E-books

Summary: This procedure applies only to firm-ordered e-book titles to which MSUL has permanent access. As of January 2025, these will be cataloged by CMS rather than tracked and made discoverable via EBSCO's HLM.

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Workflow overview

1. Acquisitions creates suppressed instances tagged UncatER

2. Assigned Acq and CMS team members catalog records using this triage process:

3. In eHoldings, cataloged titles are tagged ERM-foliocat

4. Automatic API processes toggle the “Show to patrons” setting to exclude .mrc records being sent from EBSCO HLM

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Acquisitions workflow

• For new titles, Acq staff will use the Acq10 job profile to bring in a MARC record from OCLC

  • Acq10 strips out existing 856s in copy, suppresses the new instance, and adds the UncatER stat code 

• For RUSH titles, Acq staff will use Acq11

  • This excludes any titles from the arrmo fund, which are part of a different e-reserves workflow

  • This job profile adds the RushER and UncatERcopy stat codes

• For "adds" (i.e., access from a different provider), Acq staff can assign the UncatERcopy stat code to the existing instance

  • Information for the cataloger will be in the newly attached order record

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Processing workflow

• Use Inventory search filter for stat codes to find instances marked with UncatER

• Choose a title to work on

• Remove the UncatER code

• Open eHoldings and locate the title’s main landing page

• Use search box on this page under "Packages" to filter to "selected"

• Click on the resulting package name; use this bibliographic data to choose a matching OCLC record

• Search OCLC Connexion for ebook and print (if present) ISBNs

• Evaluate available copy using the E-book processing matrix; the record evaluation checklist below may also be helpful

If access URL is not present in eHoldings or does not open correctly, 🚩 bump record to copy cataloging.

If available copy meets requirements

• In eHoldings

  • Copy the access URL to use in the 856

  • Tag title with erm-foliocat

• In Connexion

  • Add “Online” to end of call number if not present

  • Add 856 with access URL copied from eHoldings

  • Insert 949 values:

    HRID ǂf wb ǂm Electronic Resource ǂn 1 ǂq Non-Circulating ǂu Available ǂw copcopyemoǂ[initials]

  • Export the record to your computer

• On your computer

  • Find the exported file

  • Rename the file as preferred

  • Change the file’s extension to .mrc

• In Data Import

  • Upload the .mrc file

  • Choose and run the Cat7 job profile

  • DELETE the .mrc file to prevent accidental duplicates

If title needs cataloger attention

• Assign UncatERcopy stat code

• Add admin note to the instance with a brief note about the issue (???)

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Copy cataloging workflow

• Use Inventory search filter for stat codes to find instances marked with UncatERcopy

  • RUSH titles will have the additional stat code RushER applied

• Choose a title to work on

• Remove the UncatERcopy code

• Check instance admin notes for any flagged issues (???)

• Open eHoldings and locate the title’s main landing page

• Use search box on this page under "Packages" to filter to "selected"

• Click on the resulting package name; use this bibliographic data to choose a matching OCLC record

If adequate copy is available

• Delete the admin note describing issues (???)

• Search our catalog and OCLC for a corresponding print record; note findings

• In eHoldings

  • Copy the access URL to use in the 856

  • Tag title with erm-foliocat

• In Connexion

  • Use existing print records to enhance the ER record as needed

    • Examples: more specific subject headings, call numbers, ISBNs, etc.

  • Add Online to the end of the call number

  • Delete all existing 856s

  • Insert a new 856 using the access URL copied from eHoldings

  • Insert 949 values:

    HRID ǂf wb ǂm Electronic Resource ǂn 1 ǂq Non-Circulating ǂu Available ǂw copcopyemoǂ[initials]

• In Data Import

  • Bring exported MARC record into Data Import

  • Use Cat7 job profile

If title is an add

• To LoM/Law instance

  • Create a new holdings record for wb 

  • Add MSU 856 field to MARC SRS as well as holdings electronic access section

  • Create a new item record with the values indicated above

  • Add "copyemo$" work stat in item record

  • Remove the UncatER stat code from the instance

• To existing MSU instance

  • Create a new 856 field, including the EZproxy string if required and $z note with the provider's name.

    • ex. 856 40 $z Connect to online resource via Wiley - MSU authorized users $u [EZproxy + URL]

  • Add 856 to the MARC SRS and the FOLIO holdings record electronic access section

  • In the existing 856 for the different package, add the provider name to the $z note if one is not already there.

  • Do NOT add another item record.

If no copy:

• Remove UncatERcopy stat code

• Add UncatERorig stat code

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Record evaluation checklist

Chart for Acquisitions processors and copy catalogers to use when evaluating available MARC records in OCLC Connexion.

Duplicate records in OCLC are common for e-resource titles. To narrow down a list of results in OCLC, use these general guidelines.

• A higher number of holdings is a good indicator of a better quality record

• Records with institution codes n$t (NetLibrary), Ebrary, Yankee, even DLC at times, are pretty reliable

[Autumn note: need to incorporate shelf-ready field instructions too, these are just format-specific things]

 

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Decision guide & troubleshooting

Discrepancies between eHoldings info and OCLC

Sometimes there will be discrepancies (pub year, title, etc.) between the info on the eHoldings title/package page and the OCLC record associated with the title's ISBN. In these cases, assume the OCLC record is the more accurate/thorough and ignore slight differences in eHoldings.

Information missing from online resource

Some online versions of monographs will be missing title pages or show slightly different pagination information than what is present in the OCLC or eHoldings description. In these cases, prefer information from the print version. (Publisher/provider information for e-versions of print works is generally less reliable and hard to verify!)

Pagination questions

• If page content is not available in ebook copy, check corresponding print copy if available and use that pagination if it seems to match up to the resource

• Pagination can also be omitted if information isn’t readily available; “1 online resource” is sufficient

Problem records

For records that require further attention from a manager or another unit, remove the UncatERcopy or UncatERorig stat code and add the UncatERprob stat code. Make any notes that may be useful in an admin note on the instance record.

Record for ebook is already in the public catalog

A HLM-generated record for a firm-ordered ebook title may be present in VuFind by the time a team member begins the cataloging process. These can be ignored; the eHoldings step of tagging the title erm-foliocat will result in the HLM record being deleted from VuFind.

Title page missing from online version

• Check corresponding print copy if available

• Align with that title

• Add: 588 0_ Print version record.

• Otherwise, use cover image or caption on the ebook’s home page

  • Adjust 588 wording accordingly

Title selected in multiple packages

Interim procedure as of 4/21/25 to account for titles that are leased AND purchased. May change pending VuFind automated record merge possibilities.

• Include one 856 field for each provider/package listed.

  • If you notice multiple identical URLs, we will hold off on cataloging these titles for the present, awaiting VuFind automation.

• On eHoldings landing page, add tag erm-multipackage

Before August 2025, titles selected in multiple packages were tracked using this spreadsheet. This practice was discontinued 8/6/25.

Titles with multiple volumes

• If not present in copy, add a 500 or 505 field noting that the title includes multiple volumes

  • Examples:

    • 500__ Title consists of 3 volumes.

    • 505_0 Volume 1. Principles of solar geometry and optics -- Volume 2. Solar radiation quantitative analysis

• If each volume uses a different URL for access, create an 856 for each volume with volume info in the $z

Workstat dollar sign issue

As of March 2025, FOLIO cannot correctly render dollar signs. Catalogers may see {dollar} in the item record after import instead of $. These get corrected when work stats are run, so catalogers do not need to worry about making corrections.

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