Request MARC Records

MAchine-Readable Cataloging (MARC) records store bibliographic data elements to identify and describe books, periodicals and other materials so that this information can be exchanged electronically.

Using Gale Admin, you can request file(s) containing MARC records that identify the sources found in Gale databases. You may then -- external to the Gale Admin system -- add those records to your online catalogs (OPACs). You can get MARC records generated for all Gale databases, or for the databases you select.

  1. Navigate to the Location Summary page of the account for which you wish to request MARC records.
  2. From the Location Summary page, click Discovery Services in the green left-hand sidebar menu. Then select Request MARC Records from the submenu.
  3. The Request MARC Records page is displayed.
  4. The MARC client configuration settings show the Library Name, Contact Name and Contact Email. Notification that your MARC records are ready for downloading will be sent to the Contact Email shown. Note that if this is not the correct email, use the Location Summary page to change it.
  5. Select the record delivery settings and optionally the proxy server settings (refer to the tables below).
  6. Select databases by checking individual boxes, or click Select All. See below for details.
  7. Click the Submit button at the bottom of the page to send your request.
  8. You will receive an email immediately to let you know your request has been received.
  9. When your request has been processed, you will receive an email with a link to download your MARC records.

The Disable Account button at the bottom of the page lets you stop monthly recurring MARC record requests (refer to the Schedule setting below).

Record Delivery Settings

Setting Description
File Format Selecting the "MARC" format will cause the system to compile your records as a .mrc file. You will need a MARC record editor or viewer to properly view .mrc files.

The "CSV" format (which stands for comma-separated values) creates a .csv file. Files with extension .csv can be opened with spreadsheet applications, like Microsoft Excel.

The file format you choose will govern the options available for the remaining settings.
Encoding Encoding refers to how letters, diacritics and other characters are handled. If you selected "MARC" as the file format, you may select "UTF-8" or "MARC-8" as the way the records are encoded. Alternatively, if you selected "CSV" as the file format, you may select "UTF-8" or "ISO-8859-1." Choose the encoding scheme required by the service or system your library uses to manage its MARC records.
Report Mode Select "Added this Month" to request only records for titles that have been added or changed this month. Or select "All Records" to request a full set of up-to-date records for this location. This setting is not applicable if you selected the "CSV" file format.
Group By Change Type (New, Change, Delete) Select "In Multiple Files" to receive MARC records in up to three files, one each (as needed) for new records, changed records and deleted records. Select "In One File" to receive new, changed and deleted records together in a single file. This setting is not applicable if you selected the "CSV" file format.
Record Split Boundary Select a number of records from the drop-down list to determine the maximum number of records that will appear in each file that is generated. This setting is not applicable if you selected the "CSV" file format.
Schedule Select how often you would like to have MARC records generated for you. Select "Recurring Monthly" to have your MARC records generated the second week of each month. Or select "One Time Only" if this is a one-time request, or you wish to request MARC records on an as-needed basis that you determine.

To stop monthly recurring requests, click the Disable Account button at the bottom of the page.

Proxy Server Settings (Optional)

Enter the following settings if your library uses a proxy server to authenticate users as they access your catalog.

Setting Description
Proxy Type If the location uses a proxy server, select the proxy type from the drop-down list.
Proxy URL If the location uses a proxy server, enter the URL here. This URL will be prefixed to the link generated in each of the MARC records.

Selecting Databases

The "Databases" section at the bottom of the Request MARC Records page shows all Gale databases for which MARC records are available. You may request MARC records for specific databases, or click Select All to include all databases in your request.

NOTE: The system remembers the databases you selected from your last request.

Retrieving Your Requested Records

For both monthly recurring requests and one-time-only requests, you will receive an email with a link to download your MARC records.