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OCLC Support

Reformating authority records

About reformatting records

The Connexion client displays records in one view only: MARC template.

Use the Reformat command (Edit menu) as you edit online or local records to automatically re-sort the variable fields in correct numeric order and correct minor errors. Reformat records as a separate step (Edit > Reformat) while logged on or offline, or let the system reformat the record automatically when you take a final action interactively or batch process final actions.

No minimum authorization level is required to reformat records. Reformat the following types of records:

  • WorldCat
  • Bibliographic save file (online or local)
  • Bibliographic constant data (online or local)
  • Library of Congress (LC) authority file records
  • Authority save file (online or local)
  • Authority constant data (online or local)

 Note: Reformatting does not reset the automatic logoff timer when you are logged on, since the function is performed locally within the client and not by the online system.

Reformat a record by command

Navigate to Edit > Reformat, or click the Reformat button (Reformat button), or press <Ctrl><R>. After reformatting, the client retains the Right trianglesymbol to mark the fields you edited. The Right triangle symbol is retained until you take a final action or do a Control All Headings function on a record.

Errors corrected automatically 

Whether you reformat records as a separate step (Edit > Reformat) or let the system reformat records automatically when you take final actions, Connexion makes the following minor corrections:

  • For bibliographic and authority records:
    • The pipe character ( | ) in URLs is automatically converted to code %7C, since it is not part of the set of ALA diacritics and special characters that are valid in the client.
    • If you enter subfield codes in uppercase, Connexion changes them to lowercase.
  • For bibliographic records only:
    • If you enter fixed field values in the wrong case, upper- vs. lowercase, Connexion changes them to the correct case.
    • If the last character (check digit) in the ISBN or ISSN is a lowercase x, Connexion changes it to uppercase.
    • If you enter dlc in lowercase in field 040 $a, Connexion changes to uppercase DLC.
    • If field 260 $c contains a date and fixed field element Date1 is blank, Connexion adds the date to Date1.
    • Connexion deletes leading blanks or blanks between values in fixed field elements. Trailing blanks remain.
  • Non-ALA character in URLs

To retain the vertical bar or pipe in URLs, the character is automatically converted to the hex value of %7C, since it is not part of the set of ALA diacritics and special characters that are valid for use in the client.