Cataloging: Duplicate Reports

Background: The System Office distributes a monthly Duplicates Report to the Technical Services units for all system libraries. Duplicate bibliographic records are sometimes downloaded to the shared catalog when another system library enters a record between the time of Orono’s pre-cat URSUS search and its OCLC downloading process. Duplicates also result from errors in barcode entry, or the addition of upgraded OCLC records to URSUS either through an individual library’s copy cataloging or the regular Marcive download.

Sample Entry

18.
Duplicate entries
Field: b37550016445562
Indexed as BARCODE: 37550016445562
From: i29792289 Fair employment practice cases
Function: mcat Group: 600 Initials: alleyk Entry Date: Jun 12, 2006
11:34:58 AM
LOCATIONS leg , orefb, oro , por

Procedure

  1. Review the entire report and mark each entry that includes an Orono  location (including SYS).
  2. Open Sierra Cataloging.
  3. For each duplicate marked as an Orono or Darling Center holding, bring up the items in question by searching URSUS by the field indicated (“Indexed as…”).
  4. Open all records that are returned by the search.  Multiple record viewing is made easier by selecting Window>Tile Horizontally [or Vertically] from the Sierra Cataloging menu.
  5. Resolve each duplicate as the situation dictates. The general rule is that the earlier input record remains and subsequent records are removed/merged. There are exceptions of course.
  6. Refer to the Catalog Standards Document, I.A.3 for guidance.  If questions remain, consult with the Head of Technical Services and/or the representatives of the other libraries involved.
  7. Keep statistics of corrected duplicates under Bibliographic Record Updates.

Helpful Hints

  • How to transfer attached records

Note: when transferring attached records, remember to first copy and paste any locally relevant MARC fields to the new record (such as 5xx note fields, 561 virtual bookplates, added subject headings, etc.)

  • If the reason for a given duplication is not evident or if further information is required, consult with the staff member indicated by “Initials:” (see Sample Entry, above)
  • Duplicates indexed by OCLC number can sometimes be traced to MARC field 019, indicating a deleted or merged OCLC record.

More Helpful Hints
From “Some notes to save you time in addressing the duplicates list,” by Laura Gallucci, former URSUS System Manager, ca. 2005.

  1. The duplicates list is in a new format. It is generated from the Sierra Cataloging Headings Reports. Until further notice, I am unable to generate individual lists for individual libraries. The list for all libraries is generated instead, and annotated manually.
  2. When examining a duplicate, refer to the Catalog Standards Document, I.A.3 for guidance.
  3. Ignore any duplicate with a 4xx listing.
  4. 028 duplicates tend to be bogus – duplication is on the |b which is unimportant.
  5. 020|z and 022|z duplicates are bogus – duplication is on a cancelled field.
  6. If you look up a record that appears on your duplicates list and there is no duplicate, the other library that had the same record on their list cleaned it up already.
  7. In general, it seems that a record that appears on your duplicates list may appear twice because there are two indexes the list examines: barcode and OCLC number.
  8. An adjustment to the system options states it has eliminated records without a cat date from this printed list. If you find exceptions, any duplicates involving records without cat dates should be ignored.
  9. Lastly, production of the duplicates list needs to be staggered in order to eliminate bogus listings caused by the monthly Marcive government documents load. This load occurs around the 7th to the 11th of each month. The duplicates list will be produced right before this load each month.

Return to Technical Services Table of Contents.

Contact: um.library.technical.services@maine.edu