Automatic Processes During Import

When records are imported, they are processed according to settings in the import profile and in Polaris Administration. Some processing takes place before any records are created or updated, and other processing occurs when the data in the imported records are used to create or update records. This section covers the automatic processing you can choose to initiate in the import profile settings.

This topic contains the following sections:

MARC Records Validated

If validation is selected in the import profile, the records are validated according to the following Polaris Administration Cataloging profiles: MARC validation: Bibliographic and MARC validation: Authority. However, if the incoming records contain indicators or subfields with data that cannot be validated, the data is replaced with the following defaults: Indicators default to ' ' and subfields default to '?'. For more information, see Administering MARC Validation and Display.

Authority Control Performed

If the options to Perform authority control and Automatically create new authority record; save bibliographic record as final are selected in the Bibliographic Records tab of the import profile, the system searches for an existing authority record for the heading. If no matching authority record is found in the local database, an authority record is created automatically and saved to the database. If your library has a subscription to a remote database of authority records, the remote database is automatically searched when no matching authority record is found. The new authority record is saved in the database and linked to the new bibliographic records. See Set import options for authority records.

Records Checked for Duplicates

If duplicate detection is selected in the profile, duplicates are identified according to the rules in the following Polaris Administration database tables: Bibliographic Deduplicaton or Authority Deduplication. For more information, see Change bibliographic or authority deduplication tables. You can also select the option Use profile defined duplicate detection rules in the import profile and select the rules to apply.

Specific MARC Tags Removed from Incoming Bibs

If the import profile is set up to automatically remove tags from incoming bibliographic records, the tags are removed from the records before they are saved in the Polaris database. See Set import options for bibliographic records.

Incoming Bibs Protected from Being Overlaid

If the import profile is set up to check the Do not overlay box on the incoming records, they are saved as protected records that cannot be overlaid. See Set import options for bibliographic records.

Bib Tags Marked to Prevent Creation/Updates of Items

If you are using an import profile that is set to create item records from embedded holdings tags, an automatic process first checks the bibliographic records for the presence of pre-existing holdings tags with the same tag number specified in the import profile. If pre-existing tags are found that match the retained tags under Keep MARC tags in the import profile, and these tags do not already have a $9 subfield, then a system-supplied $9 with the text Tag retained from duplicate overlay is inserted into the tag. Pre-existing embedded holdings tags that do not already have a $9 subfield are marked automatically without a Polaris Administration parameter.

When embedded holdings tags are used to create new items or to update on-order items to shelf-ready items, a $9 with the text Item generated is inserted into the tag if the Polaris Administration Cataloging parameter MARC embedded holdings tags as processed is set to Yes. During the import process, item records are not created or updated if the embedded holdings tags are marked as follows:

Or

Your Polaris Administrator can use a utility to automatically scan for specific tags marked with $9 and remove them. See Setting Utility to Delete Bib Tags Marked with Subfield 9.

Authority Records Deleted

If the incoming authority record status (Leader/05) is d, s, or x, the following deletion processing occurs during import:

Item Records Created from Embedded Holdings Tags

When you import bibliographic records using an import profile that is set to build item records from embedded holdings tags, the items are created automatically based on the holdings tag number and MARC subfield mapping specified on the Item Records tab. This table shows the default settings, requirements, and data entry conventions for item record creation from data in the 852 tag in the Polaris default (with item creation) profile. The data entry conventions apply to all profiles.

Polaris Item Record Field Subfield Required Data Entry Conventions

Assigned (branch)

$a

Yes

Must match a branch ID or abbreviation. 15 characters max.

Collection

$b

No

Must match a collection ID or abbreviation. 15 characters max.

Barcode

$p

No

20 characters max.

Call Number Prefix

$k

No

60 characters max.

Call Number Suffix

$m

No

60 characters max.

Circ Status

N/A

No

ID or description. 80 characters max. Certain circ statuses are not allowed in new item records, for example Lost. If the ID or description in the circ status is not allowed, the circ status is taken from the template or from system defaults for item records.

Classification Number

$h

No

60 characters max.

Copy Number

$t

No

60 characters max.

Cutter Number

$i

No

60 characters max.

Display in PAC

$4

Yes

0 = No, 1 = Yes

Fine code

$r

Yes

FineCodeID (ID or description). 80 characters max.

Free Text Block

N/A

No

255 characters max.

Funding Source

$1

No

50 characters max.

Holdable

$5

Yes

0 = No, 1 = Yes

Library Assigned Block

N/A

No

ID or description. 80 characters max.

Loan Period Code

$u

Yes

LoanPeriodCodeID, ID, or description. 80 characters max.

Loanable Outside System

$7

Yes

0 = No, 1 = Yes

Material Type

$w

Yes

MaterialTypeID, ID, or description. 80 characters max.

Name of Piece

N/A

No

255 characters max.

Non Circulating

N/A

No

0=No, 1=Yes

Non-Public Note

$x

No

255 characters max.

Owner (branch)

$o

Yes

Must match a branch ID or abbreviation. 15 characters max.

Physical Condition

$q

No

255 characters max.

POLI-Segment ID

N/A

No

Number

Price

$0

No

Monetary value (Format: ##.## No '$' should be in the subfield. Include a decimal where appropriate.)

Public Note

$z

No

255 characters max.

Renewal Limit

$y

Yes

0-99

Shelf Location

$c

No

Must match shelf location ID or description. 80 characters max.

Shelving Scheme

$j

Yes

0=No information,

2=Library of Congress

3=Dewey Decimal

4=National Library of Medicine

5=Superintendent of Documents

6=Shelving Control Number

7=Title

8=Shelved Separately

9=Other

Statistical Code

$d

No

 ID or description. 80 characters max

Temporary Shelf Location

$l

No

25 characters

Vol (volume)

$v

No

60 characters max.

Duplicate Records Overlaid

If the import profile is set to perform duplicate detection, it can also specify how duplicate records are handled. For information regarding the process that compares the encoding level of duplicate bibliographic records, see Bibliographic Overlay Based on Encoding Level. For information regarding the process that compares the cataloging source A code stored in tag 040 $a that tells who created the record. These codes are governed by the MARC code list for libraries. of duplicate authority records, see Authority Record Overlay Based on Cataloging Source.

Tags Retained from Duplicate Records

The Bibliographic Tags to Retain/Delete policy table is used to identify tags in bibliographic records to retain from duplicate records that are overlaid. The Authority Overlay Retention policy table is used to identify tags in authority records to retain from duplicate records that are overlaid.

Note:
The Bibliographic Tags to Retain/Delete policy table can also be used to identify tags to delete from incoming records whether they are duplicates or not.

For more information on these tables, see Specify Tags to Retain from Overlaid Bibs and Specify Tags to Retain from Overlaid Authority Records.

For bibliographic records, you can also select the option Profile-defined overlay retention tags in the import profile and select additional bibliographic tags to retain. See Set import options for bibliographic records.

Bibliographic Overlay Based on Encoding Level

If the import profile is set to compare the encoding levels of duplicate records, the value in Leader position 17 is checked.

Note:
Double-click on the Leader in the MARC21 view of the Bibliographic Record workform to see the encoding levels in Leader position 17:

space - Full level
1 - Full level, material not examined
2 - Less than full level, material not examined
3 - Abbreviated level
4 - Core level
5 - Partial (preliminary) level
7 - Minimal level
8 - Prepublication level
E - System-identified MARC error in batchloaded record
I - Full-level input by OCLC participants
J - Deleted record
K - Less-than-full input by OCLC participants
L - Full-level input added from a batch process
M - Less-than-full added from a batch process
u - Unknown
z - Not applicable

The following table shows the values in the incoming record in Leader position 17 and the values in the existing record that allow or disallow an overlay. If the encoding levels are equal, the records are processed according to the setting in the import profile.

Incoming LDR/17 Value Can Overlay Cannot Overlay
space

space

 J

1

2

3

4

5

7

8

u

z

E

I

K

L

M
Incoming LDR/17 Value Can Overlay Cannot Overlay
1

1

space

2

I

3

L

4

J

5

7

8

u

z

E

K

M
Incoming LDR/17 Value Can Overlay Cannot Overlay
2

2

space

3

1

4

7

5

I

8

L

u

J

z

  

E

K

M
Incoming LDR/17 Value Can Overlay Cannot Overlay
3

3

space

5

1

8

2

u

4

z

7

E

I

J

K

L

M
Incoming LDR/17 Value Can Overlay Cannot Overlay
4

3

space

4

1

5

7

8

I

u

J

z

K

E

L

M
Incoming LDR/17 Value Can Overlay Cannot Overlay
5

5

space

u

1

z

2

E

3

4

7

8

I

J

K

L

M
Incoming LDR/17 Value Can Overlay Cannot Overlay
7

2

space

3

1

4

I

5

J

7

L

8

  

u

z

E

K

M
Incoming LDR/17 Value Can Overlay Cannot Overlay
8

5

space

8

1

u

2

z

3

E

4
 

7

I

J

K

L

M
     
u

u

space

z

1

E

2
 

3

4

5

7

8

I

J

K

L

M
Incoming LDR/17 Value Can Overlay Cannot Overlay
z u

u
z

space
E

1
 

2

3

4

5

7

8

I

J

K

L

M
Incoming LDR/17 Value Can Overlay Cannot Overlay
E E

u
 

z

space

1

2

3

4

5

7

8

I

J

K

L

M
Incoming LDR/17 Value Can Overlay Cannot Overlay
I

space

 J

1

  

2

3

4

5

7

8

u

z

E

I

K

L

M
Incoming LDR/17 Value Can Overlay Cannot Overlay
J  

space

1

2

3

4

5

7

8

1

u

z

E

I

J

K

L

M
Incoming LDR/17 Value Can Overlay Cannot Overlay
K

2

space

3

1

4

7

5

I

8

J

u

L

z

  

E

K

M
Incoming LDR/17 Value Can Overlay Cannot Overlay
L

space

 J

1

  

2

3

4

5

7

8

u

z

E

I

K

L

M
Incoming LDR/17 Value Can Overlay Cannot Overlay
M

2

space

3

1

4

7

5

I

8

J

u

L

z

  

E

K

M

Authority Record Overlay Based on Cataloging Source

If the option Merge duplicate records is selected when importing authority records, the 040 $a of the incoming record is checked against the entries in the following Administration policy table: Authority Record Import: Preferred Cataloging Source. If the (040 $a) code in the incoming record matches an entry in the table, the preference order of the code is checked. The incoming record overlays the database record if it has a higher level of preference than the code in the database record.

Note:
For information on setting up this policy table, see Specify preferred cataloging sources for authority records.

  1. The original cataloging agency of the incoming record (tag 040 $a) is matched to entries in the Authority Record Import: Preferred Cataloging Source policy table in Polaris Administration.
    Preferred Cataloging Source Table Entries for Importing LibraryIncoming Record Tag 040 $aImport Processing Status

    Has entries

    Matches a table entry

    Valid for import processing

    Has entries

    Does not match a table entry

    Invalid record is logged in the import report, but is not added to the catalog

    Has entries

    No tag 040

    		Invalid record is logged in the import report, but is not added to the catalog

    No entries

    No tag 040

    		Incoming record is added to catalog as provisional. Logged in import report. Added to provisional record set if specified. Existing record is not changed.

    No entries

    Has original cataloging source information

    Valid for import processing

  2. If the imported authority record is from a preferred cataloging agency, the ranking of the agency is compared with the agency ranking of the existing record.
    The ranking of preferred cataloging agencies is determined by the agency’s entry position in the Authority Record Import: Preferred Cataloging Source policy table in Polaris Administration.
    Incoming Record Original Cataloging Agency PreferenceProcessing Done for Incoming Record

    Higher than the agency for the existing record

    Processed according to value in record status (Leader/05)

    Equal to the agency for the existing record

    Processed according to value in record status (Leader/05)

    Existing record does not have a cataloging agency specified

    Processed according to value in record status (Leader/05)

    Lower than the agency for the existing record

    Entry logged in import report. Incoming record is not added to catalog.

  3. If the imported record has a higher or equal source preference than the existing record, the duplicate records are processed based on the record status (Leader/05) of the incoming record.
    • If the incoming record has a record status of n (new), c (corrected or revised), or a (increase in encoding level), Polaris does new or update processing.
    • If the incoming record has a record status of d (deleted), s (deleted with heading split), or x (deleted with heading replaced), Polaris does deletion processing.