2 – Using Muscat

2.1 – Basic functions

The top menu bar

After you log into Muscat, access is granted to different Muscat areas through the various points on the top menu bar.

Administration links to the MARC configuration, which lets you view all the MARC fields used in Muscat (sources plus authority files)

Language allows you to switch the language of the Muscat interface.

The Dashboard displays the latest Muscat version information, your newest Muscat records, and your comments on records.

The Comments page displays all comments on Muscat records. Comments can be added to any kind of record throughout Muscat. You can only add comments through the full record view. Name other users by typing @ plus their name, and they will receive a notification by email.

The Folders page displays all folders created by Muscat users. Records in Muscat can be placed into folders, and the folders can be shared among users or used to organize searching and editing work.

The Sources page is the main cataloging page in Muscat and contains the all of the bibliographic records that describe the musical sources in Muscat.

Authorities takes you to all authority files, controlled vocabulary, and indexes in Muscat.

The Guidelines page displays all the guidelines on one page.

Sections and actions in the editing mode

This section describes actions you can take when editing a source record.

The navigation column on the right allows you to jump to specific sections of the record and save and view your work.

Fields in a Muscat record are grouped into sections. By clicking on the section link, you can jump directly to a different section of the record.

Show all sections lets you view all sections of the record on one page.

Show preview lets you view the record. To return to editing mode, click Hide preview.

Validate checks for errors in the record that prevent saving.

Save and continue editing allows you to save your work and continue in the editing mode. Save frequently to prevent you from losing your work. After a record is first saved, the RISM ID number is assigned automatically.

Save and close brings you back to the previous screen while saving your work.

Cancel brings you back to the previous screen without saving.

Show modification history allows you to view, restore, and delete previous versions of the record. Click Show all sections again to return to the editing mode and any unsaved changes.

Attach a new image lets you upload small images (typically watermarks, handwriting samples, or bindings) to attach to your records. All images can be found in the Authorities menu under Digital objects.

Buttons in the editing mode

Magnifying glass: Click here to search the authority file linked to the field. A separate window will open. After you find what you need, click Select to make the transfer to your record.

Move arrow: Fields that can be repeated have an up-and-down arrow if you wish to change the order. Click the arrow and drag the field to its new position.

Question mark (?): Click ? to display the RISM guidelines for the field.

Plus (+) and minus (-) signs: Fields that may be repeated have a plus sign (+). Click on the + to create a new, empty field. Click the - to delete a field.

Trash can: Delete a field by clicking on the trash can.

Show/hide arrow: Click on the arrow to expand or collapse fields.

Add a group: This button is found at the bottom of the section Material description. Material groups allow you to associate different dates, formats, watermarks, names, institutions, etc. with different types of sources. For example, you can describe autograph material separately from other handwritten materials, or you may wish to describe scores and parts in separate groups. Some fields, such as Additional personal name (700), Additional institution (710), and General note (500), are also available elsewhere in the Sources template.

Other functions in the editing mode

Autocomplete

Fields that contain a key are linked to an authority file or index. Begin typing and use the autocomplete to help you.

Adding new names, titles, subject headings, etc.

If you do not find what you need in the authority files, a new term can be added. Simply enter the name or term you need. Once you click to a different field, an orange border appears around the field and you will see a checkbox that reads “Confirm the insertion of a new value.” Click this box to confirm. After you save the record, the new term will appear in the authority file. For personal names, a field called Life dates will appear. Fill this out if you can because it helps the Editorial Center complete the new authority record. See also General cataloging guidelines under Personal names.

New secondary literature must be entered directly in the Secondary literature database.

Required fields and validation

When you begin a new record, the most important fields will already be open and ready for you to fill in. Fields that are yellow are required fields. If you save without filling out one of these fields, a red border will appear around the fields that still need attention, and the sections in which the fields occur will be red in the right-hand navigation sidebar.

Actions in the full record view

This section describes actions you can take when viewing the full record.

Create: Go to the template selection page from which you can create a new record.

Return to the list: This brings you back to the Sources page.

Edit: If you have permissions to edit the record, you will see an edit button.

Duplicate: Any record may be copied by clicking on the Duplicate button.

Merging records

Duplicate authority records can be merged by the Editorial Center. During the process of merging, any sources that are linked to the deprecated authority record are automatically transferred to the target record.

1. Pick out two records that you want to merge. One is the target, which will be kept. The other is deprecated and will be deleted.

2. In the editing mode of the deprecated record, set the Record Status to “Unpublished” at the bottom and save.

3. On the search page of the authority file, perform a search so that the two records are on the same page of results.

4. Select the two you want to merge by clicking the checkbox to the left of the record.

5. Click “Merge” under Actions on the right.

6. A popup message will appear that says, “Should [the deprecated record] really be merged into [the target record]?” This is the action that takes links in the unpublished record and sends them to the target. Click OK.

7. Now a message appears that says, “Successfully merged [Name of authority file] [deprecated record] into [target record]!”

8. You can confirm that this worked by viewing the unpublished, deprecated record, which will have 0 sources attached to it. The target record will have its previous records plus the new records attached to it from the merge. (It might take a moment for Muscat to reindex before this is displayed on the search page, but the full record views are correct.) Now you can delete the unpublished, deprecated record.

Note:

• In the Modification History for the linked sources, the change will be displayed like this: “[Authority file] change id from 51000870 to 40009964”
• Only two records at a time can be merged.
• Only authority records can be merged, not Sources.
• As a protection against accidental deleting, authority records that are linked to other authority records cannot be deleted. Before merging, make sure that the target record has all of the information you need from the deprecated record. Delete any references to other authority records.

2.2 – Searching

Searching

Searching in Muscat is available through filters on the main Source page. For more extensive searching, including a music incipit search, use the public catalogs, the RISM Catalog and RISM Online.

Muscat filters

The Muscat filters offer simple yet powerful searching.

You can enter in each field:

• Single words
• Multiple words:
  either without quotations mark: lass noch
  or with quotation marks: “lass noch”
• Truncation with ? or *
  ?: The question mark replaces exactly one letter. B?cher will find Bucher and Bacher.
  *: The asterisk can be used to truncate or replace any number of letters. B*cher will find Bucher and Bacher but also Boucher and Bötticher.
• AND, OR, NOT, ( ): Take advantage of Boolean searching. Use parenthesis to group your search. Examples:
  • Composer contains: (Bach AND Johann) NOT Sebastian
    To find Johann Michael Bach and Johann Christian Bach but not Johann Sebastian Bach
  • Siglum contains: D-B AND (I-* OR F-P*)
    To find all prints in the library D-B where there are also copies in Italy or Paris

Note the following for all sections:

• Date

  • Searching by date: Enter dates in the format YYYY-MM-DD. The day is set to midnight by default.
  • Single date (“from”): If you fill in only the left-hand field (the “from”), you will get all records modified or created since that date (including records created during the day on that date).
    Example: Last modification
    2012-02-07 - [empty]
    will retrieve all records edited from February 7, 2012 to today.
  • Single date (“to”): If you fill in only the right-hand field (the “to”), you will get all records modified or created up to that date at midnight.
    Example: Last modification
    [empty] - 2012-02-07
    will retrieve all records edited from the beginning of time up to February 7, 2012 at midnight (meaning no records created during the work day on February 7 will be included).
  • Date range: Note that since the day is set at midnight, to search for all records created on February 7, 2012, for example, you must enter the start date 2012-02-07 (understood as midnight on February 7) and the end date 2012-02-08 (understood as midnight on February 8). This will include all sources created during the day. A search from 2012-02-07 to 2012-02-07 will be empty!

Note the following for searching Sources:

• Siglum contains: Search by the letters in a siglum. This field is case-sensitive. For example:
  D-* = all sources in Germany
  D-B* = all sources in German cities that start with B
  D-B = all sources at the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin

Personal names

Note the following for searching Personal names:

• Name: Searches the fields Heading - Personal name (100 $a) and Name variant (400 $a).
• Life dates: Searches the field Years of birth and death (100 $d), meaning years as well as the following abbreviations: sc a p c * + /
• Places: Searches the field Geographic name (551). This includes places of birth, death, origin, or activity.