Records for Federal Depository Library materials are purchased from a vendor in two forms—temporary shipping list records that are loaded weekly and full bibliographic records that are loaded on a monthly basis. The records loaded weekly provide timely access to depository materials and should be overlaid by full catalog records that are loaded monthly. The monthly load includes records for new materials as well as updated records. Location information is created as the temporary shipping list records are loaded based on the format of the shipping list numbers contained in the weekly file. The format and shipping list number information supplied by the vendor facilitates the sorting of records according to the shipping list format—paper, microfiche or tangible electronic materials (e.g., CDs)—and makes it possible to create accurate location information with a minimal amount of sorting. Fine-tuning of the location information occurs with the piece in hand as it is processed and an item record is created.

 

Since location information is created as the weekly temporary records are loaded, theoretically the records in the monthly load should overlay either a temporary record or an existing full record that is being updated. Because of this there are only a few circumstances that call for the creation of location information for records in the monthly load.

 

The FIU Libraries have the only database among the SUL’s that has records for two Federal Depository Libraries in a single database. This situation generates additional challenges for the batch loading of government documents records. The records in the monthly file are manipulated for sorting purposes to create 3 files—one for UP only records, one for UP and BBC records, and one for BBC only records. This allows appropriate processing information to be added to the records.

 

Each file continues to be sorted to identify these categories of records for loading:

UP and UP & BBC files

• Materials distributed in dual format—choice of paper or microfiche—and received by UP in microfiche [Since BBC deselected these materials in paper no temporary records are received. Therefore, when these records do not overlay an existing record, holdings are created with UP microfiche location information.]
• Materials distributed in dual format and received by UP in microfiche with online access [An additional holding record is created with electronic location information if not already present.]

UP, UP & BBC and BBC files

• Materials distributed in tangible form and also available online [Location information is added for online access if not already present. Tangible records that don’t overlay an existing record are given a review tickler.]
• Materials available only online [Location information is added for online access if not already present.]
• Materials available only in tangible form [Records that do not overlay an existing record are loaded as suppressed with default holdings and a review tickler.]

Note: Despite this simplified categorization of records for loading, when there are records for each category, it takes 27 GenLoad ‘sorts’ and 46 separate load procedures to load monthly full records. With 1 depsository there would only be 10 ‘sorts’ and 16 ‘loads’.

 

	Source file tickler	Processing tickler
Weekly shipping list	FCLAyyyymmdd…	mtmp UP yyyymmdd mtmp NM yyyymmdd
Monthly full record	SLMyyyymm…	mrcv UP yyyymm mrcv NM yyyymm