Waltham Public Schools
Follett and MassCat

Home

CatExpress

Contact MassCat

Contact Follett

Export the database

Four-letter library codes

FTP information

Ftp'ing your file to MassCat

See also MassCat Website

MassCat has a data replacement process. This is a process that happens every year, once a year. The purpose of this process is to allow those who maintain local systems to provide MassCat with an updated version of the catalog. MassCat will take a current copy of the local database, strip out all of the data that they currently have in the MassCat database for the library, and replace it with the data file that is sent.

If using CatExpress:

When a copy of  the database is created to send to us, use the four-letter library code as the name for the file. If this is not done, then there is a danger that the data will get used for another library or that it will not get processed at all. 

Four-letter library codes:

Kennedy - MJFK

South -MSMS

Waltham -MWAL

(This is also on the MassCat Member List section of the MassCat Website.)

Overview

  1. THE RECORDS MUST BE IN MARC FORMAT.
  2. The the data file is then sent  by FTP  directly to Auto-Graphics. 
  3. Nora Blake (telephone 866-627-7228) MUST BE NOTIFIED WHEN THE FILE HAS BEEN FTP'd.  (If  you do not contact Nora Blake and tell her that your file is at the FTP site, then she will not know to notify Auto-Graphics to begin work on processing the file.)

To Export the database.

  1. Within Cataloguing, go to the File menu.
  2. Select Export Marc 21/852 Holdings format.
  3. Select No Range.
  4. Select All records.

Be sure that the box to delete records is NOT checked!

  1. Select Export.
  2. Change the name of the file from MICROLIF.001 to the four letter library code. e.g. MJFK.001. 

  1. Select Save to save it to the hard drive of the computer.

You will need to have FTP Explorer installed on your computer. 
Free FTP tool (FTP Explorer)

First time set-up of the FTP information (in FTP Explorer) is:

Host Name/Address: ftp.auto-graphics.com
User Name/ID: (see MassCat Website)
Password: (see MassCat Website)

Ftp'ing your file to MassCat.

  1. Using FTP Explorer, connect to MassCat. 
  2. NOTE: You will automatically be logged in to the directory / Place your file in the subdirectory named 'input' (/input).

 

  1. Double click on the Input folder to open the folder.
  2. Resize the MassCat window to be about 1/2 your desktop size.

  1. Open to where you have saved the Marc Record file.  In this example it was saved to the C drive (which is preferred, rather than your H drive, given it is just a temporary place to hold the file.)

  1. Resize the window to be about 1/2 your desktop size. You should have the two windows, side by side.
  2. Drag your Marc Record file to the ftp window and it will start to transfer.  
  3. Wait until there is a Transfer Complete message at the bottom of the Ftp Explorer screen.
  4. Close FTP Explorer.
  5. Contact Nora Blake (866-627-7228) when the file has been placed (ftp'd) in the subdirectory /input! 
  6. Right click on the Marc Record file that is saved on the C drive and delete it.

MassCat processes all database files on a first-received, first-processed basis. Their contract limits processing to 50,000 records per day. Once your file is sent to the FTP site, it will take about one week to process.

Library Teachers will be notified once the data is processed.  MassCat will expect that you take a look at your new data right away to be sure that your call numbers and other holding data have been processed correctly. YOU NEED TO CHECK YOUR DATA PROMPTLY SO THAT WE CAN RESOLVE ANY PROBLEMS IMMEDIATELY. 

Contact information for MassCat:

Nora Blake
MassCat Manager
P.O. Box 129
Hatfield, MA 01038
413-247-0241
866-MASSCAT (866-627-7228)
nblake@masscat.org

Contact information for Follett: 

McDevitt Middle School: 2000929

Kennedy Middle School: 2000925

Waltham High School: 2085790

Tech Support: 800 722 7424

Tech Support hours: 7 am -6 pm Central Time

 

Home