Understanding Import Sources

Import source profiles determine how Horizon handles records during the import process. (For more information, see “Setting Up Import Source Parameters” in the Cataloging Setup Guide.) Your system administrator should have already set up import source profiles for your library.

Check with your system administrator before you edit or create import source profiles.

You must specify an import source each time you import records. Import source profiles determine these things:

Status. Specifies the status assigned to imported MARC records. (You can override this profile status from the Multi‑Format Import window when you start an import.)
Staff Only Index. Indicates whether the imported MARC records are flagged as Staff Only. (You can override this profile setting by marking or unmarking New Bib Staff Only or New Auth Staff Only in the Multi‑Format Import window when you start an import.)
Prefix Processing. Changes the prefix assigned to the record from the original source to match the prefix of the library cataloging system.
Match Points. Determines the tags or Cataloging indexes compared between incoming and existing records to determine any matches (duplicates) for the purpose of overlay.
Tag Preservation. Specifies the fields, if any, preserved in an existing record when it gets overlaid by incoming records. (You specify at the time of import whether records are overlaid or not.)
Tag Action. Depending on the settings in the import source, this translates the data in a tag or subfield, renames a tag or subfield, or deletes a tag or subfield.
Item Creation. Determines whether item records are created from incoming bib records and, if so, what tags and subfields to check for item data such as location, item type, and collection. Your system administrator defines one or more profiles that determine where item information is stored in the incoming bib record and where that information is put in the new item record.
Default Owner. Determines the owner for the records you are importing. (You can override this profile status from the Multi‑Format Import window when you start an import.)
Auth Link Type. Determines the authority link type for any authority records you import.

Based on the import source profile, Horizon checks for these things during import:

New records. Records that are different from existing records in your database. Horizon establishes the differences by using the match points specified in the import source profile. When an incoming record does not match the data in the match point fields of an existing record, Horizon recognizes it as a new record.

Matches. Records that match existing records in your database. Horizon determines matches by using the match points established in the import source profile. Match points might include Horizon indexes, such as ISBN, or tags that contain record numbers. When an incoming record matches the data in the match point field of an existing record, Horizon recognizes it as a match.

If there are multiple tags for the matching index on the incoming record, only the first tag will be used for matching. You can match on more than one tag by customizing the Cataloging Import launcher to add the “/V” argument. (For example, you can choose to match on the second ISBN.) For more information, see “Setting Up Multiple Tag Matching” in the Cataloging Setup Guide.

Horizon treats all matches on MARC records the same, depending on which overlay options you choose, except for system‑generated authorities. Incoming records always overlay system‑generated authorities. (For more information, see Overlay Options.)

 


© 1998-2017 Sirsi Corporation