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Connexion : Connexion client : Recent enhancements

Recent enhancements to Connexion client

Authority Control Enhancements

  (Completed: August 2011)

The following enhancements are available to users of both the Windows-based Connexion client and the Web-based Connexion browser.

  • Changes to automatically add a closing date and insert the controlled heading into the bibliographic record when attempting to control a personal name tagged as a 100, 600, 700, and 800.  Technical Bulletin 259 has been revised to include additional information for the personal name date expansion.
  • Other controlling changes include the reduction of unexpected automatic subfield flips and the resolution of selected known punctuation problems.  Examples of resolved known problems include:
    • Resolution of incorrect deletion of an exclamation mark (!) or question mark (?) when followed by ; $o arr.
    • Resolution of the incorrect deletion of a period that is part of an abbreviation preceding $v
    • Resolution of the incorrect handling of punctuation for uniform title headings when $n follows a closing parenthesis

These changes were discussed in a Webinar on August 18, 2011; view the recording here.

NACO/Enhance expansion  (Completed: August 2011)

In cooperation with the Program for Cooperative Cataloging (PCC), OCLC has expanded the capabilities of OCLC participants with NACO authorizations.  Individuals with NACO authorizations, along with those with National Level CONSER and National Level Enhance authorizations, which already include NACO capabilities, are now able to edit and replace BIBCO records (non-serial records with 042 code “pcc”).  Creation of new BIBCO records and authentication of existing non-BIBCO records (i.e., adding 042 code “pcc”) will continue to be restricted to those with National Level Enhance authorizations in their specified formats.  OCLC will be working with NACO participants to familiarize them with their new capabilities.

OCLC-MARC Bibliographic, Authority, and Holdings Formats Update 2011   (Completed: August 2011)

OCLC implemented the changes related to the OCLC-MARC Bibliographic, Authority, and Holdings Formats Update 2011.  This includes MARC 21 Update No. 12 (dated October 2010), elements from other recent MARC 21 Updates whose implementations had been postponed, code list additions and changes published chiefly since May 2010, and other suggestions from WorldCat users and OCLC staff.  Many of these elements, including those from MARC 21 Update No. 12, are related to Resource Description and Access (RDA).

Among the points of interest:

  • Definition of a new “Descriptive Cataloging Form” (Leader/18; OCLC Fixed Field:  Desc) value “c” indicating “ISBD Punctuation Omitted” in the Bibliographic Format.
  • Implementation of four additional 007 fields (“Physical Description Fixed Fields”) for Kit, Notated Music, Text, and Unspecified, in the Bibliographic and Holdings Formats.
  • Implementation of a new fixed field element in the Computer File format, “Form of Item” (Computer File 008/23 and 006/06; OCLC Fixed Field:  Form) in the Bibliographic Format.
  • Implementation of a new subfield $3 “Materials Specified” in field 034 “Coded Cartographic Mathematical Data” in the Bibliographic and Authority Formats.
  • Implementation of a new subfield $u “Uniform Resource Identifier” in field 561 “Ownership and Custodial History” in the Bibliographic and Holdings Formats.
  • Implementation of a new subfield $i “Relationship Information” in OCLC-defined 79X “Local Added Entry” fields in the Bibliographic Format.
  • Implementation of a new subfield $5 “Institution to Which Field Applies” in Series Added Entry fields 800, 810, 811, and 830 in the Bibliographic Format.
  • Implementation of three new Bibliographic indexes:  Date Created as MARC (“dm:”), Entity Attributes (“en:”), and Physical Description (“p3:”).  Two additional new Bibliographic indexes will be implemented later in 2011:  Provenance (“pv:”) and Name and Title (“nx=”).  All of these new indexes and other indexing changes described in Technical Bulletin 260 will gradually become apparent as WorldCat is reindexed over the next few months.

See Technical Bulletin 260 for more information.

Authority Control Enhancements

  (Completed: May 2011)

The following enhancements are available to users of both the Windows-based Connexion client and the Web-based Connexion browser.

  • Changes to punctuation; resulting in the ability to correctly control many more types of headings, including music uniform titles.
  • Changes to restrict automatic tag flips when controlling.
  • Changes to enable the ability to easily control many reported ‘uncontrollable’ heading.
  • Changes that now include the inclusion of candidate non-script headings when attempting to ‘control all’ headings in a bibliographic records.
  • Changes to enable the controlling of genre authority records pending the distribution of the records by the Library of Congress (Note: requires Connexion browser or Connexion client version 2.30; not available in Connexion client versions 2.10 or 2.20).

Technical Bulletin 259 provides additional information.

These enhancements were discussed in a Webinar on April 20, 2011; view the recording here.

Connexion client version 2.30  (Completed: April 2011)

Connexion client version 2.30 is now available for download.  Previously, OCLC announced that you would be required to upgrade to version 2.30 by November 1, 2011.  Since version 2.40 will be release between March-May 2012, OCLC will not require you to upgrade to 2.30. 

View the upgrade instructions before installing version 2.30.  If you have Windows 7 Professional (64-bit), Windows 7 Enterprise (32-bit), or other newer versions, you may need to move your \macro directory after upgrading or installing Connexion client 2.30.  Please see the notes for macro users.

Connexion client version 2.30 includes enhancements to existing functionality.  It is compatible with both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Microsoft Windows and supports Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7, but does not support Windows 2000. Version 2.30 will use .NET Framework 4 Extended which is supplied with the Connexion client 2.30 software. Connexion client versions 2.10 and 2.20 will no longer be supported starting November 1, 2011.

These enhancements were discussed in a Webinar on April 20; view the recording here.

Enhancements included in version 2.30 are listed below.

Links to the RDA Toolkit

  • Connexion users who subscribe to the RDA Toolkit are able to link from a displayed bibliographic or authority record to the RDA Toolkit.
  • When the menu Tools, RDA Toolkit is selected, the RDA Toolkit opens in a browser window and displays the RDA content associated with the specific MARC field.
  • A subscription to the RDA Toolkit is required to use this feature. Subscribers can enter their authorization and password in a new tab called RDA Toolkit in Tools/Options. If you do not know your RDA Toolkit subscription user name and password please contact rdatoolkit@ala.org. If you are interested in information about a subscription to the RDA Toolkit, please visit www.rdatoolkit.org/subscribe.
  • Note: Several MARC fields are not covered by RDA instructions.  For these fields, you will receive this message:  MARC Element Not Found.

Display of 029 fields

  • 029 fields are relocated to the bottom of displayed bibliographic records.
  • The 029 field remains at the top of the record when exported.

Language of Cataloging Limiter in Search WorldCat dialog

  • Users can limit WorldCat searches by language of cataloging by selecting a language from a dropdown in the Search WorldCat dialog. The limiter can be checked or un-checked as needed. It is retained until changed.
  • The language of cataloging limiter applies to the Command Line and Keyword/Numeric areas of the Search WorldCat dialog and the quick tool search on the toolbar.

Language of Cataloging display in search results

  • A CatL column is added to the Column Settings list in the local bibliographic save file search results.
  • The language of cataloging displays in local file and WorldCat truncated lists by default.
  • The language code displayed is based on data in the 040 $b of the record. If no 040 $b exists, the cell is blank.

Increase in the number of batch searches to download from 100 to 150

  • In the Tools/Options/Batch tab, the Maximum Number of Matches to Download is now 150.

Option to allow export of workforms

  • Users can explicitly turn on an option to export workforms before the records are added to WorldCat or the Authority File.
  • A new checkbox called Allow export of workforms is added to the Tools/Options/Export tab. The setting defaults to unchecked. If checked, the Action/Export command is enabled if the active record is a workform.

New export/import support for MARCXML

  • In Tools/Options/Export/Record Characteristics select MARCXML as the Record Standard.
  • In File/Import Records/Record Characteristics select MARCXML as the Record Standard.

Changes related to recent MARC Updates

  • Several language names are added to the Search WorldCat dialog dropdowns.
  • Some language names that have changed are updated, and a few obsolete languages are removed from the Search WorldCat dropdowns.
  • Additional indexes are in the appropriate search and/or browse drop down lists in the search dialogs for WorldCat and Authorities.
  • New material types for Blu-ray Discs, U-matic, NTSC, and ATSC are added to search dropdowns.
  • A new element for Fixed Field and 006 Form of item is in the Computer File workform. This element will become valid in the OCLC database with the implementation of the forthcoming MARC update, which is planned for August 2011.  Fill characters are the default values and are currently invalid.  You must supply in a blank in these positions in order for records to pass validation.  Validation errors will refer to the elements solely as 008 position 23 and 006 position 6 until the MARC update is implemented in WorldCat.  At that time other values will become valid and the error messages will then refer to these elements by their mnemonic “Form".
  • For additional information see the MARC Update Technical Bulletins: TB255, TB257, TB258.

Sorting changes

  • In the 6xx field range, subject headings in 600-651 will sort first followed by other 6xx fields in tag order. In the 7xx field range, added entries in 700-740 will sort with personal names first (fields 700, 790, 796), followed by corporate and meeting names (fields 710, 711, 791, 792, 797, 798), followed by uniform titles third (fields 730, 793, 799).  Remaining 7xx fields including 760-787 linking fields will sort in order by tag.  In the 8xx field range, series entries will sort first (fields 800, 810, 811, 830), followed by fields in the 840-879 range as input, followed by other 8xx fields in tag order.

Macro changes

  • A new macro command is available, InsertFromCitedRecord.
  • There are changes to OCLC-supplied macros:
    • The OCLC macro book (OCLC.mbk) has a new macro Add33x, which will add fields 336, 337, and 338 in an RDA record via a menu.
    • Existing macros Add& Edit007, AddAuthority6xx, AddSerialNotes, Generate891 reflect changes to the MARC format.
    • A few other macros have minor changes.
    • New 007 codes have been defined for Kit, Notated Music, Text, and Unspecified and are in the revised Add&Edit007 macro. However, these codes will not be available for use until OCLC announces MARC Update 2011.
    • Caution: When you upgrade the Connexion client, or when a new OCLC macro book becomes available, your existing OCLC macro books (OCLC.mbk and Dewey.mbk) are overwritten. If you stored any of your own macros in these macro books, you will lose them. Either copy and rename the OCLC macro books to a different folder before you upgrade to a new version, or store your own macros in different macro books that you create. OCLC highly recommends storing all of your macros in separate macro books that you create.

Authority Control

  • Users have the ability to control Library of Congress (LC) Genre headings tagged 655 with second indicator 7 and with the code lcgft in subfield 2.
  • Users can no longer control headings tagged 6XX with second indicator 4.

Connexion digital import (Attach digital content)

  • Collection list fully expands so the entire CONTENTdm collection title is visible.
  • Collection list “remembers” and pre-selects the last collection used with a record.
  • File selection now defaults to “all files."

Problem resolution

  • Resolutions to reported problems as noted in the Known Problems document.

OCLC-MARC Bibliographic, Authority, and Holdings Formats Update 2010   (Completed: May 2010)

This includes MARC 21 Update No. 10 (October 2009) and most of MARC Update No. 11 (February 2010), MARC Code List changes between July 2009 and April 2010, and user and OCLC staff suggestions.  Many of the changes are related to the scheduled testing and possible future implementation of Resource Description and Access (RDA), the proposed successor to AACR2.  See OCLC Technical Bulletin 258 for more information.

Expert Community Experiment    (Completed: September 2009)

In response to requests from the cataloging community, OCLC introduced the Expert Community Experiment, which ran from February-August 2009. Members with full-level cataloging authorizations were given the ability to improve, upgrade, and make more changes than previously to WorldCat master records. The Experiment was a success, and all functionality will continue as part of the Expert Community.  See the Expert Community Experiment Web site for more information.

For details about these enhancements, log on to Connexion and search Connexion News. A link to News appears on the View menu. To list enhancements, choose the category "System Updates" on the News search screen.

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