1.
SCURL Metadata and Collaborative
Collection Management event
SCURL and SUNCAT: Serials Holdings
Comparison service
Natasha Aburrow-Jones (SUNCAT Project Officer)

2.
Introduction to SUNCAT
• SUNCAT: the Serials Union Catalogue
for the UK
• Project started in 2003; service
launched in 2005 – and still going
strong!
• 100+ Contributing Libraries – National,
University, Specialist

3.
SUNCAT & collaboration
• SUNCAT is a collaborative effort
between EDINA and the Contributing
Libraries
• SUNCAT would be nothing without the
Contributing Libraries – our most
valued resource (they send us data!)

4.
Contributing data to SUNCAT
• We receive data in all sorts of formats
• We receive data catalogued to all sorts
of standards (often within one file!)
• We haz all the acronyms:
– Content: AACR2, RDA, DCRM(S) and (B)
– Carrier: MARC21, MARCXML, csv, Word
documents, Excel spreadsheets, etc.

5.
Normalisation
• We have to normalise all this incoming
data, so that it can be loaded into
SUNCAT – and matched!
• Each library has its own data
specification, based on data supplied

6.
Matching
• Matching algorithm ensures that all
records for the same title are collated
into one set.
• There are exceptions – usually data
based!
• New algorithm being developed in-
house; hope to improve on current
matching results

7.
How SUNCAT can help: tools
• Union catalogue search functionality
– location service for journals and their
constituent articles
• Repository of high quality bibliographic
records
• Z39.50 downloading functionality
• My SUNCAT
• Holdings Comparison service

8.
Holdings Comparison
• Supports collection management
decisions
– Aggregated data provides overview of
serial holdings across the UK
– Identify rare / unique titles for long term
preservation & continuing access
– Identify possible items for rationalisation
• Who else holds titles locally
• How do holdings compare with similar
institutions

9.
Holdings Comparison
• Compare holdings for many titles
• Can compare against all SUNCAT
Contributing Libraries, or your preferred
selection
• Several output options available – detailed,
or overview, and export results
• Can filter and order results as appropriate

10.
Holdings Comparison: how it works
• Create a data set

11.
Holdings Comparison: how it works
• Log in to My SUNCAT

12.
Holdings Comparison: how it works
• Submitting a file:
– Provide information (no. rows, ISSN
column, characters used to separate
columns)
– Select libraries (if appropriate)
– Select other limits (if appropriate)
– Click on “Submit Form”

13.
Holdings Comparison: how it works

14.
Holdings Comparison: how it works
• Once the job has completed, you will
be sent an email:

15.
Holdings Comparison: how it works

16.
Holdings Comparison: how it works

17.
Holdings Comparison: how it works

18.
Holdings Comparison: how it works
• Possible to download csv files of:
– Entire job
– Filtered list view

19.
Holdings Comparison: how it works
• csv download result

20.
Summary
• SUNCAT consists of collaborative
metadata
• SUNCAT can help libraries make the
most of that metadata in real-life
situations
• SUNCAT can help with collection
management issues for serials

21.
Contact details
natasha.aburrow-jones@ed.ac.uk
@TashaAJ
suncat@.ed.ac.uk
www.suncat.ac.uk