Migrating library data: A practical guide, Banerjee, K. & Parks, B. (Eds.).

Abstract

Dealing consistently and practically with data of all kinds is a required skill set now for every librarian. This book is written for all librarians and requires no specific technical skills or programing knowledge for understandability or usage. It tackles the technical challenges encountered when migrating specific records, services, and types of data with existing staff, as well as commonly available technical resources. Although migrating data is emphasized in the title, the book also deals with understanding the relationships between the system itself, the configuration, and the data as a whole. The book also addresses issues such as extraction, analyzation, and modification of data in a new system. Containing 13 chapters incorporating a number of detailed sub-chapters, along with numerous figures, tables, and examples, this manual is a gem for every library contemplating an integrated library system migration or dealing with movement of data from one platform to another. Chapter one describes the planning and migration process in general, from preparing staff, system, and data to knowledge regarding skill sets and vendors. Chapter two examines formats used in migration, their technical challenges, and the processes for correcting, cleaning, and modifying exported data in a new system. Chapter three provides information on tools which staff without programing skills can use for migrating data along with practical examples. Chapter four discusses the MARC format, specifically in relation to the MarcEdit tool which many libraries use to clean, restructure, and reclaim data in a new system. Chapter five details issues relating to migrating bibliographic and item data, and chapter six describes the challenges of migrating acquisitions data. Chapter seven deals with authentication and patron data migration, and chapter eight focuses on the challenges of serials data. Chapter nine examines electronic resources management migration topics, and Chapter 10 looks at digital collections and institutional repositories migrations. One topic with which many libraries often deal is migrating from an individual to a shared system and vice versa, which is detailed in chapter 11. Chapter 12 describes the many issues around dealing with vendors, from what work should be delegated to whom, to what vendors can realistically accomplish. Finally, chapter 13 focuses on testing and putting the final system into full production. Moving data from one system to another is one of the scariest and most misunderstood functions which happens in today’s libraries, yet it is also one of the most essential due to constant technological and organizational realities. This book is highly recommended as a “... for dummies” type of volume on the topic.