Data Exchange: Importing and Exporting Records

Data Exchange enables you to exchange records and files between your library's database and remote systems.

Moving records from a remote system (for example, OCLC) to the Innovative server is called "importing a record." Reformatting the record from the MARC standard format to one of the Innovative storage formats is called "preprocessing the record." Storing the preprocessed record in the Innovative database is called "loading the record."

Moving records from the Innovative database to a remote system is called "exporting a record." Records are reformatted from the Innovative storage formats to the MARC standard format during export.

Data Exchange uses customizable load tables (also called load profiles) to convert MARC records into the appropriate format for storage in your database. Load tables can also contain commands that are executed when records are loaded into your library's database. For example, load table commands can be used to overlay fields in existing records or create attached records from data in designated fields of an incoming bibliographic record.

Using Data Exchange, you can:

• View MARC records before you import or export them.
• Import records into your library's database, including:
  • Bibliographic records and their associated item, order, and holdings records.

  Attached records are created during record loading from data in a field of the bibliographic record, such as a 945 or 949 field. The customizable record load tables that your library has acquired determine which fields contain attached record data.

  • Patron records.
  • Authority records.
  • Resource records.
• Export records from your database. For example, you can export records for inclusion in a union list or database.
• Upload inventory files
• Create review files of records that were created or overlaid by a MARC file load process.
• View error messages and statistics associated with a data load.
• Rename and delete files from the Data Exchange file list.
• Archive order record data to a file before "purging" the records from the system.
• View, copy, rename, delete, and transfer print job (file format ".p") files, auto notice (file format ".auton") files, and Print Template (file format ".html") files sent either manually or automatically.
• Download Collection Agency Reports.
• Import and export media files (to be attached to bibliographic records using the 962 fields). Media file formats are not converted (i.e., "preprocessed") by Data Exchange. For more information regarding importing and exporting media files in Data Exchange, contact Innovative.

Process for Importing Records

The process for importing records into your library's database is:

1. Transfer a file containing record data into Sierra.

Get the file from the local PC or a remote site by using FTS.

2. Preprocess the file.

Convert the incoming data into the Innovative "blocked MARC" record format.

Unlike record files, you do not need to preprocess media files. You can load them into the Innovative database after importing them to the Innovative server.

3. Load the records into the Innovative database.

Process for Exporting Records

The process for exporting records from your library's database is:

1. Create an output file containing unblocked MARC record data.

2. Transfer the file containing record data.

Put the file to the local PC, tape, or to a remote location by using FTS.

See also:

Data Exchange Tab in Login Manager

Searching for Records in a Remote Database

Managing Templates for New Records

Importing Order Record Data into Item Records

Record Loading Basics

Using Local Fields When Downloading Records