Processing records from PromptCat

We currently receive PromptCat records (from OCLC) for all approvals and all firm orders placed online, from Blackwell and Yankee Book Peddler. By the time that OS staff begin processing a shipment of approvals from either of these two vendors, they should expect to find a PromptCat record in Acorn for each title in hand. Likewise, as they are processing firm orders, they should expect to find that the provisional record loaded into Acorn at the point of order has been overlaid by a PromptCat record.

In most cases, PromptCat will have sent the best possible cataloging record to be loaded into Acorn. There are three possible reasons for PromptCat NOT to supply us with a complete cataloging record:

1. There is no suitable record in OCLC
2. The available record is a UKM record (we are no longer profiled for UKM records).
3. There is a record in OCLC that already has Holdings set for Vanderbilt (indicating that the book in hand is a potential duplicate).

(In all of these cases, the receiver should still expect to find a brief PromptCat record that contains invoice information, etc.)

The PromptCat record will contain the following fields/information:

(Multiple 980 fields may indicate a problem. See "PromptCat records with Multiple 980 fields".)

In general, the record that is found in Acorn, supplied by PromptCat, should be accepted by the receiver. There should be no reason to re-search the title in OCLC (via SmartPort). However, there may be times when no PromptCat record is loaded into Acorn, for various reasons. Only when no PromptCat record is loaded at all should the receiver re-search via SmartPort to bring a record into Acorn. (Also see "How to Determine CC Coding for Books")

It is important to remember that PromptCat will automatically update our Holdings on OCLC on each record they provide us, 14 days after sending the file. Therefore, at the point of re-searching, it is the responsibility of the receiver to determine whether the same record is being used that should have been supplied via PromptCat. The PromptCat report is a useful tool to determine the OCLC record that should have been received.

For materials that are not speed cataloged in Order Services, it is also important to keep in mind that the cataloger will use the 994 field (see above) to determine whether they need to update Holdings upon cataloging the material. Since the record that may subsequently be brought in via SmartPort will not have the "92" in the 994 (indicating that the record came from PromptCat), but will have a "ZO" (indicating that the record came in from SmartPort), it may be necessary for the receiver to edit this field, as follows:

Note that if the same record is used, the receiver should add ";pcu" after the TJC; this alerts the cataloger that PromptCat will automatically update Holdings on OCLC.

*If a different record is brought into Acorn, the receiver should have our Holdings symbol removed from the PromptCat-supplied record; send this information to MAINTENANCE. Upon speed cataloging the material, the receiver should update Holdings on the new record.

Send comments to wilsonme@library.vanderbilt.edu
Last updated 10/11/2004 MEWilson/tab