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Backstage Library Works Automated Services

Monday, August 31st, 2009

You may have noticed that we’ve recently changed the name of this blog from MARS Authority Control to MARS Automation Services. Why the change? I’ve asked our Chief Operations Officer of the Utah location, John Reese, to explain why. Here is what he had to say.

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Before the purchase of MARS from OCLC, Backstage Library Works ran several bibliographic automated products.  These services include Non-MARC or Brief MARC Record Upgrades (Machine Matching), Deduplication and Consolidation of bibliographic data, Union Database creation, Marcadia and Custom Programming.  Prior to this week, these services were run independent of the MARS 2.0 Automated Authority Control Service.  Backstage is happy to announce the consolidation of all of the above mentioned services and MARS 2.0 Automated Authority Control under one division to be called, “Backstage Library Works Automated Services.”

We found that there was a lot of overlapping in client needs involving authority control with the above mentioned automated bibliographic services.  All of these services require technical knowledge of the automated process.  At Backstage we are now sharing this valuable resource under one umbrella, Automated Services.  We look forward to having one department work with your sales representative in offering the most efficient automated solution for you.  Below is a list of all of the services under our newly formed Automated Services department.  If you have question about this change please contact John Reese, jreese@bslw.com.

MARS 2.0 Automated Authority Control:

MARS 2.0 service is one of the oldest and most reliable automated authority control offerings on the market. With our new system upgrade introduced in 2008, managing your authority records has never been easier.  MARS 2.0 offers name and subject authority control based on the Library of Congress name and subject authority databases (and other available National databases like MeSH, NLC, etc.).  The authority control process standardizes name, subject, series and Uniform title headings.

Automated Machine Matching:

This service offers several options to upgrade non-MARC or brief MARC records to full MARC bibliographic records.  This process searches electronic records against Backstage Library Works database and the Library of Congress Bibliographic Database to return a full standard MARC record.  There are over twenty million records to match against in this database.

Automated Deduplication:

Backstage Library Works offers a deduplication process that consolidates bibliographic or authority records in a library’s database(s).  This process is performed according to the profile specifications of the library and is often used when a library or a library consortia is forming or adding new libraries.

Union Database Creation:

Library consortia or library districts often require a central database for their consortia to work from. Backstage helps libraries create Union Bibliographic as well as Union Authority databases.

Marcadia:

Marcadia is an automated batch copy cataloging service offered jointly by OCLC and Backstage Library Works.  This product finds, evaluates and delivers catalog records from OCLC WorldCat.  It is based on search records you supply from your local system and a selection criterion you provide.  Marcadia selects matching records from WorldCat and delivers them to you.

Custom Programming:

It has been a long standing Backstage Library Works’ tradition to customize our services to the needs of our libraries.  Many libraries require special programming to accommodate either earlier cataloging practices that no longer meet current standards and need to be changed or special programming to create unique processes for their library.  Backstage takes pride in its ability to accommodate these special needs.

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MARC8 and UTF8 – what does it mean?

Tuesday, August 25th, 2009

Last week we looked at the Anatomy of an Authority Record, but what if we look even deeper? Both Bibliographic and Authority records are essentially text, made up of characters formed either in MARC8 or UTF8. But what does that mean, and whats the difference?

MARC-8

The MARC-8 character set uses 8-bit characters, meaning it natively displays ASCII and ANSEL text. Because of the limitation of characters that this allows, the MARC-8 character set includes methods to extend the displayable characters. One method is to include both spacing base characters and nonspacing modifier characters (diacritics).

Spacing or nonspacing refers to cursor movement: a spacing character moves the cursor, a nonspacing character does not. A nonspacing character is always associated with a single spacing character, but multiple nonspacing characters may be associated with the same spacing character.

In MARC-8, when there is a nonspacing character, it precedes the associated spacing character: any cursor movement occurs after displaying the character. This method allows basic and extended Latin characters to be displayed using the default character set.

 Another method MARC-8 uses to extend the displayable characters is to use alternate character sets. This is done by using escape sequences, special character sequences containing codes to indicate which character set is being selected for display. Possible alternate sets include subscripts, superscripts, Hebrew, Cyrillic, Arabic, and Greek. Chinese, Japanese and Korean are also possible by this method using EACC character encodings for these characters. While this method allows for many additional characters to be used, it is still limited and somewhat burdensome.

 UTF-8

As computers needed to support a wider character set, many computer related companies formed a group to define the Unicode Standard. This standard is based on 16-bit characters. UTF-8 is a method of encoding these characters into sequences of from 1 to 3 bytes. Unicode, using the UTF-8 encoding, was accepted as an alternative character set for use in MARC records, with an initial limitation to using only the Unicode characters that have corresponding characters in the MARC-8 character set.

Decomposed

Unicode has definitions for nonspacing characters like MARC-8, except that the nonspacing character follows the character it modifies: cursor movement occurs before the character is displayed. Decomposed UTF-8 characters are similiar to MARC-8 diacritics, in which a base character is modified by one or more non-spacing characters. For example a base character ‘n’ with a non-spacing ‘~’ would combine to display ‘ñ’. Decomposed is also the current LC standard.

Precomposed

 Unicode also includes many precomposed characters. These are spacing characters that are the equivalent of one or more nonspacing characters and a spacing character. A precomposed ‘ñ’, instead of having a base character and an additional non-spacing diacritic mark would combine all those elements into one code which represents the character with the diacritic as a whole. This causes a more difficult normalization routine.

Normalization

To handle the various ways a composite character could be normalized, standardized normalization forms have been defined. These include NFD (Normalization Form Decomposed) and NFC (Normalization Form Composed). In NFD, every character that can be decomposed is converted to its most decomposed form following rules for canonical decomposition. In NFC, the characters are first decomposed as in NFD, then composed into precomposed (composite) forms following canonical rules.  This may result in the sequence of characters for a given character changing to an alternate, equivalent form.

Conclusion

Many library systems are moving from MARC-8 to UTF-8 character encodings. This is a good move because it gives you the ability to accurately reflect the data, while lessoning the possibility of error. Backstage Library Works can return data in MARC-8, or UTF-8 (decomposed or composed) form.

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Anatomy of an Authority Record

Tuesday, August 18th, 2009

Those of us in the Authority side of library sciences (the dark side?) talk a lot about Authority records, but while most librarians understand bibliographic records, understanding authority records requires a whole different understanding. To help cover that, we had one of our Project Managers explain exactly what an authority record is, and whats in it.

One of the reasons Authority Control was developed was to keep headings consistent.  Just think how much fun it would be trying to sort out whose published work was whose, if there wasn’t some way to consistently clarify each author or subject or series.  For example, if you have 5 books written by 5 John Smiths, unless there is a standard for each John Smith (one is Smith, John, Jr., one is Smith, John,$d1957- , one is Smith, John$q(Johnathan), etc.) it could get crazy.

For all libraries who participate (and that’s most of them) a standard is established for every single heading created (called the “authorized form”).  Whenever a heading is used on a bib record, that authorized form should be the one a library uses.  That’s why you may enter a heading on a bib record but if we do authority control on it you might see it flipped to something else.  Currently the Library of Congress gives final approval for that standard and an authority record is created for every single heading.  What we do in the Authority Control department is help libraries manage their authority data.

All headings fall under 4 categories:  (1) NAMES; (2) NAME/TITLE COMBOS; (3) UNIFORM TITLES/SERIES; and (4) SUBJECTS.  There are also genre authorities and these come from different databases.

In the bibliographic record you have 1XX’s, 4XX’s, 6XX’s, 7XX’s and 8XX’s as the tags under authority control.  On an authority record, the authorized headings are in the 1XX of the authority record.  The “see-references” and “see-also” references are found in the 4XX and 5XX of the authority record.  Here’s an example of how the headings sync up:

Your Bib: 100 1_ $aRowling, J. K.

Authority Record: 100 1_ $aRowling, J. K.

Your Bib: 100 1_ $aRowling, J. K.

240 10 $aHarry Potter and the prisoner of Azkaban

Authority Record: 100 1_ $aRowling, J. K.$tHarry Potter and the prisoner of Azkaban

Your Bib:  440_0 $aHarry Potter and the prisoner of Azkaban (Motion picture)

Authority Record: 130_0 $aHarry Potter and the prisoner of Azkaban (Motion picture)

(ditto if this were an 830)

Your Bib:  650 _0 $aPotter, Harry (Fictitious character)

Authority Record:  150 _0 $aPotter, Harry (Fictitious character)

Your Bib: 651 _0 $aLondon (England)

Authority Record: 151 _0 $aLondon (England)

Your Bib:  710 2_ $aWarner Bros.

Authority Record: 110 2_ $aWarner Bros.

So …what are the parts of an Authority Record?  They are:

0XX =  These are standard numbers, classification numbers, codes, etc.  (Mostly you’ll see 001, 003, 005, 008, 010, 035, 040, 043).  A few comments about the usual ones:

001 =  In bib records this is a bib ID number (wln, oclc, etc.) – in authorities it’s the owning agency, typically the Library of Congress’, control number.  On a bib record this LCCN is found in the 010.  On the LC authority record it is the 001.

005 =  This is a date/time stamp – it will show the last time an authority record was updated.  Example:  20030808053519.0.  2003 is the year, 08 is the month, 08 is the day, and then the rest of the numbers equate down to the minute and second.

008 =  A fixed field – this field is very similar to a bib record in that it provides info on how an authority can and cannot be used (example:  it can be used as a name and/or subject heading, it can’t be used as a serial).

010 =  This is a repeat of the 001 control number.  Past control numbers appear here too:

010  $an  79065753 $zno 92031869

1XX =  Your main heading (whoo-hoo!) = see above explanation for how they match up with bib headings.  You will see:  100, 110, 111, 130, 150, 151, 155 and 185.  The 155 is for genres (which show up on bibs as 655_0 or 655_7 with a $2) and the 185 is for subject subfields (for instance, the $x in a 650 tag).

2XX =  Complex see-references.

3XX =  Complex see-also references.

4XX =  See-from references = These lead a user from an older, not authorized heading to the current valid heading (1XX).  In the authority record the tag structure typically reflects that of the 1XX:  400, 410, 411, 430, 450, 451, 455, 485.

5XX =  See-also references = These lead a user from one valid heading to another related valid heading.  In the authority record the tag structure typically reflects that of the 1XX:  500, 510, 511, 530, 550, 551, etc.

When a patron wants to look something up in an authority file on their ILS system, their findings will reflect what is found on an authority record.  For example, The authority Record below:

100 1_ $aTwain, Mark,$d1835-1910

400 1_ $aConte, Louis de,$d1835-1910

500 1_ $aClemens, Samuel Langhorne,$d1835-1910

Would Display as follows on your typical ILS System:

Twain, Mark, 1835-1910

See also:          Clements, Samuel Langhorne, 1835-1910

Clements, Samuel Langhorne, 1835-1910

See also:          Twain, Mark, 1835-1910

Conte, Louis de, 1835-1910

See:                 Twain, Mark, 1835-1910

6XX =  Notes.  These are used to explain various aspects of the authority record or to justify the heading.  The most common ones you see are 667 and 670.

7XX =  Heading Linking entries.  The most common one is the 781 field, which may show you how a geographic subdivision should be used.  Example:  781 $zIreland$zDublin.

8XX =  Alternative graphics.

9XX =  Library of Congress local tags.

By Judy Archer

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ALA MARS Breakfast

Monday, August 10th, 2009

Every ALA Backstage Library Works holds a breakfast for users, and those interested in MARS Authority Control Service. This is a recap by the Product Manager, John Reese.

Authority Control Interest Group Users Breakfast

We had 22 clients or visitors in attendance at the meeting.  Visitors included Jim Kuhn from Folger Shakespeare Library, Janet Ahrberg from Oklahoma State University, Maggie Horn from SUNY System Administration, Sheila Bair and Miranda Howard from Western Michigan University.  Our long distant traveler had to have been Sally Crosby from the American University of Sharjah.  We appreciate all who were in attendance.  We started the meeting with an open breakfast bar then proceeded with a few words from, Maritta Coppieters, our new product manager for on-site services.  Maritta talked about Backstage’s on-site services. She heads up a team of employees who perform on-site services such as RFID tagging, reclassification and re-shelving. Many libraries find it impossible to make these physical moves within their library and service their public at the same time so they hire our on-site services group to help them.

Our Guest Speaker, Shirley Higgins from the University of California San Diego was our next speaker.  Shirley told the group about the Union Database for Authority Control the University of California Library system and UCSD are involved with.  Through the use of Backstage Automated Authority process they are able to provide Library of Congress authority records for a database that many of the University of California Libraries are able to utilize.

John Reese gave an overview of MARS 2.0 progress for the first half of 2009.  He mentioned the first half enhancements: Heading Tracker, Bibliographic Update Services, Juvenile Heading enhancement and Insignificant Change Report enhancements.  John plugged the following Backstage Library Works innovations including the authority control community site http://ac.bslw.com/community/ , the Retrospective TOC promotion and Backstage being one of three vendors chosen by US National Libraries RDA Test Steering Committee http://www.loc.gov/bibliographic-future/rda/ for RDA testing.

John introduced MAX (MArs Express) the upcoming authority control product due out by end of the year and explained how clients using MAX will be able to fully automate their authority control process.  It will provide processed records within an hour or two of delivery for your typical current cataloging process (up to 20,000 records).  A notification will be sent when processing is complete and records are ready for pickup.

As always there is a questions and answers portion of the MARS 2.0 User meeting.  The topic that generated the most discussion this year was, “How does your ILS system utilize untraced authority records?”  Maggie Horn from the SYNY System explained that untraced authority records are a hold over from pre automation days.  For most libraries today, if the authority record is untraced it is not needed.  No decision was made on weather Backstage should continue to deliver these authority records or not.  We would be interested in hearing from other clients.  If you are using the untraced authority records let your fellow Backstage AC users know how you are using them by either posting on the BSLW forum, http://ac.bslw.com/community/forum/ or by posting on the BSLW listserv. bslwac@mailman.xmission.com

You can discuss this in our forum.

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ALA Recap

Tuesday, August 4th, 2009

Authority Control Interest Group Users Breakfast

We had 22 clients or visitors in attendance at the meeting.  Visitors included Jim Kuhn from Folger Shakespeare Library, Janet Ahrberg from Oklahoma State University, Maggie Horn from SUNY System Administration, Sheila Bair and Miranda Howard from Western Michigan University.  Our long distant traveler had to have been Sally Crosby from the American University of Sharjah.  We appreciate all who were in attendance.  We started the meeting with an open breakfast bar then proceeded with a few words from, Maritta Coppieters, our new product manager for on-site services.  Maritta talked about Backstage’s on-site services. She heads up a team of employees who perform on-site services such as RFID tagging, reclassification and re-shelving. Many libraries find it impossible to make these physical moves within their library and service their public at the same time so they hire our on-site services group to help them.

Our Guest Speaker, Shirley Higgins from the University of California San Diego was our next speaker.  Shirley told the group about the Union Database for Authority Control the University of California Library system and UCSD are involved with.  Through the use of Backstage Automated Authority process they are able to provide Library of Congress authority records for a database that many of the University of California Libraries are able to utilize.

John Reese gave an overview of MARS 2.0 progress for the first half of 2009.  He mentioned the first half enhancements: Heading Tracker, Bibliographic Update Services, Juvenile Heading enhancement and Insignificant Change Report enhancements.  John plugged the following Backstage Library Works innovations including the authority control community site http://ac.bslw.com/community/ , the Retrospective TOC promotion and Backstage being one of three vendors chosen by US National Libraries RDA Test Steering Committee http://www.loc.gov/bibliographic-future/rda/ for RDA testing.

John introduced MAX (MArs Express) the upcoming authority control product due out by end of the year and explained how clients using MAX will be able to fully automate their authority control process.  It will provide processed records within an hour or two of delivery for your typical current cataloging process (up to 20,000 records).  A notification will be sent when processing is complete and records are ready for pickup.

As always there is a questions and answers portion of the MARS 2.0 User meeting.  The topic that generated the most discussion this year was, “How does your ILS system utilize untraced authority records?”  Maggie Horn from the SYNY System explained that untraced authority records are a hold over from pre automation days.  For most libraries today, if the authority record is untraced it is not needed.  No decision was made on weather Backstage should continue to deliver these authority records or not.  We would be interested in hearing from other clients.  If you are using the untraced authority records let your fellow Backstage AC users know how you are using them by either posting on the BSLW forum, http://ac.bslw.com/community/forum/ or by posting on the BSLW listserv. bslwac@mailman.xmission.com

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Mapping RDA to MARC21

Tuesday, July 28th, 2009

A note from our RDA Librarian…

I thought I would pass along this notice from the German National Library to those who might not have seen it on the RDA list serve:

”In June 2009, the project “Internationalisierung der deutschen Standards: Umstieg auf MARC 21” completed the groundwork for the full implementation of the data exchange format MARC 21 in Germany and Austria.

To mark the successful conclusion of this migration project, the German National Library held a symposium “Umstieg auf MARC 21 – MARCing a new landscape in data exchange” on June 2nd, 2009.

We are happy to announce that the slides and the links to the video recordings of the presentations are now available. Please go to: http://www.d-nb.de/standardisierung/formate/marc_symposium.htm. Several of the presentations may be of interest to the RDA community as they address the mapping of RDA to MARC 21, as well as making connections between the data exchange format and the FRBR and FRAD models.”

There’s links to videos of the presentations on YouTube and links to the corresponding slides.  I watched all the presentations and was very impressed.  They are all in English. I found it helpful to bring up two sessions, one to watch the videos, and one to look at the slides, since the slides are not very visible in the videos.

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