Request New Title Records

Prior to Requesting Records

The catalog should be searched many times and in many ways to find a title record to which your item can be added. Only after searching and a matching record cannot be found, should you request a new catalog record. The ISBN search should not be the first search for anything that isn't a brand new, recently published title.

NOTE: Because there are 42 libraries adding items and requesting records, a request may have been submitted by a different library before your request was processed. In this situation, you will receive a response that the record exists.

Requesting records to be added to OWWL

An email list of ISBNs should be sent to orders@owwl.org. The subject line should read "LIB ISBNs" using your library routing code (ex. AVO ISBNs). It is helpful to note the format of the items requested, such as in the list shown below.

• Do not request more than 50 ISBNs in one email, send additional emails if necessary
• 10 & 13 digit ISBNs and UPC's are supported by the orders@oww.org program

Example ISBN list:

LARGE PRINT FICTION:

1419361546

1419375970

1419357247

1419375997

1419375989

DVD:

1419818031

0439643872

1419815687

0788853554

Book:

0786240822

The Record Request Reply

The returning email report indicates:

• Records that have been submitted previously
  • This means only that someone, somewhere in Pioneer has already requested the item record even though it has not yet been added
  • Wait for the record to load, or cataloging staff will contact you for further information
• Records that are already in OWWL
  • Includes links to the records for those items already having a record in OWWL
  • You will need to look up the record and attach your holding(s)
• ISBNs that are invalid

Example return email

[Request Info]

Original Message Sender:

Request ID: 13006-1133987704 This is your library's identifying number.

[Previously Submitted or Catalog Matching ISBNs]

Total: 2

1419815687 submitted on 12/07/2005

1419818031 submitted on 12/07/2005 This means someone, somewhere in OWWL, has submitted these two numbers before.

0786240822 submitted on 11/23/2005 matches 'Hotel hostess / Baldwin, Faith, 1893-' (http://owwl.org/isbn/0786240822 ) This means this ISBN has been submitted and there is a matching record in OWWL.EvergreenClientInstallation for it. You can add your holding now.

[New Valid ISBNs] These ISBNs are recognized as new.

Total: 10

0439643872

0788853554

1419357247

1419361546

1419375970

1419375989

1419375997

[Invalid ISBNs] These ISBNs are not recognized as a valid ISBN through the OWWL system but are still searchable.

97581419375997

6584578912

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Original Message This is just a repeat of the email message you sent.

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ISBN:

LARGE PRINT FICTION:

1419361546

1419375970

1419357247

1419375997

1419375989

DVD:

1419818031

0439643872

1419815687

0788853554

Book:

0786240822

---

Notice the return email report indicates that the following ISBN submitted above -

0786240822 submitted on 11/23/2005 matches 'Hotel hostess / Baldwin, Faith, 1893-' ( http://owwl.owwl.org/isbn/0786240822 )

- has an existing record in OWWL, and the link to that record is included.

The orders program looks at all ISBNs previously submitted to orders@owwl.org for matches as well as those that are already in OWWL. The initial OWWL records were loaded from each library's local database and not through the orders@owwl.org. Older records will match via the orders program if an ISBN is in the OWWL record. Remember, it is very important to search the catalog by ISBN, Title and Author before submitting your request into OWWL. This is why thorough searching of the catalog prior to submitting ISBNs is so important.

New ISBNs, Invalid ISBNs, ISBNs without links, or those that indicate they have been submitted on a previous date without a link are searched in BookWhere. For those that have been previously submitted by another OWWL site for searching, the original request may not have had a matching record found in BookWhere This information is used more by the OWWL cataloging staff than by your library. This just indicates that another library has also made the request. OWWL will search this ISBN again. For previously submitted ISBNs, depending on the date of when the ISBN was submitted, the request could still be waiting for a response or there could have been no response. Regardless, OWWL Cataloging staff will search all of these requests again in BookWhere. For Invalid ISBNs, this indicates that the OWWL system doesn't think this is a valid ISBN, though it very well might be. Again,OWWL staff will search all ISBNs requested.

Commonly Asked Questions

Why does my item have a different title, but the ISBN matches in OWWL?

We have found that ISBNs do get reused. If you find that your ISBN matches with a different title in OWWL or the format is different than the item in OWWL, please alert cataloging of that information when submitting your ISBN to orders, or when responding to cataloging staff. Cataloging staff will search OCLC for the correct matching title and load the item differently so that it does not overlay with the existing record in OWWL.

Cataloging staff also loads records for items that are pre-publication (pre-pub). This enables OWWL patrons to start placing holds on popular authors. We have found that sometimes titles change in the interim period from pre-pub to publication. When attaching holdings to the Evergreen record, please check the bibliographic tab and notify us if there has been a title change.

Why does the record in Evergreen load with a different book jacket than the title in the record?

The book jackets and added content in Evergreen are supplied by a third party vendor and are matched via the ISBN. If an ISBN has been reused or is incorrect in a record the wrong book jacket will appear in the OWWL. In a few cases the ISBN is unique and correct for the title and there is a third party vendor error. OWWL HQ staff can report these problems to the vendor for correction, or the correct ISBN can be added to the record so that the appropriate book jacket appears.

I have a television series and would like to have individual records for each episode. Why does my patron keep getting disc 2 when she places a hold on the Sopranos complete season two? They have already watched disc 2 and now want disc 3.

Television series have been problematic and OWWLAC has looked at the issue several times. A survey on this topic was also distributed to members for feedback. Some libraries prior to OWWL cataloged a series as a set with one barcode, some added individual barcodes for each disc on a whole season record, and some divided up records by each disc in the series creating multiple records in OWWL.EvergreenClientInstallation. Each of the above methods poses its own set of issues.

Feedback from patrons indicated that they wanted to place holds themselves and receive the item they had requested. When discs were individually barcoded on a set record or individual records for each disc in a series were created patrons had to rely on staff intervention to place a hold for the disc that they wanted or they had to be extra savvy searchers in OWWL.

OWWLAC found that although not perfect, the following policy alleviated the greatest number of problems and resulted in the most user friendly practice:

A standalone record will be added to OWWL for the entire season. Libraries will add the set with one barcode for the entire season of cassettes or DVDs. When a patron places a hold on the record they will receive all of the discs or cassettes for that season. Patrons can then opt to view the entire season in one sitting or start viewing episodes in order. OWWL Cataloging staff, when made aware of the need to correct a TV series record, will first contact the owning library. The owning library will then have the opportunity to decide which single barcode to use for their volume on the record. If after a reasonable length of time the library has not changed its volume, according to OWWLAC policy, then the OWWL Cataloging staff will retroactively create set records for existing series that are now on individual records in OWWL. These will be created when alerted by member libraries

I have a boxed set of Star Wars the motion picture series. Can it be added as one record?

The OWWLAC decision was:

Motion pictures that are released as standalones at the box office should not be added to OWWL as a set. Each movie title should be added to its appropriate OWWL standalone title. These differ from television series in that each movie was released as a work in its entirety. A new record for each title will be added to OWWL.EvergreenClientInstallation if the standalone movie title in the set is a collector's edition or has additional scenes added etc. Also, if alerted by the owning library to the series order, this will be added as a statement in the 440 field and as a note in 500 field of the record.

I have A breath of snow and ashes (audiobook) / by Diana Gabaldon and it has 48 sound discs (58 hr.). I would like to enter my holdings as two volumes with individual barcodes since there is no way a patron could listen to it within my 2 week loan period.

OWWLAC also reviewed large audiobook sets and how to handle these with patrons in mind. Again holds became problematic since in OWWLCat patrons cannot place holds on an individual barcode, only on the entire record. Thus when a patron placed a hold they would receive the next available item which might be volume 1 of the set when they wanted volume 2, or vice versa. In order to prevent this from happening OWWLAC ruled:

Audiobooks should be added as one standalone record for the format and one barcode regardless of the number of cases. Since patrons could not realistically listen to 48 sound discs within the standard circulation period, OWWLAC said a special due date should be given in these cases to reflect the size of the audio set.