MARC Record Tool

The MARC Record Tool is a GUI-based application for cataloging, searching, and scraping MARC records. Designed for librarians and researchers, this tool simplifies the process of working with MARC records by offering an intuitive interface for creating, editing, and exporting bibliographic information.

Table of Contents

• Features
• Application Overview
• Installation
• Usage
  • Original Cataloging Tab
  • Search Libraries Tab
  • Scrape MARC Tab
• Functionality Details
  • Creating a MARC Record
  • Searching Libraries
  • Scraping MARC Records
• Help and Support
• Contributing

Features

• Original Cataloging: Create MARC records by manually inputting bibliographic data.
• Search Libraries: Query multiple libraries by ISBN, title, and author to retrieve MARC records.
• Scrape MARC Records: Extract MARC records from specific URLs.
• Export and Download MARC: Save MARC records in various formats after creation or retrieval.
• Library Management: Add, edit, and manage library URLs for custom searches.

Application Overview

Main Window

The application is divided into three main tabs:

1. Original Cataloging: For creating new MARC records from scratch.
2. Search Libraries: For searching multiple libraries for MARC records based on ISBN, title, or author.
3. Scrape MARC: For scraping MARC records from a provided URL.

Here is a screenshot of the main application interface:

The main interface of the MARC Record Tool, featuring the Original Cataloging tab.

Installation

Prerequisites

• Python 3.x
• PyQt5 (for the GUI)
• Required Python libraries (install via requirements.txt):

pip install -r requirements.txt

Clone the Repository

Clone the repository and navigate to the project folder:

git clone https://github.com/jspann21/MARC_Record_Tool.git
cd MARC_Record_Tool

Usage

Run the application by executing main.py:

python main.py

Original Cataloging Tab

The Original Cataloging tab allows you to create new MARC records by entering bibliographic details such as title, author, publisher, and more.

Enter bibliographic information, create MARC records, and download them.

Search Libraries Tab

In the Search Libraries tab, users can search for MARC records across multiple libraries by entering an ISBN, title, or author. Users can also add or edit the list of searchable libraries.

Search for MARC records across multiple libraries using ISBN or title and author.

Scrape MARC Tab

The Scrape MARC tab allows users to scrape MARC records from a provided URL.

Scrape MARC records directly from a URL.

Functionality Details

Creating a MARC Record

1. In the Original Cataloging tab, enter as much information as possible into the provided fields.
2. Click Create MARC to generate the MARC record.
3. Click Download MARC to save the created MARC record to your local machine.

Searching Libraries

1. Navigate to the Search Libraries tab. The libraries listed have downloadable MARC records.
2. Enter an ISBN, title, or author to search for matching MARC records in the listed libraries.
3. Click ISBN search or Title & Author search to begin the search.
4. The Status indicates if a record is Found or Not Found. Click on the Status to go to the MARC record link.

You can also manage libraries by adding new libraries with their search URLs.

Scraping MARC Records

1. Go to the Scrape MARC tab.
2. Enter the URL containing the MARC record to be scraped.
3. Click Scrape URL to extract the MARC record and save it.

Help and Support

Click the Help button in the top-right corner of the application window to get detailed instructions for using the tool. A pop-up window will provide information on how to use each feature.

Contributing

If you find any issues or have suggestions for improvement, feel free to open a pull request or file an issue on GitHub. Contributions are welcome!