MARC Modification Templates
MARC modification templates are used for batch record modifications. These templates can be applied in the Batch record modification tool, when staging MARC records, or on individual bibliographic records.
Setting Up MARC Modification Templates
- Go to the Cataloging module > MARC modification templates
- Create a new template. The name portion of the template will help identify what this template does.
- Next, create actions for the template. These are the actions you want performed on the MARC record.
- Actions include options to Delete, Add new, Update existing or add new, Move, Copy, and Copy and replace.
- Then identify the MARC field and subfield that the action is going to work with. If the action requires a value, such as adding a value to a field, this will be filled into the value field.
A description can be added to each action to explain what action is being taken. Once a template has been created, it can easily be duplicated and modified. Actions can be reordered by clicking on the arrows in the far left column.
Using MARC Modification Templates When Importing Files
If a library would like to modify records upon initial import, this can easily be done once the MARC modification template has been created.
- In the Cataloging Module, go to Stage records for import. Once the file has been loaded, there is an option to use a MARC modification template with this file. Koha will modify the records as it imports them.
Creating Items Upon Import
A library can create items upon importing of records using a MARC modification template. The MARC modification template must include adding the 952$a, 952$b, and the 952$y to successfully create items.
As of Koha 24.11, items cannot be created with the MARC modification template once the records are in the Koha system. They can only be created at time of import.
- Create a new MARC modification template.
- Add actions to Update existing or add new field for the 952 fields. The "Value" will be the Authorized Value code, not the description.
Here is a screenshot of a MARC modification template that is adding the required item fields and a few others, such as the 952$c - shelving location and 952$8 collection code.
Once the template is created, the library can import a file of MARC records into Koha and create items.
Note: For more information about this process, see this section in the Koha Manual.
Staged MARC Record Management
Finally, we will import these records into Koha and see the items have been created. When working with the Stage Records for Import tool, Koha will tell you how many records and items it found, and give a list of the MARC records. Once the library chooses to import these records, Koha will assign a bibliographic number and the magic has happened. Your library now has successfully imported a file of records and created items at the same time!
Using MARC Modification Template From a Record
From the full-record display of a record, select edit, modify record using template.
This option will allow the record to be modified using a saved MARC modification template. When choosing this option, Koha will bring the user directly to the Batch MARC Record Tool, set up the record, and have the opportunity to choose which template to apply to this record.
Koha will send this to a processing queue, which will be alerted to the user. Koha will give a link to the processing queue, and once this edit has been applied, Koha will update the queue.
Background jobs can be found in Administration > Jobs. Tasks such as Batch Item Modification, Batch Record Deletion, and Batch Record Modification can be seen for when they were sent to be processed and when they have been processed. Here is an example of what is logged in the Background Jobs.
Templates For Specific MARC Data
The Batch Item Modification tool is a powerful cataloging resource that empowers librarians to make changes to their data for updates to shelving locations or new item types. Sometimes, though, librarians need to make adjustments based on criteria that are not in the existing item data, like making all the items associated with a particular publisher into their own collection code, for example. The tool in the cataloging module doesn't have a way to query these other criteria, but a SQL report can.
Reports can help identify these items, which identifies the materials that need to be modified, and with the inclusion of a column with the itemnumber, can even unlock a shortcut to unlocking batch tools without the intermediate step of exporting a barcode list.
The inclusion of the itemnumber column in my report made the batch actions with visible results possible. Reports can display up to 1000 items at a time, so this can be a great way to modify large portions of a collection at once.
The sample report I used queried by publisher info (a field in the biblioitems table), but for specific MARC data that is not already mapped to Koha fields in the biblio or items tables, a report can also query MARC data via biblio metadata. The possibilities are vast here - a library might be genrefying a shelving location and want to identify materials by some known subject headings, or e-books loaded into the catalog have started confusing patrons, so they want to identify materials by the 337 RDA media type field to identify which "items" should actually have a clearer item type of EBOOK. A report can identify these records, then the items attached to it, making it easy to modify them in bulk.
Can Indicators be Updated via MARC Modification Templates?
While Koha's MARC modifications are a powerful cataloging tool, modification templates do not currently interact with indicators in a MARC field. There is an enhancement request for it in the Koha community.
Libraries have found other workarounds in the meantime, typically identifying records by MARC data via report (which can query based on modifier values), exporting the identified records, and then updating via software like MarcEdit and reimporting.
Tutorial Videos
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