Create Holding and Item Records using Library of Congress Call Numbers

• Create Holding Record
• Create Item Record
• Create Holding and Item Records for Multiple Copies

After a bibliographic (bib) record for a new resource is created in the Voyager Catalog module, a holding record and an item record are created for each unique copy or the resource. Every bib record must have a holding record and an item record in order for holding information to display correctly in the online public access catalog. The holding record will show where in the Museum the item is located and the call number or shelf location for the item. The item record may include a unique bar code. Only the Library adds bar codes to item records, but the other offices must create a separate item record in order to track each copy of the item. The holding record must be created before the item record. Separate instructions are provided for those departments assigning locally-assigned, non-Library of Congress, call numbers.  

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Create Holding Record

Open the Cataloging module. For log on instructions, see the section Logon and Options.

To retrieve the bib record for which you know the bib record ID, go to the menu and select Record.  From the options, select Retrieve by Record ID>Bibliographic. Enter the bib record number in the pop-up box and click Retrieve.  The bib record will appear on the screen with the Bib ID number appearing in the blue title bar.

If you do not know the bib ID, then you will need to search for the resource to retrieve the bib record. Select the Search icon (magnifier) and in the available options you can choose to search by title (Title<) or author (Staff Name Heading,) or any more approriate search term that will retrieve the bib record.

With the bib record open, click on the New Hldgs icon and a holding record will appear with the location and call number information automatically supplied in the 852 MARC subfields according to the pre-set Option>Preferences and the 090 MARC field.  The department location will show in the 852 subfield $b and the call number will appear in the 852 subfields $h and/or $i for LC classification numbers. For resources located in OER, PHOTO, and BIOARCH, add their lcoations codes to subfield 852$m. Click the Save to DB icon (sailboat) and the holding record will be saved to the database.  A sequential number will appear in the holding record's blue title bar.

To see a list of all possible locations, check the Options>Preferences>General tab. All other locations are listed in the Holdings/item default location drop-down box.

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Create Item Record

After creating a holding record, the next step is to create an item record.  Keep the holding record active in the Catalog module's window and click on the New items icon. An item record will appear.  Provide the next available barcode number from our supply of barcode sheets in the blank barcode box.  The bar code stick-on number will be placed on the first page lower center of the resource for those in the Library. See the instructions in the Processing Books section for further instructions on processing the resource.

In the item record, verify that the Perm Loc is the actual location/department for the item and that the item type is reflective of the item. The copy information (located at the bottom center of the item record) is either 0 for the first copy or give the correct copy number for the item, if it is a multiple copy. Click on the Save to DB icon and the item record is created when you click OK. Once you have created holding and item records, they can be retrieved by the icons Get Hldgs or Get Items.

You have successfully created holding and item records and can now close the item, holding and bib records by clicking on the X's in the top left corner of each record.

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Create Holding and Item Records for Multiple Copies.

For the first copy of an item, create a holding and item record per the instructions above. For any additional copies of the item, click on the New Hlds icon. In the pop-up box, you will be asked to select either NEW or RETRIEVE. Click on NEW. A holding record will display. Supply the correct location and call number information in the 852 MARC subfields. Click on Save.

For additional copies of items located in the Library, OER, BIOARCH and PHOTO locations, modify the 852 MARC subfield $i to include c. 2 or whatever copy number is appropriate.

For additional copies of items located in the Library, OER, BIOARCH and PHOTO locations, the item record must also be modified. Enter a new barcode number for each unique copy of the item located int he Library and change the Copy entry (located lower center) to the appropriate copy number.

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