How to use the SUNCAT Union Catalogue to upload library records. Delivered as part of the "Cataloguing with SUNCAT" webinar.

1. Cataloguing with SUNCAT
http://suncat.ac.uk/search

2. Introduction to SUNCAT
• SUNCAT: the Serials Union Catalogue for the UK
• Physical union catalogue
• Started as a project in 2003; service launched in 2005 – and still going
strong!
• 100+ Contributing Libraries – National, University, Specialist, Public
• Datasets from CONSER, ISSN Register, DOAJ

3. Contributing data to SUNCAT
• It’s easy!
• Send data to SUNCAT in a relatively consistent form
• Records need a persistent LCN, title and holdings
• Send one initial load to begin with
• Then send regular updates (time between updates to be arranged at
the Contributing Library’s convenience)
• Leave the rest to the SUNCAT team!

4. How we accept data - carrier
• MARC Communications Format files ftp’d to a secure area on the
SUNCAT server (preferred)
• WORD documents
• Excel Spreadsheets
• Access databases
• csv / tab_separated files
• Anything (everything) else

5. How we accept data - content
• AACR2
• RDA
• Hybrid
• Local cataloguing rules
• Anything (everything) else

6. RDA and SUNCAT
• Impact of RDA on SUNCAT
• What have we done to include RDA records?
• RDA elements included in display
• Crystal ball gazing: impact of BIBFRAME, RIMMF, other models?

7. Incoming data

8. Incoming data

9. Normalised data

10. Data Normalisation – why do we do it?
• To make the data more coherent and homogenous
• To help the data make better matches in the SUNCAT matching
algorithm and loading process
• To help create a better display in SUNCAT, whereby one set contains all
the records for that title, which makes it easier to search

11. Data Normalisation – what are the issues?
• Data quality, not only from library to library, but within libraries
• Legacy data
• Local practices
• Unchecked downloaded records from external sources
• There’s no such thing as a free record!

12. Data Normalisation – how do we do it?
• Data specification, tailored to each library
• Specifications updated whenever needed as practices change (done by
inspecting the incoming data)
• Standard manipulation (where appropriate)

13. Improving your cataloguing workflow with SUNCAT
• Locate facility
– One stop shop for the holdings of over 100 Contributing Libraries
– Source of good quality records (e.g., CONSER)
– Source of reliable holdings information (what libraries hold what title; holdings
information may include missing information)
– Source of unique records
• Can be downloaded into your local system
– Use for every day cataloguing and special projects, such as retrospective
conversion
• MARC records available for display in public interface

14. Free record downloading service: Z39.50
• Z39.50 is a standard which allows systems, such as databases,
catalogues and search engines to communicate directly so that users
can search remote targets from their local, institutional or preferred
system interface. More information on Z39.50 is available at
http://www.loc.gov/z3950/agency/
• SUNCAT has a free z39.50 service, and a more comprehensive one for
Contributing Libraries
• Free service offers records in SUTRS and XML
• More details at http://www.suncat.ac.uk/support/z-target.shtml

15. Z39.50 service for Contributing Libraries
• Different data sets available in MARC21, SUTRS and XML:
– CONSER only
– CONSER + ISSN Register
– Deduplicated CONSER, ISSN, DOAJ + 17 Contributing Libraries
– Duplicated CONSER, ISSN, DOAJ + 17 Contributing Libraries
• More information here: http://www.suncat.ac.uk/support/z-target-
auth.shtml
• Search tips guide:
http://www.suncat.ac.uk/docs/SUNCAT_Z39_updated.pdf

16. Any questions or comments?
If you have any questions or comments which are not answered during
this session, please contact the SUNCAT team, and we will get back to
you.
suncat@ed.ac.uk
@suncatteam
Thank you!