Merging Bibliographic Records in Evergreen

An essential function in database clean-up and maintenance is merging duplicate records. Duplicate records are two or more bibliographic records that represent the same bibliographic entity, with the same publication information and physical description. Follow PINES policies and procedures to identify duplicate records.

When you have identified the records you would like to merge, you will add them to a new or existing record bucket.

There are many ways to add records to a bucket:

1. Add from the staff catalog results page via the Add to Bucket button or dropdown.
2. Add from a staff catalog basket.
3. Add from the item status interface.
4. Directly in the record bucket interface.

See the section on record buckets ("Adding Records to a Bucket") for full details and screenshots describing these options.

Open a record bucket loaded with records to be merged. Select the records you wish to merge using the checkboxes on the left. From the Actions menus, select Merge Selected Records.

The merge records interface will open:

The records are displayed with their record summaries. You can use the summary to easily determine record with an OCLC based TCN to be used as your target record.

Some of our bad records are large print on regular print records, or sound recordings or visual materials on book format. Some of these records do not indicate in the body of the bibliographic record that they are not regular print or book format. If needed, check the volume and copy attributes to see if the call number or local shelving location gives you a clue this is a possibility. When in doubt, check the item itself (request the item or refer it to the cataloging coordinator at the owning library if it is not in your library). Use the Toggle Holdings Button to check the call number and other holding information if needed.

You can Remove from Consideration any record that you do not want to include in the merger. The record remains in the Record Bucket but is no longer a candidate for the specific merge.

Closing the Merge record interface at the X or clicking on the Cancel button, cancels the merge.

Choose your lead record (the record all the others are to be merged to) by clicking on the Use as lead record button.

PINES does not use a merge profile, so ignore that option.

Once you select the lead record, you can edit it if needed. Editing the bibliographic record here is handy if you want to add a MARC field from a duplicate to the lead record or make any other edits to the lead record. Best practice, however, is to edit the record in OCLC’s Connexion Client and then overlay it after you merge the duplicates.

• Edit opens the MARC editor interface within the merge record interface. Click on Cancel if you decide not to make any edits.
• Edit using full editor opens the MARC editor in a popup box. You will need to Save and then click on the Done button to close the editor. If you decide not to make any edits, click on the Done button.

Some PINES records for multi-volume sets are on separate records rather than on the correct multivolume record. Some of those individual records for the same library do not indicate volume designation in the call number, thus having identical call numbers. If you merge these records without editing the call number, Evergreen will merge so that there is one volume record attached to the owning library with multiple copies. (Please note that it will keep different library’s holdings separate.) Before you merge the record, you should edit the call number by adding the volume designation.

You can also edit item information, if needed. Do not add a parts label at this point since the label is dependent on the lead record. Add or edit parts labels after the records are merged, even if the record to be merged has a parts designation.

To edit the holdings information, click on the Toggle Holdings Display button:

The holdings list for each record will display (scroll down to the very bottom of the record):

• Edit Volumes allows you to edit the call number
• Edit volumes and copies allows you to edit either the call number or item attributes.

Once you have edited the call number, click on the Save Changes button and then the Done button to close the editor:

Once you have confirmed the records are duplicates, made any necessary changes to the bibliographic records, copies, or call numbers, Removed From Consideration any that should not be merged, and chosen the lead record, you are ready to merge the records. Click on the Merge button just under the record summary.

Keep in mind that merging records is actually merging the holdings from multiple records to the lead record and deleting the other bibliographic records from the database.

Your records will be merged in the database.

See the record buckets documentation for more information.

Furthermore, if you open the record/s you merged from, it will still exist in the catalog but will display a “deleted” note next to Record Summary.