Setting Up Import Source Parameters

Importing is the process of transferring MARC records into Horizon. When your library imports records, you must specify how Horizon should process the incoming records. Here is a list of processing parameters you can set:

General Import Source Parameters. These determine things such as deciding whether Horizon should create item records at import, choosing a default ownership, assigning statuses to new bibs and authorities, and indicating whether new records can be viewed by staff only. You can also specify whether to keep existing tags when Horizon replaces existing records.
Tag Action Parameters. These determine things such as whether specific tags and subfields are renamed or deleted, or how to rename tag prefixes and suffixes.
Match Points Parameters. These determine the values Horizon uses to compare existing bib and authority records in your database with records that are being imported. These parameters also let you choose the kind of linkage imported authority records should have.
Link Match Points Parameters. These determine the information Horizon uses to identify records to overlay. You can also choose to use Link Match Points for bib-to-bib linking if you set this feature up in Customize MARC Editor. (For more information, see “Changing Profile Options” in the “Customizing the MARC Editor” chapter of the Cataloging Guide.)
Prefix Change Parameters. These determine whether Horizon adds a default prefix or replaces one with another specified prefix.
Item Creation Parameters. These determine things such as which columns Horizon uses to create item information, and the match points used to determine whether imported item records replace existing item records.

A set of processing parameters defines an import source. Most parameters are optional; however, Horizon requires a new import source to have at least one Item Column defined. You can have multiple import sources, including at least one for each provider from which you obtain MARC records.

The Authority Loader works as part of the regular record import process. It lets you specify normalization rules so that Horizon can make better matches during record import. It lets you choose to replace or merge newly imported and existing records, and set other rules that specify how Horizon handles imported authority records.

Your library staff specifies an import source in the Multi-Format Import window of the Import process each time they import records:

If you set up import parameters and link them to an import source, Horizon uses those parameters as soon as the importer enters the import source code in this window. Your library staff can override some of these parameters. They can also set parameters that determine whether Horizon replaces existing MARC records (bib, authority, and item) when new records match the existing ones (record overlay), and under what circumstances replacement can occur. (For more information, see “Importing Records” in the “Importing and Exporting Records” chapter of the Cataloging Guide.)

Before you begin, determine this information to set up import parameters:

The different sources from which your library receives records.
The fields you want Horizon to use as match points on incoming records.
The indexes Horizon uses for matching.
If you use USMARC, any prefix changes in the 001 tags of records received from each source. (Potentially, you could have one change per source, but not every source will need this change.)
The import filter program if your library receives non-MARC records.
The tags from which Horizon creates items.
The columns in the item table where Horizon stores information extracted from the item tag.
Any default values you want to use for the item column when the item tag does not contain the necessary information.
The tag numbers in existing bib and authority records that contain information you want to preserve if the records get replaced (overlaid) by newly imported records.

This section explains these topics:

 


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