Using the INN-Reach Catalog
At the heart of an INN-Reach System is a union catalog, a combined database of the participating sites' catalogs. With extended indexing, this union catalog offers each participating site broader search capabilities and more results than can be found on an individual, local catalog.
The INN-Reach Catalog is continuously built and maintained in real time on the INN-Reach Central Server, with Local Servers automatically transmitting local updates. The INN-Reach Catalog is based solely on Local Server activities. No direct entry or updating is needed.
The INN-Reach Catalog contains extensive bibliographic and holdings information, including:
- item circulation status, call number, and shelving location
- summary holdings statements of serial records
- on-order status for materials in the acquisitions process
To build and maintain the INN-Reach Catalog:
- Staff at Local Servers create, modify, and delete records in the local catalog as part of their standard workflow. The system automatically queues the record updates for contribution to the INN-Reach Catalog. For more information, see Contributing Records to the INN-Reach Catalog and Loading Records to the INN-Reach Catalog.
- The INN-Reach Central Server receives the updated record data and employs a matching strategy to determine whether to create new records in the INN-Reach Catalog or merge the incoming records with existing ones. When two records are considered a match, the system determines which one is the master record based on encoding levels and a library load priority table. INN-Reach also accommodates deleting records, merging records, and splitting records into two separate records when more data is available. Ultimately, the system stores the data in central bibliographic records and attached institution records. For more information, see Maintaining the INN-Reach Catalog.
The resulting catalog contains one master bibliographic record for each bibliographic entity. The total number of bibliographic records is usually in the range of 40%-60% of the total number of bibliographic records contributed by all participating sites. The number of institution records is equal to the number of bibliographic records contributed by all participating sites.
Patrons from all participating sites can access the INN-Reach Catalog to search records and submit circulation requests.
Monitoring and Administering the INN-Reach Catalog
For each INN-Reach System, a single Central System Administrator is responsible for monitoring and administrating the INN-Reach Catalog.
This Central System Administrator:
- Administers standard programs for backup, WebPAC maintenance, creating lists, and other management tasks.
- Maintains INN-Reach system configuration files.
- Monitors the status of the catalog, using a special program that displays the number of records sent, modified, or deleted from each Local Server during the last 24 hours. The system flags a Local Server if no updates have occurred within a certain time period, indicating that there might be a potential problem with transmissions from that Local Server.
- Views statistics on the numbers of records loaded, overlaps, and circulation items represented in the INN-Reach Catalog.