Glossary

This glossary contains terms that can help you understand the Horizon Cataloging process. (The definitions explain how the terms are used in this guide; they may not explain how the terms are used in other contexts.)

Glossary term

Definition

Authority‑controlled tag or heading

Authority information that is defined by the Library of Congress, such as author, subject, and series. Authority headings should remain uniform and consistent in your database.

Authority record

A record that contains standard information defined by Library of Congress, another reputable source, or locally. Horizon creates an authority record when you add a new authority heading to a bib record.

Authority‑controlled field

Any tag or subfield that contains authority information. Authority‑controlled fields exist in both bib records and authority records. To edit an authority‑controlled field in a bib record, edit the corresponding field in the authority record.

Batch change

The ability to change groups of item or copy records attached to one bib record at one time.

Batch creating

The ability to create groups of item records for one bib record at a time. When you batch create item records, you can specify any prefix labels that you want for your records and also the range of item barcodes to be created.

Clipboard

The temporary holding place for data after you cut or copy it.

Codes

A button next to an entry field requiring a predefined code. When you click this button, Horizon displays a list of predefined codes that you can choose from to complete the field.

Compound tag

The combined authority tag created when a uniform title tag is compounded with the co‑tag, which provides the author portion of the uniform title.

Control record

Records that provide information about MARC records. When a MARC record is created, Horizon inserts information about this record, such as when it was created and who created it, in a control record. When the MARC record is updated, Horizon inserts information about the update as well. You can view a control record by choosing the Status button on any MARC record.

Copy record

A record that groups related item records together. Copy records add another “layer” in cataloging records by representing multiple sets of a title. (For example, they can represent how many sets of an encyclopedia that you have—the sets being the copy records, and the volumes being the item records.)

Co-tag

Provides the author portion of the uniform title.

Default owner

The code that determines the person or group that owns a record that is created from a specific workform or from another record.

See Also Owner.

Delimiter

The symbol that separates elements in a statement, command, or data. In Horizon, this is used to mark the beginning of a subfield or the beginning and end of a special code in a MARC record.

(For example, Horizon uses the “‡” symbol as a default subfield code, but you can change the delimiter in the Customize Editor.)

Diacritic

A mark near or through a character or characters that indicates how to pronounce a letter, such as an accent mark (for example, “é”).

Dying record

A MARC record that is merged into another MARC record. You may need to copy and paste fields that you want to keep from a dying record into the surviving record before you merge them.

Filing indicator

A character or space between 0 and 9 that contains information about the tag.

Fixed field

Tags that are divided into positions, which contain information in abbreviated form about the record. This information must extend to only the predefined length of the field. Each position accepts not only a certain length of information, but a specific set of values or codes defined by MARC standards.

Global change

The changing of all bib records attached to an authority record to reflect a change in that authority record.

Hex set

An ALA code for a special character. You enter this between two brackets on a MARC record.

Indicator

A space or a digit from 0 to 9. It displays after a tag number and before the first subfield in a MARC record. Indicators can be either filing or nonfiling.

Import scheduling

The ability to specify the date and time when you want Horizon to begin importing records.

Import source

The utility from which you import your MARC records. The import source parameters determines how Horizon handles the records you are importing. Import source parameters include status, staff only index, prefix processing, match points, tag preservation, tag action, and item creation.

Item creation

Part of an import source. Determines whether item records are created automatically when importing bib records. Your system administrator can specify what tags and subfields to check for item data in imported bib records.

Item record

A record that represents how many copies of a title the library owns. (For example, if your library owns three copies of a title, your library has three item records for that title.) Item records are attached to bib records.

Keyword inheritance

Keywords that are passed on from one linked bib record to another. These inherited keywords affect searches in PAC and staff searching. You can change the way keywords are inherited by changing the search link class filter.

Launcher

The central component of Horizon. Used to organize and open processes and programs in the Horizon workspace. You can customize Launcher settings and display features.

Link From record

The record that you start a bib record link from. You insert a link tag into this record, and it links to the Link To record.

Link tag

The “hook” that links bib records together. The link tag is inserted in the Link From bib record.

Link To record

The record that receives the link. When you insert a link tag into the Link From record and save it, Horizon automatically inserts a reciprocal link tag into the Link To record.

Local tag

A 9XX tag that your library can add to display local or library‑specific information, or any MARC tag containing a “9.“

MARC

Machine-Readable Cataloging. Horizon uses MARC standards so you can import MARC records into your Horizon system and export MARC records to other utilities that use MARC.

Match points

Tags or Horizon indexes that are compared between incoming and existing records to determine if any matches (duplicates) exist for the purpose of overlay.

Media display

An attached image, animation, sound, full text file, or other document that displays when you double‑click in the Bibliographic Detail window in PAC or staff searching.

Merge

The process of combining two records. Merging helps keep your database clean by removing duplicates. The record that you merge into the other is called the “dying” record. The record that remains in your database is called the “surviving” record.

Navigation bar

The bar or frame from which the main Horizon processes can be started. This bar is customizable and may display differently to different users based on their privileges.

Nonauthority‑controlled field

MARC tags that are not referenced to a MARC authority tag. (For example, the 245 tag contains title information and is nonauthority‑controlled.)

Nonfiling indicator

A character between 0 and 9 that specifies how many characters to ignore in the MARC record when creating an alphabetically browsable list.

Overlay

Imported MARC records that replace the existing ones in your catalog when they match.

Owner

Setting that groups records of the same type and can be used by security to limit access to those records.

See Also Default owner.

PAC (Public Access Catalog)

The process that lets your patrons search for titles and authority headings.

Prefix labels

The labels you assign to serial copies (c.) or volumes (v.). You can specify these labels while batch creating item records.

Privilege

The right to access a secured process. A privilege is granted by the system administrator to users and user groups based on need. (For more information, see “Securing Horizon” in the “Security and Preferences” chapter of the System Administration Guide.)

Reciprocal link tag

The tag in the Link To bib record that reflects a link. After you insert a link tag in the Link From bib record, Horizon inserts a reciprocal link tag in the Link To bib record. When you double‑click on a reciprocal link tag, Horizon opens the Link From bib record.

Repeatable

A tag or subfield that can be duplicated in a record according to MARC standards.

Security groups

Groups that can have specific viewing privileges in PAC or staff searching. Some groups may have privileges to view all titles, other groups may have fewer privileges. You set up security groups in the Edit Borrower window of the Circulation process (then put them in the 911 tag in the bib record).

Note: A security group set up in the Edit Borrower window is not the same as a security group set up in the Group Manager of the Security Menu.

Staff searching

The process that lets you search for titles and authority headings. You can send these titles and authority headings to the MARC Editor to view their MARC or non‑MARC records.

System‑generated

Authority records that Horizon creates when no existing authority record matches an authority tag in a bib record. This can happen when you create an authority tag to add to a bib record during a bib record creation or when you import bib records.

See reference

A reference that directs you from a nonstandard form of an authority to a standard form. Also referred to as a “See From tracing.”

See Also reference

A reference that directs you from valid authority forms to other valid authorities. Also referred to as a “See Also From tracing.”

Staff only

A designation for records that limit viewing in PAC to library staff only.

Status

The state of an authority, bib, or item record, or selection list. You can edit bib, authority, and selection list statuses in the MARC record’s control record. You can edit item statuses through the Edit Item window.

Summary of holdings

A list of copy records that your library owns. The same window exists in the Serials process.

Surviving record

The record that you keep in your database when you merge two records. You need to cut and paste tags from the dying record into the surviving record before merging them.

Syntax and Validation

Whether a tag or subfield is valid, or compliant with MARC standards, for a record. Also refers to codes that your system administrator has established.

Target

Where Horizon sends the record along with any actions that take place during the export. Horizon does not ship with targets. Your system administrator must set up export targets, or Horizon uses targets already set up in previous versions of Horizon on your system.

Uniform title

An authority record that combines a specific title and its author information into one searchable unit.

Variable field

Tags that can contain any length of information, as specified by the MARC cataloging rules that your library follows.

Workbook

A view that provides tabs for all open windows in the workspace.

Workforms

Templates of bib records that let you create original MARC and non‑MARC bib records.

Workspace

The area in which record windows and dialog boxes open inside Horizon.

 


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