Restructuring Records

Describes different methods of restructuring records in the Metadata Management System (MMS)

Table of contents

  1. Steps
    1. Moving Records
      1. Moving Collections
      2. Moving Containers
        1. Moving Containers Within a Collection
      3. Moving Items
        1. Moving Items out of a Collection or Container to Be a Standalone Item
        2. Moving Standalone Items to a Collection or Container
        3. Moving Items to a Different Collection
        4. Moving Items Within a Collection
      4. Moving Captures
    2. Converting Between Record Types
      1. Converting Collections
        1. Converting Collections to Items
      2. Converting Containers
        1. Converting Containers to Items
      3. Converting Items
        1. Converting Standalone Items to Collections
        2. Converting Items Within a Collection to Containers
        3. Converting Items Within a Collection or Container to Standalone Items
      4. Converting Captures
    3. Consolidating Records
      1. Consolidating Collections or Containers to Items
  2. See Also

Steps

Moving Records

Moving Collections

  • Collection records cannot be moved
    • If you need to move a collection record, it must first be converted

Moving Containers

Moving Containers Within a Collection
  1. Navigate to the Overview tab of the collection or container record where the container you would like to move is located
  2. In the table that lists containers below the overview, locate the container you would like to move
  3. In the Actions column of the container’s row, click See actions
  4. In the Choose Action pop-up, open the dropdown under Actions and select Move container
  5. In the Move container pop-up, begin typing the title or Record ID of the container in the Move to (leave blank for root/collection): field and select the container from the search results
    1. The Record ID of the container can be located as the numeric slug of the URL for the container in MMS, e.g., https://metadata.nypl.org/containers/269804
    2. To move the item record to the top-level collection where the item is currently located, leave the field blank
    3. Click Update
  6. On the Confirm move page:
    1. Review any Current inherited elements compared to the New inherited elements to note any metadata elements that will be lost or added as a result of the move that may need to be adjusted in the next step
    2. Once you are ready to complete the move, click Yes under Do you really want to do this?
  7. Review the container in its new location
    1. Ensure no metadata elements were inadvertently lost or added as a result of the move by reviewing the Descriptive metadata tab of the container 
    2. Ensure all child items within the container meet the minimum metadata requirements by reviewing the Descriptive metadata tab of the respective item record(s)
    3. Ensure all child items within the container have rights assigned by reviewing the Rights section found in the Overview tab of the respective item record(s)
      1. If rights are needed, follow the rights workflow and include a link to the previous location of the container if rights were assigned there
  8. Once you have confirmed all metadata elements and rights are in place in the container’s new location, you may delete any collection or container records that are now empty and no longer needed as a result of moving the container

Moving Items

Moving Items out of a Collection or Container to Be a Standalone Item
Moving Standalone Items to a Collection or Container
  1. Navigate to any tab of the item record
  2. Below the title and UUID of the item record, click Move to new collection
  3. Enter the Record ID of the destination collection in the Enter a collection id field
    1. The Record ID of the collection can be located as the numeric slug of the URL for the collection in MMS, e.g., https://metadata.nypl.org/collection/50630
    2. Click Add to Collection
  4. If the destination collection has containers, you will see a page to Select container
    1. If you want to move the item to a container, click the radio button for the container where the item should be located and click Select
    2. If you want to move the item to the top-level collection, click Select without choosing a container
  5. On the Confirm move page, click Yes under Do you really want to do this?
    1. Review the Will be lost compared to the Will be gained to note any metadata elements that will be lost or added as a result of the move that may need to be adjusted in the next step
    2. Once you are ready to complete the move, click Yes under Do you really want to do this?
  6. Review the item in its new location
    1. Ensure no redundant metadata elements were added as a result of the move by reviewing the Descriptive metadata tab of the item
    2. Ensure the item retained its rights profile by reviewing the Rights section found in the Overview tab of the item record
Moving Items to a Different Collection
  1. Navigate to the Overview tab of the collection or container record where the item(s) you would like to move is located
  2. In the table that lists items below the overview (and containers, if any), locate the item(s) you would like to move
  3. To move a single item:
    1. Locate the item you would like to move
    2. In the Actions column of the item’s row, open the Choose action: dropdown menu and select Move to new collection
  4. To move multiple items:
    1. Locate the items you would like to move
    2. In the ☐ (checkbox) column of the items’ rows, select all the items you would like to move
      1. Click checkbox at the top of the column to select all the items
    3. Open the Bulk actions on selected items: dropdown menu above the items
    4. Select Move to new collection and click Go
  5. Enter the Record ID of the destination collection in the Enter a collection id field
    1. The Record ID of the collection can be located as the numeric slug of the URL for the collection in MMS, e.g., https://metadata.nypl.org/collection/50630
    2. Click Add to Collection
  6. If the destination collection has containers, you will see a page to Select container
    1. If you want to move the item to a container, click the radio button for the container where the item should be located and click Select
    2. If you want to move the item to the top-level collection, click Select without choosing a container
  7. On the Confirm move page:
    1. Review Will be lost compared to Will be gained to confirm minimum metadata requirements will be met once the item is moved to its new location
      1. If necessary, return to the item record to assign required elements and then repeat the above steps
      2. If required elements are not in the item record itself or inherited down in the destination container or collection, you will receive an error message and be unable to move the item
      3. Note any metadata elements that will be lost or added as a result of the move that may need to be adjusted in the next step
    2. Once you are ready to complete the move, click Yes under Do you really want to do this?
  8. Review the item in its new location
    1. Ensure no metadata elements were inadvertently lost or added as a result of the move by reviewing the Descriptive metadata tab of the item(s)
    2. Ensure item(s) meet the minimum metadata requirements by reviewing the Descriptive metadata tab
    3. Ensure item(s) have rights assigned by reviewing the Rights section found in the Overview tab
      1. If rights are needed, follow the rights workflow and include a link to the previous location of the container if rights were assigned there
  9. Once you have confirmed all metadata elements and rights are in place in the item’s new location, you may delete any collection or container records that are now empty and no longer needed as a result of moving the item
Moving Items Within a Collection
  1. Navigate to the Overview tab of the collection or container record where the item(s) you would like to move is located
  2. In the table that lists items below the overview (and containers, if any), locate the item(s) you would like to move
  3. To move a single item:
    1. Locate the item record you would like to move
    2. In the Actions column of the item’s row, open the Choose action: dropdown menu and select Move to new container
  4. To move multiple items:
    1. Locate the item records you would like to move
    2. In the ☐ (checkbox) column of the items’ rows, select all the items you would like to move
      1. Click checkbox at the top of the column to select all the item records
    3. Open the Bulk actions on selected items: dropdown menu above the item records
    4. Select Move to new container and click Go
  5. In the Move item to new container pop-up:
    1. To indicate the destination container by title, begin typing the title in the Move to (leave blank for root): field and select the container from the search results
    2. To indicate the destination container by Record ID, use the Or enter valid container id field
      1. The Record ID of the container can be located as the numeric slug of the URL for the container in MMS, e.g., https://metadata.nypl.org/containers/269804
    3. To move the item record to the top-level collection where the item is currently located, leave both fields blank
    4. Click Update
  6. On the Confirm move page:
    1. Review Will be lost compared to Will be gained to confirm minimum metadata requirements will be met once the item is moved to its new location
      1. If necessary, return to the item record to assign required elements and then repeat the above steps
      2. If required elements are not in the item record itself or inherited down in the destination container or collection, you will receive an error message and be unable to move the item
    2. Once you are ready to complete the move, click Yes under Do you really want to do this?
  7. Review the item in its new location
    1. Ensure no metadata elements were inadvertently lost or added as a result of the move by reviewing the Descriptive metadata tab of the item(s)
    2. Ensure item(s) meet the minimum metadata requirements by reviewing the Descriptive metadata tab
    3. Ensure item(s) have rights assigned by reviewing the Rights section found in the Overview tab
      1. If rights are needed, follow the rights workflow and include a link to the previous location of the container if rights were assigned there
  8. Once you have confirmed all metadata elements and rights are in place in the item’s new location, you may delete any collection or container records that are now empty and no longer needed as a result of moving the item

Moving Captures

  1. Navigate to the Capture inventory tab of the item where the capture(s) you would like to move is located
  2. Locate the capture(s) you would like to move
  3. To move a single capture:
    1. In the Move column of the capture’s row, click Move to new item
  4. To move multiple captures:
    1. Locate the captures you would like to move
    2. In the ☐ (checkbox) column of the captures’ rows, select all the captures you would like to move
      1. Click checkbox at the top of the column to select all captures
    3. Open the Actions on checked captures: dropdown menu above the captures
    4. Select Move to new item and click Go
  5. In the pop-up:
    1. To indicate the destination item by title, begin typing the title in the Move to: field and select the item from the search results
    2. To indicate the destination item by Record ID, use either the Move to: or the Or enter valid item id field
      1. The Record ID of the item can be located as the numeric slug of the URL for the item in MMS, e.g., https://metadata.nypl.org/items/4902530
    3. Click Move
  6. Review the capture in its new location
    1. Use the Reorder or Reorder (with thumbnails) if you need to change the order of the capture(s)
  7. Once you have confirmed the capture has been successfully to its new location, you may delete any item records that are now empty and no longer needed as a result of moving the capture

Converting Between Record Types

Converting Collections

  • Collection records can only be converted if there are no records within the collection
  • Collection records can only be converted to item records
Converting Collections to Items
  1. Navigate to any tab of the collection record
  2. Below the title and UUID of the item record, click Change object type
  3. Confirm Item is selected in the dropdown menu and click Submit
  4. The item can remain a standalone item or be moved to a collection or container

Converting Containers

  • Container records can only be converted if there are no records within the container
  • Container records can only be converted to item records
Converting Containers to Items
  1. Navigate to any tab of the container record
  2. Below the title and UUID of the item record, click Change object type
  3. Confirm Item is selected in the dropdown menu and click Submit

Converting Items

  • Item records can only be converted if there are no capture records attached to the item record
  • The workflow for converting item records is based on an item’s current location and destination
Converting Standalone Items to Collections
  1. Navigate to any tab of the item record
  2. Below the title and UUID of the item record, click Change object type
  3. Confirm Collection is selected in the dropdown menu and click Submit
Converting Items Within a Collection to Containers
  1. Navigate to any tab of the item record
  2. Below the title and UUID of the item record, click Change object type
  3. Confirm Container is selected in the dropdown menu and click Submit
Converting Items Within a Collection or Container to Standalone Items
  1. Navigate to the Overview tab of the collection or container record where the item you would like to convert is located
  2. In the table that lists items below the overview (and containers, if any), locate the item you would like to convert
  3. In the Actions column of the item’s row, open the Choose action: dropdown menu and select Convert to standalone
  4. Review the item in its new location
    1. Ensure no metadata elements were inadvertently lost as a result of the move by reviewing the Descriptive metadata tab of the item
    2. Ensure item meets the minimum metadata requirements by reviewing the Descriptive metadata tab
    3. Ensure item(s) have rights assigned by reviewing the Rights section found in the Overview tab
      1. If rights are needed, follow the rights workflow and include a link to the previous location of the container if rights were assigned there

Converting Captures

  • Capture records cannot be converted

Consolidating Records

Consolidating records (previously known as container collapsing) refers to the process of converting a collection or container record that represents a fully digitized book or book-like object to a single item. When item-level description for each part of the object (such as a page or leaf) is unnecessary or does not contain unique metadata, this restructuring is preferred. These steps describe the process of moving captures associated with legacy item records within a collection or container to a new target item record that represents the entire digitized object.

Consolidating Collections or Containers to Items

  1. Confirm the conditions for consolidating the collection or container have been met:
    1. The book or book-like object is fully digitized
    2. The existing item records within the collection or container do not include unique item-level metadata that is necessary to retain
      1. One indication of non-unique metadata is when the collection or container record and all item records within it share the same title element
    3. The Manager, Metadata Services has confirmed consolidation is appropriate
  2. Create a new ClickUp task in Remediation Projects 🔒 and populate the custom fields
    1. Status:
      1. Idea for tasks that could be worked on in the future
      2. In Progress for tasks that you will begin working on
    2. Item count: add the number of items that will exist after consolidation
    3. Remediation Tags: consolidating records
    4. Any other custom fields as appropriate
  3. Review legacy items to identify any unique metadata elements that would be appropriate to relocate to the target item(s)
    1. When consolidating a small number of legacy item records, review the item records individually in MMS
    2. When consolidating a large number of legacy item records, see the documentation for Preparing to Consolidate Records 🔒 in pgAdmin
      1. If you need assistance programmatically reviewing the existing metadata of legacy item records, contact Manager, Metadata Services
  4. Create or identify a target item record(s) where the captures will be relocated
    1. Depending on the source of the description for the book or book-like object import or create a target item record
    2. Alternately, one of the legacy item records—such as the first item within the collection or container—can be used as the target item record
      1. This can be helpful if legacy item record(s) already have a rights profile
  5. Update the target item record(s) based on any unique metadata elements you identified in your review of legacy items
    1. Relocate unique metadata to target item(s)
      1. If the metadata element only applies to some of the captures rather than all of the captures (e.g., Photo Order (PO), NYPL Exhibition ID), add an admin note to indicate which captures are associated with the element
      2. Only add subjects from legacy items to target item(s) if the subject applies to a majority of the digitized object
    2. Confirm the target item record(s) meet the Minimum Metadata Requirements
  6. Review the legacy items and respective capture and update as needed
    1. If unique titles exist on the legacy items and are worth preserving, update the capture record’s Name to use the legacy item title
    2. If unique titles do not exist on the legacy items, the capture record’s Name can remain generic or updated to a number sequence (e.g. 1, 2, 3) to support preserving original order of the captures
    3. If there is a combination of legacy items with and without unique titles, a combination of the above approaches can be used
  7. Move captures from each legacy item to the target item(s)
    1. Ensure the original order of captures is preserved
    2. If there are duplicate captures, see Suppressing Duplicate Captures
    3. If captures are suppressed, contact Manager, Metadata Services to request assistance
  8. Approve the target item record
    1. If rights are needed for the target item record, request they be added following the rights workflow
      1. Include a link to the legacy record(s) if rights were assigned there
  9. Once you have confirmed all captures have been successfully to the target record, you may delete any item records that are now empty and no longer needed as a result of moving the captures
  10. If the legacy collection or container record had a NYPL catalog ID (B-number) as an Identifier and it meets the criteria to appear on DC, ensure that the catalog record’s link to NYPL Digital Collections (DC) gets updated
    1. In the relevant ClickUp task, add a comment indicating the bnumber with the tag @MSU Sierra Contact(s)
    2. Do not close the ClickUp task until someone with Sierra edit access has confirmed the catalog record has been updated

See Also

  • Record Types for an overview of the four types of records in MMS that contain descriptive content and provide organization for digitized material