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OLSTF import process

Discover an introduction, and the processing and file format for importing bibliographic records, subject headings and orders in OLSTF.

OLIB Standard Transfer Format (OLSTF) is OLIB's proprietary tagged format. It can be used for the import of:

  • Bibliographic records (Title records not available in MARC format)
  • Subjects/thesaurus records
  • User records

Prior to import the data should be formatted into OLSTF.

Overview process

  1. If required, enter any system defaults and reference data that is required prior to the import, e.g. User Category, Location for the Users import.
  2. Decide whether or not to disable the Keyword Indexer. This depends on the size of your import file (see below). Not required for Users import.
  3. Check that the Normalise Server is running. (Not required for Users import).
  4. The data will normally have been supplied (either by email, ftp or on a CD-ROM) as a zipped file. The file should be unzipped and saved to a convenient directory on the pc.
  5. Imported and matched records can be viewed in Folders. This feature is optional but if required, create these Folders in advance so that they are visible as a drop down when setting up the Import Batch record. The New Items Folder field and Matched Items Folder field should also be added to the Import Batch Layout using Layout manager. Viewing Imported and Matched Records
  6. Create the Import Batch in the Data Exchange> Import Batch domain. Note the Batch No.
  7. Load the data.
  8. Check the Import Log domain. If an import fails entries are made here containing reasons for failure. Even import batches that load correctly may still have a number of records missing. Search for import logs by Batch No.
  9. If necessary rectify any import problems and restart the import process.
  10. If required, rebuild and/or restart the Keyword Index depending on the size of the data load.

About the keyword indexer

It may be advisable to disable the keyword indexer depending on the size of a bibliographic import, as not only can the indexer slow down the data loading process, but it is also likely that the Keyword Index will become fragmented, and will therefore run more slowly.

  • If the data load is a small percentage of the total catalogue size, it should not be necessary to do this task
  • If the data load is of medium size, e.g. around 10 percent of the total catalogue size, then disable the Keyword Indexer process, and after the import, restart it. The indexer should catch up with the imported records.
  • If the data load is large, e.g. around 50 percent of the total catalogue size, drop the keyword index, import the data and then create the index from scratch. Currently the ability to drop and create the index from scratch is not yet available in the OLIB Web interface, though it can be done in WorldView. Alternatively contact OCLC UK Support for assistance.

OLSTF Titles

Libraries can perform ad hoc or regular bibliographic imports by using this proprietary format if the data is not available in MARC exchange format. There may be a regular supply of data from a supplier for example that you wish to upload e.g. every month.

How is the input file formatted?

The expected input file format is as follows :

  • a tag at the start of the line. This is not case sensitive
  • one or more spaces immediately after the tag
  • the data immediately after the space(s), exactly as it is to be imported
  • a single asterisk to terminate a record; this should be on a separate line on its own

The tags that are available for titles bibliographic data are included in the general OLSTF import tag list.

Notes specific to Titles tags

  • The TITLES.VERBEXT field is required for Shelfmark generation. The Titles VE tag sets the User Override Verbal Extension that will be used by OLIB in place of any defaulted value when generating shelfmarks. The default import behaviour will set the system verbext to the first 3 characters of the first author's surname, unless the VE tag is supplied, in which case OLIB will use whatever is included in the VE tag.
  • The OLSTF Titles Import includes tag (ALINK) for cross-referencing authors.
Example:
TI A History of the BBC
AS British Broadcasting Corporation
ATP CORP
ALINK AUUF
AS BBC
ATP CORP
ALINK AUUF
AS Auntie Beeb
ATP CORP
ALINK AUSEA
AS ITV
ATP CORP
ALINK AUSEB
AS Sky
ATP CORP
*

The reverse link is handled if it is specified in the reference data. The Preferred and Retrieve See Alsos flags are copied from the relevant LINKTP record as appropriate. (The Preferred field should be set to Y for the Use link type, not the Used For link type. Note, however, that it is not yet possible to set the Preferred flag in the Link Types domain in OLIB Web / WorldView.

If the link type specified by ALINK is not defined in the Link Types domain, the author is linked to Title instead (as if there was no such tag specified)

  • The SCLD copy shelf long description exists so that the shelf can be included on the Title hit list display.
  • The import uses FILEID and the object number to uniquely identify a title that has already been loaded.

Follow the normal process to load the data. In Data Exchange> Import Batch change the Batch Type to OLSTF Titles file. This redraws the layout.

OLSTF Subjects / thesaurus

OLIB can import subjects / thesaurus data from:

  • an existing library management system
  • a published thesaurus

The tags that are available for subjects / thesaurus data are included in the general OLSTF import tag list.

The import enables the conversion of links between Subjects, (Narrower/Broader, Related terms, Preferred/Non-preferred). matching between subject, subject type and language can be done. Links between Subjects and Classmarks can also be imported.

Matching can be done by Language as well as by Subject and Subject Type. Multi-lingual thesauri are supported and multi-lingual links are generated automatically. For example, if an English subject is imported with a broader term and a Dutch equivalent, and the Dutch equivalent subject already exists in the database with a broader term, the incoming record’s broader term is linked to the existing Dutch equivalent’s broader term as an English equivalent related term.

How is the input file formatted?

The expected input file format is as follows:

  • a tag at the start of the line. This is not case sensitive
  • one or more spaces immediately after the tag
  • the data immediately after the space(s), exactly as it is to be imported
  • a single asterisk to terminate a record; this should be on a separate line on its own
Example showing Preferred / Non-preferred links:
SU CONSTITUTIONELE MONARCHIE
SUBTP SUBJ
XRSU PARLEMENTAIRE MONARCHIE
LT SU_U
XRPR Y
PREF N
*
SU AUTORITAIRE STELSELS
SUBTP SUBJ
XRSU DICTATUUR
LT SU_U
XRPR Y
PREF N
*
SU ALLEENHEERSCHAPPIJ
SUBTP SUBJ
XRSU DICTATUUR
LT SU_U
XRPR Y
PREF N
*
SU JUNTA
SUBTPSUBJ
XRSU MILITARY REWIND
LT
XRPR Y
PREF N
*
SU KONINKRIJK
SUBTP SUBJ
XRSU MONARHIE
LT SU_U
XRPR Y
PREF N
*
Example showing record structure to build links between Classmarks and Subjects for auto-cataloguing:
CL 070
CS DDC
SU Mass Media
SUBTP SUBJ
*
CL 150
CS DDC
SU Psychology
SUBTP SUBJ
*

Follow the normal process to load the data. In Data Exchange> Import Batch change the Batch Type to OLSTF Thesaurus file. This redraws the layout.

OLSTF Orders

It is possible to import order records using the same standard OLSTF import process that exists for bibliographic data, user data and subject/thesaurus data. To do this, you use the import batch type, OLSTF Order file.

Integration with online supplier services

When OLIB is configured to integrate with a book supplier’s online ordering interface, an OLSTF orders file is automatically created as part of the process, when OLIB ingests records from the EDI Quotes (MARC) message that is sent by the Supplier.

How is the input file formatted?

The expected input file format is as follows:

  • a tag at the start of the line. This is not case sensitive
  • one or more spaces immediately after the tag
  • the data immediately after the space(s), exactly as it is to be imported
  • a single asterisk to terminate a record; this should be on a separate line on its own

 Caution: each group of order item tags must be terminated by the order item terminator tag “;; x” (2 semi-colons followed by a space followed by the character “x”)

The tags that are available for orders and order items are included in the general OLSTF import tag list.