Know Your Data: A Structured Approach to

Migration Preparation, Post-Migration Clean-up, and

Ongoing Metadata Maintenance

Richard Sapon-WhiteOregon State University

May 8, 2015ELUNA 2015

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About Data, Structure, and Maintenance Two Examples Lessons (To Be) Learned Sharing information

Overview

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The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in our data, that we are understaffed.

Shakespeare on Integrated Library Systems

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“Structured information about an information resource of any media type or format”

– Priscilla Caplan, Metadata Fundamentals for All Librarians. Chicago: ALA, 2003.

Structure on macro level◦ Bibliographic records, item records, holding

records Structure on micro level

◦ Individual MARC fields and subfields◦ Item record elements

What is (meta)data?

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Content rule changes AACR2 RDA

Revision of authority records Serial title changes

Metadata is Dynamic

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Status changes: on shelf, checked out Missing or withdrawn Put on reserve URL changes Insert notes:

◦ missing pages◦ missing issues◦ autographed copies◦ Et cetera!

Metadata is Dynamic (cont.)

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Bibliographic, holdings, and item data Fix bibliographic records that do not have a 245/title Clean up invalid dates. Clean up chronology and enumeration (item/issue description) for serials as Alma uses these sequences in issue-level requests. Identify links pointing to existing source systems that are migrated, so that they can be removed or updated, if necessary. Identify and delete duplicate Bibs. Consolidate multiple holding records for identical item copies for the same location/call number. Assign a value for empty collection/location for items/holdings, if applicable. Statuses and codes Standardize statuses and codes to remove extraneous entries and consolidate them into fewer options. Review and reduce purchase order statuses, if this is applicable. Review non-standard MARC fields (alphanumeric, for instance), revising records as appropriate. Note that migration allows mapping to local 9XX fields. Review and consolidate material types for items (for example, BK, Book, Monograph) Old data Clean up and/or purge patron records that are inactive or expired and have no outstanding items, fines, fees, or other transactions. Clean up and/or purge patron records with fines, fees, or other transactions that are older than a certain date and/or less than a certain amount. Clean up and/or remove purchase orders that are old drafts or tests. Clean up and/or remove invoices that are old drafts or tests. Clean up standing orders and subscriptions that are old, should have been closed, or require investigation when active, but have been inactive for years. E-resources and package resources

Getting Ready for Alma Implementation, Appendix BOptional Data Preparations

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ILS consists of records Each record has component parts (fields,

elements, etc.) Each field/element may have subfields, etc.

The Structured Approach

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Consider each component field and subfield Record in a central location/document the

definition of the field/subfield and what data is acceptable for that field/subfield

Less concerned with content defined by national standards (e.g., RDA/AACR2-specified content, MFHD)

More concerned with locally-applied data and tracking of records

The Structured Approach to Maintenance

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Millennium is heavy with codes◦ Suppress/T field to identify bib records to

suppress

Case #1: Suppress/T codes

- = not suppressedc = SUPPRESS ORD (10)r = ACQUISITIONS (382)p = MARCIVE SERIAL (169)u = MARCIVE MAPS (0)i = BNA SERIAL LOAD (4480)l = DON’T USE-ORB (6)s = NOT ORBIS/SUPP (4479)

d = DELETE CODE (16)a = APPROVALS (46)w = WITHDRAWN (1171)t = MARCIVE MONOG (10,662)v = MARCIVE MONTHL (136,758)m = CONVERN ON FLY (32)n = SUPP LOC & ORB (1069)z = NOT ORBIS/DISP (28,016)

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1. No one remembered what some codes meant.

2. 8 records had a blank (not “-”). These were “ghost” codes that Millennium retained, but could not be used in a search.

3. Elsewhere in Millennium, table indicated which codes meant suppress and which were just markers.

Case #1: Pre-migration Problem (cont.)

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Anything other than “-” migrated as suppressed

None of the codes migrated to Alma Post-migration clean-up

◦ All Marcive records (p, t, v) had 086 and were unsuppressed in a batch

◦ Records marked for deletion were deleted◦ Some had other characteristics that were used to

identify them

Case #1: What Happened at Migration

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For every code or field, document:◦ Its definition

This field is used to identify whether the bib record is suppressed or unsuppressed

In some cases the field is used as a marker and does not reflect record suppression

◦ The meaning of values a = approvals (suppressed so that users don’t

request materials not yet cataloged) m = conversion on the fly (not suppressed so users

know we own the title, but status indicates unavailable

Case #1: Lessons Learned

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Case #1: Lessons LearnedCode Definition # of

recordsNotes

a Suppressed 520 Use only for checking in issues

b Not suppressed

1,234,567

c Marked for deletion (suppressed)

5 Delete quarterly; see dept. manual for details

d Record load from XYZ, inc.

954 Records are not suppressed; delete after lease expires 6/31/2015

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Store your documentation in a form that is easily accessed by staff:

◦ Excel spreadsheet◦ Word document◦ Department manual in paper or online◦ Wiki

Case #1: Lessons Learned (cont.)

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Has considerably less coding than Millennium

Has many free-text boxes in inventory (especially notes: internal, statistics, internal description)

Let’s look at an example!

But Alma…

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In Millennium: ◦Over 5 years, had loaded ~70,000 bib

records from EBL via contract with OSU 001 EBL239893

◦When purchase triggered, DDA record overlaid with one from OCLC

Case #2:DDA Records

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At same time, OSU participated in EBL DDA program via Orbis Cascade Alliance:

740 Orbis Cascade Alliance EBL DDA unpurchased title.

◦ When purchase triggered: 740 Orbis Cascade Alliance EBL DDA purchased

title. Post-migration: Manage DDA via CZ

◦ Delete OCA DDA records prior to migration

Case #2: DDA Records

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Some OSU DDA records matched with NZ records and were overlaid◦ 001 EBL number replaced with OCLC number

Some OSU DDA records unmatched and retained 001 EBL number

Purchased OSU DDA records unmarked! Ability to do monthly loads of OSU DDA

records was problematic

Case #2: What Happened at Migration?

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Purchased titles identified with Internal Description note in portfolio (~2000 records)◦ EBL purchase

Created set of IZ-only records for deletion Marked unmarked records in NZ with “OSU

EBL DDA to be deleted” in Internal Description note

After everything deleted, reload entire set of records for a fresh start

Case #2: Problem resolution

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Import profiles – use the Profile Description box!

Mark sets of records so they can be isolated and manipulated later

Delete DDA records pre- & reload post-migration

Create a log of record loads and their distinguishing characteristics (history in Alma retained for 1 year only)

Case #2: Lessons Learned

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If pre-migration, look at every unit of (local) data and…

1. Record its definition/description2. Determine if it needs to be edited or

deleted3. Can editing or deleting be completed pre-

migration? 4. If not, will the data migrate so it can be

edited or deleted later?

Get to know the data you have

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Whether pre- or post-migration: ◦Create a central location to record

information about your data◦Make sure everyone in your unit/library

knows where to find the info◦Review it periodically for updating!

Best (?) Practices

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Richard Sapon-WhiteHead, Cataloging and Metadata Services UnitOregon State Universityrichard.sapon-white@oregonstate.edu

Thank you!