Summary of steps for importing bibliographic records to a Purchase Order from MARC record files using the Voyager acquisitions client
- Product: Voyager
- Relevant for Installation Type: Multi-Tenant Direct, Dedicated-Direct, Local, TotalCare
Question
Provide a basic summary of steps for importing bibliographic records to a Purchase Order from MARC record files using the Voyager acquisitions client.
Answer
In the Voyager Acquisitions client, library staff may import bibliographic records to a purchase order, creating line items, bibs and holdings in Voyager. This file of MARC records may be created by exporting records from WorldCat, downloading a file from Collection Manager, or downloading it from a vendor.
Support recommends that whenever possible the data imported are in the Unicode character set (MARC21 UTF-8).
Configuring the Acquisitions Client Preferences
- Go to the Tools menu and select Workflows. Make sure you are in the Searching tab. Look for the "Bibliographic Staff Searching/Import" section of the tab.
- Select the correct character set (for example, "MARC21 UTF-8") for the records in your import file.
- Then click "OK".
Importing Bibliographic Records to a Purchase Order
- Create a Voyager purchase order according to your library’s practices.
- Save the purchase order before adding line items.
- Click "Add Line (Bib Import)" to retrieve the records exported
- Choose the file containing the records exported for the order.
- The "Select Bib Records for Import" window should appear with the contents of the MARC records file.
- Note the import file name is displayed, along with the duplicate detection profile (which is set in System Administration > Acquisitions Policy Definitions).
- The "MARC" button will display a single, highlighted record in a window.
- Select the "New File" button if the file you chose doesn’t contain the records you plan to import.
- The "Import" button will attempt to add the bib record to Voyager using the duplicate detection profile listed in the Import/Replace Profile box.
- Select one or more titles to add and click Import
- You will not see anything happen immediately to the purchase order
- If you have checked the “Delete from file after import” option, then you will see the titles removed from the list.
- If the record you selected does not match the character set chosen, you will receive an “Unable to add record” error. Recheck your settings from Part 1 above and continue
- If Voyager detects a duplicate record, you will receive an alert: “This record was not added. A duplicate record exists. Link line item to the duplicate?” (note the message does not say which record matched a duplicate). Choose "Yes" if you want to use the existing record and its holdings for the order. Choose "No" if you want to investigate the record before continuing, or if the old information shouldn’t be re-used.
- Select the "Close" button when you are ready to edit the line items, which will appear in the bottom area of the purchase order after the "Select Bib Records for Import" window closes. Note that the line item area remains blank until the staff member selects the "Close" button.
Next Steps
When a staff member successfully imports a bib record as a line item, that bib record is saved to the Voyager database. Note that no other data appears on the line item yet. If you search in Cataloging for this record, you would only find a bib record. A holding record will be added later after the acquisitions operator adds data to the Copies/Funds tab of the line item
Additional Information
See also:
- Adding line item to purchase order, get error "Unable to add record"
- Summary of steps for importing bibliographic records from MARC record files using the Voyager cataloging client
- Article last edited: 23-Oct-2020