ATTN: Lex users and librarians
SUBJECT: Marc record Import in LexWin

Lexifile (DOS VERSION) and LexWin both allow import of MARC records. Such
records are commonly obtained from sources like the Library of Congress
online, Precision One CD, or from a book supplier who provides cataloguing
on floppy or an FTP site.

In LexWin click on FILE-Input/Import

You can then select a variety of options in the dialog box:

* Select the file you wish to import
* Select the destination file (usually something like c:\lexwin\loc.fil)
* Index immediately or Index batch (index after importing several files)
* Input records to make duplicates, to replace with records having
the same barcodes and titles, or to replace records with identical
authors and titles.
* Import and make changes
* Import Non MARC (options ASCII delimited or fixed field)

IMPORT WITH CHANGES
The "Import with changes" option is pretty sophisticated. My advice would be
to create a test fil (like new.fil) and import to that file to see how
successful you are with this feature. If new.fil was the receiving file, it
could then be reviewed, then new.fil imported to the main database.

***The most important feature here is "select call number from". This
feature allows you to choose WHERE you want LexWin to look for the call
number field, for example from the 050 for an LC field or 082 for Dewey.

If someone is supplying you with MARC and offering to put the call number
where you want it, ask them for USMARC-MICROLIF with holdings in the 852
field. That format is standardized so that LEX will automatically pick up
the call number properly.

IMPORT NON MARC
ASCII Records will have the numbered tags on the left and will look like a
file you could edit in a word processor. MicroLIF files USED to look that
way many years ago. Lex will export in this format, you can edit them in a
word processor, save them as DOS text (with NO word wrap) and then import
them in edited for back into LEX. If you know how to use this tool you can
save bundles in having someone global-edit your file.

Below is an example of what Lex expects of an ASCII Marc record.

00000368cam 22001571 4500
001lex 000001 63-10930-3
005200102210801
008730605s1963 nyu 00001 eng
010 $ad63010930 /L
035 $q63-10930-3$wSTU0015312
090 $aPZ4 .V948$bC3
10010$aVonnegut, Kurt,$d1922-
24510$aCat's cradle.
2600 $aNew York :$bHolt, Rinehart and Winston,$c[1963].
300 $a233 p. ;$c22 cm.
901 $a702001090800$estand$gPZ4$h.V948 C3

Delimited records WOULD look like this if you set word wrap on to view:

"730605s1963 nyu 00001 eng","d63010930 /L","","Vonnegut, Kurt,
1922-","","Cat's cradle.","","New York : Holt, Rinehart and Winston,
[1963].","233 p. ; 22 cm.","","","","","","","","","","","702001090800
stand PZ4 .V948 C

This is useful if you are trying to work with an Excel or Access database.
Each field begins and ends with a quotation mark, each field is separated
from the next with a comma. Blank fields show just quotes and commas.

FIXED FIELD
Lexwin fixed field records look like ASCII records with no tags, and with
only a certain number of lines per record for example:

d63010930 /L
63-10930-3$wSTU0015312
PZ4 .V948$bC3
Vonnegut, Kurt,$d1922-
Cat's cradle.
New York :$bHolt, Rinehart and Winston,$c[1963].

702001090800$estand$gPZ4$h.V948 C3

The space was left below "New York" to show a field was vacant (e.g. page
numbers. The next record would have to have exactly eight lines.

This is much more than was asked, but other customers may want to know more
about importing MARC records.

Jim Bruce
Lex Systems
Product Support



Original Question was:

Does LexWin include software that allows the user to download MARC records
from other library catalogs (like LOC)?

Thanks,
Matt S...