Quick Macros V2.4.7.1 Download
Nhyiraba Valentin
This tool was originally designed to work with all types of authority records contributed to the LC/NACO Authority File as part of the NACO program: personal names, corporate and conference names, uniform titles, geographic names, series, and name/title headings. Although this tool's features continue to be developed with the NACO program in mind, this tool can be used by anyone interested in creating and maintaining authority records of the highest quality, whether a NACO participant, or not.
In OCLC Connexion mode, the tool reads bibliographic and authority records directly from the OCLC Connexion client, and writes new and modified authority records directly to the OCLC Connexion client. While this mode is designed with NACO participants in mind, this mode can also be used by non-NACO participants that like to do their work within the OCLC Connexion client. (Non-NACO participants working within the Connexion client will be able to use this mode to do everything described in this document except save a finished record to the LC/NACO Authority File; they will need to use an existing Connexion feature to export finished records to files.)
The macro extracts information from an OCLC record, passes the information to the DLL, and asks the DLL to provide a service (create a new authority record from a bibliographic access point; present a new or existing authority record for enhancement). The DLL provides the service requested by the macro and eventually returns the result of its work to the macro. The macro completes the task by writing information to the OCLC Connexion client. The macro knows how to work with OCLC, but knows next to nothing about authority records. The DLL does not know the source of the information it receives, or what will happen to the information it produces, but knows a lot (though not everything) about authority records. These complementary strengths and weaknesses fit together to produce the complete system.
When running in OCLC Connexion mode, the toolkit does not contribute a new authority record to the LC/NACO Authority File as made available on OCLC, and it does not replace an existing record in the LC/NACO authority file. Instead, the toolkit helps you prepare an authority record, and presents the results in the OCLC Connexion client for your final approval. What happens next is up to you; if you wish to contribute the new record to the LC/NACO authority file, you must perform that action yourself.
In independent mode, the tool reads files of bibliographic and authority records (exported, perhaps, from a local library system), and writes new and modified authority records to other files. This mode can be used by any who prefer not to do their authority-related work within the OCLC Connexion client. This mode is limited to the same kinds of records that could be contributed to the LC/NACO Authority File; for example, the independent mode of this tool cannot be used to create authority records for topical headings. Gary does not build a new installer for the independent toolkit whenever he updates the underlying modules, but only on request. (Gary doesn't think that this version is used very often.)
When running in independent mode, the toolkit creates output files of records. What happens after the toolkit finishes its work on an authority record is entirely up to you. If you wish to send a file of records to a local system, or contribute them to a cooperative project, you must take that action yourself.
Users should follow the simple naming convention used in this document, and regardless of operating mode should refer to this tool as the toolkit or as the authority toolkit,4 but never as the marcro.5 When on rare occasion this document refers specifically to the DLL, the EXE or the macro, this means that it is important for the moment that you recognize the contribution made to the toolkit's operation by a particular component.
Many fields in an authority record are, or can be, under some degree of vocabulary control. The toolkit contains features that help you construct such fields, and ensure their accuracy6. You should take advantage of every feature of this toolkit that helps ensure the consistency and accuracy of data in authority records.
The toolkit will help you add pieces of secondary information (for example: language, country of residence) to an authority record, but the toolkit will not always be able to formulate the information in a 670 field required to support those additions. Making sure that all of the assertions in the authority record are supported by appropriate source citations is part of your job.
It is your responsibility to review the results of the toolkit's work, and to make any appropriate and necessary changes to the authority record before saving the results to the LC/NACO Authority File as either a new contribution or an updated record, or using the finished record in any other manner. You always have the final say. Under no circumstances would it be appropriate for you to justify the presence of an incorrect, inappropriate or malformed element in an authority record by claiming "It's what the program gave me." Say it again: The entire content of each authority record that you create or modify with the toolkit is your personal responsibility.
The toolkit will help you build and enhance authority records, but it does not offer any assistance with any follow-up actions that may be required and/or appropriate. It is part of your job to understand the implications of your actions for other bibliographic and authority records, and programs in which you may participate. Here are two examples, out of many:
Although it may seem to go without saying, it still needs to be said that you can't use the OCLC Connexion version of this toolkit to create and modify records in the LC/NACO Authority File on OCLC if you aren't authorized to create and modify records in the LC/NACO Authority File on OCLC. Non-NACO participants who employ the OCLC Connexion mode can use the toolkit to create and modify records, and then either save the records to the online save file and then export the records from there to a file, or directly export the records from OCLC to a file. Non-NACO participants can also use the independent mode to create and modify authority records, and save the finished products to files for use elsewhere.
Use of any part of this system (macro, DLL, EXE, and the accompanying documentation) is subject to limitations on liability.8 Use of any part of the toolkit constitutes acceptance of those conditions.
The descriptions in this document are in general written as if this toolkit were used in OCLC Connexion mode, and used just once per authority record. This may be the most common case, but there is nothing inherent in the authority toolkit that prevents multiple uses for one record.
Some of the examples in this document are fabricated to illustrate particular features of this toolkit. The examples do not necessarily represent real entities or their attributes. No attempt will be made to adjust examples that show actual bibliographic and authority records, when those records are changed. The situations shown in the examples are situations that occur during the normal course of authority work, even if the particulars are no longer applicable, or never were applicable, to the entities named. Feel free to suggest additional examples, or replacement examples, especially if they will help make clear the toolkit's capabilities.
The illustrations of the toolkit's main panel generally show the panel's appearance in OCLC Connexion mode. (The toolkit shows different menu items when running in independent mode, but is otherwise identical.) The illustrations do not necessarily show the latest version of all parts of the toolkit. For example, the usage and hdg. radio buttons were added to the Texts tab in mid-September, 2015. Illustrations in parts of this document that describe these radio buttons will of course show them, but illustrations of the Texts tab that illustrate other features of the toolkit will only be replaced (and so show all of the latest features) as they need to be changed for some other reason. Let Gary know if you find an illustration particularly jarring, and he'll arrange for a replacement.
The authority toolkit's features are open to additions and revisions. Whenever you discover the need for a change or enhancement let Gary know,9 and he'll see what can be done. A quick glance at the toolkit's revision history will demonstrate how much the toolkit can change in a short time. Most of these changes are the result of suggestions from users. With your help, the authority toolkit will become even more useful and powerful.
It's also likely that the code underlying the authority toolkit is not perfect in every detail. If something unexpected happens when you're using the toolkit, let Gary know about it. It will speed things along if you describe in excruciating detail all of the steps you took to arrive at the unexpected event, including (where relevant) OCLC bibligraphic record IDs and authority LCCNs. A full description will help Gary re-create the problem; and when he can re-create a problem, it's usually easy to come up with a fix.10
Follow these instructions to install the toolkit for the first time, and to install later updates. If you're installing either of the OCLC Connexion versions, always close the Connexion client before you run the setup program. (It may seem obvious to say this, but: you must install Connexion before you install the toolkit.) If you're installing an update to the independent version of the toolkit, always close the toolkit, then run the installation program.
There are separate installation packages for each of the toolkit's operating modes. These packages are available at the Northwestern University Library's download site. You can if you wish install the package for more than one mode on the same workstation, and use them in alternation. (You can't install the program for multiple OCLC Connexion versions on the same workstation.) Don't try to run multiple instances of the toolkit (either the same mode, or different modes) at the very same time.
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