors when producing records in the OCLC Online Union Catalog, our Technical Processing Section is using a spelling checker on our PCs to check records in the Save file before taking final action on our record in the OCLC system.

Use of the Apple Macintosh to Access OCLC: A Preliminary Report

With more than 16 million records accessed by more than 6,000 libraries, the OCLC Online Union Catalog [OLUC] is one of the world's largest bibliographic databases. [There are now over 17 million records in the OLUC and 8,000 member libraries.] Traditionally, this enormous bibliographic database has, for the most part, been accessed by those institutions using OCLC hardware—OCLC terminals including models 100, 105, and 110 and M300 and M300XT Workstations—and operating over dedicated phone lines. Although dial access to OCLC via nondedicated terminals has been available for over 10 years, the advent of personal computers with high‐speed modems and telecommunications software has made dial access more attractive economically for libraries with relatively low cataloging volumes. This article briefly describes, our use of the Apple Macintosh at the Merriam Center Library (MCL) to access the OCLC Online System.

Project Download:

Many people have wanted to do many things with OCLC‐MARC records. I would like to track the different kinds of bibliographic records processed by my cataloging staff so I can assign work to the professional and paraprofessional staff most efficiently. So, as the beginning of a management information system (MIS), I created Project Download, a microcomputer program that counts the number of bibliographic records that a holding library downloads from the OCLC Online Union Catalog and also enables me, as manager of the cataloging department, to count the materials coming from our acquisitions department. I gather the information using an M300 Workstation and process it on a Zenith 158 XT microcomputer that has a 10MB hard disk, using a microcomputer program called Smart to extract the data from the IBM environment and transform it into meaningful information in the Zenith environment. Smart is an integrated, fourth‐generation microcomputer software package with word processing, spreadsheet, graphics, communications, time management, and relational database management capabilities. Aldiough Smart doesn't require a hard disk, Project Download does in order to automatically pass data and control from module to module.

DUBLINes

Search CD450, a microcomputer‐based reference tool with searching software that provides full, flexible access to a unique package of ERIC databases and education materials in libraries—a subset of the OCLC Online Union Catalog—is scheduled for release in April. The OCLC Search CD450 titles in education are the first in a series of OCLC reference databases on compact disc. These discs will contain bib‐liographic and citation databases obtained from a variety of sources, supplemented by specially created, subject‐related subsets of the OCLC Online Union Catalog.

The LS/2000 Serials Control Subsystem

The OCLC LSl2000 Serials Control Subsystem is a union of a minicomputer-based local system with the micro-based SC350. Links between the Serials Control Subsystem, LSl2000 local system and the OCLC Online Union Catalog provide users with the benefits of centralized shared information in a local environment. The full range of serials capabilities from initial bibliographic verification to union listing is available with the LS12000 Serials Control Subsystem.

Cataloging Theses:

Recently, members of our cataloging department decided to enter the university's theses into the OCLC Online Union Catalog as part of a retrospect conversion project. Since several fields are similar in all these records, we felt we could save time and eliminate the chance of some typing errors if these fields could be put on user‐defined function keys.

Planning for serials retrospective conversion

In 1981 The Center for Research Libraries (CRL) outlined a three-phase program to improve bibliographic access to its cataloged collections. In Phase I, which lasted from 1981 to 1982, The Center's card catalog was filmed and distributed on microfiche as a replacement for its outdated book catalog. This was accomplished with the help of an HEA Title II-C grant. The Center also began to enter all o f its current cataloging into the OCLC online union catalog. The Center subscribed to the OCLC MARC tapes of its records in order to make them available to any of its member libraries wishing to integrate them into their own inhouse online catalogs. It was hoped that agreements could be reached with other bibliographic utilities to load CRL's tape into their databases. Phase II, which began in 1982, involves retrospective conversion of The Center's card catalog records to machine-readable form. Current serials and newspapers were designated as top priority for conversion, followed by retrospective serials. Preliminary planning began, and a grant proposal was written and submitted to the HEA Title II-C program of the U.S. Department of Education to secure funding for the conversion of the records for currently received serials and their preceding titles. At the same time, The Center had the opportunity to apply for a grant to do retrospective conversion o f the records for its U.S. newspaper titles as part of the National Endowment for the Humanities' U.S. Newspaper Project. Both projects were subsequently funded and were scheduled to begin their actual conversion phases on February 1, 1983. Supervisors for the two projects

OCLC and government documents collections

The effect of OCLC on technical and public services relative to government documents has been significant. Use of the online services provided by OCLC has helped libraries to increase awareness of and accessibility to government documents collections. Cataloging, Serials Control and Interlibrary Loan activities based on the OCLC Online Union Catalog have enabled staff and patrons to attain more rapid access to their own collections as well as providing unprecedented capability for resource sharing.

Correction of Errors in "Music in the OCLC Online Union Catalog..."

Correction of Errors in "Music in the OCLC Online Union Catalog..."

Music in the Oclc Online Union Catalog: A Review

Music in the Oclc Online Union Catalog: A Review

AACR2: OCLC's Implementation and Database

OCLC's Online Union Catalog (OLUC) contains bibliographic records created under various cataloging guidelines. Until December 1980, no system-wide attempt had been made to resolve record conflicts caused by use of the different guidelines. The introduction of the new guidelines, the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, Second Edition (AACR2), exacerbated these record conflicts. To reduce library costs, which might increase dramatically as users attempted to resolve those conflicts, OCLC converted name headings and uniform titles in its database to AACR2 form.The purpose of the conversion was to resolve record conflicts that resulted from rule changes and to conform to LC preferred forms of heading if possible.

OCLC Search Key Usage Patterns in a Large Research Library

Many libraries use the OCLC Online Union Catalog and Shared Cataloging Subsystem to perform various library functions, such as acquisitions and cataloging of library materials. As an initial part of the operations,users must search and retrieve a bibliographic record for the desired item from the large OC LC database. Various types of derived search keys are available for retrieval. This study of actual search keysentered by users of the OCLC online system was conducted to determine the types of search keys users prefer for performing various library operations and to find out whether the preferred search keys are effective.

Derived search keys for government documents

The purpose of this study was to propose a design for a Superintendent of Documents (SuDocs) number search key to retrieve bibliographic records for United States Government documents from OCLC's On-Line Union Catalog. Experimentation with a test file of 25,000 records indicated that a search key derived from a maximum of the first 14 digits in the SuDocs number is sufficiently distinctive to obtain an expected average retrieval of 2.5 records per search. OCLC will implement a SuDocs number search key in the future. It is expected that this key will be a valuable tool for library catalogers and users.