I wanted to summarize the events so far with the Horizon indexing / linking issue regarding series headings in 4XX fields.

 

Issue

Libraries start with a title in the series 4XX field, but end up with only the name portion from the name-title when Horizon indexes on the 4XX field.

 

Original Bib Record:

440 _0 $a Allie Finkle’s rules for girls

 

Backstage Pre-Processing

Converts original 440 to 490-1/8XX for matching purposes:

490 1_ $a Allie Finkle’s rules for girls

830 _0 $a Allie Finkle’s rules for girls

 

Authority Match

Matches on 430 of authority record, which links (flips) to 100:

001 __ no2008144413

100 1_ $a Cabot, Meg .$t Allie Finkle’s rules for girls

430 _0 $a Allie Finkle’s rules for girls

 

Backstage Post-Processing

490 1_ $a Allie Finkle’s rules for girls

800 1_ $a Cabot, Meg .$t Allie Finkle’s rules for girls

 

This is how the original 4XX heading (either 440 or 490-1) ends up after it has gone through the Backstage processing.  However, once it is imported / loaded into the Horizon ILS, this is what is happening.

 

Horizon Import

The 800 $a contains the new series heading and is used to replace the data within the 4XX field:

490 1_ $a Allie Finkle’s rules for girls

800 1_ $a Cabot, Meg .$t Allie Finkle’s rules for girls

 

becomes

490 1_ $a Cabot, Meg .$t Allie Finkle’s rules for girls

800 1_ $a Cabot, Meg .$t Allie Finkle’s rules for girls

 

But since only 490 $a is valid, only the $a is indexed within Horizon:

490 1_ $a Cabot, Meg

 

So the library starts with:

440 _0 $a Allie Finkle’s rules for girls

 

And ends up with (in Horizon):

440 _0 $a Cabot, Meg

or

490 1_ $a Cabot, Meg

 

Horizon Solution?

Horizon’s remedy has so far only been to point out that clients should not index on any of the 4XX fields, but instead use the 8XX fields.  This is problematic since many libraries have older bib records with the previous standard of series processing—ending up with 440 fields instead of 490-1/8XX fields.  Since Horizon’s import forces the 4XX heading to comply with the 8XX heading, incorrect practices occur, making it impossible for the system to link the changed 4XX field with the incoming (100/430) authority record.

 

This problem also means that libraries have no way to automatically fix the bibs where the series information has been truncated to just the author’s name due to this forced restructure by the Horizon ILS.

 

Client-Side Solution?

Libraries may also be able to use MarcEdit to edit the records so this doesn’t continue to happen.  Apparently, there is a Swap field tool to change the 440s to 490s, and place the data from the authority’s 100 & 430 fields into the bib’s 800 fields.

 

Backstage Solution

Backstage has a method in place to catch this issue and make sure it doesn’t trigger a bad import on Horizon’s part.  We will use the same example from above.

 

Backstage Post-Processing:

490 1_ $a Allie Finkle’s rules for girls

800 1_ $a Cabot, Meg .$t Allie Finkle’s rules for girls

 

From Authority Match:

001 __ no2008144413

100 1_ $a Cabot, Meg .$t Allie Finkle’s rules for girls

430 _0 $a Allie Finkle’s rules for girls

 

Backstage changes the 8XX series headings in bibs to:

490 1_ $a Allie Finkle’s rules for girls

830 1_ $a Allie Finkle’s rules for girls

 

And the above authority gets changed to:

001 __ no2008144413

130 1_ $a Allie Finkle’s rules for girls

430 _0 $a Allie Finkle’s rules for girls

 

With this workaround, the Horizon ILS still uses the 8XX to force the 490, but this time the 830 $a data is the same as what the 490 $a data is.  Of course the consequence of doing this is that the LC authority delivered is no longer exactly as it was received from LC.  However, it does make it so that libraries can load these headings without worrying about the invalid link to the name-only portion of the name-title full heading.  It also links up with the authority record from Backstage.

 

Horizon Potential Solution?

If Horizon would just ignore the 8XX when establishing the link, then it looks like this could be resolved by the flipping / turning on of some parameter within the ILS.  However, it appears that Horizon will use the 8XX when determining the content of the 4XX.  Even though there aren’t many 130-to-100 changes in the authority records, this is still a substantial issue to deal with on a continual basis.

 

Thanks,

Nate Cothran