The Library of Congress
>> Program for Cooperative Cataloging
CONSER Member Reports
Oct. 2004 - Sept. 2005
Center for Research Libraries
“Change” was again a constant at CRL this year. In October
2004, the cataloging dept. welcomed Todd Scudiere as its new South
Asian and Japanese language cataloger. Todd received formal CONSER
training along with Marie Waltz, head of the dept.’s Physical
Processing section. Todd also attended the BIBCO Operations Committee
meeting in May as CRL’s representative.
Along with many other cataloging depts. across the country, CRL’s
upgraded to OCLC’s new Connexion Client software in Dec. After
the initial learning curve, the dept. found Connexion’s offline
save-file and batch processing capabilities similar to CATME’s
and still quite useful for maintaining an efficient workflow, especially
for large projects such as the international doctoral dissertations.
Building on the progress of the dissertation cataloging project (and
the resulting increase in circulation), Cataloging Dept. Head Amy Wood
set up a “five-year plan” for cataloging a number of other
formerly uncataloged collections at the Center, including state documents,
U.S. school textbooks, and international government documents (particularly
Latin American and South Asian). She also spearheaded a special project
to thoroughly update the authority file headings of CRL’s Innovative
Interfaces online catalog. Work on this project kept the dept. busy
through much of July and August.
As of September, the Cataloging Dept. authenticated 380 full level
CONSER records among a transaction total of 824. Many of the authentications
came from serials cataloged as part of newly purchased or previously
unanalyzed microfilm and microfiche sets.
Columbia
Since the Voyager migration in 2003, the Serials Cataloger has been rewriting or revising documentation for new serial workflow. In addition to rewriting procedures for the Serials Cataloging Unit, the Serials Cataloger continues to serve on two teams: Cataloging, and the Departmental Catalog Maintenance Discussion Group, which will devote more time to discussing serials procedures and documentation.
Columbia continues to consider cancelling print subscriptions for selected titles that will move to e-only. Related to this, CUL is in the process of implementing a new Electronic Resource Management Module, Meridian. Implementation will involve populating the module with information from Columbia's Library Management System (Voyager) as well as with information historically contained in paper files, such as key information from license agreements and details on IP range and ILL usage restrictions. The new module is intended as a means of organizing a broad array of information pertaining to electronic resources. This would include the ability to see hierarchical relationships in and among packages, view multiple coverage details, and gain broader access to licensing information. Serials productivity in checkin and adding has declined due to limitations in our Voyager system and it is hoped that Meridian will improve access to and control of serials data.
Columbia continues to subscribe to Serials Solutions to manage our ever-increasing number of e-resources and databases. We now subscribe to 196 databases with total coverage of 38,789 unique titles and 57,560 holdings. Cataloging staff continue to supply CONSER records to replace brief Serials Solutions records. We have been actively creating records for East View Publications, ABI Inform Global, Proquest and CIAO. The Serials Cataloger continues to serve on CONSER's Task Force on the Coverage of Ejournals, due to our use of Serials Solutions' records.
Beginning July 2005, the Original and Special Materials Department was reorganized into two departments: OSMC (Original Serials and Monographs Cataloging) and SCMC (Special Collections and Metadata Cataloging). The Serials Cataloging unit is in the Original Serials Monograph Cataloging Department, headed by Kate Harcourt. The Serials Cataloging Unit consists of one professional librarian and two bibliographic assistants. The Serials Cataloger is actively involved in training OSMC monograph catalogers to catalog at the CONSER level as well as reviewing all series authority work for the Division.
The Serials Cataloger currently serves on the Integrating Resource Record Task Force for implementing access-level records at CUL. CUL is following LC's model with a few minor changes to accommodate local needs. Additionally, this Task Force is planning and designing a new web request form for selectors to fill out; the data will generate cataloging records in Voyager automatically. We have already received a very positive feedback from one selector for this new project. Moreover, the Serials Cataloger will participate in testing the access records for serials project by CONSER.
Since August 2005, the Serials Cataloger has chaired a new task force to clean up the problem backlog for serials. The problem backlog has been reduced tremendously in the past two years, and we plan to finish the cleanup by the end of this year. The Slavic Cataloger is well-trained and contributes CONSER records for Slavic materials regularly. The Serials Cataloger is training Japanese Cataloger to contribute CONSER records with parallel fields in Japanese characters, and will train Chinese and Korean Catalogers next. CUL is expanding our CONSER record contribution to CJK languages.
Harvard University
One of Harvard’s objectives for its contribution to CONSER is to have all currently received serial titles at the University represented by authenticated CONSER records both in OCLC and in our local OPAC. This past year, we took an important step in that direction welcoming the Harvard-Yenching Library as the most recent unit at Harvard to begin contributing records to CONSER. Harvard-Yenching’s research collection focuses on material relating to East Asia in the humanities and social sciences. Over the spring, serial catalogers at Yenching working with Chinese, Japanese, and Korean language materials were trained in CONSER guidelines and their records sent through a review process. Their contribution focuses on annual publications in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean and is contributed under the OCLC symbol HMY.
Another development of note has been the undertaking to reduce the number of duplicative journal subscriptions, both print and electronic, among Harvard libraries through a cooperative process overseen by Harvard’s Digital Acquisitions and Collections Committee. While reducing the number of subscriptions across the University, the program is careful to provide for the continued availability of current issues as well as backfiles for each title. These titles must be in a physical format and must be available to all Harvard users. To that end, a Library-of-record concept has been implemented and a local field available on the Aleph holdings record has been defined to record Library-of-record decisions and supporting information. While cancellations now focus on projects, provisions have also been made for using this concept for non-active unique or ceased titles when their research value makes continued retention appropriate. During the fall, the HOLLIS/Aleph Steering Committee’s Standing Subcommittee on Serials, Series and Continuing Resources prepared documentation outlining the role of the Library-of-record including guidelines for the use of the Library-of-record field. An open meeting in October, 2004 introduced the concepts to Harvard’s library community at large.
Over the winter, members of the HOLLIS/Aleph Steering Committee’s Standing Subcommittee on Serials, Series and Continuing Resources prepared a document of holdings examples for use by staff in the Harvard library community. This document, entitled MARC 21 Holdings: Examples, is based on the MARC 21 Format for Holdings and the ANSI/NISO Z39.71-1999 standards. It summarizes various types of holdings situations and gives recommended ways for Harvard library staff to handle different problems encountered in holdings record creation. The document is divided into three parts providing holdings examples for monographs, series, and serials titles. The monograph section covers multipart monographs, multiple levels of enumeration, supplementary material, loose-leaf publications and services. The serials section, in addition to focusing on the details of recording enumeration and chronology, includes examples for handling serial supplements and indexes. The complete document is available on the Committee’s homepage at:
http://hul.harvard.edu/cmtes/haac/ssssc/MARC_21_Holdings_Examples.pdf
Beyond these activities, the HUL/CONSER Office oversaw Harvard’s contribution of 2,600 original, first–time authenticated and maintained bibliographic records to the national database.
Harvard Law School Library reports their reclassification project of international law materials from their Olivart classification to LC occupied a significant portion of their time; since many of the records for these materials were old and/or summary level, the project resulted in the creation and revision of many CONSER records in that area.
The Law Library has been without one part time serials cataloger
for a year, impacting on
their productivity in cataloging current serial titles. The two
full time serials catalogers
have been working diligently to keep up with current acquisitions
as well as bibliographic updates. In addition, the East Asian
and East European catalogers have made significant contributions
to CONSER.
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
CONSER activity at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology slowed down in the past year when our CONSER cataloger, Ada Cheung, took her three-month special leave from September to December 2004. Our CONSER statistics for 2004-2005 totaled 455, with 131 titles authenticated and 324 titles maintained. We created 40 name authority records and enhanced 22 existing ones through our NACO authorization.
Several major serials cataloging projects were started in the past year. We completed cataloging of 645 Blackwell Synergy titles and 465 SpringerLink titles. We also updated all our periodical records as we adopted a set of local practice for handling ISSNs in order to enable retrieval of all formats (print, online, microform) by either print or online ISSN search. The project began in December 2004 and is still in progress. Another important event relating to serial cataloging is the implementation of INNOPAC Electronic Resources Management module for our e-journals, which provides license restriction and access information for users.
Another major project was the retrospective conversion of 760 old periodical records with print and electronic versions cataloged together using the single-record approach. They were re-cataloged into separate records. The project began in September 2004 and completed in March 2005.
We invited Ms. Judith Kuhagen, from the Cataloging Policy & Support Office at LC, to conduct a 5-day NACO series authority training program for our catalogers in February 2005. We are now an eligible NACO member for creating series authority records. The program also included a public seminar on series authority control and was attended by over 65 library workers from 23 institutions in Hong Kong.
Our Library held on our campus the "International Conference on Developing Digital Institutional Repositories: Experiences and Challenges" on 9-10 December 2004. It was jointly organized with the California Institute of Technology Libraries and attracted 130 local and overseas representatives. Another significant event taking place here is the launch of Hong Kong Academic Library Link (HKALL), a user-initiated interlibrary loan service, for all libraries in Hong Kong in September 2005
Indiana University Libraries
The major event for Indiana University Libraries in the past year was the renaming of the Main Library building in honor of Chancellor Herman B Wells. As both president and later chancellor, Herman B Wells was the guiding hand in the development of Indiana University as a great research institution with library collections befitting that designation. It is only fitting that the library, as the center of the university, be named after him. In accordance with his wishes, the library waited the five years that he stipulated should pass before anyone sought to honor his name in this manner. It is a daily pleasure to enter the building now inscribed with his name.
On the automation front, Indiana University has implemented a federated reference service from SIRSI that we call OneSearch@IU. It allows a patron to search many databases at once, including our local catalog, to locate full-text articles and other library materials quickly and easily. It complements the article link resolver from SFX that we implemented last year.
We continue our efforts to select and transfer volumes to our Auxiliary Library Facility. We have managed to maintain and even exceed fill-rate expectations. The facility is now reaching 50% capacity.
In CONSER-related matters, Indiana University acted as mentor to Michigan State University in their successful effort to attain CONSER status. With strengths in Africana and applied sciences, MSU will help CONSER strengthen its coverage in these areas. Indiana University continues to participate in the CONSER Publication Pattern Initiative as well as in the creation of PURLs for freely-accessible online serials. Most recently, Indiana University began requesting ISSN for serials it subscribes to via the CONSER Web form. We have been very impressed by the user-friendly design and the quick turn-around time that this Web site provides. In the age of article link resolvers and federated reference searching, the ISSN is even more central to the serial world than ever before. It has proven itself a trustworthy identifier that computer support specialists can rely on when developing software for innovative library services.
Library and Archives Canada
CONSER Annual report 2005 (1 July 2004-30 June 2005)
CONSER Records Loaded:
Library and Archives Canada loaded 3,662 serial records describing various formats to CONSER.
Amicus and Canadiana:
LAC’s bibliographic database Access Amicus is currently available free of charge on the Web. The Web site is at http://amicus.collectionscanada.ca/aaweb/amilogine.htm
ISSN Canada:
From 1 Apr. 2004-31 Mar. 2005, ISSN Canada provided 1,756 pre-publication ISSN’s to requesting Canadian serial publishers and registered 3,152 serials in the international ISSN database. Also, 1,960 records were revised.
Meetings:
John Clark attended the CONSER Operations meeting and Liz McKeen attended the PCC Policy Committee meeting. Sue Pickett attended the ISSN Meeting of Directors in Canberra, Australia and Ivan Basar represented LAC continuing resource cataloguers at NASIG in Minneapolis.
News:
Most of the LAC employees slated to move to the new location, Place de la Cité in Gatineau, Québec have done so and the remainder are scheduled to move by Nov. This location is next to LAC’s Gatineau Preservation Centre which was visited by President and Mrs. Bush on 30 Nov. during the President’s visit to Canada. The tour of the building and part of its collection was hosted by Ian Wilson, the Librarian and Archivist of Canada.
This move will not affect public access to LAC collections which will still be maintained at LAC’s main building at 395 Wellington St. in downtown Ottawa.
We will be participating in the CONSER pilot project on Access level records for e-serials which is in the planning stages. Also we have begun archiving and cataloguing Canadian Web sites as integrating resources in addition to the electronic serials we archive and catalogue. We have recently streamlined our CONSER workflow in an effort to trim staff costs.
Library of Congress
National Serials Data Program
The ISSN continued to be in great demand as a key to identification and management of continuing resources, especially electronic serials. Initiatives were undertaken to better meet the needs of ISSN users in the electronic environment, and to create efficiencies in the NSDP workflow. Work on the revision of the ISSN standard, ISO 3297, to enable it to function better in the electronic environment also contributed to NSDP’s FY 2005 accomplishments.
Requests for ISSN to be assigned to electronic resources continued to represent an increasing percentage (8%) of ISSN requests. Indeed of the over 6,000 ISSN assigned in FY05, over 1,600 were assigned to e-resources. However, ISSN requests for print resources continue to represent a considerable majority of requests, thus providing a strong indication that print serials are going to be around for some time to come. NSDP developed a Web form for CONSER libraries to request ISSN assignments for resources they identified as needing ISSN to populate knowledge bases such as those used by LC’s ERMS and OpenURL resolvers. NSDP began work with OCLC on a project to assign ISSN to e-resources identified by use of a vendor database. Records for over 6,000 U.S. e-journals lacking ISSN slated by OCLC for future CONSER authentication were identified by OCLC. Since NSDP discovered that some of these resources were not for separately published electronic editions, but rather, for print resources that have licensed some content to be included in article databases, they have taken a publisher-based approach and assigned ISSN to those electronic journals that constitute separate electronic editions. Future discussion of this issue with OCLC and CONSER is planned.
As part of an effort to avoid processing delays and duplication of effort, some NSDP catalogers were trained to select materials for the Library of Congress collection from among the serials received as part of ISSN requests. Those serials selected for permanent retention in the Library’s collections received full LC cataloging at the same time as the ISSN assignment and ISSN record were created. NSDP began including “discard” letters along with notification of ISSN to publishers of titles not selected for the LC collection. For “acquire” titles, NSDP sent sample issues to CAD where a “demand” letter was issued. These extra efforts on NSDP’s part contributed to more timely and efficient processing of serials at LC.
NSDP began preliminary collaboration with the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) on the assignment of ISSN to U.S. government serials. A GPO cataloger began training to assign ISSN under NSDP’s oversight and further training is expected to continue in October, 2005.
As part of the Leadership Development Program, a detailee studied ways to improve the efficiency of the NSDP prepublication process. CIP processes comparable to NSDP’s were investigated which helped clear a backlog of Copyright discard letters and established an ongoing procedure for NSDP to generate and mail these letters along with ISSN notifications to publishers. Next year consideration will be given to NSDP’s working with a group of larger publishers who will be given access to an online input form; to automating the prepub reminder process; and to restricting prepublications ISSN assignments to major publishers with demonstrated need to have ISSN assigned prior to the first issue of their serial. A form letter is now being used in certain cases to request publishers to delay ISSN application until they have published an issue.
With the increasing importance of the ISSN for locating, checking-in, management and OpenURL linking, an analysis of the LC database has revealed as many as 15,000 U.S. imprints (ceased as well as current) that lack ISSN. Many of these are serials from various levels of government. Further analysis of these titles and proposals for assigning ISSN to them (including the above GPO project) will be undertaken in the coming months.
The section head continued active participation in the ISSN standard revision work. She attended Working Group meetings in Amsterdam and Paris in 2005 and gave presentations at LC and at several American Library Association meetings to update the U.S. library community on the revision work. NSDP hosted a Working Group meeting at LC in November 2004. Development of the “Collocating Number,”(CN) a strategy to use the ISSN in medium-neutral identification and linking, was one of the innovations of the proposed new standard that will most benefit the U.S. community. The CN has the potential to be particularly useful in OpenURL resolution and in Electronic Resource Management systems. The first international balloting on the draft standard will take place in early 2006.
Library of Congress
Serial Record Division
Introduction
The division experienced a year with many changes throughout the sections. As with most other areas of Library Services, Serial Record lost several staff to retirement. Loss of staff throughout the directorate has caused us to look for ways to maximize resources and skills.
The division has played a leadership role in preparing for a major transition within the directorate: that of streamlining the functions that occur throughout the Acquisitions and Bibliographic Access divisions (ABA); looking for alternate strategies for processing receipts; and preparing blended position descriptions that will better allow us to carry out those functions. To that end we have entered into several pilots to test the new position descriptions well as new procedures - hosting staff from the acquisitions side of the directorate and sending division staff to perform acquisitions functions.
In all areas working backlogs were brought to manageable numbers and in some areas significant in-roads were made in reducing long-standing arrearages. With the mandate to improve efficiency and throughput as well as reduce costs in cataloging, the division performed well. Although a proposal had been made to reorganize the division by moving the Processing and Reference Section to the Anglo-American Division (ANAD), this has not yet been completed. Our expectation is that this will occur early in the new fiscal year.
Cataloging
Cataloging sections improved efficiency and throughput time
in cataloging serials. They embraced two major workflow initiatives
introduced to the division in early fiscal year 2004 - expansion
of copy cataloging and in-house subject cataloging. Cataloging
technicians and an acquisitions assistant from ANAD received
classroom and one-on-one training in copy cataloging. All senior
cataloging technicians are independently performing CONSER copy
cataloging and several are also independently cataloging non-CONSER
copy. To have achieved this level within less than a year is
testament to the trainees, their trainers and their supervisors.
Catalogers continued to increase their knowledge in the area
of subject cataloging and shelflisting both through formal training
and ongoing feedback from experienced SRD subject catalogers
and senior cataloging technicians. It has been most gratifying
to see the manner in which cataloging staff has embraced this
new responsibility. Our increased subject skills allowed us to
assist in clearing a backlog of 2,000 In Process serials resident
in the Serial and Government Publications Division many of which
dated back to pre-ILS.
Together these two accomplishments of copy cataloging by technicians and catalogers’ mastery of and independence in subject cataloging will better position us to embrace the expected shift of responsibilities between technicians and catalogers.
We continued to provide assistance to the overseas offices. Catalogers completed the subject cataloging on new titles for which the offices provide descriptive cataloging. We were pleased to be instrumental in responding to the ABA director’s mandate that the offices increasingly assume total processing for the materials they send to the Library.
Catalogers provided training for CONSER members - New York University Law Library, Cooperative Computer Services, and Connecticut State Library - as well as ongoing support to all members.
The division looked for ways to more efficiently handle records incorrectly cataloged as monographs. A section head worked with CPSO to first develop procedures for the cancellation of monograph items stored at Ft. Meade. These new procedures were successfully implemented in May 2005. At year’s end, after extensive consultation with colleagues throughout the Library, a proposal for more streamlined handling of all incorrectly cataloged monographs was completed.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
A major focus of the Libraries this past year was the exploration of new ways of working with electronic resources in the near future. This began with the co-development agreement MIT has, in conjunction with Harvard, with Ex Libris to develop their new electronic resource management system, Verde. Jennifer Edwards, as manager of MIT’s SFX Knowledgebase, participated in several development and review meetings with Ex Libris’ development team. She is also a member of a library-wide SFX / Verde Task Force, consisting of serials librarians, public service librarians, and systems staff, which is charged with looking at how all our systems will work together to present a cohesive interface to the public user for access to all of our electronic resources.
Towards this end, and to inform ourselves of the best way to process electronic journals, including loading aggregator journal titles into our OPAC, an ad hoc group was formed to review our single record method of cataloging electronic journals. The members included Jennifer, as Acting Head of the section, the Cataloging and Metadata Services Department Head, the MARC Database Manager, and a public services librarian. The group spent October through December 2004 meeting with representatives of all public services areas, and cataloging and acquisitions staff. Our conclusion was to continue using the single record approach, but use vendor records as much as possible (by matching on OCLC record numbers). We did a test load of several packages using MARCit records from SFX in the spring. We plan to load more records, beginning with the aggregator databases, in the near future.
Digital resource management activities continued to be a major responsibility for the section. A serials copy cataloger continued to work half time on quality control and systematic maintenance of Vera <http://libraries.mit.edu/vera>, our homegrown electronic resources database, and served as a member of the e-journals acquisitions team. The section met with this team several times this year to discuss and refine procedures and communication workflow.
MIT upgraded our SFX database to version 3 in April 2005. As
the manager of the Knowledgebase, Jennifer Edwards participated
with Public Services and Systems staff in updating the SFX public
menus, fixing the display logic for new targets, choosing services
to add to the menu, and launching the citation linker.
The section also focused more attention this year on the retrospective
conversion of DDC-classed serials in preparation for their remote
storage. Refinements were made to the selection criteria to determine
which types of materials are to be cataloged and processed. This
is a long-term project that we hope to finish within the next
two years.
David Van Hoy, Principal Serials Cataloger, retired on Jan. 29, 2005. Rebecca Lubas, Head of Cataloging and Metadata Services, represented MIT at the CONSER Operations Committee Meeting in May. Jennifer L. Edwards continued to serve as Acting Head of the Serials Cataloging Section. A search for a permanent Section Head began in June 2005, which we hope to fill by the end of the year.
Michigan State University Libraries
The Michigan State University (MSU) Libraries have been participating in the CONSER Publication Pattern Initiative since 2002 as a CONSER Enhance member. Our application for the CONSER Associate member status was approved in February 2005. James Castrataro of Indiana University is our mentor and reviewer.
In May 2005, James deemed Jim Latchney independent. From March through August 2005, Jim contributed 38 original records, 32 of which are full level. He alone also authenticated 78 existing records and 8 subsequent records, and performed maintenance on 202 CONSER records and 44 non-CONSER records. Most of the records are for electronic serials and Africana titles. Jim has also created 37 PURLs.
Anne Scholberg and Lyudmila Ivanova, our serials cataloging staff, continued to add publication pattern data in the 891 fields in CONSER records. Wen-ying Lu will be sending James Castrataro records for review beginning in late 2005. A project to verify and clean up ISSNs in local bibliographic records based on the error reports generated from Ulrich’s Serials Analysis System is underway, and we intend to continue to contribute records to CONSER for electronic serials and Africana titles. CONSER cataloging activity will continue with the full support of the MSU Libraries’s administration.
National Agricultural Library
The Technical Services Division at NAL has undergone significant personnel changes in 2005, with the hiring of Chris Cole as Head of Technical Services in February 2005 and Tina Shrader as CONSER Coordinator in March 2005. During the absence of a CONSER Coordinator and the implementation of the Voyager integrated library system during 2004-2005, NAL suspended authentication of CONSER records.
Since resuming CONSER participation in March, NAL has focused its serials cataloging efforts primarily on electronic serials, particularly USDA publications in electronic format. NAL is also exploring options for presenting links to USDA licensed electronic resources in its local catalog, as well as using access level records for many electronic resources.
National Library of Medicine
Personnel
The most significant personnel change for the Cataloging Section
was that Diane Boehr was appointed Head, Cataloging, effective
April 3, 2005. Prior to joining NLM in August 1998, Ms. Boehr
worked for Costabile Associates on a variety of contracts providing
bibliographic services to government, special, academic and
public libraries. For the last 10 years, she has also taught
cataloging at the University of Maryland library school. Ms.
Boehr holds a BS in Chemistry from the City College of New
York and a MLS from the University of Maryland, College Park.
She is active professionally in the American Library Association,
the Online Audiovisual Catalogers and the Program for Cooperative
Cataloging.
Ms. Boehr relinquished her role as NLM representative to the CONSER Operations Committee upon conclusion of the May 2005 CONSER Operations Committee meeting. Eugene Dickerson was appointed to be the new NLM CONSER representative. Mr. Dickerson joined NLM in October 1996 as the Bibliographic Unit Head in the NLM Serial Records Section. He became a Unit Head in the Cataloging Section upon the transfer of the Bibliographic Unit from Serial Records to Cataloging in July 2003.
The Cataloging Section is in the final stages of the recruitment of two Unit Head positions and, when the new Unit Heads are appointed, plans to complete a reorganization of the cataloging units into mixed teams containing both catalogers and technicians.
CONSER Contributions
NLM continued to make significant contributions to the CONSER
database during FY 2005. NLM created over 600 authenticated
records at either the full or core level, which is a slight
increase over the 573 original authenticated records contributed
in FY 2004. NLM authenticated nearly 300 existing records at
the full or core level, an 85% increase over FY 2004, and provided
subsequent authentication to over 50 records, a slight decrease
from FY 2004 figure of 62 records. NLM maintained over 1,500
CONSER records during FY 2005, a slight decrease from 1,492
records in FY 2004. NLM also maintained over 650 non-CONSER
records during FY 2005, which is approximately a 50% decrease
from FY 2004.
Many of NLM’s maintenance activities have been the result of our database clean up efforts in support of the SERHOLD to OCLC/OCLC to SERHOLD batch programs. These batch programs allow participating libraries to exchange summary holdings data for serials between SERHOLD, the NLM supported union list for medical libraries, and OCLC’s Union List service. This service saves labor for participants because they don’t have to update the same summary holdings data manually in two different union list systems. In order for the batch programs to work effectively, the OCLC control number must be present in the NLM serial bibliographic record, as this is the matching point when loading data to OCLC. The NLM unique identifier (NLM UI) must also be in the 016 field of the OCLC master bibliographic record, as this is the matching point when loading data from OCLC to SERHOLD. We discovered a problem where many records were not matching or were matched incorrectly. We have updated many records in both the NLM database and in OCLC WorldCat in order to match the records accurately. We have also recataloged some serials to match the serial bibliographic records in the OCLC WorldCat database, preferring to match with an existing CONSER record, if present. NLM also added its holdings symbol to many records in OCLC that did not previously have the NLM symbol attached. We also closed many bibliographic records in OCLC for serials that had ceased publication but had not had their records updated to reflect that they had ceased publication.
Other Related Activities
NLM participated in this winter’s review of the draft revision
of the Anglo-American Cataloging Rules. Representing the Medical
Library Association on the ALA/ALTCS/CC:DA Task Force on Consistency
across Part 1 of AACR and contributing to the ALA comments to
the Joint Steering Committee, NLM helped to redirect the concept
towards the more comprehensive revision of these rules that reflects
the principles of the Functional Requirements of Bibliographic
Records (FRBR) and the digital bibliographic environment. NLM
also contributed comments to the CONSER comments on the draft
of AACR3 Part 1, now called Resource Description and Access (RDA).
Diane Boehr served on the CONSER Task Group to study LC Copy Cataloging for Serials as a representative of the PCC Standing Committee on Standards. Ms. Boehr is also co-chairing a PCC task group on defining an access level bibliographic record for serials, with Regina Romano Reynolds, Library of Congress.
Gene Dickerson served as a tester for NSDP’s Web based CONSER ISSN Request system. The system was implemented successfully in August 2005.
Gene Dickerson taught an abridged version of the SCCTP Cataloging Integrating Resources Workshop for Collection Services staff at the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s Hamilton Library on April 21, 2005. Mr. Dickerson also taught the SCCTP Basic Serials Cataloging Workshop in Pittsburgh, PA on May 16-17, 2005 for PALINET, and on May 23-24, 2005 with Tina Shrader, National Agricultural Library, for CAPCON in Washington, DC.
Miranda Hay served as a co-trainer for the PCC series authority training session held in Oct. 2004 at the Library of Congress.
New York Public Library
This has been the year of migration for us. The bibliographic
utilities changed their platforms, RLG
to RLIN21, and OCLC to OCLC Connexion. Some of the changes were
downright painful; we had a great deal of trouble with RLIN 21,
and while OCLC Connexion Client (NYPL has opted for Client rather
than Browser) implementation went much better, it was not flawless.
To some degree this was due to some of our internal settings,
but not entirely. In addition to those major changes, locally,
we also moved to III Millennium Silver (on our OPAC).
The theme of migration also affected bibliographic records. We
used a vendor to upgrade brief level
monograph records (i.e. those having no subjects, and no added
entries) to fuller level. We sent out 80,000 monograph records
and 57, 000 were returned with at least one subject added (a
66% hit rate). We also worked with a vendor
to upgrade 130, 000 acquisition type records, and half of the
records were returned with subjects, and notes.
We began a lengthy process of reviewing mission and internal services functions. Our new management is looking into all aspects of how things are done. There are consultants as well, and all levels of staff are getting involved in the planning process. This is a long-term process that may show results several years from now.
We are participating in a project initiated by Google that involves scanning library materials and making full text available. The partners in this endeavor are Harvard, Stanford, Michigan, and Oxford University. NYPL is sending 11,000 volumes for digitizing as a pilot project. There are several major issues which cause concern; of course, copyright is one, but also the logistics of selecting material, sending it out, and getting it back. Then, there are the digital files each library is to get of its material - how is the library to notify its users that a digital file is defective in some way, or that it may not be available for use. All these issues, as well as the most important, how to inform library users of the scanned format once it is done, need to be resolved. In order to do just that, a discussion of how digital copies created through the Google program might be handled nationally (and locally) took place with partners such as: Harvard, Stanford, and Michigan (with input from RLG, OCLC and LC). Much depends on how the program will record digitized content in national databases.
As the serial staff is heavily involved in doing retrospective conversion for our off-site facility, we have had to curtail our CONSER activities. Despite many retrospective conversion projects over the years, we find that we have materials on the shelf, but no cataloging record in our system. So all staff must do retrospective conversion, because we need cataloging records and item records in order to send materials offsite. Between September 2004 and August 2005, NYPL contributed 287 original records and 57 authenticated records to CONSER. NYPL completed maintenance on 476 CONSER and 218 OCLC records.
New York State Library
This has been a very busy and exciting year for the New York State Library. Renovations have continued in the public areas as well as in staff work areas. Besides “sprucing up” the physical facility, we have introduced new programs and services as well as expanded our clientele base.
The library has launched a national search to fill the position of Research Library Director. A search committee has been formed and the review of applications will begin on September 15 and continue until a candidate is selected. Mary Redmond, Principal Librarian, Public Services, has served as Acting Director since the retirement of Liz Lane in December 2001.
The library and its personnel have been recognized with several
awards from national and statewide organizations.
- The Federal Institute of Museum and Library Services has
approved a proposal for a statewide recruitment project: “Making
it REAL! Recruitment, Education, And Learning: Creating a New
Generation of Librarians to Serve All New Yorkers.” A
grant of $995,630 will fund the recruitment activities of project
partners, including the New York State Library, thirteen library
systems, six graduate schools of library and information science,
and the New York Library Association, over a three-year period.
- Janet Welch, State Librarian and Assistant Commissioner
for Libraries, was honored at the second National Advocacy
Honor Roll Banquet at the American Library Association’s
2005 Annual Conference for her outstanding work in supporting
and strengthening library services in New York State. Senator
Hugh T. Farley and The New York Times were honored as well.
- Ms. Welch was also honored by the United States Department
of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics
and the United States National Commission of Libraries and
Information Science with the presentation of the John G. Lorenz
Award for the timely and accurate submission of State Library
agency data for fiscal year 2003.
- The Association of Law Libraries of Upstate New York (ALLUNY)
honored the New York State Library at its annual meeting, held
in Albany, October 1-3, 2004. An honorary plaque was presented
in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the organization’s
founding. ALLUNY was established in Albany on June 11, 1954
by State Law Librarian, Ernest H. Breuer, to support law library
staff and to promote interest in working in law libraries in
upstate New York. Breuer also prodded state government to make
their materials available through the State Library.
- The State Library and the State Archives have received a “Save America’s Treasures” grant from the National Park Service and the National Trust for Historic Preservation for conservation of items relating to the founding fathers. On June 2, 2005, the media was invited to a press conference to see some of the treasures that will be restored. On display were Washington’s dress sword, surveying equipment and a pistol he received from Lafayette, as well as the draft of his farewell address, written in his own hand, and a manuscript in which he evaluated the surviving Revolutionary War generals.
- During the week of October 4-8, 2004, the Library hosted,
with the other members of the New York State Office of Cultural
Education (the State Archives and the State Museum), the 4th
through 8th grades of the Albany City School District. The
Library’s theme was “How the State Library Protects
Their Primary Source Documents and How YOU Can Protect Your
Treasures.” Groups of students and their teachers would
arrive after having seen a copy of the Preliminary Emancipation
Proclamation, which is one of the State Library’s most
treasured possessions. That Thursday evening an event was held
specifically for the students and parents of the district,
which gave them a rare opportunity, along with the public,
to view the original document.
- Dr. Charles Gehring, of the New Netherland Project, was
interviewed by the Public Broadcasting television show, “History
Detectives.” The New Netherland Project has been translating
the State Library’s original Dutch documents from the
colonial period of New York State’s history. The segment
detailed the story of a grant of land in Manhattan to a slave.
The episode aired on September 12, 2005.
- A gift of four hundred letters and Civil War artifacts donated
to the Library by the great, great step-granddaughter of General
Alfred Neafie were described in the Albany Times Union on May
5, 2005. The non-paper items will be entrusted to our sister
organization, the State Museum. The letters, hand drawn maps
and photographs join an already noteworthy collection of Civil
War materials available to researchers visiting the State Library.
- The International Center of the Capital Region (ICCR) has donated its papers to the State Library. The papers document the work of the Center dealing with immigrants to the Capital Region.
- Together with the State Museum and the State Archives, the
State Library has begun collaborative digitization projects
(Native American Project, Environmental Project, and New York
State Publications Project). The technical portions have been
worked out and the content is now being input. Images will
be accessible in two ways: through web pages and Excelsior,
our online catalog. The New York State government publications
digitized collection, consisting of over one million images
and twelve thousand titles, is currently available.
- The Department of Motor Vehicles announced the availability
of the new “Love Your Library” license plate at
a press conference at the Library on June 29, 2005. The plate
features a library-related graphic and the tagline READ LEARN
EXPLORE. The new plate is available to owners of passenger
or commercial vehicles registered in New York State. Proceeds
from the annual fee will help support the New York State Library’s
Statewide Summer Reading Program at public libraries across
the state.
- The State Library has instituted a system of pre-paid debit
copy cards for the convenience of onsite patrons for use with
photocopy, scanning and other reproduction equipment.
- Also, for the convenience of onsite patrons, the Library
has become a WIFI hotspot. Free wireless internet access is
available on the main public floor. No special encryption settings,
user names or passwords are required. Researcher tables are
equipped with electrical outlets that allow laptops to be plugged
in directly.
- The Anna K. and Mary E. Cunningham Research Residency Program
in New York State History and Culture was established in 1997
to benefit scholars using the Library’s unique collections
in these areas. Four awards of $1,000 each, as well as access
to photoduplication and other services were awarded in 2005
for studies on: readers and books in colonial New York City
(Joyce Goodfriend), environmental history of the upper Hudson-Champlain
corridor (Michael Gunther), businesswomen in 19th century Albany
(Susan Ingalls), and women’s history in northern New
York (Carli Schiffer).
- The State Library has implemented a federated search tool, which allows users to simultaneously search the Library’s web site, catalog, or subscription databases. The Library’s home page has been revised to include a prominently placed search box. WebFeat has been selected as the vendor.
- implementation of cataloging “born digital” New
York State documents,
- the Cataloging Unit was able to fill several vacant positions
so that it is at a full staffing level for the first time in
many years,
- completed cataloging of Cornell University Natural History
monographs on microfilm,
- Unicorn was upgraded to version 2003.0.11.1 on November
15, 2004,
- the Newspaper Project’s detailed inventory of newspaper
collections, begun in 1987, was completed in October 2004 (filming
will continue until June 2006),
- total items received and processed through Acquisitions, Cataloging and Documents units in (NYS) fiscal year 2004/2005 were 313,407.
Texas A&M University, College Station
After disappointing years in 2003/2004-2004/2005 due to severe
cuts in staffing, I am delighted to report that since July we
have gained 3 of our 4 lost serial unit positions. Tom Nelson
(retired former editor of the Houston Chronicle and A&M journalism
professor!), is in charge of holdings and serial record maintenance.
Kai Yu is our new professional serials cataloger, transferred
to serials after 9 months in the monographic cataloging unit,
and we are glad to also welcome Paul Bump (transferred from the
catalog maintenance unit), to work with e-serials. Unit veteran
Carole Oplinger will take charge of series authorities, and Marina
Shipova (beginning her 2nd year in the unit, and promoted this
year to serials copy cataloging) will manage copy cataloging,
title changes, and the serials backlog. During the last few months
we have concentrated on providing training in CONSER serials
cataloging and policy, serial holdings, local workflow, and the
use of Voyager for these newcomers to serials work. We were also
fortunate to have had onsite subject heading and LC Classification
workshops given by LC staff. While continuing more advanced serials
cataloging training, during the coming year we must also train
our new staff in NACO name and series authority work. Formerly
isolated in their own libraries, cataloging staff from our separate
special collections and medical sciences libraries have also
been included in all training to encourage the formation of a
campus wide CONSER serials team. As the new team gains expertise
and experience, we expect our production to greatly increase
during the 2005/2006 year. Kai Yu has gained a grant to work
with OCLC on the implementation of CJK characters and can assist
with Chinese serials, and Marina contributes Russian language
expertise to the unit’s abilities.
As well as authenticating and updating records for print serials, we hope to contribute many original records for microfilm reproductions of serial titles. Reproduction cataloging seemed a good project for beginning serials catalogers to practice on, so as a team we have started cataloging the titles in the European Women’s Periodicals 600 reel microfilm set. The management of e-serials continues to be a major part of the unit’s current workload. During the past few months, Texas A&M has prepared the implementation of the SFX link resolver to replace the previously used database of databases. Related to this implementation, among other projects, we are currently isolating e-serial records which lack ISSNs and 006 fields, and discovering what we can do to remedy this problem discovered in 400 of the 6000 e-serial records already in the local catalog, and we are also working on the development of automated reports to list serial titles in SFX which are not in the catalog. Since such preliminary reports show we lack another 6000 bibliographic records for titles to which we have electronic access, we expect that updating, authentication, and original cataloging for e-serial records will be a large part of our contribution for 2005/2006. We are also experimenting with developing a program that, when a user selects any serial bibliographic record in the catalog, automatically searches the SFX database for an ISSN match and inserts a SFX link button on the serial record for those titles that it discovers in the SFX database.
United States Government Printing Office
US GPO, FY2005: The Office of Bibliographic Services of the United States Government Printing Office, Information Dissemination, continues to identify, catalog, and authenticate serial publications issued by the U.S. government for the CONSER database. Bibliographic Services currently has ten serials catalogers on staff, but three serials catalogers were detailed to work solely on ONIX metadata for the last four months of the fiscal year. GPO is currently implementing its new Aleph ILS, and has named our OPAC Franklin, which we expect to unveil in the coming months.
For FY 2005 (Oct 2004-Oct 2005), GPO serials staff produced original CONSER-level cataloging for 538 titles. We also authenticated 87 titles already present in OCLC for addition to the CONSER database; our total contributions for the year were 625 records.
In addition, GPO performed maintenance on 1235 existing CONSER records during the reporting year. The serials cataloging staff continues to create series authority records for the NACO Program. 17 series records were contributed to the authority files and 21 series maintenance transactions were made during the report year.
GPO's catalogers have experienced two reorganizations, one physical move within our building, and the ILS implementation in the course of this fiscal year. During the implementation, our staff was unable to catalog for a month while data reindexing took place. Consequently, our stats for 2005 represent less than a full year's work. The staff is very excited to begin using our new OPAC, and we will be excited to unveil it for the public as well.
In the midst of our other changes, Mike Levinson retired on March 25, 2005. His position as GPO's representative to CONSER has been assumed by Jennifer Davis. Two new serials catalogers were been added to staff this spring. We are moving ahead with plans to train a few more of our monographs catalogers in serials so they have greater versatility in handling materials.
University of California, Los Angeles
Statistics
Between October 2004 and August 2005, UCLA contributed 684 original records and 166 authenticated records to CONSER. UCLA completed maintenance on another 604 CONSER records. These figures represent a healthy increase over work completed for 2003/2004. Original cataloging rose by almost 12%; authentication, by 67.6%; and maintenance, by 80%.
Staffing
This year, we lost some CONSER catalogers, but gained some new contributors as well. George Wrenn (Law Library), Mikyung Kang (East Asian Library), and Barbara Rudich (Hebrew/Yiddish serials cataloger, UCLA Cataloging & Metadata Center) each moved on to new places and new jobs. They will be missed!
On the bright side, Melissa Beck returned to the Cataloging & Metadata Center as a part-time CONSER cataloger. Long-time CONSER members will remember Melissa from her previous stint at UCLA in the 1980s. In addition, Hong Cheng, Chinese-language cataloger at the East Asian Library, was introduced to CONSER cataloging; we anticipate that he will begin participating this October.
Activities
Cindy Shelton continued to represent CONSER on the PCC Policy Committee (PoCo). This year, she served on PoCo’s Task Group on the PCC Mission Statement.
CONSER Cataloging: This year’s statistics reflect changes in what UCLA CONSER catalogers are receiving for cataloging & how we catalog. With the advent of OCLC Connexion and with the help of Hoda Fateen’s CEG Appendix E, our Arabic CONSER cataloger, Behzad Allahyar, implemented vernacular Arabic script cataloging for serials cataloged at UCLA. In terms of European language serials, the Serials Cataloging Section began processing cataloging requests related to serials destined for the UC Shared Print Collection. This print archive currently includes the journals issued by 11 major publishers; most of the titles are also issued online. Melissa Beck is the lead cataloger for journals in the UC Shared Print Collection.
SCCTP: Rhonda Lawrence enjoyed co-presenting with Steve Shadle an SCCTP Integrating Resources Cataloging Workshop at the University of Hawaii at Manoa Campus, Hawaii (March 23-24, 2005).
Committees: Luiz Mendes worked on the PCC SCT Task Group to Update Integrating Resources Documentation and Training Materials; that Task Group completed its work in Jan. 2005. Valerie Bross continued to serve on the FRBR Task Group and the OpenURI Task Group (chair).
University of Chicago Library
Our CONSER cataloging statistics are about the same this year as they were last year. From Sept. 2004-Aug. 2005 we authenticated 156 Full/Core original records and 2 Minimal original records. This compares with 135 original records last year. We authenticated 24 Full/Core existing records and 1 Minimal existing record, compared with 29 existing records last year. We did subsequent authentication on 2 Full/Core records, compared with 3 for last year.
Our maintenance statistics are also about the same as last year. We made changes to 460 authenticated records, compared with 496 for last year, and we changed 378 non-CONSER records, compared with 352 for last year. We continue to be active in the CONSER/PCC PURL Project. From Sept. 2004-Aug. 2005 we created 59 PURLs, revised 39 PURLs, and modified 2 PURLs for Web sites which no longer exist.
Renette Davis continues to be a member of the CONSER task force that was formed to explore the CONSER Summit recommendation of accommodating OpenURL linking in PCC records. She also served on the task group to review the PCC documentation and SCCTP training materials for cataloging integrating resources. That task group finished their work in March.
Renette was active in commenting on the CAPC/OLAC Source of Title Note for Internet Resources, and helped coordinate a CONSER/PCC discussion of the document. She also made comments on the draft of Part I of AACR3 through CONSER. She has been active in responding to the draft cataloging guidelines for LC's access level record for monographic and integrating Internet resources, and has volunteered to help with the development of an access level record for serials.
University of Florida
The University of Florida continued to adapt to our ILS migration, OCLC client changes, the challenges of altered workflow, and the implementation of MARC holdings.
We began our year with training for the new serials catalogers in our subject-area units. We used both the Basic and Advanced Serials Cataloging Courses, with some abridgement and adaptation, as the basis of this training. Four staff members created their first-ever original records to the UF catalog this year; several others sharpened their skills and contributed serial records for the first time in years. Because these staff members are still developing their skill and comfort with serials, and since the majority of Naomi’s time has been devoted to training rather than cataloging, our contributions for this year have dropped off sharply. However, our total number of original records (50) is slightly higher than FY 2004 (47); and the proportion of original records to the total number of contributions is actually higher.
We lost two members of the serials cataloging team during the year: Yue Li, our Asian Cataloger; and Marcia Martin, one of our paraprofessionals. They have both been replaced by catalogers who have already received SCCTP training.
The concepts Naomi Young learned as part of the CONSER Task Force on FRBR and Continuing Resources provided the basis for part of a departmental workshop on FRBR that will be offered again later this fall as a regional network workshop.
Another significant change is our decision to purchase vendor records for our electronic journals. After discussions with our public services staff, we opted for separate print and electronic records; a single link on the vendor record leads to a list of links for all electronic versions. We are also experimenting to see how long it takes for new original e-serial records in the CONSER database to be modified and distributed by the vendor.
Naomi was especially active with the state universities’ Cataloging and Access Guidelines for Electronic Resources (CAGER) Committee. Members of this group pointed out a conflict between the standards for the Digital Library Masters database; she presented this information to Operations Committee at the annual meeting. CAGER also agreed to test a project for funneling ISSN requests for locally-digitized materials through UF and the ISSN request page developed at NSDP. Naomi became the Chair of CAGER, beginning with its August meeting.
University of Georgia
During the past year (through August 2005), the University of Georgia contributed 142 original, authenticated records, authenticated 209 existing records, and performed maintenance on 1122 authenticated records. Much of our work has been with electronic serials. Our Serials Cataloger now receives a spreadsheet containing electronic titles to be cataloged, rather than the old, title-by-title way of notification. A recent purchase of Elsevier backfiles, as well as ongoing print-to-electronic cancellations, ensures that we will continue our work on electronic titles in the coming year. We still continue to catalog print resources, though our print subscriptions have decreased. One category of print resources we have been working with more is Georgia State Documents. These materials used to be cataloged in a separate department, and only were given to Serials Cataloging last year. Initially we were not authenticating, but recently began to authenticate selected document titles.
In addition to cataloging, staff in the Serials Cataloging Section have been busy with a pilot project to change the workflow of sending materials to the UGA Libraries offsite storage facility. For periodicals and serials, the change entailed more work for our holdings staff, but the resulting OPAC display is much clearer. The pilot lasted many months, but the change has recently become permanent. We continue to contribute publication patterns, though in smaller numbers from last year (through August, 33 new, 97 subsequent and 58 modified patterns). We hope to increase those numbers in the coming year.
Beth Thornton participated in a CONSER group to study lccopycat records. Sophie Dong was recognized at UGA for her work organizing a display for a ceremony held to honor a donation of Chinese materials. She continues to work with these materials, searching for copy, routing materials and serving as the language resource person. Finally, Ann Hope, UGA’s Head of Cataloging, retired in December 2004, and we are pleased to have Debbie McAnallen as our Acting Department Head.
University of Maryland
Carlen Ruschoff served as Chair Emeritus of the Program for Cooperative Cataloging' Policy Committee and as CONSER' representative to the PCC Policy Committee. Carlen is also Chair of the CONSER Task Force on Publication Patterns and Holdings. Carlen chaired a group that revised the PCC Mission Statement. Jeanne Baker is a member of the CONSER Task Force on Publication Patterns and Holdings Workflow Task Group and its Documentation Group. Jeanne served as co-trainer with Louise Rees (University of Pennsylvania) for the SCCTP Advanced Serials Cataloging Workshop sponsored by and held at the PALINET offices Dec. 2-3 in Philadelphia. Beth Guay served as a member of the PCC Standing Committee on Automation Task Group on Linking Entries which issued its Final Report in Feb. 2005.
University of Oregon
University of Oregon's total number of CONSER transactions for FY2005 was 584. This includes 179 authentications, of which 151 were full or core records. We have continued to create and maintain PURLs for freely available electronic journals. Numbers are down once again this year due to a loss of FTE, an increase in time-consuming local cataloging and maintenance of electronic journals, and an increase in team involvement in departmental projects.
Team work from Nov. 2004 thru Apr. 2005 focused almost exclusively on electronic journals. Changes in subscriptions meant we had to perform maintenance on almost all of the close to 4000 e-journals in the catalog, in many cases more than once because of multiple subscriptions. In addition, we added first-time electronic access to 1359 records during this time. Maintenance and new e-journal cataloging has continued at a lower, but steady, level throughout the year. Most of this work is done locally by adding fields and holdings to records for print publications.
Serials team staff continued increasing their involvement in UO's institutional repository and digital collections initiatives this year. Contributions have included harvesting, scanning, loading documents, OCR and inputting metadata. Mary Grenci, Serials Team Leader and Metadata Librarian has also recently become involved in the administration of the institutional repository.
SFX has proved to be a huge success for the library. Most SFX searching is done from citations within databases. The link from SFX to an ILL request form is also used heavily. Print holdings continue to be added to SFX one to two times a year.
Expectations for next year include another heavy round of electronic journal cataloging and maintenance, continued participation in institutional repository and digital collections work and continuing CONSER transactions at approximately the same level as this year.
University of Texas at Austin
CONSER productivity continued high, but down from last year’s all-time highest figure, thanks to the completion of the grant-funded Mexican newspaper project in March 2005. While CONSER activity is still primarily centered on Latin American serials, participation by the general Serials Cataloging Unit has continued to increase this year.
A new activity for us this year was submission of requests to NSDP for ISSN-on-demand assignment. That capability is much appreciated, now that ISSN have become such a vital part of our serial records, and the fast turn-around by NSDP staff is great.
Sue Fuller served as a member of the group charged with analyzing LC serial copy cataloging in Spring 2005.
University of Washington
At the University of Washington Libraries, the Serials Services Division underwent a major planning process called “Defining the Future,” involving nearly every division member as well as individuals from other units. Task forces developed recommendations on more efficient workflows, work assignments, staff development, vendor services, communication, training, the Periodicals Collection and Information Desk, space allocation, and expanded use of remote shelving. Part of the Receipts Section (i.e., the processing staff) was merged into the Serials Cataloging Section at the end of the year, more than doubling the section from three staff to seven. A training effort for two new copy catalogers and one returning original cataloger was begun; another staff member will be trained in retrospective conversion; and existing serials catalogers will be trained in processing work.
Serials Cataloging staff focused on the cataloging of new and maintenance serials, including print, microform, and electronic journals – with electronic journals increasingly being an important part of our routine workload. Providing timely, accurate access to the UW electronic journals collection continued as an important goal: to add and maintain catalog/digital registry records, with current links to e-resources, and, where possible, to present users a single catalog record with all URL’s and holdings for electronic and print versions of titles available at UW. We continued to rely on an outside vendor (Serials Solutions) to supply current bibliographic and holdings records and URL’s for titles in aggregations; and process and cataloged remaining titles in the division.
The Serials Cataloging Section continued to absorb cataloging of titles in “new” languages, most recently Latvian, Lithuanian and Estonian titles, within our expanding Baltic collection. We completed a retrospective conversion project catalog for approximately 1300 titles using ISSNs as matching point through the use of OCLC’s CatMe. In early summer, OCLC Passport was phased out of operation and we made the transition to OCLC’s Connexion interface.
CONSER (and SCCTP)-related activities: Steve Shadle led a two-day SCCTP Integrating Resources Cataloging workshop at the University of Hawaii Law School (Honolulu, HI) with Rhonda Lawrence (UCLA-Law). Kristin Lindlan compiled the CONSER response on draft rule revision proposals for Part I of AACR3 for an ad hoc group of CONSER catalogers.
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January 11, 2007