Friends,
I spent several days this summer cataloging some books and videos for
which I had no MARC records. Like many of you, I had stored them in a
closet for 1 or more years, and I decided this was the summer to get
them done. I had purchased MARC Magician a few years ago but hadn't used
it much, and just recently purchased AccessMARC. But when I finally sat
down and learned how to use both of these programs, I was delighted with
the results and actually happy that I had not manually cataloged them
before. They make the job of creating records for books, audiocassettes,
software, videotapes, etc., so much easier and faster! I was actually
happy that I had not manually cataloged them before.
For those of you not familiar with these programs, MARC Magician is a
CD-ROM that simplifies original cataloging for any type of book or media
and creates good MARC records that you can then download into your
automation system. You choose the template based on the item to be
cataloged, input the title, author, etc., then the program formats the
info (punctuation, spacing, etc.) and creates the MARC record. If you
have Follett automation, there is an EZ transfer button that transfers
the record right into your system without saving it on to a disk or hard
drive first. You can also transfer records from Follett back into MARC
Magician for clean-up, etc. It will even take your pre-existing records
from Follett and tell you if there is missing or incorrect info. You
don't have to use Follett, though. The program will work fine with any
system. You can also do global editing of many MARC records
at a time to make your catalog more consistent and can do general record
cleanup. I also added Card and Label Magician that lets you use the
cataloging info you just did to print out labels and catalog cards. I
love this, since I still keep a shelf-list and have a hard time
finding a good typewriter in the building, not to mention the time
involved.
This past spring, I took advantage of a great offer and added the newest
program the company offers,AccessMARC. This is a huge database of MARC
records for books and nonprint that you search, then transfer that
record right into MARC Magician and do what you want from there. I was
surprised at the number of books and even videotapes I was able to
locate using
AccesMARC. For some titles,I had previously searched for their MARC
records in the card catalogs of other libraries on the 'net, but was not
able to find them.
Right now, the MITINET company, which sells the programs, is offering a
great price for a bundled package for MARC Magician, 1 yr of AccessMARC,
and the card/label maker, plus support. There is even a discount for
online ordering, and a terrific deal for current MARC
Magician users who want to add AccessMARC.
I don't work or have any association with MITINET, but I just wanted to
share with you all a
product that makes cataloging and catalog cleanup so much easier. In
fact, it was the recommendations of others on LM_NET that led me to
purchase the product in the first place. I am glad I did it and finally
took the time to learn it--it is well worth it.
For prices,
http://www.marcmagician.com/Pricing/access.htm
Lois Tabis
Librarian, Sharpsville High School
Sharpsville, PA
tabis@adelphia.net
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