Union Catalog Models

1. Union Catalog Models סמינר אקס ליבריס ישראל October 2002חשון תשס"ג יוסי טיסונה

2. Overview • The Union Catalog is a sophisticated mechanism for supporting integration of disparate libraries into a single environment. • By environment we do not necessarily mean a single database or a merged index, but rather a unified user view. Union Catalog Models

3. Overview • The ALEPH Union Catalogs are based on ALEPH architecture. • There are four types of Union Catalogs offered by the ALEPH ILS software: • Central Catalog • Central <-> Local Catalogs • Union View Catalog • Union Catalog Union Catalog Models

4. Central Catalog BIB AUT ADM HOL Union Catalog Models

5. Central Catalog • The Central Catalog is based on an agreement of all the member libraries that there will be one bibliographic record for each title. • There is an agreement that the various libraries in the system recognize a central cataloging authority, which has the right to control the bibliographic record. • All libraries agree to use a common record. Union Catalog Models

6. Central Catalog • This one central catalog is shared by multiple administrative libraries, each one controlling its own acquisitions, circulation, serials control, etc. in separate Oracle tables. • The ADMINISTRATIVE library record is linked to the BIBLIOGRAPHIC record and enables a complete integrated list of all the libraries’ holdings, at one time, on one page. Union Catalog Models

7. Central Catalog • ALEPH offers the option of adding and updating local library-specific holdings records, for enrichment of the bibliographic record. • The holdings record can be used to enrich the bibliographic record for indexing and display. For example, in this manner a single library can add its own subject access, without updating the central bibliographic record. Union Catalog Models

8. Central Catalog <-> Local Catalogs Central BIB AUT z105 z105 Local BIB … more ALEPH local Libraries … ADM HOL Union Catalog Models

9. Central Catalog <-> Local Catalogs • In the Central Catalog + Local Catalogs, all cataloging is done in the Central Catalog, and afterwards copied to the Local Catalog. • As in the Central Catalog setup, the Central Catalog + Local Catalogs are based on an agreement of all the member libraries that there will be one bibliographic record for each title. Union Catalog Models

10. Central Catalog <-> Local Catalogs • Each local library has a copy of the bibliographic records relevant to the library. • When a central record is updated, a message is sent to the local library to fetch the record for update. • Record overlay parameters allow retention of local fields in the local record. Union Catalog Models

11. Central Catalog <-> Local Catalogs • In the Central Catalog, it is possible to view a complete integrated list of all the libraries’ holdings at one time, on one page. • In order to save communication, item records can be copied from the Local Catalog to the Central Catalog. When item records are updated on a local server, a message is sent to the central system to fetch the new records. • The end-user can initiate an inquiry for up-to-date circulation information for a copy. In this case, the central system fetches the information from the local system. Union Catalog Models

12. Central Catalog <-> Local Catalogs • The Central <-> Local setup allows separate servers for the local libraries, and complete independence from the problems of communication for local OPAC search and administrative functions, such as Acquisitions and Circulation. • The local library can be a non-ALEPH system. Union Catalog Models

13. Union View Catalog Union View Indexes Daily update: z120 Bibliographic data base Cat.Group Cat.Group Cat.Group AUT no authority control ADM HOL ADM HOL … more ALEPH local Libraries … ADM HOL Union Catalog Models

14. Union View Catalog • The Union View Catalog is made up of multiple bibliographic records for a single title. There is no central cataloging authority which has the right to control the bibliographic record. • Each library creates its own record. • Each library “attaches” its administrative record to its bibliographic record. • The obvious advantage of this model is that there need not be agreement on the cataloging record content. This model is useful for separate libraries that want a common catalog. Union Catalog Models

15. Union View Catalog • There is no de-duplication of records for the same title in the catalog itself. • De-duplication is done for purposes of viewing; this is what ALEPH calls the Union View. • The tools for creating a Union View are used in common with the Union Catalog (option 4). Union Catalog Models

16. Union View Catalog • The system creates a set of “equivalent records” based on the following: • It searches for a matching record, using standard indexes, such as ISBN, Control Numbers, Title, etc. • It weighs the records against each other for more explicit fine-tuning of a match (e.g., pagination, date and place of publication). Union Catalog Models

17. Union View Catalog • All equivalent records are assigned the same additional record ID. • When a search (Browse or Find) is performed, all the records found that share the same ID are displayed once only, as one record. • All records are individually indexed for browse and find. • The content of the record depends on configuration that sets which is the preferred record and how the records should be merged for view. Union Catalog Models

18. Union View Catalog • The ADMINISTRATIVE records that are linked to the separate records are viewed as if linked to the one merged record. • In this way, it is possible to view a complete integrated list of all the libraries’ holdings, at one time, on one page. • This model assumes that the data of all the libraries is held on one central server. Union Catalog Models

19. Union Catalog Union View Indexes Daily update: z120 Union BIB BIB א Endeavor א300 …… BIB א BIB א Union Catalog Models

20. Union Catalog • The ALEPH Union Catalog is a library catalog that combines information from different local contributors into a single unified database. • The union database is built from catalog records sent by the participating sources. The contributors to the Union Catalog can be ALEPH and non-ALEPH libraries. Union Catalog Models

21. Union Catalog • The Union Catalog is similar to the Union View, in that it is a conglomerate of separate bibliographic records, with no attempt to physically de-duplicate multiple records for the same title. • De-duplication is done for view. • A major advantage of de-duplication for view, rather than physical de-duplication, is that the de-duplication configuration can be changed, without the need to reload the data. Union Catalog Models

22. Union Catalog • Other advantages are: • Updating a record is simple and is done by unlinking it from the equivalence table and marking it as “New”. • A new record is simply inserted as equivalent only to itself. • In all cases, the data of each record stays intact in the database. Union Catalog Models

23. Union Catalog • Loading of external resources takes no longer than the load and index time in ALEPH. The load and the equivalency check are separate processes. • The worst-case effect of update, insert or delete, is that from the point at which a record was updated until the point that the equivalency entries are (re)created, the group of equivalent records will appear individually, as non-equivalent. • 100% uptime Union Catalog Models