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Loan data

Find instructions, a file template, and a sample record for formatting and sending your loan data to OCLC.

Purpose

This document contains instructions for formatting and sending your loan data to OCLC. Loan data should only be sent for items that are currently checked out (active loans).

 Note: Circulation files are required to be UTF-8 encoded.

File template

File Description
Tab-delimited loan data template (Microsoft Excel) Contains 10 columns. Save as a tab-delimited text file (an Excel file cannot be used to send data).

 Note: Required fields have red column headings.

Column rules

  • The text file must contain all 10 tab-delimited columns in the order listed in the table below.
  • The first row of the text file is the header and must contain column names separated by tabs.
  • Column header names are not case sensitive, but must be spelled correctly.
  • Each line in the tab-delimited file must contain 9 tab characters, which function as column separators.
  • All values in columns are strings (text string, numeric string, etc.).
  • If you have no data to put in a column, include the column header, but leave the rest of the column empty (do not delete the column header).

 Note: If columns are deleted, moved, or renamed, the file cannot be used to load data.

Filename rules

  • Filenames can contain letters, numbers, periods, and underscores.
  • Filename cannot contain spaces or special characters (e.g., @, ?, *, #, !, &, %, $, ^).
  • Tab-delimited files must have the .txt file extension.
    Example: OCLCsymbol.itemstats.txt

Send loan data

Once your data is prepared, send your loan data files via SFTP with your OCLC file exchange account.

Directory Use for
/xfer/wms/test/in/circdata/loans Loading loan data to WMS

Loan file format

 Note: None of the columns are repeatable.

Column number Column name Required Example Description
1 lendingInstitutionID x 127968 The WorldCat Registry ID for the institution that has loaned the item.
2 itemBarcode x 1000124077 The barcode of the item that was borrowed.
3 borrowerInstitutionID x 1127968 The WorldCat Registry ID for the home institution of the patron who checked out the item.
4 borrowerBarcode x 1234567890 The barcode of the patron who borrowed the item.
5 loanDate x 2012-11-16T00:00:00
  • The date the item was loaned.
  • The date must be formatted per the example given in this table. If no date, leave empty. If date, but no time, put zeros in time (or any valid 24-hour time).
  • Use your Institution's local time.
  • Use this format date and time: YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss

 Caution:

  • The date and time for the recallDate and renewalDate must occur after the loanDate.
  • If the renewalDate occurs after the loanDate, the renewalDate will be used in place of the loanDate.
6 dueDate x 2016-12-31T17:45:59
7 recallDate   2016-12-31T17:45:59
8 renewalDate   2016-12-31T17:45:59
9 renewalCount   1 The number of renewals.
10 note x   Not currently used. The note column is required but should not contain data.

Sample record

File Description
Tab-delimited loan data text file example (Text file) An example of a tab-delimited text file that results from saving the tab-delimited loan data template as text. It contains sample data.

Questions

If you have questions, contact your OCLC Implementation Manager at WMSImp@oclc.org.