Data Excavation: OCLC Data Reclamation and Catalog Data Inventory at University of Tennessee Libraries

Abstract

University of Tennessee Libraries migrated their library services platform from Ex Libris Aleph to Ex Libris Alma at the end of 2015. About two and a half years post migration, the Libraries initiated a project with OCLC to perform data reclamation for all UT Libraries. The reclamation project enabled the presenter to ‘excavate’ the catalog data and learned about the data’s history that allowed for semi-inventory and data documentation for our long-term catalog data preservation and management. This presentation will elaborate on catalog data’s assessment, inventory, data’s history and documentation as essential elements for long-term catalog data’ preservation, quality control and management in Alma. The presenter will use UT Libraries’ OCLC Data Reclamation Project as a case study for this purpose.