When we export a single bib record from OCLC to Sierra, our load table adds today’s date to Sierra’s bib cat date. The cat date does get overlaid again with a newer date if subsequent exports occur.
Does anyone actually use Cat Date in Sierra as the true cataloging date? If we protect the Cat date from overlay, it also protects the Sierra blank Cat date, so we have to manually update the Cat date. I’m trying to make sense of the use of the Cat date and how it should really work.
Functionally the main use of the Cat Date field is that you can configure the permissions so that a particular user may only edit/delete bit records in an uncataloged state (cat date is empty). I think there’s also a way to exclude uncataloged records from some holdings reports.
But for all that the exact date is irrelevant, what matters is simply if there is a date or not. Beyond that you’re kind of free to use the exact dates for whatever local meaning you may find helpful.
We use it as a cat date for non-vendor records. If a cataloger overlays an existing cat record, our workflow is for them to reset the cat date to the original and add a 599 note to let us know that it was updated. We do use this when calculating new title stats.
We use the cat date as an actually cataloging date for a couple of reasons. First, bibliographic records with a blank cat date have not been cataloged as far as we’re concerned and generally have a call number of “ON ORDER”. Secondly, newly received titles are sent to Backstage for authority control each month based on the cat date. If we update the record to the point it needs more authority work, we change the date. And finally, we use the date to track “New” titles in the system. We display our new adult titles for six months and those items circulate for a shorter loan period. So for example, in February 2026 we create a de-new list for “New” titles with a cat date between August 1 and August 31, 2025. The list has additional criteria, but the date helps.
Same for our system. Our load tables have “n” for the cdate field.