NCIP-Request Item function will not access catalog records consistently

• Article Type: General
• Product: Aleph
• Product Version: 19.01

Description:
We are in the process of setting up NCIP to work with OCLC - World Cat Local. When OCLC sends a "Request Item" message we are getting inconsistent "hits". We can look up the item in World Cat Local and in our data base ( FCL01) and see that we own the item, but the "Request Item " function in NCIP will not consistently access the record. I've included examples of bib record numbers of records that worked and those that did not.

At first we thought that it was a problem with our indexing as World Cat Local uses the OCLC direct index to access records. However we we now are considering that WCL is accessing the first entry for that bib number in the data base and if that first record is not a record for the relevant ADM , but a record from a different ADM that is not participating in the project, it is returning an error message.

Resolution:
Your assessment is correct. You have multiple Bib records that match the OCLC search being done. SInce there's nothing in the union index of 035 tags to distinguish among the various duplicate entries, the system is trying to place the request on the first entry encountered. If its in ABC50 (that is, your ADM), the NCIP RequestItem succeeds. If it's not, the NCIP RequestItem fails. The only solution will be to generate separate 035 indexes for each ADM (or at least each one that's participating in the NCIP-based project.) One way this might be done is to use tab_expand_join to generate a virtual field that puts the 035 into subfield $$a and the OWN code into something like subfield $$2. Then in tab11_ind, you can build specific indexes by filtering on subfield $$2. If you have questions about this, you can begin by looking at the headers of these 2 tables. If things aren't clear, I should be able to help. This will require rebuilding your direct indexes (manage-05).

• Article last edited: 10/8/2013