Robot Cataloger Using Macro Express to transfer records from MS Access to MARC format. inFIRE Conference Karlstad, Sweden Martha Gunnarson June 22, 2006

Part I Overview

Student Projects at WPI The "Major" Qualifying Project (MQP) The MQP must be in the student's major area of study. This qualifying project should demonstrate application of the skills, methods, and knowledge of the discipline to solving a problem representative of the type to be encountered at the professional level. MQP activities encompass research, development and application, involve analysis or synthesis, are experimental or theoretical, emphasize a particular concentration in the major or combine aspects of several subareas. This project is usually undertaken in a student's Senior year. The "Interactive" Qualifying Project (IQP) The IQP challenges students to identify, investigate, and report on a topic examining how science or technology interacts with societal structures and values. The objective of the IQP is to enable WPI graduates to understand, as citizens and as professionals, how their careers will affect the larger society of which they are a part. This project is usually undertaken in a student's Junior year.

Project Reports in the Library (formerly) Kept current 5 years Lack of shelf space an issue After 5 years, returned to Departments Selected reports kept Available to read within the building

Project Reports in the Library (now) Keeping all physical copies (print, CD-ROM, videotapes) from 1998 forward Available to read within the building

The New Wave: E-Projects.pdf format Currently a pilot project No shelf space required! Electronic submission required for theses and dissertations beginning in 2003

Existing Finding Aids Web database search/browse* * from Banner database Encompass (Federated Search Tool)** ** from Banner database via Web database (E-Projects only) IGSD (Interdisciplinary and Global Studies Division) database search/browse*** *** (IQPs only)

Why Not Voyager? (our online catalog)

I had attended a presentation at the 2004 Voyager Users Group Conference on using MacroExpress to move data from MS Access to Voyager

I contacted Joyce Bell at Princeton University She sent me some screenshots of their macro...

lines or so

Once I figured out how it worked, I was able to produce a macro customized for our purposes. It ended up being 697 lines long.

Data is downloaded from the Banner database in ASCII, then put into Excel, and finally into Access. (I’m more comfortable working in Access) After a little manipulation...

(Fields marked in green are added after the download.)

Macro Demonstration

Now that the applause has died down, Part II -- Details

The macro opened up the target database table, tabbed through the fields, copied the contents onto the clipboard, and saved the data into variables. It then switched to the Voyager cataloging client, opened a new bib record template, and pasted the data from the variables into the appropriate fields. After saving the record, it copied the record number, created holdings and item records, and returned to Access, where it pasted in the record number and the date and time.

Because there were several formats involved, (print, CD-ROM, online), the macro used logic to determine how to enter the report. I also did some authority control on faculty names...

It looks too complicated! (Well, it is complicated, but so is cataloging)

Creating a macro is easier if you think in terms of keyboard shortcuts* instead of mouse and menu. You just need to write down each keystroke as you work through a task. For example... Taken in small pieces, it isn’t so difficult. *(For lists of shortcuts, type “windows keyboard shortcuts” into a search engine)

... in Voyager Cataloging, to open the fixed field 008, you can either click on the 008 button...

... or using the keyboard, type: 8 Notice how the 8 is underlined the underlining is the clue that a shortcut is available

The field is open for editing

We need to fill in the date, place of publication, and code the format as electronic.

To do this, we need to: arrow down once type in the date hit 3 times arrow down twice type ‘m’ 3 times arrow down 6 times type ‘s’ once and hit (my shorthand for that sequence)

In Macro Express, it looks like:

Some potential problems: Errors in scripting: (Typos, Logic, Timing) Computer hiccups Bad data Software options set incorrectly

The robot can’t do it all...

garbage in...

garbage out!

The Next Phase: Clean-up

Macros can help here, too.

Before...

... and after

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Photos: © Red Deer Advocate and Randy Fiedler