1. Maintaining MeSH in the Shared Voyager Database
Małgorzata Fort, Ph.D.
Health Sciences Library System
University of Pittsburgh
7/6/2019

2. Health Sciences Library System and MeSH
Description of our Voyager environment
History of MeSH loads
Full load
Partial load
Plans for ongoing maintenance
7/6/2019

3. Layout of the battle field
Shared database, different interests
Centralized administration, split authority control
In the shade of a “Big Brother”
7/6/2019

4. A very brief history of MeSH loads
Pre-Voyager era
MeSH 1999 (full)
MeSH 2000 (updates)
MeSH 2001 skipped
MeSH 2002 (full)*
MeSH 2003 (updates)*
7/6/2019

5. MeSH 2002 load Full MeSH file via slam load considerations:
No effort versus no cost
Fast but “lame”
Full but no benchmark file
No deletes
7/6/2019

6. MeSH 2002 load (cont’d) Full MeSH file via slam load decisions:
Do it, it’s better than none
Use NLM web list of deleted records
Take advantage of Voyager reports
Use GHC feature
7/6/2019

7. Global Headings Change
Forcing headings to GCQ
making changes in the authority record
Creating “dummy” authority records
Working around problems
7/6/2019

8. 7/6/2019

9. Global Headings Change
Forcing headings to GCQ
making changes in the authority record
Creating “dummy” authority records
Working around problems
Identical MeSH and LC headings
Run-time error ‘5’
7/6/2019

10. 7/6/2019

11. Retrospective cleanup
Unauthorized Headings Report
Bring MeSH structure up-to-date
Implement NLM application of MeSH for catalogers
MARC 21
7/6/2019

12. MeSH old structure 650 _2 Cost Control $x methods $v congresses
650 _2 Cost Control $z United States $x legislation $v congresses
650 _2 Delivery of Health Care $x economics $z United States $v congresses
650 _2 Health Policy $z United States $x congresses
650 _2 Reimbursement Mechanisms $x congresses
7/6/2019

13. MeSH new structure 650 _2 Cost Control $x methods 650 _2 Cost Control
650 _2 Delivery of Health Care $x economics
650 _2 Health Policy
650 _2 Reimbursement Mechanisms
651 _2 United States
655 _2 Congresses
655 _2 Legislation
7/6/2019

14. MeSH 2003 load Updates only Blessings of GCQ Useless useful reports
7/6/2019

15. Plans and challenges Unauthorized Subject Headings again!
Compromise, but clean it all
Genre headings –are we ready for them?
7/6/2019

16. Thank you! ---------------------- gosia@pitt.edu
7/6/2019