Importing and Overlaying Records
from OCLC into Voyager

This set of instructions is written for users of the OCLC Connexion Client.  For users of the OCLC Connexion Browser, the procedures are different at the OCLC (exporting) end.

For some basic information on working in OCLC, see "OCLC Connexion Client:  Lists of Commands."

These procedures are written for importing a single record when there is no existing record in Voyager.  See also procedures on "Replacing records," for overlaying procedures, and "Batch importing," for importing multiple records.

The procedures apply to both bib and authority records.

• Search Voyager to make sure that there is no existing, duplicate record.

  You may also want to have your "Bibliographic Import/Replace Profile" or "Authority Import/Replace Profile," as applicable, set to OCLC Conditional to prevent inadvertent overlays.  (See "Import/replace Profile" for more instructions.)

• Export the record from OCLC Connexion:
  • Make sure that your export profile has been set up correctly in OCLC.  (If you are not sure, check with Angie or Peter.)

  • Display the record to be exported.

  • Use the Export command.

  • The OCLC system should respond in the Status bar, towards the lower left-hand corner, by adding "C" after "Export."

• Call up the imported record:
  • The first time during a session:
    • Either

      Open the Record menu; highlight the "Import" option; then slide over and click on the "From new file" option.

            or

      Use the keyboard equivalent:

      Alt-R

      P

      N

    • A box labelled "Open" should appear, with the file oclcxpo.dat (under the Import folder).

      

      Double-click this file name.

  • Subsequent times during a session:
    • Use the macro key combination Shift-F5

      or

    • Open the Record menu; highlight the "Import" option; then slide over and click on the "From previous file" option.

      or

    • Use the keyboard equivalent:

      Alt-R

      P

      V

• The Record import box should appear.

  

  Highlight the record if necessary and hit Enter or click "OK."

• The record should display, with a header at the top of the window, "Imported record <OCLC record number>."  In bib records, the number will include the prefix "ocm"; in authority records, the number will include the prefix "oca."

• Make any necessary editing changes to the record.

• Save the record to the database.

• The record should now have a header beginning "Bib <record number>" or "Auth <record number>."

Follow the "Basic importing procedures" except:

• Search Voyager to make sure that the only existing, duplicate record is the one that you want to overlay.  If necessary, add the matching record number or edit the number to match, to permit overlay:
  • Bib record:  Add an 035 field with the matching OCLC record number or edit an existing 035 with OCLC number.

  • Authority record:  If an 010 field is present in the Voyager authority record, make sure that the prefix of the 010 matches that in the OCLC version of the record.  If no 010 is present in the Voyager record, add an 010 field with the exactly matching LC control number.

• If your "Bibliographic Import/Replace Profile" or "Authority Import/Replace Profile" is set to OCLC Replace or OCLC Replace Author (see "Import/Replace Profile" for more instructions):  When you save the record to the database, the system will respond, "The record was added to the database.  It replaced existing duplicate #<record number>."

• If your "Bibliographic Import/Replace Profile" or "Authority Import/Replace Profile" is set to OCLC Conditional ot OCLC Conditional Author (see "Import/Replace Profile" for more instructions):  When you try to save the record to the database:
  • The system will respond with a "dedupe detection" dialogue box.

  • Make sure that the record listed in this box is really the one that you want to overlay.  If you need to examine the record to decide, click on the Retrieve button -- or tab to this button and hit Enter.

  • Click on the Replace/Merge using profile button -- or tab to this button and hit Enter.

  • The system will then respond, "The record was added to the database.  It replaced existing duplicate #<record number>."

  If the dedupe detection box lists more than one record:  Show the problem to Olga or Jeannette.

The setting of your Import/Replace profiles determine whether bib or authority records can be overlaid or duplicate records added to the Voyager database, based on set matching criteria.

Possible settings for the Bibliographic Import/Replace Profile:

Possible settings for the Authority Import/Replace Profile:

For most work, the OCLC Conditional and OCLC Conditional Author settings are the safest.  The OCLC Replace and OCLC Replace Author settings should be used with caution, after searching possible matching fields to make sure that there is no possibility of overlaying the wrong record. For bib records, matching number fields include the 035, 019, and 020.

To open up the Import/Replace profile:

• Use the keyboard sequence:  Alt-O [Enter]

  or

• Open the Options menu; click on Preferences

• Calling up entire series of records:
  • Open the Import file:  oclcxpo.dat.

  • Highlight, i.e., select all entries by shift clicking on the last entry (the first entry is already highlighted and so everything in between becomes highlighted).

  • Click "OK."

  [see also "Retrieving Voyager Records:  Retrieving multiple entries"]

  • A list of the records will then display in the Window menu for easy access; you can click on the entry for the imported record that you want to look at.

  • Note:  Closing each bib or holdings record after it has been added to the database will prevent a cumbersome build-up in the Window file.

• Calling up each record individually:  (For example, to facilitate comparing each record with the existing record in the database before overlaying, you may not want to have many open windows.)

• 019:  Can be left in the OCLC bib record.

• 035:  035 fields in the OCLC record should be deleted before the record is imported.

For treatment of the record number in the piece, see "The Physical Piece:  NOTIS record number."

Occasionally, imported records are not deleted from the Import Record file after they are no longer needed there.  Possible reasons include:

• Default option not set:  Be sure that, under the Options menu, Preferences, in the General section, the option to "Delete records from import file once saved to database" is checked off.

• Duplicate copies of the same record imported.

• Record not needed after all, so not added to the database.

• Unknown reason -- apparent system glitch.  Note:  If you encounter this problem when none of the previous explanations seem to account for it, please notify Angie.

The only solution at this point:  Delete the oclcxpo.dat file.   To do this:

• First make sure that no records that you need are left in the file.

• Go into Windows Explorer:  either
  • Click on the Start button; select the Programs menu; select Windows Explorer

    or

  • Right-clicking the Start button; select Explore.   

• Find the Voyager folder in the left-hand column.

  

• Click the plus sign to the left of it; a list of folders should appear under it.

     

• Double-click the Import folder.

• In the right-hand column, click on the oclcxpo.dat file to highlight it.

  

• From the File menu in the upper-left-hand corner, select Delete.

  (note:  you can also right-click on the file name and select the Delete option — or you can simply hit the delete key!)

• Confirm that you want to send the file to the Recycle Bin.

• The oclcxpo.dat file should be restored the next time that you import a record.