StaffGuide: Receiving & Processing

Analyzed Electronic Resources Overview: 

“Analyzed” in its broad sense means that all books in a series are cataloged individually – one bib record for each book. A series may be “classed together,” which means that all the books have the same call number, or a series may be “classed separately,” which means the books are classified by individual subjects and all have different call numbers. Analyzed titles require a series authority record.

The decision to analyze must be made by the Subject Specialist from the following options:

  1. Analyze - Class collectively
  2. Analyze - Class separately
  3. Do not analyze

During claiming and receiving, you may encounter Electronic Analyzed Resources that need to be checked in.

This section of the guide will provide procedures for handling:

  1. Analyzed Electronic Resources Check In 
  2. Miscellaneous Procedures (That May Be Needed When Checking In Analyzed Resources)

Overview: Electronic Check In of Analyzed Resources

Electronic Check In of Analyzed Resources

Although this is the PRINT Serials Staff Guide, the Receiving Specialist will occasionally be tasked with checking in analyzed electronic resources. 

How does the receiving assistant know when to check in analyzed electronic resources?

  • When a claims list is run, any electronic resources that need to be reviewed will come up for claims based on the claim-on date of the resource(s).The receiving agent will be notified by the staff member who is reviewing the list, often via Trello.Upon receipt of the notification, the receiving agent will review the resource to see if new material has been published and, if so, check it in. If new material has not been published, enter a new expected date of your choosing (keeping in mind the frequency of the publication; in most cases, checking quarterly is sufficient) to generate a later claim. If there is not an adequate OCLC record to export, you can either create a brief bib, or export a lower-level (usually M-level) online record or a print record as a temporary solution to create access to the resource via OneSearch until a full I-level online record becomes available in OCLC. In these cases, add a note to the check-in box that reads "brief bib keyed in, no record in OCLC" or "print bib xpo, no online record in OCLC" or however it should be worded, depending on the situation.When the material is checked in, the Trello notification card can be archived for future use.

This page will provide you with the tools and procedures needed to complete that task.

To complete this objective you will need: 

  • Access to Serials Solutions.
  • Access to OCLC and knowledge of the exporting bibliographic records procedure. See box below entitled Bib Export from OCLC for details on this procedure. If you do not have an OCLC account, see your supervisor.

Basic Checklist for Electronic Check In

Basic Checklist for Checking In Analyzed Electronic Resources:

This provides an overview of checking in Analyzed Electronic Resources. For more in-depth examples/procedures, see the AIP Conference Proceedings Check-In guide.


  • Search for and review the series authority record. (To search for authority records conduct a Title(t) search for the Series (will be the same as the journal title)). The authority records will contain basic information regarding what to add to each exported bibliographic record so that it conforms to our library standards. In most cases, you will be adding the 506 (access info), 655 (genre=electronic books), 830 (series the title belongs to), and 856 (URL for the resource) fields, and attaching an internet resource item record to the bib.Resources can belong to more than one Series, so it is necessary to review each Series authority record to find out what information must be added.

Electronic Check In Record

  • Notice that in the 667 fields, information regarding what to add into each analyzed bib is listed: Create “inter” item record, base URL information, location, genre headings, etc.
  • Open the check in (journal) record for the resource you will be using and compare it to the authority the record—to investigate which Series 830s will be used.  

  • It is often very helpful to also open the bibliographic record of the last analyzed title that went through cataloging (the title can be found in the most recent check in card that has "arrived" status). Since this record has been checked in and reviewed, it is good to use it as a template when checking in new titles.

  • Once you have found the check-in card and know which Series you are working with: review the publisher’s website to see which, if any, new volumes have been published online. The link to the landing page on the publisher's website will be in the check-in record notes.

  • If new materials (items that need to be checked in) are online, click on the link to the resource to ensure that it is active. Test a link or PDF to one or more of the chapters/articles within the volume.

  • Copy the publication title and paste it into the Public Note section of the correct check-in box of the check-in card.

  • Search Sierra for the monographic title. A monographic title should not be found. If a record is found for that title, STOP and consult with your Supervisor before proceeding.

  • Search OCLC by monographic title and/or by series with issue number, i.e. "New Directions for Higher Education 112."
  • Identify the best OCLC record. ***Remember, you should generally only use online records for this procedure. To determine if an OCLC is for an electronic resource, examine the Form field, looking for "o." 

    • If no suitable OCLC record can be found, return to the check in box of the check in card add the the following staff note: No online record found in OCLC (D/I).

    • If a good print record exists in OCLC, it can be used as a temporary substitute until a good online record appears in OCLC. If a substantial amount of time passes (i.e. a year) and no online record has appeared, the print record can be sent to Cataloging to complete the process.

    • If there is neither an online nor a print record in OCLC, it may be desirable to create a brief bib in Sierra, to make the content available until a suitable record appears.

  • Export OCLC Record. Refer to the box below entitled Bib Export from OCLC for detailed instructions on this procedure.
  • Re-search Sierra by OCLC number. With the record exported, you should find the monograph in Sierra.
  • Blank the Cat date (click into the cat date field and enter "b" to make it blank) and add an internet item record (see box below on Adding Internet Item Records). Now you will delete/modify/add fields to the newly imported bib record from OCLC. This is where you take the information provided in the authority record and/or the most recently catalogued bib (the genre fields [655], URL [856], Series [830s], access restrictions [506]) and insert into the newly exported bibliographic record.  Note: If the field already discussed exists in the imported OCLC record and is different from what we normally put (often the case with 856 URLs), you will need to delete the field and replace it with our field.
    • Note on URLs: The format for URLs will vary from title to title.Some URLs will have a formula for each volume of the title with minor adjustments needed for each volume, while others you will need to copy and paste from the browser window.
    • You will need to Athenize the URLs. This can be easily done using the OpenAthens StaffGuide.
    • Also, keep in mind that every 856 field will need the delimiter |u right before the URL in order for it to open properly in the public catalog. If text needs to be added before or after the URL, the delimiter |z needs to be added before the text. Example:

URL with delimiters

  • Note that the 993, 994, and 995 fields can be copied and pasted from the most recently catalogued bib, since they are generally the same for each title.
    • Add v.947: Note the changes you’ve made to the record. Example: BIB XPO; inter, 506, 655, 830, 856 added (date/initials)
    • Add v.993: SER PROC ANALYZED TITLE (D/I)
    • Add v.995: (SERIES/AUTH [insert Series identifier 830s] (D/I)).
  • Check Serials Solutions for monographic title.
    • If it is found, the bib will have a 994 SERIALS SOLUTIONS note with the name of the database.
      • Add v.994: SERIAL SOLUTIONS [insert name of database] (D/I)
    • If it does not appear under the title of the monograph, search for the title of the serial. If found, the bib will have a 994 SERIALS SOLUTIONS note with the name of the database that the serial is profiled in, and a note that reads "profiled as a journal only, not profiling as a book".
      • Add v.994: SERIAL SOLUTIONS [insert name of database], profiled as a journal only, not profiling as a book (D/I)
    • If neither the monographic or serial title can be found in Serials Solutions, the bib will have a 994 SERIALS SOLUTIONS unable to profile note.
      • Add v.994 SERIALS SOLUTIONS unable to profile
    • If the title can be found in Serials Solutions, but not in a database that we currently have profiled, make a note v994 Serials Solutions Problem title. (D/I).
  • Open the record in the catalog via View>>Public Display. In the catalog's public record, test the URL to ensure that it opens the link to the resource properly.
  • Return to the journal record.Check in the title using the check-in card. In the staff note box, enter "bib xpo (d/i)."
    • NOTE: If you ended up entering a brief bib or downloading a print record as a temporary solution because there was no online record available in OCLC, leave the card in expected status rather than checking it in. Instead, update the expected date so you can check again for an online record when the title next comes up for claims. Only check the box in when the monograph record is ready to be sent to cataloging. For the staff note, enter "brief bib keyed in; no record in OCLC (d/i)" or "print bib xpo; no online record in OCLC (d/i)," depending on the situation.
  • Make sure an expected date is in the next expected box. If there is no expected date, the title will never come up for claims, preventing us from checking for new issues.
  • Now, the record is readied to be sent to cataloging. If you are sending it to cataloging be sure to note that in the local note v995 by writing ">> sent to [Authority Control Manager's initials] (D/I)." You can either e-mail the Authority Control Manager or use the Create Lists function to notify cataloging of the new record.

  • Suppress the check-in boxes for any previous issues that have been previously checked in and fully cataloged. You can verify that an issue has been cataloged by searching via the monograph title (title search) in Sierra, opening the record, and verifying that there is a date in the CAT DATE field at the top of the bib record, as well as a cataloger's initials (i.e. rmc) towards the bottom of the record in a local note.

AIP Conference Proceedings

Procedure Guide: Step-by-Step Example for Specific Title

This guide will provide instructions for checking in the analyzed electronic resource: AIP Conference Proceedings. Each conference proceeding serves as an analyzed title within a larger series (AIP Conference Proceedings). NOTE: In March 2021, the decision was made to drop this series from the analyzed titles. However, this guide serves as a good example to illustrate the various steps of the internet analyzed process, which can be applied to any other internet analyzed title. In studying this guide, you will be introduced in detail to the complex procedure that requires investigating Sierra, the publisher website, OCLC, and Serials Solutions.


  • Begin by opening up the AIP Conference Proceedings check-in record (journal title search: AIP Conference Proceedings).
  • Also, open the AIP Conference Proceedings authority record in Sierra (title search: AIP Conference Proceedings).   
  • Lastly, open the last catalogued title in the series. This can be determined by the most recent "arrived" check-in box that was suppressed (meaning it has been catalogued). The check-in box should have the monograph title in the public note, which you can use to search Sierra.(Now that you have three windows open, it might be helpful to tile the windows onto one monitor, so that you can examine the records of each simultaneously. To do this, select Window, then Tile Vertically).
  • This investigation helps you determine which Series 830s you will be using. For AIP, you will use: AIP conference proceedings (Online) and AIP Online. This information can be found in either the last catalogued record, the authority record, the journal check-in record, and/or the local notes in the journal bib record.
  • Examine the check-in card to determine which volume is expected next.

AIP Check-in Card

  • Review the publisher’s website via the public display link (or the URL in the check-in record) to determine if the next volume has been published.

Once you locate the title, click the title's link and review the page, making sure it connects and links to the publication. It is good to test at least one PDF article/chapter link on the page, to verify that the title has been fully published online and is accessible.

AIP Website

  • Copy the publication title. In the Sierra check-in card, add a public box note with the monographic title. (This will serve as the check-in title for the publication.)  

AIP Check-In

  • Search Sierra for the monographic title. The monographic title should not be found. If the monographic title already exists in a different monographic series:
    • In Sierra’s duplicate monographic bib record add: a Local Note (v993) SER PROC DUPLICATE access through [insert whichever series the monographic title already exists in]; please remove bib and SS profiling (D/I), then send the bib record to eserials. After sending it to eserials, add sent to eserials in the local note (v993) (D/I). 
    • Note that this procedure may vary from title-to-title. When encountering a duplicate, it is best to consult with your supervisor for any specific instructions.
  • Login to OCLC. Search OCLC via monographic title and/or by series search with issue number.
  • Identify the best OCLC record. **Remember: you should try to only use online records for this procedure. To determine if an OCLC record is for an electronic resource, examine the Form field, looking for "o".** Also, bear in mind the ELvl field of the record. A level of "I" is the highest, and therefore best record. Sometimes, a K-level record is adequate. M-level records generally have much less information and should only be used as a last resort.

AIP Exporting Record

  • Copy and paste the OCLC number and conduct an "o OCLC number" search in Sierra. This should confirm that the record is not already in Sierra.Then, export the OCLC Record into Sierra (see box below for detailed instructions on how to export).
  • Re-search the OCLC number in Sierra. With the record exported, you should find the monograph in Sierra.
  • Check Serials Solutions for monographic title. For AIP titles, the search should return the type as book with Status as Tracked. If it does not appear as a book, consult with your supervisor for further instruction.

Serials Solutions


  In Sierra’s new monographic bib record you must complete the following: 

  • Blank Cat Date (enter "b" to delete date).
  • Add internet location.

Blank Cat Date

  • Attach an internet item record. Follow the item record creation procedure (see box below for details). When prompted to select a template, chose: interi: Internet. No other work needs to be done on the internet item record.

Return to the bib. Now you will delete/modify/add fields to the newly imported bib record from OCLC. Note: If the same field already exists in the imported OCLC record, but with different information than what we need, you will need to delete the field and replace it with our field.

  • Add note field: n506. Electronic access limited to UAF current students, faculty, and staff.
  • Add genre field: j655 (2nd indicator=0): Electronic books. 

506 and 650 notes

  • Add in 830s Series (2nd indicator=0): see either latest catalogued bib, authority record, or journal bib record for which series to add. There may be more than one.
  • Delete/add/modify the 856 (URL) (1st indicator=4, 2nd indicator=0), using the UARK base url and modifying it for the issue being processed. Base URLs can change over time. The current one can be found either in the authority record or the most recent catalogued bib. Some titles require copying and pasting the exact URL from your browser. Keep in mind that the delimiter |u must go before the URL:

830s and 856s

Also, keep in mind that the links will need to be Athenized before entering them into the 856, which you can accomplish via the OpenAthens StaffGuide.

Finally, you will add a series of Local Notes to provide information about the title and what you have modified. Note that the 993, 994, and 995 fields can be copied and pasted from the most recently catalogued bib, since they are generally the same for each monographic title.

  • Add v.947: Note the changes you’ve made to the record. Example: BIB XPO; inter, 506, 655, 830, 856 added (D/I)
  • Add v.993: SER PROC ANALYZED TITLE (D/I)
  • Add v.994: SERIALS SOLUTIONS note. Check the title in Serials Solutions.
    • If it is found, the bib will have a 994 SERIALS SOLUTIONS note with the name of the database.
      • Add v.994: SERIAL SOLUTIONS [insert name of database] and say if profiled as a book or journal.(D/I)
      • Example: SER SOLUTIONS  serial profiled in American Institute of Physics (AIP) Publications; monographs profiled in AIP Conference Proceedings
    • If it does not appear under the title of the monograph, search for the title of the serial. If found, the bib will have a 994 SERIALS SOLUTIONS note with the name of the database that the serial is profiled in, and a note that reads "profiled as a journal only, not profiling as a book".
      • Add v.994: SERIAL SOLUTIONS [insert name of database], profiled as a journal only, not profiling as a book (D/I)
    • If neither the monographic nor the serial title can be found in Serials Solutions, the bib will have a 994 SERIALS SOLUTIONS unable to profile note.
    • If the title can be found in Serials Solutions, but not in a database that we currently have profiled, make a note v994 Serials Solutions Problem title. (D/I).
  • Add v.995: SERIES/AUTH Name or series (there may be more than one) that we catalogue the title under.

AIP Bib Notes

  • Open the record in the catalog via View>>Public Display. In the catalog's public record, test the URL to ensure that it opens the link to the resource properly.

Finally, return to the AIP conference proceedings [electronic resource] check-in record. Check in the box for the title you were working on and add a staff note: BIB XPO (D/I).

  • NOTE: If you ended up entering a brief bib or downloading a print record (see box below) as a temporary solution because there was no online record available in OCLC, leave the card in expected status rather than checking it in. Instead, update the expected date so you can check again for an online record when the title next comes up for claims. Only check the box in when the monograph record is ready to be sent to cataloging. For the staff note, enter "brief bib keyed in; no record in OCLC (d/i)" or "print bib xpo; no online record in OCLC (d/i)," depending on the situation.

If you are finished checking in items for the session, update the expected dates for the next check-in box.

Updating Check-In Record

Save and exit the record(s).

Now, the record is readied to be sent to cataloging. If you are sending this directly to cataloging be sure to note that in the local note v995 by writing ">> sent to [Authority Control Manager's initials] (D/I)." You can either e-mail the Authority Control Manager or use the Create Lists function (see box below) to notify cataloging of the new record.

New Directions For

Analyzed Titles under the "New Directions for..." designation include:

  1. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education
  2. New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development 
  3. New Directions for Community Colleges
  4. New Directions for Evaluation 
  5. New Directions for Higher Education
  6. New Directions for Institutional Research 
  7. New Directions for Student Services
  8. New Directions for Teaching and Learning

Note: These are all quarterly publications. These are the internet analyzed titles you will check in the most often.

Adding Internet Item Records

Adding internet item records is a simple procedure.

  • In the Item Record Summary screen select Attach New Item
  • In the New Item Options select Single Item>>OK
  • Select the interi:Internet template from the template options

Internet Item Record

  • Save

Brief Bibs and Print Bibs

Brief Bibs for Records that are not yet in OCLC: Overview

Occasionally, a new issue of an analyzed title will get published, but a thorough, I-level online record will not appear in OCLC for several weeks or up to a year in some cases. Therefore, it is generally a good idea to create a brief bibliographic record for these monographic titles, to serve as a placeholder for the monographic title and make it available in the catalog until a useable OCLC record does show up. This brief record will contain basic metadata such as author, title, and the fields we normally add to analyzed bibs like series, access restrictions, etc.

Using Print Bibs

Note that oftentimes a thorough print record will appear in OCLC before an online record will. It is also OK to export the print record as a placeholder until an online record can be found. Also, although we would prefer to use an online record, sometimes it is acceptable to use a thorough, high-level print record for cataloging, if a substantial amount of time (i.e. a year or more) passes and there is still no online record. If you do decide to submit a print record for cataloging, please add a note that reads "no online record found in OCLC after a year, print bib xpo and sent to cat" (or something similar) to the 995 local note.

If neither a print nor online record in suitable form appears in OCLC, you can check with the Serials Librarian to have original cataloging done for the title.

Creating a Brief Bib in Sierra

  • Make sure the Function is set to Serials Checkin.
  • Insert the following MARC fields:
    • t TITLE 245 = title of monograph
    • a AUTHOR 100 = author(s) or editor(s). If you are listing editors, add the "ed." or "eds." clarification to the end of their names.
    • n NOTE 506 = Electronic access limited to UAF current students, faculty, and staff.
    • j Genre 655 (2nd identifier=0) = Electronic books
    • s SERIES 830 (2nd identifier=0) = Series (may be more than one)
    • y MARC 856 4 0 = URL (be sure to follow the formula for other titles in the series, add the proper delimiters, and Athenize the link)
    • v LOCAL NOTE 947 = BRIEF BIB KEYED IN; no record in OCLC (date/initials)
  • After adding these fields, the brief bib record will display. In the top fixed fields, change LOCATION to "inter." Then, SAVE. The bib should now have a bib number in the upper left.
  • Add an internet item record, then save. This completes the process for setting up the brief bib in the catalog.
  • Open the new record in the catalog via View>>Public Display. In the catalog's public record, test the URL to ensure that it opens the link to the resource properly.

Bib Export from OCLC

Exporting a Bib from OCLC

You have found a Bib Record in OCLC that you want to export to Sierra.

  • In OCLC, if you are using the desktop client, select the ActionExport button. This will export the record into Sierra. If you are using the web-based version of OCLC, you would select "Export Record in MARC" from the Action drop-down menu to perform the same task.

          OCLC Bib Export

  • Once the Bib has been exported, run an OCLC number search in Sierra for the record you have just imported to verify that it has exported properly into Sierra.

Clean up the Bib record by doing the following:

  •  Blank out the catalog date (click into the CAT DATE field and hit the b key).
  •  Change location (at the lower-left) to inter (often it is good to save the record at this point and add the internet item record).

           OCLC Cat Date

  • Add a local 947 note (v) that reads: BIB XPO (D/I)
  • After completing all of the steps described in the procedures above, return to the local 947 BIB XPO note that you created. Update the note to include any changes that you have made to the Bib record. In most cases, this will read something like: BIB XPO; 830, 856, inter, 506, 655 added (d/i). This is also where you would indicate if this is a print record exported because there was no online record available in OCLC.

The Bib has now been exported and readied for the procedure.


Bib Export for OCLC Overlay on brief bibs:

Occasionally you will be creating brief bibs for issues of analyzed titles that have been published, but do not yet have a record in OCLC. If you do create a brief bib, you will need to check OCLC again the next time the title comes up for claims to see if a thorough online record has appeared in OCLC (often, there will be one upon the 2nd check). When there is a useable record in OCLC, you will need to overlay it onto the brief bib, which will replace the brief bib with the OCLC record in Sierra. To perform an overlay: 

  • First, navigate to the brief bib in Sierra (you should be able to find it via monograph title search).
  • In the bib record, insert a 001 field. In this field, copy and paste the OCLC number of the bib you are wanting to use to overlay. Be sure to SAVE after doing this (otherwise, Sierra won't retain the OCLC number and the overlay won't be successful).
  • In the OCLC record, select the ActionExport button (for the desktop client) or choose Export Record in MARC (for the web-based version).
  • Re-open the same bib record you were just in. It should now no longer be a brief bib and contain the full record you've just exported.
  • NOTE: After overlaying, you will need to re-enter all of the needed fields (506, 830, etc.).

Brief bib batches:

Sometimes batches of brief bibs from vendors will be loaded into our catalog. When this occurs, it may be necessary to overlay more thorough OCLC records onto these brief bibs. This is so that we don't end up with two records for the same title (one brief bib and another, more thorough, OCLC record).If you believe that the overlay procedure needs to be done for a series, consult with e-serials for discussion and instruction.

Create List

Create Lists

When checking in analyzed electronic resources, instead of sending each individual title to Cataloging, it is easier to use the Create List function to add records to a list, then notify cataloging that list x needs to be cataloged. NOTE: There is a designated list already created that you can add any internet analyzed titles to, which is list 36 "Internet analyzed titles ready for cataloging." However, this guide will contain instructions for creating a new list if you need to or prefer to.


  • Access the create lists using Function: Create Lists

Create List Function

  • Select an empty list. Choose one that contains a max record amount roughly equal to the number you will check in.

Create Lists empty Lists

  • Select the list, then choose Search Records.For Review File Name, you may use the naming convention: your initials, then the Series you are working on and needs cataloging.

Create List Naming

  • For the search range, have the record number correspond to the first (or only) title you check in. If you check in b3210008 then the search would read Start: b3210008 and Stop b3210008. Click Search.

  • The search should pull up only that record. Now, you have your create list list started. This allows you to double-click on the list and open it.For each subsequent analyzed title you checked in and need to add, go to the create list window (it should stay open) and select the Add icon.

  • Run a search for the title you just added (copy and pasting the bib record number works well).

  • When the bib comes up, click on it, then select Use Bib.

Create list add bib

  • The bib should now be added to your create list file.

Note: To remove a bib added to the create list record, select the bib you wish to remove, then the Remove icon.