Locations: Definitions and Explanations

A location in WorldCat Navigator is the name of some entity used to provide one or more services. The term “location” is general and used by different OCLC services and software components for different purposes, so I-Team has agreed to always try and use one of the specific location names listed below.

Locations are critical data elements that allow Navigator to link different service elements into a whole system. OCLC 3-character codes link the worldcat.org search to a local catalog so that the availability service (OCLC software component) can discover local holdings. At another step 'shelving locations' are mapped to a 'Request Managing Location' that will service the request. Some locations serve more than one purpose, and it is common (but not required) for a 'home library' to also be a 'request managing location'.  For example, Center for Research Libraries has no users and would not be a Home Library but would manage requests and be identified as a Request Managing Location.

It is critical to understand and carefully manage data and configuration where data must link between III and OCLC.

also see:

Discussion and Circ & ILL current work for more information
List of location symbols and names for NRE

OCLC Holding symbols (OCLC 3-character codes)

Used to determine if a bibliographic record is part of the consortia's holdings so that it appears at the top of a search, and then used to indicate which local system(s) the availability service should search for holdings and availability.

List of Holding symbols (codes), by member

Home Library (also called Requesting, Borrowing, or Patron library) “HL”

A location that manages user (patron) requests. Each user has a single home library (HL), and that home library has a login that lets them track the user’s requests and act on their behalf. The home library provides authentication and authorization for the user and once the gateway is developed that library is where NRE will build temporary records and check out material to the user. Institutions that centrally manage requests should have a single home library. 

Multiple Home Libraries: Within an institution with multiple HL’s, each HL can see other HL patron records, but can *not* see the requests that went to other HL’s. [implication for patron service]

 Institutions that distribute operations should be aware that each Home library can only view and manage their own patrons, each patrons record used by NRE must contain the correct home library and statistics will be separate for each home library. Since load balancing depends on both lending and borrowing institutions that want multiple home libraries need to carefully review the impacts.

Patrons may have more than one Home Library, for example Visiting Patron account(s) at other institutions, dual enrollment or attendance for joint programs (university-community college, etc.).

Request managing Location (also called Supplier, Responding, Lending, Owning, or Item location “RML”)

A location (or set of physical locations) that manages items: receives Navigator Request Engine (NRE) loan requests and services them (i.e. an Owning Site). Just as a home library represents a group of users, a Request Managing Location (RML) represents a collection of items. When the availability service searches a local catalog it captures the 'shelving location' by reading the screen, which has been mapped to a single RML where NRE will send the request. Each RML can see and manage only their own requests, and get their own statistics; for most NRE purposes it is a separate library. 

An institution can have one RML yet still process materials at multiple physical locations (different desks, branch libraries, etc.).  Most members use a single RML.

Within each OCLC 3-character code (Holding Symbol) one RML is considered primary, and serves as a default; it will get any requests where NRE cannot determine the correct request managing location within that holding symbol (for example, due to bad data or a shelving location not included in the mapping table). This makes it critical that institutions with multiple RML's coordinate any shelving location changes (even minor name changes) with the Alliance office so that they will map to the correct RML.

Shelving location

The name that appears in the holdings, or item display in the public catalog. The entire text string is used, but is not case-sensitive. This text string is mapped to a single Request Managing Location. It may also be used to determine availability.

Pick Up Location

Each Home Library has its own list of pickup locations that will be shown to its users. These locations are used to provide the location where the request will be sent to.  In the early version of Navigator, automated pickup choices will be only those locations within the Home Library Institution, and not locations at other institutions.