Searching the Bibliographic Utilities

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Searching the Bibliographic Utilities

• Best Practices Working Smarter

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Working Smarter A Searching Best Practice is

• Cheap
• Efficient
• Simple
• Appropriate for the Material

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Why Now?

• New OCLC/RLIN InterfaceNew Rate Structure
• OCLC Connexion 0.xx per search
• RLIN21 0.xx per search
• Number of annual searches impacts on our ability
  to negotiate the best deal with the utilities

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LCDB No Charge!

• First stop for recently published monographs
  (publication cutoff date 1990)
• First stop for serials
• Skip LCDB for videos
• LCDB is weak in some subject areas skip if you
  are sure search if in doubt

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LCDB, CIP Workflow

• Member libraries will complete CIP long before LC
  updates to full-level in LCDB
• Pre-Order Searching full record not necessary
  search in LCDB for U.S. imprints
• Cataloging on Receipt (Fastcat) search LCDB or
  OCLC, whichever is more efficient
• Items from the Backlogs search LCDB first LC
  should have had time to complete the record

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No Record in LCDB? Search OCLC

• If you have a choice, search Connexion
• OK to search RLIN if you know the database is
  richer in a subject area or for some area
  publications
• If the percentage of usable cataloging records is
  about the same, prefer Connexion
• Work smart keep track of utility strengths
  weaknesses learn from experience

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Avoid Re-Searching! (1)

• If a usable record is found in one utility, dont
  re-search it in the other utility in hopes of
  finding something better
• If the in-process record in Voyager is usable,
  dont search for something better on the
  utilities

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Avoid Re-Searching! (2)

• If searching by one index is unsuccessful in a
  utility, generally dont re-search the same item
  with another index in the same utility
• Both utilities charge for unsuccessful searches,
  so scan for typos before you SEND
• Be sure you can identify the acceptable encoding
  levels in the OCLC/RLIN displays (as well as
  Voyagers)

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Standard Cataloging Levels
Definition LCDB OCLC RLIN21
Full Blank Blank Full
Full not examined 1 1 Full, not ex.
Full level input by OCLC member N/A I Full
Full level input via batch process on OCLC N/A L Full
Core 4 4 Core
Prepublication 8 8 Prepub.
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Effective Searching Connexion

• Number searches are the most efficient if a
  number is available
• Use keyword searches if a number search is not
  possible (no difference in price)
• Keyword searching combine multiple search terms
  and use qualifiers like date format
• Connexion is generally the better utility for
  searching serials

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Connexion Avoid SCA TI

• ½ charge for the sca ti search
• Additional search charge for every browse line
  you open
• You cant qualify the search by format, date,
  etc.
• Compare keyword search charged once for the
  initial search no additional charge to look at
  any of the records retrieved

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Effective Searching RLIN21

• Unless you catalog directly on RLIN21, it should
  be your 2nd choice
• Number searches are the most efficient if
  available
• No charge if you search by record ID number
  there is a full charge for all other number
  searches
• All charged searches cost the same no discount
  for number searches (change from old RLIN)
• To determine the best record, be able to
  interpret effectively the new RLIN21 cluster
  tables

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RLIN21 No Number? Use Title Browse

• Click on the Title button to enable Title Browse
• No charge if you dont display any of the records
  retrieved on a Title Browse search
• No additional charge if you open more than one
  line on the Browse display
• Use the Limit options if the browse line has too
  many records (no extra charge for limiting)

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If You Catalog Directly on RLIN21

• Authority searching has the same charges as
  bibliographic searching. Use LCDB or the LC
  Online Authority File unless youre doing NACO
  work
• No charge for fin st s searches
• If number searches are unreliable, use Title
  Browse

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QUESTIONS?