For items with no OCLC copy or for Class Sep dummy records, a provisional record should be created.

1.1  Creating the record

Click on ‘Title Maintenance’ Wizard and then on ‘Add Title Wizard’.  Set the appropriate properties for the record you are creating and click on ‘Okay’

Property values to note:          ‘FORMAT’

‘Add copy when creating title’ (box to be checked or left  blank)

‘type’

‘home location’

FORMATS:    Use MARC for monographs and monographic sets, including atlases

Use SERIAL for serials, analytics, and class sep series

Use MAP for maps

Use MUSIC for scores and sound recordings

Use VM for videorecordings

Typically a provisional record will not require copy on the VOL/COPY screen and therefore the check-box should remain empty.  If copy is desired for a particular item then note the default and set as appropriate for both ‘type’ and ‘home location’.

1.2  Editing the record

When FORMAT has been determined the bibliographic screen will appear with appropriate fixed fields, some of which will include default entries (e.g., ‘Lang’ = eng). The provisional bibliographic screen will also contain representative fields with descriptive labels appropriate to the selected FORMAT.

For example, the FORMAT ‘MARC’ will provide a screen with the following fields:

ISBN:                                          020 __ [blank field]

ISSN:                                          022 __ [blank field]

Personal author:                        100 1_ [blank field]

Uniform title:                               240 __ [blank field]

Title:                                           245 __ [*required field*]

Publication info:                         260 __ [blank field]

Physical description:                 300 __ [blank field]

Series:                                       490 __ [blank field]

Dissertation note:                      502 __ [blank field]

General note:                            500 __ [blank field]

Contents note:                          505 __ [blank field]

Only the ‘Title’ field is of absolute necessity when creating a provisional record, and in some instances a title will be all the information available.

However, in the interest of creating as reasonably complete a record as possible, and when additional information is available, completing the following fields is recommended:

Fixed Fields:               Date 1                              Lang

Descriptive Fields:      020 (ISBN)

                                   022 (ISSN) – for serials

                                   024 (ISMN) – for music

                                   028 (publisher’s number) – for music

                                  100 (personal author)

                                  245 (title)

                                  250 (edition statement)

                                  260 (place of publication/date)

                                  300 (physical description)

                                  490 (series)

                                  500 (as needed, if helpful descriptive material is available from an order form, vendor slip, etc.) 

                                  700 (editors or additional authors)

1.3  Non-print information

For videos, computer disks, microfilm, etc., use 300 field. or alternately, a 500 field to indicate format.

Examples: 1 online resource ; 5 reels of microfilm

Later, when the record is cataloged, the 336, 337, and 338 fields will make it clear to the cataloger what format the item is.

1.4  Status notes and control number

If the item for which the provisional record has been created is in hand, make a print-out of the record and note the date of the last OCLC search in the upper right-hand corner. If item is an approval title write the control number on the portion of the vendor slip which remains visible. Note that all provisional records, regardless of format, receive an automatic control number which begins with the small letter ‘a’.