Next-Generation Technical Services Update: November 2011
Power of Three Groups: Lightning Teams charged and moving forward
Lightning Teams (LTs) created under POTs 2 through 6 have begun working on specific, defined tasks in support of the NGTS objectives and deliverables. Their charges and rosters have been posted (http://libraries.universityofcalifornia.edu/sopag/ngts_pots.html) on the NGTS website.
POT 1: Build the system-wide infrastructure for digital collections
SOPAG has accepted the Digital Library Services Task Force 2 (DLSTF2) Report (http://libraries.universityofcalifornia.edu/sopag/DLSTF2_FINAL_10May2011.pdf) and identified priority actions (http://libraries.universityofcalifornia.edu/sopag/DLSTF2_SOPAG_acceptance_06Oct2011.pdf) for the UC Libraries. The NGTS Management team is finalizing the charge and membership for POT 1, which will begin work on these actions.
POT 2: Transform cataloging practices
LT 2.1.1 is gathering and compiling information on the current shelf-ready environment: vendor information on shelfready services and pricing; campus shelfready profiles and agreements; and recommendations for system-wide shelfready projects.
LT 2.1.2 will be comparing and evaluating physical processing specifications from each campus: “What would it take to get agreement on the physical processing of materials so that they could be centrally processed but housed in different libraries? Must a systemwide shelfready contract be complicated by physical processing specs unique to each campus, or can parts of that processing be standardized across the ten campuses?”
POT 3: Accelerate processing of archival and manuscript collections
LT 3.1 is developing a UC-wide Archivists’ Toolkit implementation plan that factors in existing usage and needs as well as the training and support services required. The team will define how campuses can migrate from a local-hosted instance of Archivists’ Toolkit to the CDL-hosted service as well as participate in testing of the forthcoming ArchivesSpace software.
LT 3.2 is developing a More Product Less Process (MPLP) implementation manual that will guide campuses on how to change existing practices to make processing more efficient and make special collections available for research as quickly as possible after acquisition. The team will also create tools for assessing processing requirements and target processing rates.
LT 3.3 will define a minimal collection-level record specification for materials described according to archival descriptive rules. The specification will reflect recommendations from the national US archival data content standard (Describing Archives) and the international archival data structure standard (ISAD-G), and will provide encoding analogs for MARC and EAD.
POT 4: Simplify the recharge process
LT 4.1 will assess how the CDL Deposit Account System is working for the eight campuses that have implemented it and facilitate adoption by the two remaining campuses (UCD, UCSB). The team will also identify issues related to compliance with campus accounting requirements and recommend improvements to the payment process.
POT 5: Maximize effectiveness of Shared Cataloging
LT 5.1 will survey the campuses and Shared Cataloging Program (SCP) to assess SCP record distribution to the campuses, in particular the impact on public services. The SCP distributes records to the campuses to support functions such as resource discovery through local OPACS, display of local data in Melvyl, and providing an inventory of campus CDL entitlements. Given the associated workload, could the resources devoted to this process be better allocated to other tasks? The team will investigate if stopping the distribution would cause problems in campus public services or technical services functions.
CAMCIG (Cataloging and Metadata Common Interest Group) (http://libraries.universityofcalifornia.edu/hots/camcig/) has been charged with investigating monetary and staffing costs of record distribution to SCP and campuses—both current state and if campuses choose to add the records themselves.
POT 6: Develop system-wide Collections Services Operations
LT 6.1A is conducting a survey of existing UC shared collection services operations. The data collected from this survey will help determine the next steps and pilot projects proposed for UC Collections Services Centers.
LT 6.1B will survey the current staff resources available for technical service functions and aim to discover the skill sets and portfolios not covered by existing staff resources, but which are clearly needed, or will be needed in the next five years.
LT 6.1C will be surveying campuses for tools they have and those they need to support the full range of technical services functions.
LT 6.2 will conduct a survey to identify current cataloging and processing backlogs of monographs and serials, and to understand more about the nature of these materials. The team will evaluate the scope and format of an earlier survey conducted by the Heads of Technical Services (HOTS) to see how it can be improved to allow for easier collecting and updating. This will help guide identification of pilot projects and opportunities for eliminating these backlogs.
POT 7: Transform collection development practices
POT7 has discussed coordination with the Shared Monographs Coordinating Group (SMCG) (https://libraries.universityofcalifornia.edu/cdc/taskforces/) regarding gathering an inventory of shared collection development commitments and discussed the system-wide collecting of traditional materials with the Collection Development Committee (CDC).