NHAIS OCLC Direct Access Program

If you purchase a lot of materials that are not in NHU-PAC you might be a good candidate for this direct access program.

Through the OCLC membership maintained by the NH State Library (under the symbol hsa) all NHAIS member libraries have access to OCLC cataloging records through the NHU-PAC. Records that are not included in NHU-PAC can be requested using the online record request form. In order to obtain cataloging records for new materials as quickly as possible and to make those records available to all NHAIS libraries through the NHU-PAC, NHSL makes available to qualifying libraries direct access to OCLC cataloging at minimal cost to the individual library. Libraries with direct OCLC access through NHAIS are expected to follow the same rules that NHAIS Services staff follow when selecting records for addition to NHU-PAC.

If your library acquires a large amount of material that is not included in the NHU-PAC by the time you receive the materials then this may be a good option for your library. Other factors to consider are: do you have enough staff to have someone spend time searching a second system, does your staff have the necessary skills (or the time to learn those skills) to search OCLC efficiently, how reliable is your Internet connection, are your computers powerful enough to run OCLC software. Most libraries will find that searching NHU-PAC will meet most of their cataloging needs and that submitting requests through the online record request form covers the rest.

There are several resources and instructional documents available from OCLC that can help you learn the skills you would need to use the OCLC Cataloging service effectively.

Searching WorldCat
The Searching WorldCat Quick Reference: Connexion provides an overview of how to search WorldCat. Details of all available indexes and labels are included in Searching WorldCat Indexes. The MARC Code Lists for Languages and Countries may be useful in constructing search keys.

Software Information
The NHAIS OCLC program requires that you use the OCLC Connexion Client for cataloging access to OCLC WorldCat. The system requirements for Connexion are included in Getting Started with the OCLC Connexion Client Connexion Client Cataloging Documentation provides information about how to configure and use Connexion client software.

Copy Cataloging
OCLC Cataloging Documentation includes links to Quick Reference documents and other instruction on searching, updating records, and using macros as well as links to Bibliographic Formats and Standards (the authoritative source on OCLC MARC records, and thus on NHU-PAC records), and the OCLC Technical Bulletins (which explain MARC format changes and other Worldcat database updates).

NHAIS libraries who participate in the direct OCLC program agree, by signing an annual memorandum of understanding, to the following (updated for 2024):

To ensure database quality, provided at reasonable costs, we will:

Search the NHU-PAC thoroughly for all items immediately prior to searching for those items on OCLC. NHU-PAC and OCLC searching for an item should occur on the same day.
Follow the rules for selecting OCLC records for NHU-PAC.
Use the latest available version of OCLC Connexion for all OCLC searching and processing.
Update all records exported from OCLC to reflect that HSAN holds the item.
Upgrade OCLC records according to the terms of the OCLC Expert Community program prior to exporting them from WorldCat. Local changes should NOT be made to records prior to sending them to NHSL-NHAIS Services for addition to the NHU-PAC. (Exceptions: an 852 or 952 tag may be added to reflect your local holding information.)
Send all records exported from OCLC by email to NHSL-NHAIS Services the day the records are exported, for inclusion in the NHU-PAC.
Not allow anyone access to the OCLC cataloging system using the authorization number and password assigned to us by NHSL except the individual to whom the password was assigned.
Create full OCLC records, compliant with either RDA or AACR2 standards, for any items that we hold and for which OCLC records are not available if we feel those records should be in NHU-PAC.
Pay the NHSL $25.00 per year (billed annually) to cover a portion of our costs for accessing the OCLC cataloging system via the internet (no other access method is allowed).
Notify NHSL-NHAIS Services prior to allowing any third party to take records obtained from NHU-PAC or with NHSL’s OCLC authorization numbers from our local system for any purpose.

If your library would like to participate in this program, please contact Mary Russell to start the process of certifying a member of your staff as an authorized OCLC user. A written skills check, of the material covered in the tutorials and of the NHAIS OCLC policies outlined above, will be required before an authorization number is issued. Note that the $25 annual fee is per library, not per user.