Set up authority control and reference data

Authority files

The following data can be populated as part of the cataloguing process, and it can contain 'record control' information:

Names
Classes
Subject Headings
Publishers
Places
Series

When new data is created to populate these authority files, the default status set for the authority record is To be Checked. This does not have an impact on the ability to search for or view these new records, and as such the status can be left unchanged. It does however allow for control to be imposed on the creation of new entries to the authority controlled files, so that the library can follow any checking procedures it has in place. An authority controlled record that has been modified rather than newly created can also be retrieved and checked. These records have a default status of Modified To Be Checked. For example, go to Supplier/Publishers and retrieve a record. Click the Control tab to view the status of that authority record.

Create new authority headings

When you search any of the authority files to retrieve a record, whether it is to find further information on that heading, or as part of the cataloguing process, if the record does not exist you can enter a new record to the database. Use New Record to open a blank data entry page appropriate to the domain where you are searching. On saving the record, it will immediately be available for use by any other users of the database.

Note: when you search an authority file and then click New Record, the value used for the search is passed in to the new record page. In order to reduce keying, it is beneficial to enter the value for the search in a format also suitable for a new record (e.g. capital first letter).

Any changes made to an authority file entry is immediately reflected in title records linked to that entry. For example, if you change a subject heading from ’C.A.D’. to ’Computer-aided-design’ then all titles using this subject heading are automatically updated.

Essential reference data

The following is a check list of essential reference data used in implementing the cataloguing module. Other optional reference data also exists.

	Reference data domains	Description
Title records	Responsibility Types	Define the link between titles and names, e.g. Author, Editor or Corporate Author. At least one responsibility type should exist.
	Classmark Schemas	Define the type of classmark, e.g. DDC. At least one classification scheme must exist prior to adding classmarks to bibliographic information. If you use more than one scheme and if you require separate fields to display these, see Categorised Classes and Subjects Display. Note for the purpose of MARC import/export you can specify MARC21 Tag, First, Second Indicator, Edition (from/to $2), Assigning Agency.
	Link Types	Define the link between one title and another, e.g. Later Edition Of or Supercedes. They also define the links between one subject heading and another, and between one name and another. These should exist if you use title cross-referencing or the subject headings thesaurus facility.
	Supplier Types	Determine the type of supplier/publisher record. Supplier types Publisher, Supplier and Supplier/Publisher are provided as standard.
	Media Type	Used to define media type of a title, such as Book, Serial, Journal Article. Media Types reference data fields are listed below.
Copy records	Copy Categories	Determine the category of the copy of the title, e.g. whether it is a loan or reference copy. Copy categories must exist prior to adding local copy details. The Standard copy category is delivered as standard. A number of other copy categories are delivered as standard which have a special meaning in OLIB. These are indicated with an underscore, ”_”, as the first character, and should not be deleted, and they should not be used whilst adding new copy records. When you create a new copy category, it is possible to assign it to a dedicated Copies cataloguing screen layout using Layout Manager. To do this, after creating the new category, wait for Daystart to run: Caution: Daystart creates the Info Type record from the Copy Category, and is therefore a prerequisite to link to a new Copies cataloguing layout for display/edit. In Layout Manager, assign the new Info Type to a layout.
Copy records	Locations	Define the physical location of the copy, e.g. Main Library or High Street Branch. At lease one location must exist prior to adding copy details. The System Location is delivered as standard. This can be used as your default location.

Defaulted reference data

These parameters are defined in the Admin Client Defaults domain. It is recommended that you enter the following system level cataloguing defaults. These automatically appear in the catalogue record in order to reduce the amount of data entry required. (Setting and changing them is a system manager’s task, and as such you may not have sufficient permissions to access this domain).

Reference data domains	Description
Author (Name) Type	Defines Personal, Corporate and Conference authors.
Responsibility Type	To specify type of responsibility for a work such as author, editor, composer.
Link Subjects	For use with the auto-cataloguing function in a thesaurus relationship. Set to Yes to enable this. For "see also" subject links only where if you add one subject to a title, the linked subject is also automatically added. E.g. "WW2" and "Second World War" – if you link them with autocat set to Yes, then whichever subject is added to the title, the linked one is added as well.
Class Type	Used to name different classification schemes, e.g. Dewey. If you require separate fields to display these, discuss with your OCLC implementation consultant.
Copy Category	Essential data used for every Copy record, e.g. "28 Day Loan". Used in Cataloguing and Circulation - interacts with User Categories in the Loan Terms domain to determine loan period.
Copy Status	In conjunction with Loan Status (Circulation) describes the current state of a copy, e.g. On loan, Available, Reserved. Data supplied with OLIB should not be removed, but new values may be added. Each Copy Status belongs to a specific Loan Status.
Language	Used in cataloguing to indicate the language of a work. Used in Serials module if a non- English language is required for journal labelling e.g. month, year etc. Used if a multi-lingual thesaurus is implemented.
Language Subject	When set to Yes any new subjects would default to that language.
Location	Used in many areas of OLIB. In cataloguing, indicates the physical site where a copy is located.
Media Type	Used to define media type of a title, such as Book, Serial, Journal Article. Media Types reference data fields are listed below.
Media Sub-Type	Subcategories of the different media types. For example Electronic Journal as a sub media type of the Journals media type. When you set up a Media Sub-Type, you associate it with a Media Type. When cataloguing a title, you first select a Media Type - the list of sub-types then available to you will be the ones associated with the Media Type.
Subject Type	The types of subject heading in use, e.g. MESH, LC Geographical. If you require separate fields to display these, see Categorised Classes and Subjects Display. You may prefer to discuss with your OCLC Consultant. Subject Types are also used to set up the Thesaurus.

The following default parameter is set in the Users domain:

Default Media Type

This is relevant to (cataloguing) Staff users and you will find it near the foot of the first page in the Users domain. Choose from the drop down so that e.g. Sound Recording is always the default when this user creates new Titles. This takes precedence over the above default media type in Admin Client Defaults and is useful if a member of staff always catalogues records of a specific media type that is different from the default. If not set, the system default will apply. Changes to this field take immediate effect.

Optional reference data

Here is a list of additional reference data available. Some of the fields originated as special developments.

Reference data domain	Description
Acq Film Status	The table holds the statuses used to indicate the status of a film negative. This status is similar to copy status. Statuses include lost, withdrawn, retake, etc. Note that this does not apply in a standard system.
Alt Title Types	Used when linking Titles to an alternative title, e.g. Uniform Title, Collective Title.
Binding Types	Can be used to describe how a title is bound.
Cartographic codes	Can be used to list codes and scales when describing maps.
Collections	Can be used to define if a copy belongs to a certain collection.
Control No.Types	To define types of control number such as BNB no, LC no. or any other identifiable number for an item that is not a series number. Used on the Bibliographic-Full layout. You can set up the default Type that appears automatically whenever you create a new Control No. Go to Cataloguing Reference Data> Control No Types and obtain the hit list. Select the preferred Type in the hit list and in Other Actions choose Set/Clear Default. (If the selected control number type’s Default flag is already set to Yes, when you apply Set/Clear Default again, OLIB re-sets it to No. (To choose a different default Type, select the preferred type and apply Set/Clear Default - this automatically resets all the other Types= No).
Extraction Status	This holds a series of codes that indicate the status of indexing projects for an item. Statuses include extraction complete, currently being extracted, extraction not allowed, etc. Note that this is not implemented in a standard system.
Films / Fiche	Describes the film as a physical item. Note that this does not apply in a standard system.
Formats	Used to describe the physical format of a title, for instance, 16mm projection film, E180 VHS cassette, etc.
Geo Collections	This does not apply in a standard system. These reflect the organization of the library. They tell a user what area of the library a book or film is located in. Examples include international, family histories, British, etc.
Geographic Codes	This does not apply in a standard system. Holds a series of codes that indicate the specific country or state a film or copy deals with.
ISxN Types	For International Standard Book Number, International Standard Music Number, International Standard Serial Number and so on.
Musical Forms	To describe the musical category of a music recording or score, e.g. Chamber Music, Orchestral, Jazz, etc. Only for use by music libraries / collections.
Name Types	These list Personal, Conference and Corporate types of author names.
Note Types	Types of notes required for cataloguing can be defined, e.g. Biographical or Historical Data. Defaults you can define include MARC 21 tag/inds; whether Notes of this Type are to be displayed in OPAC; whether to include in import/export.
Object Types	These list the type of objects you use to facilitate linking of catalogue records to digital content, for example pdf, MARC Exchange file, JPG file, Web Page, RTF. Note: you can prevent attachment/object details being included in a MARC export: set Exclude from Export to Yes - all objects of this Object Type will then not be included in the MARC export (Tag 856). If Exclude from Export is set at Object level, this determines the in/exclusion for an individual object. If not specified there, OLIB looks at this setting on the Object Type. If not set there, Object details will be exported.
Object Statuses	Relates to the data exchange module - the various possible statuses which batches of data may go through during the import process. Caution: Converting, Failed, Loading, Loaded, Parsing - should not be amended or deleted. Official, Original, Copy - the status of attached electronic files.
Ownership/Ownership Codes	This does not apply in a standard system but to a specialised implementation.
Picture Formats	To describe the category of a film/video, e.g. animation, documentary, feature film, etc. Relevant to libraries with visual arts collections.
Record Source Codes	Codes to represent the cataloguing source of bibliographic records, e.g. MARC.
Series Types	Used if required for MARC compliance, e.g. if exporting MARC records.
Shelves	The physical shelving areas within a location ('sub-locations)' - used to indicate where a Copy of a Title is shelved.
Subject Categories	If required you can make a subject belong to more than one category, e.g. to indicate that the subject term is both part of a thesaurus and part of the LC Subject Headings list.
Subject Types	The types of subject heading in use, e.g. MESH, LC Geographical. If you require separate fields to display these see Categorised Classes and Subjects Display. You may prefer to discuss with your OCLC Consultant. Subject Types are also used to set up the Thesaurus.
Title/Series Statuses	To indicate the current status of a Title, or of a work that is a Series Title. Can also be used to manage your cataloguing workflow.

Media Types reference data fields

These are used to categorise different types of media / formats in the library. They affect various features such as the appropriate cataloguing screen layout, SIP Media Type, RDA Defaults and such.

Field	Description
Key ID, Short/Long Description	Descriptions can be changed.
Media Sub-Types	OLIB displays the sub-types you have linked to this Media Type.
Default ISxN Type	Optionally, select a default ISxN type for Title records that are of this Media Type. When cataloguing in Titles, after you enter/scan in the ISxN, OLIB checks that the number entered is valid for the default ISxN type.
Copyright Note	Enter the default copyright note relevant to Titles of this Media Type.
OPAC Icon	The image file used as the icon in the OPAC, for all title records of this Media Type.
SIP Media Type	Enter the 3-char, fixed-length optional field.
Allow New Copy at Loc?	This relates to the Titles action in the hit list "Add Copy at Current Location". It determines whether or not titles of this media type permit copies creation using that action.
Allow Deletion if Parent?	Whether or not titles of this media type are allowed to be deleted if they are a "parent" title record.
MARC Leader	Optionally select the default leader codes (Type of Record - 06, Bibliographic Level - 07, Linked Record Requirement - 19) - for Title records that are of this Media Type.
MARC 007/008 tags	Optionally enter the Physical Description Fixed Field and the Fixed Length Data Elements for title records of this Media Type.
RDA Defaults	The defaults for RDA cataloguing purposes. These are already provided as standard for some Media Types; optionally select the RDA defaults for any other Media Types you may have using RDA cataloguing.

Create new Media Type

The system manager can create a new Media Type record if necessary. You can then assign it to a dedicated cataloguing screen layout using Layout Manager.

Go to Cataloguing Reference Data> Media Types.
Click New Record to create the new Media Type.
After creating a new record, wait for Daystart to run:

Caution: Daystart creates the Info Type record from the Media Type, and is therefore a prerequisite to link to a new cataloguing layout for display/edit.

In Layout Manager, assign the new Info Type to a layout.