Summary

OCLC Data Sync is a process to synchronize institutional holdings with WorldCat to make local library collections visible and available through OCLC services by:

Adding original cataloging records to WorldCat
Matching records from your local catalog with records in WorldCat
Managing local holdings data
Setting or deleting holdings for single institutions or groups to accurately reflect what is in your collection
Updating your holdings in WorldCat with additional Local Bibliographic data

As of Nov 17, 2022, PUL began sending records to OCLC via DataSync (automated Aug 22, 2023).
As of Jan 8, 2024, automatic Alma updates from OCLC were activated and on Mar 4, 2024, they were suspended indefinitely.
As of Jan 8, 2024, when OCLC Master Records are merged into other OCLC records, Alma’s OCLC numbers are updated.

As of 8/21/24, the 583 field from holdings is included in enrichment when sending records to OCLC. All records with retention commitments have been updated in OCLC by 8/31/24. The retention commitments will be shown on records that PUL originated via "create" or "replace" process.

Initial Reclamation Project

In August of 2022, the Data Sync group sent a large batch of records to OCLC to synchronize holdings. Criteria for inclusion were:

Bib record is unsuppressed.
Bib record has at least one unsuppressed holding.
Bib record passed extensive validation checks (see here).

Staff remediated many of the records that did not pass validation to make them ready for the automated DataSync process that was to be turned on after this initial reclamation.

If a record received an OCLC number from OCLC that differed from the OCLC number present in the bib record, the original OCLC number was moved to a 919 field (see documentation on the 919 field here).

Criteria For Sending Records

Every week, PUL extracts records (mostly newly cataloged titles) and submits them to OCLC via an Alma publishing job to sync PUL holdings with the WorldCat database. The criteria used to identify records eligible for Data Sync are:

Bib record has no 914 fields.
Bib record has no 915 fields.
Bib is unsuppressed.
Bib record is brief level 4 or above. See Brief Level documentation.
Bib record has at least one physical item attached to an unsuppressed holding that is not in the Acquisition Process or the Acquisitions and Cataloging Work Order.

OCLC Process and Reports

When OCLC receives the files, the records will go through OCLC’s own validation process. OCLC then generates a report that shows the action taken with each record (BibProcessingReport). If a record passes validation, OCLC takes one of the following actions:

Create: A new OCLC record is created, and PUL’s holdings are updated on that record.
Match: PUL’s holdings were updated on an existing OCLC record, but no metadata was transferred.
Field Transfer: PUL’s holdings were updated on an existing OCLC record, and one or more fields eligible for metadata transfer were updated in the OCLC record (see the fields eligible for transfer below).
Replace: PUL’s holdings were updated on an existing OCLC record that PUL originated, and the entire record was replaced with the new version of the record.

If a record failed validation or could not be disambiguated from similar records, the record is marked as Unresolved. The errors found with unresolved records are documented in another report (BibExceptionReport).

Errors are grouped by level of severity: MINOR, SEVERE, and CRITICAL.

MINOR errors include invalid repeated fields, fields with incorrect length, invalid subfield codes, and other MARC format issues. These errors do not prevent OCLC from processing the record and setting holdings; they are informational.

SEVERE and CRITICAL errors prevent OCLC from processing the incoming record and setting holdings. SEVERE errors include invalid indicators in key fields and repeated 245 or 010 fields. CRITICAL errors include invalid data in the leader and 008 field.

Fields Eligible for Transfer

050	Library of Congress Call Number (R)
055	Classification Numbers Assigned in Canada (R)
060	National Library of Medicine Call Number (R)
070	National Agricultural Library Call Number (R)
080	Universal Decimal Classification Number (R)
082	Local Call Number (R)
083	Additional Dewey Decimal Classification Number (R)
084	Other Classification Number (R)
085	Synthesized Classification Number Components (R)
086	Government Document Classification Number (R)
090	Local Call Number (R)
092	Local Call Number (R)
505	Formatted Contents Note (R)
508	Creation/Production Credits Note (R)
511	Participant or Performer Note (R)
520	Summary, Etc. (R)
600	Subject Added Entry─Personal Name (R)
610	Subject Added Entry─Corporate Name (R)
611	Subject Added Entry─Meeting Name (R)
630	Subject Added Entry─Uniform Title (R)
648	Subject Added Entry─Chronological Term (R)
650	Subject Added Entry─Topical Term (R)
651	Subject Added Entry─Geographic Name (R)
655	Index Term─Genre/Form (R)
856	Electronic Location and Access (R)

Processing OCLC Reports

Records in the BibProcessingReport that passed validation with no errors above MINOR severity are updated in Alma through an external job to add a 914 field to each record. The 914 field contains the definitive OCLC number and the action taken.

Records in the BibException report are updated in Alma through an external job to add a 915 field for each error to each record. The 915 field contains the level of severity and the specific error found.

A data quality group will review and resolve the validation errors listed in the 915 field (mainly SEVERE or CRITICAL errors). Once resolved, staff will delete the 915 field. The resolved records will be picked up by the Data Sync publishing job when all 915 fields are deleted.

OCLC WorldCat Updates

In Jan 2024, Princeton University Library automated a process to receive updated records when records with PUL holdings in WorldCat were enhanced. Note that automated record updates were suspended indefinitely as of Mar 4, 2024. The following documents the settings and processes that were configured in WorldShare Collection Manager and Alma.

Click here for configuration details

Triggers for updated records from WorldCat

Defined within OCLC WorldShare Collection Manager.
We will receive records from OCLC if any of the fields in the table below change. Continuing resources are excluded from the process.
Changes we make to records in Connexion under the Princeton symbol will be included in the files we receive from OCLC.

Enc Lvl LDR/06	Only if updated to ^, I, 7
006	Fixed-Length Data Elements - Additional Material Characteristics
007	Physical Description Fixed Field
008	Fixed-Length Data Elements
019	Former OCLC number, will be translated to 035 $z
020	International Standard Book Number (R)
022	International Standard Serial Number (R)
024	Other Standard Identifier (R)
028	Publisher or Distributor Number (R)
035	System Control Number (R) - OCLC number only
050	Library of Congress Call Number (R)
066	Character Sets Present (NR) - Indicates presence of non-Latin script
086	Government Document Classification Number (R) - SuDoc
090	Local Call Numbers
1XX	Main Entries-General Information
245	Title Statement (NR)
246	Varying Form of Title (R)
247	Former Title (R)
26X	Publication, Distribution, etc. (Imprint) (R) Projected Publication Date (NR) Production, Publication, Distribution, Manufacture, and Copyright Notice (R)
300	Physical Description (R)
310	Current Publication Frequency (R)
34X	Physical Medium (R) Accessibility Content (R) Geospatial Reference Data (R) Planar Coordinate Data (R) Sound Characteristics (R) Moving Image Characteristics (R) Video Characteristics (R) Digital File Characteristics (R) Notated Music Characteristics (R)
362	Dates of Publication and/or Sequential Designation (R)
38X	Form of Work (R) Other Distinguishing Characteristics of Work or Expression (R) Medium of Performance (R) Numeric Designation of Musical Work (R) Key (R) Audience Characteristics (R) Creator/Contributor Characteristics (R) Representative Expression Characteristics (R) Time Period of Creation (R)
490	Series Statement (R)
500	General Note (R)
502	Dissertation Note (R)
505	Formatted Contents Note (R)
508	Creation/Production Credits Note (R)
511	Participant or Performer Note (R)
520	Summary, etc. (R)
525	Supplement Note (R)
538	System Details Note (R)
546	Language Note (R)
580	Linking Entry Complexity Note (R)
6XX	Subject Added Entries
700-754	Added Entry Fields - General Information System Details Access to Computer Files (R)
760-788	Linking Entries - General Information Parallel Description in Another Language of Cataloging (R)
800	Series Added Entry - Personal Name (R)
810	Series Added Entry - Corporate Name (R)
811	Series Added Entry - Meeting Name (R)
830	Series Added Entry - Uniform Title (R)
880	Alternate Graphic Representation (R)

Fields deleted from updated WorldCat records

Defined within OCLC WorldShare Collection Manager.
The following fields will be removed from updated records that we receive from OCLC.

Tag	Ind1	Ind2
902	any	any
910	any	any
917	any	any
936	any	any
938	any	any
949	any	any
984	any	any
989	any	any

Fields added to updated WorldCat records

Defined within OCLC WorldShare Collection Manager.
The following fields will be added to updated records that we receive from OCLC.

Tag	Subfield	Value
980	a	Invoice Date
980	b	List Price
980	e	Net Price
980	f	Invoice Number
980	k	Custom text1
980	l	Custom text2
916	a	Date Delivered
916	b	OCLC Number
916	c	Reason for Record Output
916	d	Local System Number
916	e	"WorldShare Record Update"
856	u	KB URL

Alma Indication Rule Actions

Defined within Alma.
The following records are filtered out from the DataSync process.
CGCRB stands for Cataloging Guidelines for Creating Chinese Rare Book Records In Machine-Readable Form.

Tag	Subfield	Value
040	e	cgcrb
LDR/07	N/A	s (filters out serials)

Alma Normalization Rule Actions

Defined within Alma.
When updated records are imported into Alma, normalization rule actions are performed first to refine metadata in the OCLC record.

Tag	Condition	Record Action
001		remove
003		remove
029		remove
035	pattern is not "035.a.(OCoLC)*"	remove
035	OCoLC number has leading zeroes	remove leading zeroes
2xx	has $5	remove
3xx	has $5	remove
5XX	has $5	remove
6XX	has $5	remove
7XX	has $5	remove
856		remove
8XX	has $5	remove
880	has $6 020 or 022	remove

Alma Merge Rule Actions: Updates

Defined within Alma, relevant to "updates" files (records that have PUL holdings updated in WorldCat as defined in Triggers).
Merge rule actions are applied to the Alma record (how OCLC records merge with existing Alma records).
NOTE: Fields that are not explicitly defined here will not be affected.

Tag	Condition	Record Action
LDR		replace
006		replace
007		replace
008		replace
01X		replace
02X		replace
031		replace
032		replace
033		replace
034	if not already in Alma record	add
035		add
036		replace
037		add
038		replace
040		replace
041		replace
042		replace
043	if not already in Alma record	add
044		replace
045		replace
046		replace
047		replace
048		replace
050	if not already in Alma record	add
06X		replace
07X		replace
08X		replace
090		add
1XX		remove from Alma; add from OCLC
240		replace
245		replace
255	if not already in Alma record	add
246	if not already in Alma record	add
247		add
250		replace
251		replace
254		replace
256		replace
257		replace
258		replace
26X		remove from Alma; add from OCLC
27X		replace
300	if not already in Alma record	add
306		replace
307		replace
310		replace
34X		replace
35X		replace
362		replace
37X		replace
38X		replace
440		replace
490		replace
500	if not already in Alma record	add
502		replace
504	if not already in Alma record	add
505	if not already in Alma record	add
508		replace
511		replace
520	if not already in Alma record	add
525		replace
538		replace
580		replace
6XX	if no subfield "5" in Alma record	remove from Alma; add from OCLC
700-758	if no subfield "5" in Alma record	remove from Alma; add from OCLC
760-787	if no subfield "w" in Alma record	remove from Alma; add from OCLC
800	if no subfield "5" in Alma record	remove from Alma; add from OCLC
810	if no subfield "5" in Alma record	remove from Alma; add from OCLC
811	if no subfield "5" in Alma record	remove from Alma; add from OCLC
830	if no subfield "5" in Alma record	remove from Alma; add from OCLC
880	if exists in OCLC record	replace
916		add

Alma Merge Rule Actions: Merges

Defined within Alma, relevant to "merge" files (records that have PUL holdings merged in WorldCat).
Merge rule actions are applied to the Alma record.
NOTE: Fields that are not explicitly defined here will not be affected.

Tag	Condition	Record Action
019		replace
035		add
916		add

OCLC Update Workflow Diagram

Process Run Times

Schedule	Description	Process Name
Tuesday 10:00 pm EST/EDT	Eligible records are captured in Alma and sent to OCLC as the first step of the DataSync process. Done by a Publishing Profile which is pointed a logical set Records eligible for DataSync	Publishing Profile: Datasync export without Inventory
Wednesday 5:00 am EST/EDT	When OCLC Master Records are merged into other OCLC records, Alma’s OCLC numbers are updated.	Import Profile: WorldShare Record Update: "merge" files
Wednesday 7:00am EST or 8:00am EDT	Processes DataSync Exceptions: downloads BibException reports from OCLC-sftp, creates a Marc Collection with individual records for each MMS ID, and uploads the file with the Marc Collection to lib-sftp, in preparation for further processing by Alma. Done by lib_job. Results in 915 fields.	lib_job: Datasync Exceptions
Wednesday 7:30am EST or 8:30am EDT	Processes DataSync Updates: downloads BibProcessing reports from OCLC-sftp, creates a Marc record for each MMS ID, and uploads the file with the Marc records to lib-sftp, for ingest into Alma. Done by lib_job. Results in 914 fields.	lib_job: DataSync Processed
Thursday 3:00 am EST / 4:00 am EDT	Triggered by the 'alma_bib_norm' lib_job: moves OCLC number from 914 to 035 field using the normalization process PUL-BIBNorm. Done by Repository Job (via API).	Repository Job: Unprocessed Datasync 914 fields

Tag	Ind1	Ind2
902	any	any
910	any	any
917	any	any
936	any	any
938	any	any
949	any	any
984	any	any
989	any	any

Tag	Ind1	Ind2
902	any	any
910	any	any
917	any	any
936	any	any
938	any	any
949	any	any
984	any	any
989	any	any

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