JSTOR Forum Migration FAQs

Owned by Kai Fay
Last updated: Sept 27, 2024 by Angela Kilsdonk
7 min read

Migration

  1. Is there a trial migration?
    1. No, there is not a full trial migration. Forum will do a test migration run for selected projects in their test system. That corpus dates to 2016.
  2. Can I still edit Item records during the migration? 
    1. If your project is being migrated to Standalone Item records, you cannot edit, create, or delete item records during the item record migration process.  After the item record migration is complete, you may begin cataloging again.
    2. If your project is being migrated to Containers, you cannot edit, create, or delete item records during the item record migration process.  The Container migration will take place after the item record migration.  We will work with you to schedule your project’s Container migration.  During this time, you can create new, unlinked item records.  You should avoid editing existing, linked item records until after the Container migration is completed.
  3. What will happen to work records that are shared by more than one repository?
    1. If two (or more) repositories have migrated with containers, as there is now, there will be a single container created that item records from multiple repositories are linked to. If repository A chooses containers and repository B does not, only the items from repository A will be linked to the resulting container.
  4. How does image linking change or not change with this new setup?
    1. We are currently working with ITHAKA to determine how image linking will be handled after the migration.
  5. Will unlinked, unpublished item records be maintained and migrated? For example, if a library created stub item records but has not finished their work on them, will the items be migrated?
    1. Yes, if the items are not currently linked to any Work records then they will not be affected by the migration.  These items will continue to exist in their current state.
  6. What will happen to images that have been loaded into Forum, but have not been cataloged yet? For example, if a library has created sets for images, but they have not yet been cataloged. How will these be affected by the migration?
    1. If the image files have already been uploaded to items that exist in Forum, then they will not be affected by this migration.
  7. Will the Work Sets feature be going away along with Work records?
    1. The Work Set feature will no longer be available after the migration.  Currently there is no equivalent feature for Containers. Item sets will continue to be supported in Forum.
  8. Will current Item Sets migrate?
    1. Yes, existing Item Sets will persist after the migration.
  9. How are group records affected by which choice we make for the migration?
    1. Metadata from group records (i.e., works with a “larger context for” relationship to other works) will be migrated to any item records that are directly linked to the group record, and if a project chooses to have container records, the group metadata will also become a container record, linked to by those directly linked items.
    2. New work-to-work, or container-to-container relationships will not be supported, and the existing works linked to groups will only contain the title and identifier of the group. LTS is looking into what HOLLIS/HOLLIS images could do with that information to pull related material together in a search result.
  10. With prospective cataloging, how do you show that individual items come from, for example, an album when using the stand-alone item record approach? 
    1. One way would be to use the Related Information field with the title and link to the album (assuming the album is available as a page-turned object). E.g., “Part of album In search of Moslems in China, April 30th to July 2nd, 1936 [unpublished trip diary by Rev. Claude L. Pickens, Jr.]: http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:FHCL:874276” 
  11. Will the ‘Link Media’ feature continue to work after the migration? 
    1. Yes, you will be able to continue using the Link Media option after the migration. 
  12. Will Projects still be defined as Repositories at Harvard, or will repositories at Harvard using Forum have the ability to create their own projects?  
    1. Projects will continue to be defined as Repositories at Harvard. This migration project is about adapting to the changes required by Forum and JSTOR as a result of the retirement of the Work Record format. Nothing else about the way Harvard uses Forum is changing as part of this project. 

Migration - Compound Objects

  1.  How will Compound Object item types be used in Forum?
    1. Ithaka and LTS have been working together to maintain Harvard’s DRS URNs in Forum records to ensure continued support for displaying thumbnails from the DRS in Forum and the presence of URNs to enable access to images in Harvard discovery systems.  To achieve this, Ithaka will be converting all Harvard item records in Forum to Compound Object record type.  This work will take place at the same time as the Works to Containers and Standalone Items migration.
  2. How does this affect the current migration?
    1. The conversion to Compound Objects does not affect the Works to Containers or Standalone Items migration path you have selected.  Your Work records will still be migrated to Containers or Standalone Items as previously discussed.
  3. What functionality do Compound Objects provide?
    1. The Compound Object functionality allows multiple images to be attached to item records, however no metadata may be associated with the individual images; all metadata lives in the item record only.
  4. How will Compound Objects be used at Harvard?
    1. The Compound Object will support the presence of both the DRS URN and an uploaded image, which is required for projects contributing to JSTOR.
  5. Can I use Compound Objects when cataloging in Forum after the migration?
    1. While all records in Forum will have Compound Object functionality, the use of Compound Objects will not be supported in Harvard’s discovery systems beyond the implementation of using it to link the DRS URN.  Any use of Compound Objects at Harvard beyond this use case will require further specification and development.  Please do not add any additional images to Forum item records using the Compound Object feature.  Harvard’s systems are only configured to process Compound Objects for the DRS URN implementation. 

Cataloging 

  1. While using the “spreadsheet import” tool to create container records, will the items records be created at the same time?
    1. As the containers are separate list values, items will not be created at the same time and will need to be created separately and then linked to containers. You can create the container first, and once you have the container identifier, include it in a project spreadsheet to create items linked to the container, or you can create the items at any time and bulk edit them to add the container link to all of them at once.
  2. If spreadsheet upload is only for bulk creating container records, does that mean there would not be a way to spreadsheet upload stand-alone records?
    1. There will continue to be a way to use spreadsheet upload for stand-alone records. For those using stand-alone records, fields formerly associated directly with the work (artist, title, date of work, etc.) will be available for spreadsheet upload along with the item-level fields you can supply today.
  3. Will items attached to containers display as a group in CURIOSity or separately as they do now?
    1. CURIOSity pulls individual item records in library cloud now and will continue to do so, and display will continue to be as items as it is now. The container metadata will appear as work metadata in each item record.
  4. If I cataloged something as an item record, is it possible to make it into a container record in the future? (and vice versa?)
    1. This may be possible later, but guidelines and best practices for doing so need to be developed before users proceed to do this.  Doing so without proper precautions/steps that need to be defined may cause errors in the harvesting and for Harvard display systems (e.g. HOLLIS Images, HOLLIS, etc.)
  5. There is current functionality to copy Works.  Is there any planned functionality to be able to copy Containers?
    1. No, Forum does not currently support copying container terms. For now, the recommended solution is to use Excel export to create a new record and copy the desired data as a new row, then import the file. 
  6. If I used Groups in Forum previously, will I be able to add new items to the legacy group after the migration?
    1. Yes, after the migration item records will have a new field for “Has Larger Context” that will contain the legacy Group ID. You can put the value of the legacy Group ID in this same field on new item records and the new item record will be considered as part of the legacy Group.
  7. Will Harvard be using Compound Objects in the future? 
    1. There may be opportunity for Harvard to use Compound Objects in the future, but they won't be an option that can be implemented as part of the current migration.  Although the projects in Forum will support items with multiple images, Harvard systems will not be equipped to handle records with multiple images without further specification and development. 
  8. Will you create new mock-ups for how things will display in HOLLIS Images with the migration options? 
    1. There will be changes in HOLLIS Images/HOLLIS display, but they will be almost identical for the two migration paths. 
  9. After migration, will there still be an option to create related information links to HOLLIS, finding aids, and any other URLs? 
    1. Yes, this will still be possible after the migration. 
  10. Will legacy record IDs, such as Olivia record IDs, still be visible and searchable in HOLLIS and HOLLIS Images? 
    1. Yes, legacy record IDs will be maintained and present after the migration.  All identifiers present in Forum records before the migration will continue to be sent to HOLLIS and HOLLIS Images. 
  11. Is there an established best practice for using Harvard terms versus other controlled vocabularies, such as AAT or LC? 
    1. Please see the JSTOR Forum Best practices/Guidelines on the wiki. 
  12. Will the filenames used for DRS deposit change? 
    1. Please continue to use the same filenames and processes for DRS deposits.  The item record ID will continue to be used for this workflow. 

Training

  1. When will training take place?
    1. The first training session will be May 1, 2024 at 2 pm. 

    2. This session is intended for anyone with records in JSTOR Forum. It is a prerequisite for upcoming training sessions on prospective cataloging that will take place in May.

    3. The training will cover record types in Forum, new field structures, best practices, and editing migrated records.
    4. Here is the Zoom link to join the training session.  
  2. Will the upcoming training sessions be recorded?
    1. Yes, the training sessions will be recorded and the link to the recording will be sent to the Shared Shelf list and posted on the internal wiki for those who are unable to attend synchronously.