Cataloging statistics in Voyager - WPU

Completely automated extraction of cataloging statistics in Voyager ILS is difficult because the system provides no easy way to differentiate types of changes to bibliographic records.

 

At WPU, we use a semi-automated system, which is made up of several steps:

 

• Use of a macro to insert statistical data into a bibliographic record
• Extraction of macro data using Vgerselect, a tool created by Gary Strawn at Northwestern
• Cleanup of data via grep (can be done in Excel)
• Manipulation of the data in Excel to provide final counts

 

Specifics are below

 

The library uses MacroExpress, a powerful macro and scripting editor for Windows, to insert data for various reasons.  The statistics macros create a 949 field in the bibliographic record with the following subfields:

• $a User's initials
• $l Location of item (broken down into locations we track for various reporting agencies)
• $d date (YYYYMMDD format is important so dates can be compared numerically)
• $v Number of volumes
• $v Number of titles affected (1 or 0, to account for adding or removing volumes to existing bibs)
• $w Withdrawn (to denote when items are being removed rather than added to the record)

 

A series of macros was created for this purpose: two for every location we track; 1 for adding titles and 1 for withdrawing titles.  MacroExpress allows for the use of drop down menus or input boxes, so one could create a single macro that queries the user for the location and withdrawn information.  We felt that slowed the process down too much.  Users are currently prompted with pre-filled entry boxes for number or volumes and titles.  Both default to 1 but can be changed.

 

 

Vgerselect, the program used to extract data, is available along with other excellent programs for Voyager by Gary Strawn at the Northwestern website.  (Note: Initial installation requires the Oracle drives to be installed.  While this is time consuming, it needs to be done only once and is well worth the effort.  If MS Access is set up to connect to the database already, this is probably done.)

 

Vgerselect is set to these criteria (listed by screen in the program):

• Created or updated on or after the month statistics are being counted for
• Filtering criteria: 2 criteria, 949 field, subfield b, greater than or equal to first day of month, less than first day of next month
• Output format: Selected elements (not full MARC record).  Bib id, title, 949$l, 949$t, 949$v, 949$d, 949$w.  Check include headers in output file

 

Resulting text file has 1 line for each 949 found.  NOTE: Vgerselect will output ALL 949s if ONE matches the date range.  Therefore, data needs to be stripped of older 949s.  This can be done via grep, or in Excel.  If in Excel, open the full vgerselect text file, and sort by the 949$t.  Delete anything before and after the month you need.  Next, sort alphabetically by Withdrawn, then by Location.  Sums for each location are tallied and entered into the statistics spreadsheet to maintain our running collection size totals.

 

 

MacroExpress macros are easily shared.  Please contact Mark Sandford for samples or the full set of macros we use, or if you have any questions.  It is worth noting that if Macros such as these are used, Access reports can do the same work, but Vgerselect provides easy to follow instructions for extracting data which can be done by anyone who understands the MARC data well enough to identify what they need.