Abstract
If loading record files is consuming more and more of your library’s time and effort, learn from our experience in automating record loading at the University of Tennessee. Like most libraries, the University of Tennessee Libraries (UTL) has loaded files of order and bibliographic (bib) records into our Integrated Library System (ILS) for years. In 2012, we automated this process by writing loaders that look for these record files and load them into our Ex Libris Aleph ILS without staff intervention. We began the project with Yankee Book Peddler (YBP), one of our major vendors, and the result has been positive and significant—with a few bumps in implementation. This paper covers the process from three perspectives: systems, vendor, and technical services. From a systems librarian, hear about writing the loaders—the decisions we made and factors we considered. From a vendor, see how vendors can support this kind of project, and learn a few tips to make the process easier. From a technical services librarian, learn how staff worked to implement the process, check the results, and revise our workflows. We’ll share the problems we encountered, and the changes that we—systems, vendor, technical services—made together to get the project on track.
Automating Record Loading—An Implementation Story
If loading record files is consuming more and more of your library’s time and effort, learn from our experience in automating record loading at the University of Tennessee. Like most libraries, the University of Tennessee Libraries (UTL) has loaded files of order and bibliographic (bib) records into our Integrated Library System (ILS) for years. In 2012, we automated this process by writing loaders that look for these record files and load them into our Ex Libris Aleph ILS without staff intervention. We began the project with Yankee Book Peddler (YBP), one of our major vendors, and the result has been positive and significant—with a few bumps in implementation. This paper covers the process from three perspectives: systems, vendor, and technical services. From a systems librarian, hear about writing the loaders—the decisions we made and factors we considered. From a vendor, see how vendors can support this kind of project, and learn a few tips to make the process easier. From a technical services librarian, learn how staff worked to implement the process, check the results, and revise our workflows. We’ll share the problems we encountered, and the changes that we—systems, vendor, technical services—made together to get the project on track.