ALEPH 500 Union Catalogue Overview Judy Levi Senior Product Analyst Ex Libris Ltd. November 2004

Union Catalogue Overview 2 Session Overview Union Catalogue Model OPAC views Union Catalogue Construction Load Equivalency Merge Union Catalogue and Universal Borrowing

Union Catalogue Overview 3 Union Catalogue Model A Union Catalogue is the physical union of multiple individual library catalogs. The ALEPH Union Catalogue principles are the source records can originate from any library system (ALEPH or non-ALEPH) the original source record from each contributing library is retained

Union Catalogue Overview 4 ALEPH Union Catalogue Each record has embedded holdings Each record contains a link to the source record There is real time display of circulation status

Union Catalogue Overview 5 Union Catalogue – OPAC view Let me show you

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10 A separate bibliographic record from each contributing institution Records contain local notes and embedded holdings Records are displayed as a single record (de- duplicated and merged) There is real time access to circulation status, via z39.50 or an ALEPH api Union Catalogue – OPAC view

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Union Catalogue Overview 14 Union Catalogue – OPAC Search FIND BROWSE

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Union Catalogue Overview 19 Union Catalogue – Building Each contributing institution sends its new, updated or deleted records to the Union Catalogue. The records are loaded to the the Union Catalogue. Records are analyzed for equivalency (de- duplication)

Union Catalogue Overview 20 ALEPH Union Catalogue Union Catalogue Construction Contributors A Import Load / Catalogue New/Update/Delete B Create Equivalence C Merge“Just in Time” Equivalence Table (Z120) IndicesOriginal Records

Union Catalogue Overview 21 Union Catalogue [A] Load Records are stored as separate entities in the database. When loaded, an identifier to the external source record is added to the record, for simple updating and navigation to the external resource record. Indices are created using the standard ALEPH indexing services.

Union Catalogue Overview 22 Union Catalogue [B] Equivalency An equivalence record links each bibliographic record to its equivalent records. ALEPH uses a sophisticated algorithm that was developed in conjunction with the California Digital Library (Melvyl) to identify duplicate (i.e. equivalent) records.

Union Catalogue Overview 23 Union Catalogue [C] Merge Result set from FIND is de-duplicated to contain only one record per group of equivalent records. The Browse counter of the number of relevant records counts only one record per group of equivalent records. User View uses on-the-fly Merge to present a single record that is built from a group of equivalent records.

Union Catalogue Overview 24 Universal Borrowing Universal Borrowing, at its fullest extent, is the ability to request, borrow and return material anywhere in a group of libraries that have banded together as a consortium.

Union Catalogue Overview 25 Universal Borrowing It should be possible to fulfill the request as an Interlibrary Loan (i.e. a loan between libraries), or directly to the end-user (Direct Consortial Borrowing). Libraries running disparate library software systems must be able to ‘speak’ to each other, through standard protocols (ISO for ILL, and NCIP for DCB.)

Union Catalogue Overview 26 Universal Borrowing in ALEPH Stage I: Based on a requesting mechanism in the Union Catalogue. Handling between ALEPH libraries only. Stage II: Ability to handle walk-in patrons, with no need to place a prior request. Ability to ‘speak’ between ALEPH and non- ALEPH systems.

Union Catalogue Overview 27 Universal Borrowing in ALEPH User logs into the Union Catalogue, stating which is his home library. User places title- or volume-level request. User inputs requested pickup location.

Union Catalogue Overview 28 Universal Borrowing in ALEPH Depending on the pickup location, the Universal Borrowing system identifies the best library for supply. The system checks whether a copy is available at the “best library”; if not, the system continues down the list of suppliers. The system sends a “create request” message to the owning library; the message contains user data.

Union Catalogue Overview 29 Universal Borrowing in ALEPH The owning library fetches material, and sends it to the pickup site (transfer status). The pickup site informs user that material is waiting. The material is loaned to user at the pickup site; the loan transaction is performed at the owning library.

Union Catalogue Overview 30 Universal Borrowing in ALEPH The user can return the material to any library in the consortium. The operator at point of return identifies the owning library and performs “return”. The material is discharged from user, and becomes “In Transit” status.

Union Catalogue Overview 31 Thank You