A.  It is possible (though not strictly according to standards) to represent your holdings in OCLC with a set of Local Holdings Records attached to a single bibliographic record.  Even though all the holdings end up together on the one bib record, it is still important to use separate LHRs for each collection and format.  This will naturally lead to more complexity in creating the Summary field for your library, though not necessarily to a more complex Summary holdings statement.

 For an example of this kind of holdings, see the TQI Local Holdings Records of  Nature.  (ISSN 0028-0836 / OCLC #1586310). 

When you look at this institution, you see a summary screen indicating multiple Local Holdings Records, each of which specifies a holding in a single format.  This allows us to code the physical description code (007) and collection and shelving information (both of which are in the 852) to be specified for each part of the holding without making any one of the LHRs overly complex.  Note that in the example, we have added a public note (863 $z) to the holdings, so that the different formats can be distinguished even in the summary display.

Among the most important codes to pay attention to are the lending and reproduction policy codes (elements 20 and 21 of the 008 field).  This is because OCLC's ILL deflection system looks at these codes and can override the general policy for an item based on the codes in the LHR.  When deflection looks at the OCLC Policies Directory to see whether an item may be loaned or reproduced, it checks the format of the bibliographic record to see which policies apply.  If you attach electronic holdings to a print record, the ILL deflection system will treat them as print holdings.  So, if you need to restrict borrowing based on format, you'll need to make sure the Lending and Reproduction policy codes are correctly coded in each LHR.

Note that while the collection of all the individual holdings could be complex, in this case, the net result is a fairly simple, open holding that starts in 1896 and continues into the present.  The note in the LHR Summary field indicates there are multiple formats, but doesn't specify which format corresponds to which years.  In another situation, you might want to be more specific.  The most important thing is to be specific in each LHR and to be consistent throughout your records.

A:  According to the current cataloging standards, each holding should be attached to a bibliographic record that describes its physical format as well as its publication information and history.  This means that, to adhere to the standards, we should have each Local Holding Record attached to the bibliographic record that corresponds to the physical format of the holdings: print holdings on a print bib record, microfilm holdings on a microfilm record, etc. 

This standard is something that we at MINITEX have tried to encourage staff of MULS participating libraries to follow, so many MULS libraries already have holdings that fit this standard.  For an example of this kind of holdings, see the TQI Local Holdings Records on the print and electronic versions of  The Christian Science Monitor.  (ISSN 0882-7729 / OCLC #10969332 and OCLC #35351012)

The advantage of this method of reporting, of course, is that the bibliographic record carries all of the descriptive elements so searchers know about the format of the issues your library holds, or that describe differences between the original publication and a reproduction or alternate format.  Each holding can be updated independently, and OCLC ILL deflection system recognizes the holding format from the format code in the bib record, so it can apply the correct policies to any ILL request.

The major problem with this separate record reporting method is that we need to let folks know that your library has holdings attached to more than one record.  We supplement this information by including a cross reference note in the LHR that directs users to the other records and  holdings in other formats.  To make these notes as useful as possible in as many environments as possible, we've decided to identify these additional records by both ISSN and OCLC number.  So, for example, the holdings on the microfilm record would refer the reader to the print record and read something like:

"For hardcopy see ISSN 0041-2136 / OCLC #23154681."

We'd want to include the cross reference notes in both the LHR summary field and in the public note field ($z) of the 863.  And, if we had holdings only in a non-print format that reproduced a print publication (e.g. we hold only microfilm of a print publication), we'd put a LHR on the print record that referred searchers to our microfilm holdings.

Recently we wrote about our archived webinar sessions :

Archived versions of the webinar handouts and recordings of the webinar sessions are also available.  [snip]  You can use the archived sessions and handouts to review training that you received in the past, or take in the training and watch demonstrations from a webinar session, whenever you have the time.  Click here to visit the MINITEX Archived Training sessions.  (Emphasis added.)

NOTE:  MINITEX webinar sessions are conducted and recorded using Microsoft Live Meeting service.  While you can access the Live Meeting website using any browser, their service is optimized to work with Internet Explorer.  With a non_Explorer browser, you can watch a version of the recorded session, but there have been reports of problems viewing the parts of the webinar where we do demonstrations in OCLC.  A black or gray box appears on the recording that blocks a portion of the display whenever the presenter uses shared applications, making it difficult to see the editing which is being demonstrated.

By contrast, if you connect to Live Meeting through an Internet Explorer browser, you get the option of watching the webinar online through the Live Meeting service or downloading the session to play back using Windows Media Player.  In either case, when using Explorer to view or download the recorded session, there have been no problems seeing the shared screens.

Naturally, we encourage everyone to use Internet Explorer to connect to Live Meeting. 

If a member of your library staff needs training on how to maintain LHRs in OCLC, MINITEX provides multiple options to choose from.

1.  The MINITEX MULS unit will present a series of Local Holdings maintenance webinars, to guide staff through the process of updating LHRs via the OCLC Connexion browser.  These 90-minute sessions will cover all of the Local Holdings basics, and you can participate from the comfort of your own desk.  For detailed description of the session contents or to register for a webinar, connect to the MINITEX Training page.

2.  Archived versions of the webinar handouts and recordings of the webinar sessions are also available.  While these sessions don't have the immediate interactive benefits of a live webinar,  They cover the same material.  You can use the archived sessions and handouts to review training that you received in the past, or take in the training and watch demonstrations from a webinar session, whenever you have the time.  Click here to visit the MINITEX Archived Training sessions.

3.  MINITEX MULS staff can also present hands on training to library staff that would prefer to have a more traditional learning experience.  Hands-on sessions can be scheduled either in the Twin Cities or in other areas; all that's needed is a classroom with multiple computers and a sufficiently large group of learners.  If you are interested in this option, contact Dave Linton in the MULS office and we'll see if we can coordinate a session for those who are interested.

Beyond these various training sessions, of course, the MULS office offers ongoing support to libraries as they are working on their holdings.  If you run across a holding that you aren't sure how to represent in a LHR, or if you have other questions about to work with Local Holdings data online, we welcome your questions. 

Or if your staff doesn't have acess to OCLC (or simply lacks the time to do it) the MULS staff could undetake a project to update your holdings in OCLC for you.  To get more info on the MULS Updating Service, contact Dave Linton.

We have scheduled the following MULS webinar sessions for this Fall:

Local Holdings Maintenance Part 1    Tuesday, 9/30/08    1:30 - 3:00 PM 

Local Holdings Maintenance Part 2    Tuesday, 10/7/08    1:30 - 3:00 PM

Local Holdings Maintenance Part 3    Tuesday, 10/14/08    1:30 - 3:00 PM

Local Holdings Maintenance Part 1    Monday, 10/20/08    1:00 - 2:30 PM

Local Holdings Maintenance Part 2    Monday, 10/27/08    1:00 - 2:30 PM

Local Holdings Maintenance Part 3    Monday, 11/4/08    1:00 - 2:30 PM

As we did last Spring, we will be allowing libraries in the Wisconsin (WiLS) library network to participate in these sessions; be sure to register early to assure yourself of a spot and please let us know if for any reason you decide to cancel your registration.  Someone else might be waiting for a spot.

Of course, if you would like LHR maintenance training but can't attend one of our scheduled sessions, please contact Dave Linton.  We'll do our best to help make sure you can get the training you need to keep your Local Holdings Records up-to-date.

This latest edition of the primer is updated throughout and includes examples of holdings records.  The Primer also contains exercises to help familiarize yourself with the concepts and practices involved with maintaining and using Local Holdings Records (LHRs) in libraries.  The chapters include:

1.  Introduction

2.  Z39.71

3.  MARC 21 Format for Holdings Data (MFHD)

4.  Batchloading of Holdings Records

5.  Examples of Holdings Records

6.  Exercise Answer Key

7.  Glossary

The Local Holdings Primer is available online on the OCLC website.  You may also obtain a printed copy at no charge by sending an e-mail requesting Product Code REF1111 to orders@oclc.org.

We are looking over the results now. And we will, of course, share anything we think is interesting here on the blog.  We may even try to do some follow-up to some of the comments that were added to the survey answers.

If you were not able to participate in the survey, please don't feel shut out.  We welcome your comments and suggestions about MULS services and issues related to Local Holdings at any time.  Add a comment on the blog, send us an e-mail, or give us a call at MINITEX.  We like to hear from you!

In addition to the survey, we welcome additional comments or discussion either directly via e-mail to Cec Boone and Dave Linton or here on the MULS blog.

OCLC provides instructions on how to convert the tab-delimited file to an Excel spreadsheet, but some libraries may find that the spreadsheet is awkward to read or work with. (For example, title information is in column B, while holdings data is in column H or O, or even R and beyond.) The MINITEX MULS staff is working with our IT staff to create a new tool that makes LHOP data easier to read and use. We have a first version currently available, and we are already working on a first set of minor improvements.

The OCLC Holdings Importer utility can produce a list of a library's holdings that simplifies the amount of data in each entry and presents it in format that we think is easier to read than a straight spreadsheet or table. Instead of using MS Excel, this process imports the data file into MS Access, and then allows you to choose from three different reports to create an output you can use.

1) Title list - this report includes just the most basic information: Title, Place of publication, Location and Holdings for each item.

2) Summary entry - this report has somewhat more information for each item, adding the OCLC record number and the ISBN/ISSN to the info in the titles list. The format also gives each entry a bit more space on the page, making it easier to read.

3) Detailed entry - this report includes all of the above information, and also shows coded fields for the Lending and Reproduction status of the item and a date field that indicates when the LHR was last updated.  We expect that this report would be useful primarily to library staff.

While we certainly hope this utility will be helpful, we know it can be improved.  As one example, all these reports are currently organized by title.  We are working on an enhancement that will allow users to select alternative sorting schemes.  We also expect that some library staff members may find these forms do not meet all their specific needs.  We encourage staff from those libraries to work with MINITEX and their local IT staff to build on these examples and to create other forms of these reports, which we will share with the rest of our regional community.

And finally, we are aware of efforts in other parts of the US to develop other ways to work with the LHOP files, and we will keep you posted regarding those efforts on the MULS blog.  One option is to work with MS Word, using tools for merging form letters to organize and label LHOP data.  This method could even add html tags for online display.

How do we present the LHOP file data?

The OCLC Quick Reference Guide to the LHOP  includes a  brief description about how to convert the tab-delimited LHOP file into an Excel spreadsheet.  But it doesn't seem to me that the spreadsheet is a very convenient form to read the holdings information; title info is in column B, while holdings data is in column H or O, or even R and beyond.

Library staff get to decide which of these fields are useful and how to present them.   Which fields do you actually want to include in any file or printout you'll use?  Is the tab-delimited file useful as it is, or do you need to edit it before you can actually use it?

With some help from our MINITEX IT crew, we are looking at the possibility of creating a way to manipulate the file into some pre-set forms, more like the old printouts we used to get from OCLC.  Of course, this raises another set of questions: 

• If it were possible to turn the LHOP file into a simpler form of holdings (for example, leaving out some of the coded data) would you want to do that? 

• If you could pick the parts of the LHOP record that you wanted to see in a modified product, what fields would be useful to you?  There could be different elements for different purposes; please indicate what you'd want to do with the modified file.

We hope you'll join in on this thread to share your ideas.  We'll see what MINITEX can do to help you make these files work for you and your library, and to share our experiences with each other. 

And hey, if you're ahead of us and have already modified your LHOP file, let us know what you did.  Maybe you'll be a pioneer, blazing trails for the rest of us!

The new files include a variety of information from the MARC Local Holdings Record (LHR).  Each library gets the same file with the same data elements, but staff are also free to manipulate the file, select the information they want, and present it in whatever format they think will be most useful. 

The OCLC site has a Quick Reference Guide to the LHOP which can help staff at libraries that haven't yet ordered one to see what fields are included in the file.  Take a look and let us know, 

How could a file with this kind of data help you?

If your library ordered a LHOP file, what are you hoping to do with it?  Are you creating tools for your patrons, or are you planning to have staff use the data internally?  Maybe both.   Share your ideas with all of us about how this information can help us serve our users.

This new session is intended as a make-up for staff at libraries that registered for the 2/7 session but were not able to participate due to the technical difficulties that arose with the audio portion of the meeting.  If you signed up for the original session and were not able to participate, you are welcome to attend this webinar/meeting, which will take place on the afternoon of 3/6.  By now, you should have received information from OCLC regarding this make-up meeting.  If you are among these libraries and have not received information you need, please contact the MINITEX MULS office.

If staff at your library did not sign up for the original February 7th meeting, we still encourage you to participate, but you will need a little more patience.  The new Local Holdings User Group virtual meeting will be recorded, and everyone will be able to listen at their own convenience once the recording is made available. 

 And lastly, we continue to encourage anyone who has questions or wants to share ideas about the issues discussed at the virtual meeting to follow the thread of our discussion entry on the MULS blog.  We'd like to know what you think.

In early February, OCLC invited interested staff members of libraries to join in a  Local Holdings Users Group virtual meeting, where OCLC staff presented topics related to Local Holdings Maintenance to those of us who do the work and often don't get the opportunity to participate in the semi-annual ALA meetings.

It was great idea, as one can tell from the overwhelming response: staff from over 400  libraries tried to participate in the virtual meeting.  Unfortunately, it was literally overwhelming; the group exceeded the audio system's capacity and - as some of you already know - many libraries who had registered were unable to connect to the audio portion of the meeting.  MINITEX was among those who could not get connected, so I know first-hand how frustrating it was to have access to a silent slide show.

But that's not the end of the story.

To begin with, OCLC is going to repeat the meeting and create an archived version, so those who didn't get to experience the meeting will have another chance to participate fully.  (Note: Invitations for the repeat session will be limited to those who registered for the first meeting, but the archived  version will be available for everyone's review.)  That's good news, and we'll certainly let folks know when the new session gets scheduled.

But beyond that, we have the ability to share our ideas, questions and answers right here!  And we are really encouraging you to join in.  These blogs can be more than just another venue for MULS to announce workshops or pass on notes to staff at our participating libraries.  They can be a forum where you can participate in discussions of ideas and issues that effect us all.

There's a lot going on right now in the world of Local Holdings, and we'd love to hear your perspective.  Consider responding to one or more of the following questions:

1)  Did you get into the Local Holdings user group webinar on 2/7?  What did you find out? 

2)  Were (or are) there questions you were hoping to have answered by the LHR user group webinar? What questions do you have that were not addressed? 

3)  Was there information that will change the way you do your work, or that helped you see new ways your Local Holdings Records can be useful either to your library internally or to other libraries?

4)  Did the information about batchloading change your ideas about it?  Is your library wanting to make use of batchloading to update holdings in OCLC?  What obstacles have to be overcome for that to happen?

And, of course, if there's a topic you'd like to discuss or a question you need answered, you certainly are encouraged to share it.