MassCat: Unusual, Unique and Unexpected!

Getting Bibliographic Records

MassCat provides bibliographic records for new acquisitions.  Most libraries are offered access to CatExpress, an easy-to-use web-based source of MARC records from OCLC.  Libraries who do not wish to use CatExpress may request records from the Cataloging Center, but if the amount of record requests from any one library becomes significant, that library may be asked to start using CatExpress to obtain their own records.  (If you would like to sign up for CatExpress, please contact your Regional Library System.)

MassCat libraries should not use their CatExpress accounts for retrospective conversion (recon, or retrocon), unless they have made arrangements with their Regional Library System. The MassCat database is available for retrospective conversion at no additional charge.

Before logging on to CatExpress to download records, libraries must first search MassCat to see if the records are already there. This must be done the same day, due to the cost of CatExpress records. It would be wasteful and costly for multiple libraries to download the same record into MassCat.  For the same reason, libraries requesting records from the Cataloging Center must search MassCat first - on the same day as making the request. 

The Cataloging Center will also provide original cataloging for some types of materials, when records are not available in MassCat or CatExpress/OCLC. For details regarding how to do this, please see the Requests for Original Cataloging section of this site.