OCLC Connexion Client

Resources: This page is an overview and use study of the Connexion Client interface to OCLC, available to OCLC subscribers. (The Connexion Browser interface, discontinued by OCLC as of 30 April 2024, is also discussed on this wiki.)

The Client has useful features, especially:

• Macros: Great macros come preloaded. To see them, go to Tools>Macros>Manage. You can put frequently used ones into Tools>User Tools. (I use the ones to generate 3XX fields and generate 043 fields all the time.)
• Text Strings: You can assign frequently used text strings to particular key strokes. They are under Tools>Text Strings.
• Edit menu: I use the "Insert from Cited Record" all the time, e.g., I create a 7XX field, put an OCLC number in, and when I select "Insert from Cited Record" the Client fills in all the data into the 7XX field from the record with that OCLC number. Be sure to also check out "Guided entry," and if you catalog digitized items, the Client can generate the e-record from the analog record for you.
• Batch functions: the Client can also perform batch operations on records, which can be really handy.

See the Koha Manual section, Using Third Party Software> OCLC Connexion Gateway for information on setting up Koha to work with OCLC Connexion, and detailed instructions. (As of November 2023, the Gateway interface works only with bibliographic records; the batch export/import works with either bibliographic or authority records.)

Use study, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park Research Center:

MARC21 tag by tag:

001: This will contain the current OCLC number prefixed by "ocm...," "ocn...," etc. More information on the format and history of the numbers and how the lengths and prefixes have changed is available on the OCLC website. Unused, obsolete, etc. numbers will be in the 035.

999 _ _ $c: If this field is included in the OCLC record, it will cause the version of the record being exported from Connexion Client to completely overlay and replace the existing bibliographic record in Koha. The 999 $c number is the unique Koha bibliographic identification number, and is visible in the Koha MARC record and is also used in the static Koha URL for the bibliographic record at the end of the URL.

952 _ _: This is the field that creates item records in Koha. If included in an OCLC bibliographic record, it will create one new item record for each 952 field with the data in that field. There is no way to overlay item records. You can create frequently used 952 lines using Connexion Client's Tools>Text strings function. Order of the subfields doesn't matter. This is how we use the 952 field to create item records (data in all capitals matches codes used in our Koha Administration):

• $2 lcc: (We use Library of Congress call numbers)
• $3 Materials specified: put any information here that you’d like to show up at checkin/checkout, e.g.: 4 folded maps in pocket
• $7: a value of 1 (the number one) will make the item "Not for loan" (overriding any "Availability" from the circulation rule tables); omit this field for an item to be "Not for loan" or "Available" based on the circulation rules table.
• $a Permanent location: SFMARITIME
• $b Current location: SFMARITIME
• $c Shelving location: use the Authorized Value (the version in all caps in your Koha Administration)
• $e Source of acquisition: we use these codes: GIFT GRATIS NPSPURCH TRANSFER
• $g Cost, normal purchase price: do not key in a dollar sign ($), but just the digits, e.g.: 21.45
• $h Serial enumeration/chronology: all volume, year, etc. information
• $o Koha full call number: enter as in the 090 field, but with the $b and full stop deleted and replaced by a space, e.g.: PZ7 K532 T or VM34 S452 1998 or VK1234 C2 M45 2012
• $p Piece designation: the barcode number
• $t Copy number: e.g., c.3
• $x Non-public note: e.g., source of transfer, storage Box number, etc.
• $y Koha item type: use the Code from Koha administration
• $z Public note
• $8 Collection code: use the code from Koha administration

Examples:

Regular book in the stacks that is "Not for loan:"

952 _ _ ǂ2 lcc ǂa SFMARITIME ǂb SFMARITIME ǂc STACKS ǂy BOOK ǂo VA65 P677 M37 1908 ǂ7 1 ǂp 195195

Analytic:

952 _ _ ǂ2 z ǂa SFMARITIME ǂb SFMARITIME ǂy ANALYTIC ǂo Magazine article