The MARC of Quality

Contents

MARC Review, MARC Global, Basic functions, Value, Usability, MARC Formats, Requirements, General Specification, Contact, Conclusion.

Deborah Fritz has put her Library of Congress cataloguing experience to good use in developing a set of MARC utilities that should find their way into most cataloguer’s toolboxes wherever MARC records are checked and reviewed.

There are two programs in the TMQ toolbox - MARC Review and MARC Global.

MARC Review

MARC review is, as the name suggests, a program for checking MARC records.  It checks them against the current USMARC / OCLC rules and suggests revisions and corrections that the cataloguer might make. For example it will check the filing indicators in the 245 field against all the articles in languages you select and then warn you if a record does not have the correct indicator set. There are hundreds of such consistency and compatibility checks for USMARC and OCLC MARC.

The error checking is not just simple MARC format checking to make sure that you have no repeated 245 fields etc. but also checks cataloguing practice and warns against possible errors. For example a message might be:

A 1XX is not present in these records, so the 245 is automatically indexed. Change the 1st indicator to 0 to prevent potential double indexing.

MARC Global

MARC Global goes beyond warnings and checks and allows you to change the records as a result of the data in the MARC record.  There are standard edit programs that will automatically change the filing indicators and badly entered LCCNs. In addition, you can create your own “Reviews” and AUTO Reviews which are collections of commands rather like macros.

Basic functions

The basic function is a pattern match or simple select on any section of the MARC records including the leader.  Up to 9 fields can be selected or matched for data at the subfield level with full indicator control and Boolean operations between fields.

Standard Operations:
Any set of records selected can use the standard TMQ operations e.g.:

• Check and/or change the 245 filing indicators for a wide range of languages.
• Check against the database of obsolete or wrong tags.
• Normalise ISBN/LCCN fields by removing spaces and other punctuation.
• Insert sequential control numbers
• Mark the leader of matching records - so that you can easily retrieve them for further editing or checking.
• Error records can be removed from a file and placed in error file for later editing.
• Count hits - allows you to just count errors or patterns rather than creating a file.
• Split file into sections - for easier handling.

Coupled with these standard operations are powerful editing features to make complex operations simple across large databases:

• Copy a field or subfield
• Modify a field or subfield
• Delete a field or subfield
• Add a field or subfield
• Change tag or indicators

There are also de-duplication features based on combinations of control number and title fields and a merge function.

The functions can also be combined with Boolean operators making complex logical choices about actions based on the data present in the record quite feasible.

Conclusions

A very useful cataloguer’s utility.  Powerful cataloguing checks and batch record changing will improve the quality of most catalogues. Will work in conjunction with most LMSs. DOS interface could be improved but does not detract from the power.  Windows version of Review is in development.

Requirements

DOS 5 and above. Will also run on Apple and UNIX machines capable of running a DOS session.

Program:
700k disc space
640K RAM

Prices: 
MARC Review $295; MARC Global $495

Contact

Deborah A. Fritz
MARC database consultant
PO Box 189, Land O’Lakes
FL. 34639

+1-813-991-4909
+1-813-991-4909

e-mail:tmq@world.std.com

General Specifications

Handles USMARC, MicroLif ’91 or Supercat internal formats. Other MARC formats can be analysed and edited using MARC Global but the cataloguing checks will not necessarily be relevant or correct. TMQ are willing to provide other MARC format checks on request.

Communications utilities:  To get data to and from a Unix machine you would need to be able to read and write from your integrated system’s file structure.

As a DOS program MARC Review does not handle long file names.  Default system limit is 1 million records - extendible.

Usability

DOS batch interface could be improved. Some investment in this area - particularly in the ability to review the complex search and replace statements that can be defined - would be very welcome.

Otherwise some nice batch control features to split large files and process small numbers of records mean this product can be used both in large retrospective conversions and small on-going review situations.