Merge a Pair of Duplicate Bib Records

When catalogers identify duplicate bibliographic records in PUL's Repository and need to de-dup and combine them into one bibliographic record, use the Merge & Combine function in the MDE to achieve this.

Permission

To merge bibliographic records, you must have the following role--

Cataloger Extended

Steps

To merge two duplicate bib records that describe the same manifestation and thus perform de-duplication --

1 - Bring both bibs into the MDE

2 - Identify the preferred and the secondary record

Preferred record: Choose the fuller record of the two as the preferred one - this record will remain in the catalog after the merge.

Secondary record: Choose the briefer record as the secondary one. The Merge & Combine function will transfer only locally-relevant fields (e.g., 500 ...$5 NjP) from the secondary record to the final merged version.

3 - Open the preferred record

Click on the preferred record and have it open in the Main Pane of the MDE.

4 - Activate Editor split mode

Click on the Editor split mode button (or press the keyboard shortcut F6) (No. 8)

The Main Pane splits into two blocks, displaying the preferred record on the left side (and blank on the right).

5 - Open the secondary record

Click on the secondary record, which will be displayed on the right side of the main pane.

To re-cap: You have the preferred record on the left; the secondary record on the right.

Left Side of Main Pane

Right Side of Mane Pane

Preferred record

This is the fuller bib record that will remain in the catalog after the merge.
The existing holdings will remain on this record, and the secondary record's holdings will migrate to this record.

Secondary record

This is the briefer record that will be removed from the catalog after the merge.
Locally relevant fields, such as those with $5 NjP, will be transferred to the preferred record.
Fields you wish to keep that are not included in the merge rule should be copied manually to the preferred record.
Holdings from the secondary record will be transferred to the preferred record.

Reminder

1 Only fields with the subfield $$5 NjP, indicating information specific to the PUL's copy, will be transferred from the secondary record to the merged version.

If you are aware of other fields you'd like to have in the final result, you may manually copy-and-paste them into the preferred record before carrying out the next step, Merge & Combine.

2 If both records contain a copy number as in "$$3 Princeton copy x," be sure to differentiate the copy numbers before you continue.

6 - Select Merge & Combine

Go to menu Record Actions > Merge & Combine

a) Choose the merge routine

In the pop-up box, choose the merge routine: PUL - OCLC Merge

b) Preview merged record

Here you have the option of previewing the merged result by pressing the button Show merge preview

c) Informational text

The pop-up box informs you what item records, PO line, etc. will be relinked to the final merged record

d) Holding call number

If you check Update holdings call number, the call number in holdings will be populated from the bib 050/090 fields

(This is generally not relevant to Special Collections, which uses AbIDs as call numbers.)

e) Secondary record

You have three choices for what to do with the Secondary record after the merging is completed --

And you are alerted that the operation is not reversible!

f) Execute

Click OK to execute Merge & Combine.

If necessary, edit the merged bib record further as you see fit.

Reference

Ex Libris Knowledge Center > Working with Bibliographic Records

Ex Libris Knowledge Center > Working with Merge Rules