Scope: The purpose of this procedure is to outline the steps that an LTS or other Library staff member should take when deciding that a potential task should be scripted either by the Batch Processing Unit or by Library IT, via Batch Processing. These steps ensure that LTS managers are aware of who requested the work, as well as the desired outcome. It also ensures that the work will be assigned to appropriate staff with the necessary skills to achieve the desired result in a reasonable time frame.
Contact: Gary Branch
Unit: Batch Processing & Metadata Management
Date last updated: December 2017
Date of next review: December 2018
A. Inquiry from Stakeholder and Ingest of Data
- Request should come to either the Head of Automation or the Batch Processing Supervisor. It may be communicated in a meeting with one of them, or in an email.
- Examples of information to be supplied by the stakeholder include:
a. If a MARC record load, a file or place to retrieve the MARC and vendor contact information.
b. Specific needs or concerns about the data being worked with.
c. Type of material being handled, print, e-book, e-journal, videos, etc.
d. Frequency: one time job, monthly, quarterly, as new files are available.
3. Batch Processing Supervisor will assign job to appropriate staff, providing the background information and linking the stakeholder to the staff member should further questions arise.
B. Analysis of Data and Initial Proposal for Processing of Data
- Staff member reviews the pertinent information and seeks additional information and feedback, as needed.
- For MARC record loads, staff member will review process with Batch Processing Supervisor and vet the finished records with the Original Cataloging Supervisor or other appropriate original cataloger for correctness and completeness of the records, noting any changes required.
- After consultation with Batch Processing Supervisor, a decision is made whether the project requires scripting from CUL-IT programmer or can be handled with the tools available for staff.
C. Documentation of Proposed Specification/ Process
- Whether or not scripting by IT is needed, a specification document will be created in the CUL Tech Services Working Group detailing all pertinent information and the processing steps required.
- If a script is required, a request is made to the CUL-IT's designated programmer for Library Technical Services and the Batch Processing Supervisor is copied.
D. Analysis and Finalization of Proposed Process
- When script is completed, testing is done by Batch Processing Staff Member in the test instance of LS Tools and results are verified as correct by appropriate staff and stakeholder(s).
- Decision to make the script a cron job is based on the frequency of data being present that needs to be transformed and ingested into Voyager or frequency data needs to be reported.
- Stakeholder who made request will be informed when processing or initial record load is completed.
- If appropriate, stakeholder or other designated staff member will be trained by the Batch Processing Staff Member to use this process on future records.