Follett VERSION 6.00 - Manual (Page 93)

04/04 Chapter 6 Building your union 93
Participation levels
Follett Data Exchange Server's seven levels of participation let you explicitly
define the relationship between the union catalog and each member. The
participation levels determine how information moves between the union catalog
and the member. Before setting this option, you need to know how much
partnering of records each member wants to have. Each level is described below.
Level 1 - In this scenario, no data is shared between the union catalog and the
member. This option is intended for sites that want to manually maintain a
central repository of MARC data, but do not want to have that data automatically
transferred between a site and the union catalog. This option requires that data
either be manually entered or imported at the union catalog. It is not
recommended that data for a specific member be exported from the union catalog
and imported into the member since the member will usually have the most
recent record. Importing data does not ensure that the most robust MARC record
survives.
Level 2 - In this scenario, the member sends all of its data to the union catalog,
but the union catalog sends no data to this member. This option ensures that this
member's data is never replaced by MARC or copy updates or additions at the
union catalog. Level 2 might be applied across an entire union catalog in those
situations where the union catalog database acts solely as a resource for union
catalog OPAC search stations. The downside to this option is that more robust
MARC records at the union catalog never find their way down to the member.
For example, if your district were sharing electronic hyperlinks (856 tags) or
curriculum objectives, these tags would not be transferred to the members.
Level 3 - In this scenario, the member sends no data to the union catalog, but the
union catalog sends all of its data to this member. This option would be ideal for
districts that do all cataloging and distribution at the union catalog. This
environment is commonly referred to as central processing. Items are cataloged
and barcoded at the district level and distributed to member sites.
Level 4 - In this scenario, the member sends added MARC records and all copies
to the union catalog. The union catalog, in turn, sends all data to this member.
The union catalog is protected from having MARC data replaced by updated
records from this member. This option is for member sites who have bad data or
who rely on a partĆtime or volunteer cataloger. It would be appropriate for sites
that do little or no original cataloging but are in charge of managing their own
acquisitions. Level 4 allows the site to create a MARC record and, if a better
record reaches the union catalog later, that record will be sent back down to the
member due to its holdings.
Level 5 - In this scenario, the member sends all data to the union catalog. The
union catalog sends added MARC and copy records to this member. This
member is protected from having its data replaced with records from the union
catalog. It accepts no changes from the district cataloger. This option could be
used in environments where very little original cataloging takes place at the
union catalog, but the member and the union catalog share acquisition
responsibilities. In this situation, the member would be responsible for original
cataloging (if any) and would be charged with managing its own acquisitions.
This option protects the member from any MARC changes from the union