A classic merged union catalog, running on one or more central servers, provides information to all affiliated libraries from a single MARC database. The union catalog takes bibliographic and holding records from each participating library and merges them into a single database. This centralized database contains a single master bibliographic record for each title in the union collection and separate holding records identifying location, call number, and barcodes at the site level. Duplicate barcode records are merged and associated holding records, each containing a unique holding symbol (location code) identifying the owning library, are re-linked to the “master” bibliographic record. Individual library sites can use Mandarin’s scoping feature to browse their local collection, selected collections, or all collections in the union catalog. The system links to affiliated libraries using either a WAN or the Internet. A T1 line is highly recommended for adequate communications performance. This model runs on a central server solution.
NOTE: There is an additional charge for the
creation of the classic merged union catalog.
Charges vary according to the number of
sites and records.
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Catalog Searching – If all affiliated libraries run Oasis, no additional software is required. Patrons can select from any library location for item information.
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Circulating from the Union Catalog – Circulation occurs independently at each individual library. Transactions update the associated holding records instantaneously over the WAN. There are no local databases and the shared database only exists on the union server.
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Cataloging and Maintenance – Reports and batch processing, such as import and export, are run at the central site only. Merged union catalogs can be updated centrally or locally:
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If cataloging is performed centrally, record edits can be made to either the bibliographic record or the linked holding records. Changes are immediately displayed in the Oasis Catalog. New records can be imported in batches with automatic system checks for duplicates. If duplicates are found, the system can add new holding information to the existing bibliographic record. If the system has both a merged union catalog and individual catalogs at each location, the union catalog system can output a file of new and updated records for downloading into the local site catalogs. Software can also be installed, allowing remote libraries to automatically download bibliographic and/or holding records when newly added items are scanned.
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Independent libraries can also edit records from remote sites, if desired.