Developing a Web Application “MarcMaker”

Developing a Web Application “MarcMaker”

Project Description

The Library has an ever-increasing number of resources, notably foreign language materials and gift collections, that should be accessible to users in a timely manner. However, in order to make these resources searchable and discoverable, each item should have a MARC record that requires intensive training to create, not only for the metadata itself, but also for the systems used, e.g., Voyager and OCLC.

This project, MarcMaker, is aiming to build a web application that will facilitate a cataloging workflow, especially when it comes to creation, that is simple, easy, and fast, by implementing metadata workflows and technologies that are already in use, e.g., XSLT, and other web technologies. The project will develop a web form that will allow anyone to add information that is essential to resource discovery, and transform and deliver the information into MARC and MARCXML. We hope that this will improve the productivity and visibility of our hidden collections to users.

Project Outlines

1. Needs

  • Ever-increasing number of resources that need to be accessible
    • Foreign language materials that need original cataloging
    • Not enough staff with the necessary language and cataloging knowledge & experience
    • Need to provide timely access services

2. Challenges in cataloging rules and workflows

  • Requires a significant amount of training
    • Cataloging rules and MARC are not easy to learn
  • Tools are not easy to use (Voyager and OCLC)
  • Access control is an additional challenge

3. Opportunities:

  • Other metadata workflows and technologies used for creating metadata have been evolving
  • It is time for us to examine and facilitate metadata workflows already used in digital libraries into traditional library cataloging workflows, XML related technologies, and API services, including WorldShare Metadata API

4. Approach:

  • Use a simple web form to create MARC records
    • Add required and additional info to a web form
    • Use scripts and XSLT to create MARC and MARCXML (possibly MODS and DC as well)
  • Upload them to OCLC using WorldShare Metadata API to OCLC Connexion
    • Update (quality control) and save the record into OCLC
    • Export to Voyager – create holdings and item records

5. Work plan:

  • Identify a scope (monograph vs serials)
  • Identify needs – backlogs, training times, access permissions, etc
  • Identify needed information added into the web form (required and optional)
  • Identify the outcomes
  • Have a prototype metadata input work form and check the workflow
  • Develop a clear workflow – steps involved and people responsible for overall workflow
    • Title
    • Author
    • Date of publication (or copyright?)
    • Publisher
    • Place of publication
    • Language
    • No. of pages
    • Illustrations?
    • Size of the item
    • Includes index?
    • Includes bibliography?
    • Mono or serial?
    • Subject headings (LCSH or FAST?)
    • Or students with language skills add
    • For non-Latin materials, do we include the non-Latin script? (if yes, need to program for 880 linking fields)