Bill, thank you for bringing up your concern about the way deletes are handled at Backstage. This particular issue is currently on our to-do list with the expectation that it will be fixed by the end of March 2011.
Since authorities can contain multiple usages, our system will first attempt to remove the particular usage as designated by the client. So if a client sends in a deleted authority / LCCN for a name usage and the authority is valid for both name and subject, our system will only remove the name usage from that authority record, for that particular client.
For example, “Smith Jones, Heather” [n 2010048612] is valid as both a Name and Subject authority. If a client sends in this LCCN as a name delete, our system will remove only the name usage from the authority. Then when LC makes an update to this authority and we happen to send our updates to this particular client separated by names and subjects, the system would only send the update in the subject file. To the client and our system, the name usage is no longer valid for that particular authority.
If a client sends us an LCCN that contains multiple usages but doesn’t instruct us how to apply the delete, our system will remove all usages from the authority record. As Bill pointed out, it does shunt the deleted authority record into a “ghost” like status. The primary reason it does this is to provide us with a detailed log of what happened to the authority each time it was updated (either by LC or by Backstage / Clients). This helps us track down the history of changes to authorities in case our clients ask us for those details. We can isolate exactly when a specific authority was last updated, the type of update, and the previous and subsequent changes for that authority.
The issue Bill brings up is what we have in our queue and plan on implementing the fix for later this month. Once a record is marked as delete, if a bib heading comes through that matches that authority, it should clear the delete flag and set the appropriate usage. Also if we get a list of client updates (either records or LCCNs) and a deleted record is “added”, the delete flag should be removed and the appropriate usage set. So this would make it possible for clients that have sent in deletes to authorities reinstate either the full authority or the usages for that authority if they send through a new bib with that previously deleted usage / authority.
Nate Cothran
Backstage Library Works
From: bslwac-bounces@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:bslwac-bounces@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Bill Kelm
Sent: Monday, March 14, 2011 2:35 PM
To: bslwac@mailman.xmission.com
Subject: [BSLWAC] Handling Deletes...
I just have a processing question for libraries that use Backstage. Do you send your authority deletes to them? We are pondering not doing it, after we have learned that by sending them in and letting them know they are deletes they are appropriately marked as deleted on the Backstage end.
However, they do not really delete them on their end, they get a special almost "ghost" like status. So they never get unmarked as deleted should we acquire a bib that needs the heading.
Has anyone else found a way to deal with this problem?
Thanks,
Bill Kelm
--
Bill G. Kelm - Systems Librarian
Willamette University Library
900 State Street - Salem, OR 97301
Phone: 503-375-5332 Fax: 503-370-6141
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