Searching the Bibliographic Utilities

1. Searching the Bibliographic Utilities Best Practices – Working Smarter

2. Working Smarter: A Searching Best Practice is • Cheap • Efficient • Simple • Appropriate for the Material

3. Why Now? • New OCLC/RLIN Interface=New Rate Structure • OCLC Connexion = $0.45 per search • RLIN21 = $0.60 per search • Number of annual searches impacts on our ability to negotiate the best deal with the utilities

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. Avoid Re-Searching! (1) • If a usable record is found in one utility, don’t re-search it in the other utility in hopes of finding something better • If the in-process record in Voyager is usable, don’t search for something “better” on the utilities

8. Avoid Re-Searching! (2) • If searching by one index is unsuccessful in a utility, generally don’t 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 Voyager’s)

9. Standard Cataloging Levels

10. 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

11. Connexion: Avoid SCA TI= • ½ charge for the sca ti= search • Additional search charge for every browse line you open • You can’t 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

12. 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

13. RLIN21: No Number? Use Title Browse • Click on the Title button to enable Title Browse • No charge if you don’t 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)

14. If You Catalog Directly on RLIN21 • Authority searching has the same charges as bibliographic searching. Use LCDB or the LC Online Authority File unless you’re doing NACO work • No charge for “fin st s” searches • If number searches are unreliable, use Title Browse

15. QUESTIONS?