MULS Blog

For some of our MULS participating libraries, summer is an opportunity to catch-up on annual updates to their Local Holdings Records, or to take on weeding projects that might effect their holdings.  Whatever you might be doing with your Local Holdings, we at MINITEX would like to know what you are planning to do and if there is any way we can help.

If your library needs help with updating holdings – getting a list of the current titles in OCLC to work with or perhaps setting up a Constant Data file with a generic holding statement – the MINITEX MULS staff will be glad to assist you.  If you’d like to get your holdings up-to-date, but don’t have the staff time, you could consider using the MULS Updating Service to help your project along.

Or if your staff has the time, but wants some training on working with Local Holdings Records in OCLC Connexion, we would be happy to schedule training sessions during the summer months.  Let us know what you would like to do and what level of training your staff needs  - be it basic training on LHR updating, a refresher on certain topics, or a new look at working with complex holdings.  We are willing to provide the training you need, and will work to schedule it around your summer activities.

If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact Dave Linton in the MINITEX MULS office. 

Posted by linto001 at 12:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Allen Ashman, Editor of the Kentucky Union List of Serials, reported on how Kentucky libraries have begun to use the “Reason for No” information provided in the WorldCat Resource Sharing Statistics to identify high priority LHRs for updating.  Library staff check their library’s reports for unfilled ILL entries where the “Reason for No” is listed as “Lacking,” e.g., the ILL staff could not find the particular item/volume requested.

In particular, if a title is requested repeatedly and the request is turned away because the item is “Lacking,” Ashman suggested that LHR maintenance staff check their holdings information in WorldCat to see if an inaccurate LHR is encouraging potential borrowers to seek volumes the library doesn’t have.  Of course, good LHRs don’t head off all bad requests, but, at least, they do provide solid info. for borrowers who perform basic holdings searches!

For more information about Ashman’s “Reason for No” presentation, contact Cecelia.  For more information about WorldCat Resource Sharing Statistics, contact the MINITEX BATS unit.

Posted by linto001 at 4:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Planning for “Son of SULOP”

In Dec. 2005, OCLC was forced to discontinue production of Serial Union List Offline Products (known as SULOPs, or often just as 'holdings lists') as it prepared for migration of Local Holdings Maintenance to the Connexion browser.  MINITEX/MULS libraries had used SULOPs, which were available as printed lists or electronic files, to check the accuracy of their LHRs and had used them as local or regional finding aids.  OCLC says plans are moving forward for new product options with availability expected "by the end of this calendar year."

The primary options under consideration at this time are electronic files of bibliographic records and the related Local Holdings Records.  OCLC is interested in hearing from library staff with suggestions and requests for SULOP-successor products.  Contact Cecelia or Dave Linton with your questions and suggestions.

Posted by linto001 at 3:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

LHR Updating Service Available for Use

Automated LHR updating (officially entitled the OCLC Local Holdings Records Updating Service, or LHRUS) allows libraries participating in MULS and other OCLC-based Union List groups to provide summary or detailed holdings data from their local systems for OCLC to use to update their LHRs in WorldCat.  Several MINITEX area libraries have used the LHRUS in the past, and Judy Murran, OCLC Project Manager for LHRUS, said that many new libraries are making use of the service.

The project backlog, which had delayed processing of libraries’ holdings files, has been reduced greatly.  See

http://www.oclc.org/batchprocessing/options/holdings/localdatarecords/default.htm

for more information, or contact Cecelia Boone  in the MINITEX/MULS Office. 

Staff of MINITEX/MULS libraries can, of course, continue to update their LHRs manually online with the Connexion Browser.  Contact Dave Linton with your questions about manual updating.

Posted by linto001 at 3:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)