Overview: This document outlines the ways in which Cornell’s bibliographic records are reflected in the OCLC WorldCat database starting in January 2020, when cataloging activities moved from our local system to OCLC Connexion.

Unit: Cataloging and Metadata Services

Contact: Laura Daniels

Date last updated: August 4, 2023

Date of next review: September, 2024


Changes to OCLC records are not automatically made to the corresponding records in FOLIO. Overlay to update the record in FOLIO.

There must be a one-to-one correspondence between the FOLIO instance hrid (001 in the corresponding MARC bib record) and an OCLC record #.

Cataloging is done in OCLC and pulled into FOLIO.

  • Record of record for holdings, items, local data = FOLIO

The CUL database of record is FOLIO. Local and copy-specific notes will only be found there. Updates to the bibliographic data, such as added contents notes, changes or additions to publication statements, or updated access points, should be made in OCLC and the same changes made to our local version of the record. It is almost always preferable to make the changes to the "WorldCat" record in OCLC, then overlay in FOLIO.

  • Records created in FOLIO are not sent to OCLC

Batch processing will send our holdings only back to OCLC, not the MARC records. If you have a record started in FOLIO, you can export it to OCLC, open it in the local save file, and work from there. (exporting records from FOLIO to OCLC)

  • Only one OCLC 035 per monograph bib record

This should not be a problem in FOLIO. Overlaying a record should update the 035s.

  • OCLC has some different encoding levels

We should accept the encoding level in the OCLC record (and update it in OCLC if appropriate). OCLC is phasing out the alpha-character encoding levels in favor of the standard MARC (numeric) values.

  • Some records in FOLIO get replaced

Batch improvement processes are not operating yet in FOLIO.

  • FAST comes in automatically

Batch processes are not operating yet in FOLIO. (10/13/2021)

If a record in OCLC starts life with LCSH (either your original-cataloging LCSH or on copy), OCLC will run the record through its FAST converter program and add FAST to match the existing LCSH.  Then OCLC tells us that the WorldCat record has changed.  LTS Automation goes and gets the FAST from OCLC and adds it to the FOLIO record. Batch Processing refers to this service to our records as “WorldShare” from a feature of OCLC’s WorldShare suite of products.  The FAST operation at OCLC also tells us about changes to its vocabularies, and we periodically perform FOLIO maintenance based on lists of new FAST changes.

  • LCSH may come in automatically

Batch processes are not operating yet in FOLIO. (10/13/2021)

If a record in OCLC starts life with FAST, but some member library adds LCSH, OCLC tells us that the WorldCat record has changed.  Batch Processing goes and gets the LCSH from OCLC and adds it to the FOLIO record.

  • LC call numbers come in automatically

Batch processes are not operating yet in FOLIO. (10/13/2021)

If a member library adds an 050 to an OCLC WorldCat record that didn’t have a call number before, OCLC tells us.  Batch Processing goes and gets the 050 from OCLC and adds it to the FOLIO record.

  • 880s come in automatically

Batch processes are not operating yet in FOLIO. (10/13/2021)

If our FOLIO record does not have 880 fields for parallel scripts, but the OCLC WorldCat record gets them, we add 880 fields to the FOLIO record.  This is a scripted job that Batch Processing runs manually.

  • Duplicate contents (505) and summary (520) fields

This should not be an issue in FOLIO. But do proofread your records.

  • Authority control in OCLC

If there is an authority record behind an access point in OCLC, that access point can be “controlled” in OCLC (either manually or, to a limited extent, automatically).  Then whenever the authority record changes the string in the 1XX, the controlled heading in OCLC automatically changes.  This does not automatically update the record in FOLIO.

  • Authority control in FOLIO—different!

In FOLIO, changes to authorized access points happen through a different workflow that is based on a weekly report of everything that has changed in the entire NAF.  Our changes to fields under authority control in a FOLIO record do not change anything on the OCLC record.