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MARC21 migration in 9 easy steps: Napier University preparation

[These notes and documents are based on a presentation given to the Dynix User Group Scotland in May 2002, by Paul Cunnea, Bibliographic Services Manager, Napier University Learning Information Services.]

UKMARC to MARC21 migration: non-MARC libraries will generally have a simpler, if rawer, conversion programme, unless you attempt to match in-house records to commercially available MARC21 records.

Napier-SLIC co-operation: originally SLIC intended to migrate its SLAINTE records after Napier, but for various reasons SLIC should now migrate first. (Napier has slipped from Sep 2001, to July 2002.)

We have benefited from this and other co-operation, and plan to make any useful documentation available via the CIGS Toolkit, where you can already find some useful MARC migration information.

Preparation

Step 1.	Order the manuals. Decide which ones - full set, bib format only, authority format, holdings? Concise (containing all formats) available in print, and free via the Web at: http://www.loc.gov/marc/concise/
Step 2.	Wait … (it took 9 months for ours to come, ordered as a Standing Order via Dawsons for updates, but can take a lot less, using direct orders - see http://lcweb.loc.gov/cds/marcdoc.html#intro - or BookExpress).
Step 3.	While waiting, do some basic database tidying via Recall: Do a tag count, 20 max at a time or system will skip blocks. See Recall commands to count MARC tag occurrences and Results of MARC tag count, 26-Jul-2 Aug 2001 (MSWord). Analyse the count (after discarding zero counts) with reference to UKMARC & MARC21 summaries, with advice. See Analysis of existing MARC tags (MSWord). You will probably become more familiar with UKMARC than ever before, just as you abandon it. Create selection lists for any necessary investigation and editing of tags. Carry out any necessary clean-up work, e.g. investigate and edit odd tags, invalid tags, obsolete tags, wrong tags; leave some well alone. See Record of action taken to process MARC tags prior to conversion to MARC21 (MSWord). Use macros, bearing in mind multiple tag occurrences, and that some of this can be done during conversion, e.g. mass deletion of identified tags. Refer as necessary to the CAIRNS cataloguing guidelines (PDF). Present a tag status report of the catalogue, with advice and pointers - a precursor to the UK-21 mapping. See MARC tags with counts and comments after in-house clean-up, 16 Oct 2001 (MSWord).
Step 4.	Schedule provisional conversion dates with Epixtech (you may want to do this earlier).
Step 5.	Obtain MARC map proposal from Epixtech. This should include a full report of database fields and subfields. Some odd results may require a Remap to overcome problems. Napier obtained a very basic mapping - basically a tag/subfield report of our catalogue - but following the SLIC/Napier conversions hopefully a more complete map will be provided to other institutions as a starting point.
Step 6.	Agree MARC map based on your data (and become even more intimate with UKMARC as you say goodbye for the last time, and become more familiar with MARC21 than you will ever need to again.)
Step 7.	Test MARC map using test records and tag example records.
Step 8.	Confirm conversion schedule dates (with epixtech and your own institution) and implement conversion.
Step 9.	Implement MARC21!

Expect at least 1 day's full down-time, and system disruption for at least a week, for index building and display re-mapping (some of this can be prepped beforehand).

Give staff and users plenty of warning.

Other factors to consider

Use of a test record. See UKMARC test record (MSWord).

Don't overlook indicator or Leader conversion.

MARC authority file conversion, especially Names.

Local data - MARC21 has some specific fields for local date, e.g. 590. You should have identified any local data in your database analysis and mapping process.

Implementation of punctuation in a) the migration, and b) in post-migration cataloguing, i.e. the possibility of system generated punctuation at record creation (remember that downloaded records will contain punctuation).

Staff documentation and training: OCLC & Allegro training; the CIGS toolkit; BL's guide to UK & 21 differences; BL's mapping tables; and (less useful since epixtech isn't using it) BL's USEMARCON programmes.

Join MARC21 discussion lists (quite active).

MARC21 holdings.

Post-migration indexing possibilities, e.g. 021 $z, 246.

Amend current database problems (e.g. corrupt 008 fields).

Re-examine cataloguing policy in light of new potential of MARC21, e.g. 77X tags, CAIRNS interoperability recommendations.

MARC21 record sources - BNB, LC, NLS, OCLC/CORC, etc.