What is stored in ELINK_INDEX table?
- Article Type: General
- Product: Voyager
Description:
What kind of information is stored in the ELINK_INDEX table?
Resolution:
ELINK_INDEX contains all 856 links stored in bibliographic, holdings and E-Item Records. The table stores the 856 subfields u and z.
ELINK_INDEX also captures URLs from several other fields in a record such as the 563$u, 505$u and 583$u1. The table stores the subfields u and z.
The table stores the RECORD_ID as well as the RECORD_TYPE: B (bibliographic), M (MFHD) or E (e-item). Because the table stores record_id number for multiple types of records and multiple URLs, the RECORD_ID may be non-unique. The combination of RECORD_ID, RECORD_TYPE and SEQNUM (a sequential number) should be unique.
Additional Information:
ELINK_INDEX is a very handy place to find URLs in various MARC fields, from various types of records.
Record_type is supposed to be interpreted by the ELINK_RECORD_TYPE table, but there can be some errors so examine query results carefully. Actual values for record_type are A for Authority, B for Bibliographic, E for Electronic item, and M for MFHD. (ELINK_RECORD_TYPE has a row, I for Item, but you can’t have a URL in an item.)
The record_id is either an auth_id, a bib_id, an eitem_id, or a mfhd_id, depending on the value of record_type.
As a general rule, the link field is the $u (e.g., 856$u), and the link_text field is subfields $z and $3.
SEQNUM is the sequence number for URLs found in a record. In normal practice, the first 856 would be SEQNUM = 1, second would be SEQNUM = 2, etc. However, since this table also captures URLs in other fields such as the 583$u, the SEQNUM may not correlate to the 856.
1ELINK_INDEX includes URLs found in bib 856$u and mfhd 856$u, as well as the following bib and mfhd fields: bib 505$u, bib 506$u, bib 514$u, bib 520$u, bib 530$u, bib 540$u, bib 545$u, bib 552$u, bib 583$u, bib 856$g, mfhd 563$u, mfhd 583$u.
See also: Is there a single Voyager Prepackaged Access Reports table that has just the 856 links?
- Article last edited: 13-Mar-2021