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Downloading MARC Records From MaineCat

In response to requests, the process by which Maine libraries may download MARC records from the Maine InfoNet Statewide Catalog is described below.  The process should work equally well with other online catalogs using Innovative Interfaces software, as long as record downloading is enabled.  Maine libraries that download to any significant extent are asked to consider becoming a part of the statewide catalog by contributing records to the Maine InfoNet SOLAR Database:

  1. Search the OPAC at http://mainecat.maine.edu as you would normally.
  2. Click the Export button to save the record to a temporary list.Note that two new buttons appear: Clear Saved Records and Export Saved Lists.
  3. Search for additional records and click Export (usually the right-most button) to save each record.
  4. Click the Export Saved Lists button to begin the process of exporting the saved records to a local MARC data file.
  5. Select MARC as the Format of List, and Local Disk under Send List To.  Click Submit.
  6. Netscape users will see a file save dialog. They should click Save File.
    Internet Explorer users will see the MARC data displayed in a single long string of characters within the browser window. They should select File... Save As, and save as a .TXT text file.
  7. Netscape should specify a filename in the Save As dialog that appears. Use whatever filename your local software will accept. Winnebago users, for instance, may wish to use microlif.001 or something similar.  Do NOT save the file with an HTML extension, even though that is the default.Internet Explorer users MUST save as a TXT file.If the file needs to be renamed, that should be done after the initial save.
  8. Click Remove Marked Records From This List to clear the save file in Maine InfoNet and proceed with further searches.

Important Notes

After a period of keyboard inactivity (5 minutes), the OPAC will start over. When this happens, any saved records are released.To avoid frustration, export small numbers of records often, clearing each time.  Do not accumulate a large number of records that could be lost by several moments of distraction.

Be careful to use different filenames to avoid overwriting one file of records with the next one to be saved.