FTP for OCLC Holdings Configuration Info
NOTE: This is derived from a question on Basecamp asked by Lauren M. of Northridge and archived here for ease of reference. More info available at http://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Product_Documentation/Alma_Online_Help_(English)/Integrations_with_External_Systems/030Resource_Management/Publishing_to_OCLC
1) the "Publish bibliographic records (batch load) to OCLC" job: As I understand it, would update the OCLC master bibliographic record with bibliographic information from Alma as well as holdings information, is that correct? So it "overlays" the OCLC master record - is that right?
Answer:
The "Publish bibliographic records (batch load) to OCLC" job outputs bib record with institution OCLC symbol which is used to set institution holdings in OCLC.
I would suggest to contact OCLC for more details.
I think master record is not updated. Using matching mechanism your records matched to OCLC db and your institution holding is set/or canceled. The process gives you option to synchronize/delete holdings. I would suggest to contact OCLC regarding your local bib data and/or unmatched records and check ordering options.
OCLC links:
https://www.oclc.org/batchload/features.en.html
http://www.oclc.org/content/dam/support/batchload/documentation/using/bibbatchsolutions.pdf
2) The "Publish your local holdings records (LHRs) to OCLC" job - this just setting / deleting holdings, but not modifying bibliographic data, is that right? So if we delete an item/holding in Alma, the holdings will be removed from OCLC; if items are added to a bib record, holdings will be updated, and no bibliographic data is modified in OCLC; is that a correct summary of what this job does?
Answer:
The "Publish your local holdings records (LHRs) to OCLC" job output contains holding records only. In my experience some libraries used this service for print serials.
OCLC link:
http://www.oclc.org/support/services/local-holdings.en.html
3) At the top of the "Publishing to OCLC" instructions, this line:
"NOTE: Bibliographic records whose associated holdings records have been deleted are published as deleted records."
Does Alma publish these deleted records by changing the Rec Stat (record status, value in Leader/05 to d)? This is apparently what OCLC expects for deletion of holdings.
Answer:
When record is deleted in Alma system should reflect this on OCLC. So, record will be published as deleted (Leader/05 to d).
4) In the FTP set up, we configure our own external FTP server for this job, correct? So this would be an FTP server owned by the location institution or the Chancellor's Office, but is NOT an Ex Libris server, is that right?
Answer:
Correct. For testing purposes you will need to configure your ftp server (not EXL). But, when you start publishing to OCLC after go live in Alma, it will be OCLC ftp server.
5) In the section "OCLC Publishing in a Collaborative Network Environment", this statement:
"Publishing to OCLC is processed at the location Institution Zone level...changes to the NZ such as adding new bibliographic records, can occur independent of each institution's record management and OCLC processing."
This just means that, for my institution, if I have set up "publish your local holdings records to OCLC", my holdings (that I have attached to either institution zone OR network zone records) get sent to OCLC, correct? I want to make sure that my holdings set on records in the NZ are also sent to OCLC.
Answer:
Correct.