When importing new records via Z39.50 cataloguers should edit the record as needed to ensure it accurately describes the title being catalogued.

Local information from the record source should be removed as it does not apply to Sitka’s Evergreen. This information is generally found in the 59X and 9XX fields of the MARC record.

Instructions on importing bibliographic records via Z39.50 can be found in Sitka’s Evergreen Documentation in the section called Importing Bibliographic Records via Z39.50.

Original cataloguing will generally constitute a very small percentage of bibliographic records added to the Sitka database by a library. Original cataloguing of bibliographic records should be done in Sitka’s Evergreen only if there is no record available in the Sitka catalogue, via Z39.50, or from your vendor.

Bibliographic records created in Sitka’s Evergreen MUST follow the cataloguing standards and meet Sitka’s Minimum MARC Record requirements.

MARC templates for different formats are provided in Sitka’s Evergreen to assist cataloguers.

Instructions for creating new bibliographic records can be found in Sitka’s Evergreen Documentation in the section called Creating New Bibliographic Records.

For non-bibliographic records please refer to the policy on non-bibliographic records.

Some libraries may add bibliographic records for titles before they have physically arrived at the library so that patrons can place holds. Generally vendor record files will include holdings information to automatically create these placeholder items. For records that already exist in the Sitka catalogue, brought in via Z39.50, or created as original records cataloguers will need to manually create placeholder items.

These placeholder items are created as described in the Adding Holdings to Bibliographic Records section of Sitka’s Evergreen Documentation, but with temporary information used to fill some of the holdings fields.

Approved practice for cataloguers includes the following:

When the item arrives, the cataloguer simply updates the barcode, call number, and item attributes on the placeholder item rather than creating a new item.