Re: display of copy number

[Mieko Yamaguchi <iss053@xxxxxxxxxx>]

In order for copy number information to display in the OPAC this
information must be held in the item record.  I'm guessing that the 852
field you refer to is in the bib record and not in the item.  If you hold
copy number information in the fixed-length COPY NO. field of your item
record and Innovative has told you that this information cannot be
displayed directly from this fixed field, you can duplicate the copy
number information in a field which can be displayed in the OPAC.

One field you might consider is the OPACMSG field.  It's easy to create
a review file of all COPY NO.=1 and rapid/globally update the OPACMSG
field.  Repeat for COPY NO.=2, COPY NO.=3, etc.  You can define the text
of the message for each code value in the fixed field table.  See examples
of our OPACMSG display on our OPAC at:

http://library.bangor.ac.uk/record=b1452040

Since OPACMSG is a fixed length field there's a limit to the number of
different texts you can display.  Also if you use OPACMSG for the copy
number you may not be able to use it for anything else.  According to
the manual the maximum number fo OPACMSG codes is 32, so this will not
work if there are more than 32 copies of any title.

Another field you might consider is the variable length VOLUME field.
A sample item record display in the user manual (R2002 Phase 1) Page
#101187 seems to use the volume field for copy as well as volume
information (i.e. 2 c.2).  Using the VOLUME field for anything other
the volume numbers may have unexpected consequences, e.g. if you offer
bib level holds.  (See user manual #102168 under REQUEST.)

Reading your question again I noticed that you say all the items have
"c.1" at present.  I wonder if this information is coming from the VOLUME
field.  I cannot access your OPAC to check this.  If the COPY NO. field
of your item records all has "1" I don't know of any automatic way in
which you can assign the correct copy number (e.g. 2, 3) for each
item/copy,

Mieko

On Fri, 29 Nov 2002 lagc@xxxxxxxxxx wrote:

> We need to display the item's copy number in our OPAC, we are testing our
> Database, and the response of iii team is that they can't extract this
> information from our marc's file used for charge the database.
>
> For example: when we will search for the following Title
>
> Author      Greenberg, Michael D.
> Title       Advanced engineering mathematics.
> Pub Info    Boston : McGraw-Hill, 1999.
>
> We need the following display
>
> LOCALIZATION                              Call number Volume/Copy STATUS
> Univ. de los Andes, Colección General     654.34 G14n       c.1   Available
> Univ. de los Andes, Colección General     654.34 G14n       c.2   DUE
> ...
>
> The information for generate this column is available indirectly in our
> marc's file in tag 852 because the record contains many tags 852 as items
> we have.
>  At the present all the items have "c.1." value which is wrong.
>
> Does somebody tell me, How we can made the volume/Copy column after the
> millennium´s initial load.

-----
Mieko Yamaguchi                                m.yamaguchi@xxxxxxxxxx
Technical Services Manager/System Coordinator        +44 (0)1248 382970
Main Library, University of Wales Bangor, UK   +44 (0)1248 382979 (Fax)