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Guidelines for contributing records via the Web Cataloguing form (WebCat)
Download PDF version of these guidelines
The online WebCat form is designed to allow staff to input new records into the Australian National Bibliographic Database (ANBD). The form is designed for brief records and allows input of records only (i.e. editing existing records is not supported). It is assumed that users of the form will be libraries who contribute a small number of records annually, or utilise staff with limited cataloguing experience.
As with all records contributed to the ANBD, staff using this form should only contribute records which meet the minimum record standard, though some validation is supported by the form.
This form is accessed via the Libraries Australia Search interface (http://librariesaustralia.nla.gov.au) and is available to users with Cataloguing access. If you believe your account should have this access, but you cannot see the tab, please contact the Libraries Australia Helpdesk
Before a new record is created, staff should search the ANBD to ensure the item they are cataloguing does not already exist on the database. If the item exists, the staff member can add their library’s holdings using the ‘Edit Holdings’ button.

Users also have the option to import a record from an external database.

Re-using existing records and correct search strategies ensure the most efficient use of staff time and minimise duplicates on the ANBD.
Staff can add a record to the ANBD using the ‘Add Record’ tab.

A form is presented, and staff should fill in as much detail as they can, given the item in hand.

Once the form is submitted, a review page is displayed, and when accepted, the record should then be available on the ANBD. At the review stage, users should ensure that the details of the record they are entering are correct. There is no option to delete a record via the WebCat form.
It is strongly recommended that those unfamiliar with the process of adding holdings, importing records or adding records via Libraries Australia Search WebCat should first practise using the Libraries Australia Training Database.
The training database is available via this URL: http://librariesaustralia-train.nla.gov.au
Account details to access the Training database can be found here: http://www.nla.gov.au/librariesaustralia/latrain.html

The Libraries Australia Search Manual, which documents the process of using the WebCat form in detail, can be found here: http://www.nla.gov.au/librariesaustralia/manuals.html#laman.

For additional assistance on this or any other Libraries Australia matter, please contact the Libraries Australia Helpdesk

