Summary: This page covers methods that exist as of March 2022 for moving a single record from OCLC into the FOLIO Inventory app. Some functionality around these is still limited, but we expect more development and improvement in the coming months of 2022. For now, catalogers are encouraged to experiment with these as a way to explore working in Inventory.
Current methods – comparison chart
| Method | Carries over local edits made in Connexion | Creates new instance | Overlays on existing instance | Creates attached holdings and item records |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Export from Connexion ("Push") |  | |  | |
Import command in Inventory | | |
|
(optionally, using a custom function) |
| Overlay command in Inventory ("Pull") | | n/a |  |
|
| Download/upload .mrc file ("Desktop method") | | | | |
1. PUSH: Export from Connexion
Set up a new Connexion export option
- Tools → Options → Export
- Create → OCLC Gateway Export
- Host name = connexion-michstate-lm-test.folio.ebsco.com
- Port = 8443
- Timeout = 90
- Retries = 3
- Delay = 10
- Logon ID = can be shared upon request – contact Joshua Barton or other CMTF members
- Send Local System Log On ... → make sure this is checked
- After you click OK, name it something useful for you
- Double click your new FOLIO export option in the list and click Apply
- Choose a record and make your desired edits
- Export as usual
2. PULL: Import command in Inventory
- In Connexion:
- If you can enhance the master record with any of your edits, do so first
- Remember that local edits can be made later in QuickMarc
- Copy the OCLC number
- If you can enhance the master record with any of your edits, do so first
- In Inventory main window:
- Click the blue Actions button in the top right
- Choose Import from the dropdown
- Select a Z39.50 target from the provided list
- These are various ways to call on the OCLC database and other data sources
- To import just an instance, select OCLC WorldCat
- To import an instance and automatically create a holdings and item record, select Test OCLC
VIDEO: Import command in Inventory (OCLC WorldCat default, instance only)
Click here to view this video with closed captioning.
VIDEO: Import command in Inventory (Test OCLC, experimental, creates instance, holdings, and item)
Click here to view this video with closed captioning.
3. PULL: Overlay command in Inventory
- In Connexion:
- Make any changes to the master record that are appropriate
- Copy the OCLC number
- In Inventory:
- Navigate to the instance you wish to overlay
- Click the blue Actions button in the top right of the record window (not the main Inventory window)
- Choose Overlay from the dropdown
- Select OCLC WorldCat from the provided Z39.50 target list
VIDEO: Overlay command in Inventory
Click here to view this video with closed captioning.
4. Download/upload a .mrc file
This method involves exporting a record from OCLC to file, and then importing that file into Folio using the Data Import app. It is more involved than the other methods listed above, but it does have the potential to meet cataloging workflow needs the other methods do not (carrying over local edits made in Connexion, overlaying existing stub records in Folio, etc.).
While we hope the pull and push methods will eventually have the same functionality, there may some situations in the interim when this method is the best approach for copy and original catalogers.
Click the link below for a helpful screenshot tutorial on using this method, created by LoM's Tim Watters. If you have more questions, especially regarding the job profile options presented by the Data Import app, Autumn Faulkner is happy to share more detail.