Learner guide: Create a new WorldCat bibliographic record

Course overview

At the end of this course,  Create a new WorldCat bibliographic record,  learners will be able to:  access help and documentation on when to input a new WorldCat record; create a new bibliographic record from a work form; derive a new bibliographic record from an existing record; use advanced actions for editing; find input standards for bibliographic records in WorldCat; and add a new record to WorldCat and set holdings.

 Note: This learner guide is designed to accompany the  WorldShare Record Manager: Create a new WorldCat bibliographic record course. If you attended the instructor led course or listened to the recording,  please complete our brief evaluation. Your feedback is very important! Thank you! 

Before creating a new WorldCat record

• First, do a thorough search in WorldCat.
• If in doubt whether you’ve found a matching record, refer to Bibliographic Formats and Standards, Ch. 4 When to Input a New Record.
  • 4.1. General guidelines
  • 4.2 Field by field guidelines
• If no matching bibliographic record exists in WorldCat, and you’ve determined you need to create a new record:
  • Follow current cataloging practices, e.g., Resource Description & Access (RDA).
  • Refer to Bibliographic Formats and Standards, Ch. 2 Online Cataloging.

Create a new WorldCat record from a work form

• From the left navigation bar, select Create Record.
  • Select Type: MARC21 View or Text View.
  • Select Format: AACR2 or RDA.
  • Select Material Type Template: Book, etc.
  • (Optional) Apply constant data.
  • Click Create.
• Enter information and edit the record as appropriate.
• To add the new record to WorldCat, from the Save menu, click Add Record to WorldCat.
  Or
  To add the new record to WorldCat and set your holdings, from the Save menu, click Add Record and Set WorldCat Holding, or for WMS libraries, click Add Record and Set Holding Audience Level.

Derive a new WorldCat record from an existing record

Use Derive to copy data from an existing WorldCat bibliographic record to a new record (for example, for a different edition or a different physical format).

• Search WorldCat for a record, to be sure you are not adding a duplicate.
• Retrieve an existing WorldCat bibliographic record that is similar in some way (e.g., same item but different format or edition) from which to do the derive.
• From a results list of records, click Derive, OR while viewing the single bibliographic record, click the Record menu, click Derive Bibliographic Record, and then click Derive, Derive with Default Constant Data or Derive and Preview Constant Data.
• If needed, from the Record menu, click Change Material Type.
• Edit the record as appropriate.
• To add the new record to WorldCat, from the Save menu, click Add Record to WorldCat.
  Or
  To add the new record to WorldCat and set your holdings, from the Save menu, click Add Record and Set WorldCat Holding, or for WMS libraries, click Add Record and Set Holding Audience Level.
• To save the record to your institution’s online save file (and add it to WorldCat later), from the Save menu, click Save In-Progress Record.

Input standards for WorldCat bibliographic records

Encoding level (ELvl) identifies the standard to which a record conforms:

• Full-level cataloging seeks to ensure inclusion of the essential data elements necessary to meet user needs; meets the requirements of RDA Core or AACR2 second-level description. Full-level cataloging uses ELvl code blank.
• Minimal-level cataloging represents the minimum data necessary to identify an item. Meets the requirements of AACR2 first-level description, rule 1.0D1. Minimal-level cataloging uses ELvl codes 7.
• Abbreviated-level cataloging - Brief records that do not meet the requirements of minimal-level cataloging specifications. Abbreviated-level cataloging uses ELvl code 3.

Bibliographic Formats and Standards specifies input standards for all MARC fields, and requirements for Full vs. Minimal level records in WorldCat. Below is an example of input requirements for MARC field 246:

Advanced actions

While viewing a WorldCat bibliographic record, click on Advanced  Action at the top of screen, and then choose an action from the dropdown menu.  Then click Apply.

Test your knowledge

1. List two reasons why it is important to search WorldCat thoroughly before adding a new record to WorldCat.
2. For each of the following fields, write M, R or O to indicate if it is Mandatory (M), Required if applicable (R), or Optional (O) for Encoding level Full and Minimal records. (See Input standards for each field in Bibliographic Formats and Standards).

   Field	Encoding level <blank> (Full level)	Encoding level 7 (Minimal level)
   Call number (050, 082, etc.)
   1xx (Main entry)
   240 (Uniform title)
   245 (Title statement)
   246 (Varying form of title)
   260/264 (Publication, etc.)

    

3. Use section 4.1 and 4.2 of Bibliographic Formats and Standards to answer these two questions:
   1. True or False: If the book you’re cataloging has an ISBN that’s not in the record you found in WorldCat, you should input a new record.
   2. True or False: If you are cataloging an audio compact disc but the closest match you can find in WorldCat is for an audio cassette, you should input a new record.
4. You have searched WorldCat, and the only record that matches your item reads in part:
   040      UAB $b fre $c UAB
   020      0205605451
   020      9780205605453
   050 4  PE1417 $b .O57 2009
   090      $b
   049      TQ@A
   245 00  One world, many cultures /$c [édité par] Stuart Hirschberg, Terry Hirschberg.
   250      7th ed.
   260      New York ; $a Toronto : $b Pearson Longman, $c c2009.
   300      xvi, 527 p. : $b ill., cartes ; $c 23 cm.
   504      Comprend des réf. bibliogr. et des index.
   
   Answer these questions:
   1. How can you tell that the language of cataloging for this record is not English?
   2. If your library catalogs in English, can you input a new WorldCat bibliographic record in English if one doesn’t already exist?
5. True or False: When you are creating original records in Record Manager, you must enter your OCLC symbol in field 040, subfields $a and $c.
6. What are two ways of creating a new bibliographic record in Record Manager?
7. You have found a bibliographic record that matches the item you are cataloging, but it contains only MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) and your library uses LC Subject Headings. What should you do?
   1. Delete the Medical Subject Headings and add LC Subject Headings.
   2. Add LC Subject Headings but do not delete the MeSH.
   3. Create a new WorldCat bibliographic record.
8. What values for ELvl should OCLC full cataloging libraries use for Full level records?
9. What value for ELvl should OCLC full cataloging libraries use for Minimal level records?

Answer key

1. You should search WorldCat before adding a new bibliographic record to WorldCat to avoid introducing duplicate records. And if a record for a similar item exists, you may choose to derive a new record from it, rather than creating a new record from a blank work form.
2.  

   Field	Encoding Level <blank> (Full level)	Encoding Level 7 (Minimal level)
   Call number (050, 082, etc.)	R	O
   1xx (Main entry)	R	R
   240 (Uniform title)	R	O
   245 (Title statement)	M	M
   246 (Varying form of title)	R	O
   260/264 (Publication, etc.)	R	R

    

3. a. False
   b. True
4. a. The 040 field has a subfield $b with a code other than eng, and the 300 and 504 fields have non-English words.
   b. Yes. If your library catalogs in English, you can input a parallel record in English if one does not already exist.
5. False. These are automatically entered when you create a new bibliographic record.
6. a. From the blank workform
   b. By deriving a new record from an existing record
7. b. Add LC Subject Headings but do not delete MeSH 
8. OCLC full cataloging libraries should use ELvl blank for Full level records.
9. OCLC full cataloging libraries should use ELvl 7 for Minimal level records