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Edit the Record:

Check and edit the normal print book parts of the record. Pay particular attention to name and subject headings. As far as possible the record should match any print records on Alma, and it is often easier to copy elements from the print record and paste them directly into the ebook record. Conversely it might sometimes be necessary to upgrade the print record at the same time.

It is not always possible to check all the details of an ebook record in the same way as a print record when the book is in front of you. You will need to make a judgement of the record based on its source, how complete it looks, and how it compares to the UCL print record. In general, trust the record if it seems to have come from a reputable source but you should be able to check the ebook directly and acessing it. Some particular notes about certain fields:

• LDR. Same as for books. Position 18 will be set to i automatically.
• 008. Same as for books. The details here should be for the print and match the 008. Position 23 will be set automatically.
• 020. Include all print ISBNs in separate 020 fields with appropriate $$a and $$q as well as relevant ebook ISBNs. If needed, $$q ebook is fine. If there multiple formats have their own ISBN (e.g. PDF and HTML, put the format in $$q.
• 245$$h. Delete any GMDs if present, making sure the punctuation is correct once this is removed.
• 264. The details here should be for the print and match the 008. Details for the ebook will be added in the 533.
• 300. The details here should be for the print. This will be amended automatically. If the record has an ebook-style 300$$a, try if possible to make it a print-style one. This might need checking later.
• 336-338. Keep any 336 fields. 337 and 338 fields will be replaced automatically.
• 490/830. Series details should be for the print.
• 5xx notes. Delete any existing 533, 530, or 590 fields. Retain any standard notes fields relevant to the print.
• 856. This will have been supplied by UCL Acqusitions and E-Resources staff, so leave it as it is. There is normally no need to check it, although it is a useful link if you need to check any bibliographical details. If there are problems with it, email the E-Resources team. The indicators should always be 4 and 0. Note that the URL goes in subfield $$u.

Apply a Template:

Each package needs to have specific data added to the record from a prepared template (see Creating a Template). To apply a template in the Alma Metadata Editor, select Edit>Expand from Template then choose the appropriate template from the list.

This will insert the following data:

• 533 field (Electronic Reproduction Note)
• 590 field (Access Note)
• 590 field (Collection Tags)

You might then need to edit data, such as date of cataloguing. If you are happy using brower bookmarklets, you can use the one described below to change the 533$$n to today's date.

Convert to Ebook Record:

Add more general ebook data to the record by using an Alma Normalization Rule. To do this in the Alma Metadata Editor, select Edit>Enhance the Record and choose the "Add Ebook Fields" Normalization Type from the list. This should do the following (although this might be changed over time):

• Change LDR position 18 to "i"
• Add 006 and 007 fields
• Change 008 position 23 to "s"
• Change all 020$$z to 020$$a
• Update or create the 040 field, so that:
  • $$a is UkLUC for a new record
  • $$b is eng
  • $$e is rda
  • $$c is UkLUC for a new record
  • $$d is UkLUC for an amended record
• Convert 300, so that:
  
  • Pagination is prefixed by "1 online resource" with pagination in brackets
  • $$c is deleted
• Retain existing 336 fields but create a new one specifying text if there isn't one
• Replace 337 and 338 with those appropriate to ebooks, or create new ones, as follows:
  • 337__$$a computer $$b c $$c rdamedia
  • 338__$$a online resource $$b cr $$c rdacarrier
• Add a skeleton 533 field if this there isn't already one. This will need further editing.
• Add a skeleton 590 field for access if there isn't already one. This will need checking if it is not the standard UCL one.
• Add a skeleton 590 field for the package or collection tag.
• Add a skeleton 590 for the date of editing.
• Delete various unwanted fields, currently the following, although the list can easily be added to:
  
  • 588 field (Source of Description Note)

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Perform a final quick check of the record, especially to make sure that none of the automatic edits from the Template and Normalization have done anything unexpected. Email t.meehan@ucl.ac.uk if they have done something obviously wrong.

Templates

Each package will need its own template. General instructions on creating and editing templates on Alma are on the Alma Cataloguing pages. Make any templates Shared so other cataloguers can re-use them if they're working on the same collection. Name Templates using the name of the tag for the collection, e.g. uclebkhart for Hart ebooks. This will keep templates organised and identified accurately. Elements given in <angle brackets> should be replaced by data relevent to the collection.

533 field (Electronic Reproduction Note)

This says that this record is in fact an ebook and gives details about the ebook's publisher.

533__$$aElectronic reproduction. $$b <Place of publication> : $$c <Publisher>, $$d<date of publication>. $$n Available in <format> format. $$n Description based on contents viewed <date of cataloguing>.

The $$b, $$c, and $$d record the ebook publisher or supplier, not the print publisher, although they may sometimes be the same. Take these from the publisher's website, which you can find by following the URL of the ebook itself. By preference, take details from the ebook page but use a general Contacts page or similar if necessary. There are often only sketchy details. It is unusual to find a specific ebook date of publication and it is not necessarily a good use of time to find one for each ebook anyway, so a general copyright date for the site is fine: precede such dates with a copyright symbol. Publication information for any package only needs to be checked infrequently.

The format in the first $$n specifies the file format of the ebook. Normally this is one of the following:

• PDF
• HTML
• PDF and HTML

If the ebook can be read without downloading anything, then it is HTML. If it requires PDF software, such as Adobe, then it is PDF. Often, there is a choice of either. Other formats might be indicated. Formats are normally the same across a collection, so checking one or two in a collection is normally sufficient.

The date of cataloguing in the second $$n recognises that ebook data might go out of date (e.g. formats are added or electronic copyright dates change). The date should be given in a human readable format, e.g. 1 July 2020 or 18 August 2020. This can be set to a date using the template if a number of ebooks are to be catalogued on one day, or updated manually for each one. The bookmarklet described below might be useful.

590 field (Access Note)

This specifies what the reader will need to access the ebook. In the vast majority of cases, this will be:

590 \\$aUCL username and password required for access.

Use this unless another form of words is specified.

590 field (Collection Tags)

Tags are unique to a package or collection and enable us to identify, count, and delete collections. They all start "uclebk" and have a unique suffix, such as the following for the Hart collection.

590__$$a uclebkhart

These tags will either be supplied to you or you can consult the list on the local drive.

Appendices

Note on Portfolios

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• Click on the 590 field in a record
• Click on the bookmarklet on the your bookmarks toolbar

Information About Bookmarklets

What are bookmarklets?

Bookmarklets are just browser bookmarks, but instead of taking you to a web page, the URL runs a little bit of computer code on a web page.

How to use a bookmarklet

You just click on the bookmark on your bookmarks toolbar or wherever you have saved it.

How to install a bookmarklet

You create a new blank bookmark in your browser, give it a sensible name, and copy the long URL beginning with “javascript:” into the URL or Location box. Step-by-step instructions for Firefox and Chrome, both assuming you use a Bookmarks toolbar:

Installing a bookmarklet on Firefox

• Copy the bookmarklet from an email or web page:
  • If it’s a link, then right-click on it and select “Copy Link Location”.
  • If it’s a long script starting “javascript:”, copy everything from “javascript:” to the end, which look be something like “})()”.
• Right-click on the Bookmarks Toolbar
• Select “New Bookmark”
• Give the bookmark a sensible Name
• In the “Location” box, paste the entire bookmarklet script, which should start with “javascript:” and end with “})()”
• Click on “Add”. It is now ready to use
• You can edit this at any time by right-clicking on the bookmark, then selecting “Properties”

Installing a bookmarklet on Chrome

• Copy the bookmarklet from an email or web page:
  • If it’s a link, then right-click on it and select “Copy Link Address”.
  • If it’s a long script starting “javascript:”, copy everything from “javascript:” to the end, which look be something like “})()”.
• Right-click on the Bookmarks Bar
• Select “Add page”
• Give the bookmark a sensible new Name (by default Chrome will use the current page you are on)
• In the “URL” box, paste the entire bookmarklet script, which should start with “javascript:” and end with “})()”. (By default Chrome will use the current URL of the page you are on)
• Click on “Save”. It is now read to use
• You can edit this at any time by right-clicking on the bookmark, then selecting “Edit”