Shared Cataloging Program - Reports to HOTS

Shared Cataloging Program (SCP) Annual Report
FY 2005/2006
September 25, 2006

Productivity

Serials

This year SCP added 3,136 links 1 for serial titles. The most substantive growth occurred in the EBSCO Business Premier package (666) and in open access journal additions (884), most of which, 331, were titles for the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). Other packages showing substantive growth were SpringerLink (346), Expanded Academic ASAP (136), PubMed Central (131), and JSTOR (130). This year only two new licensed packages were added to SCP's standing workload which combined accounted for only 23 titles. Otherwise, steady growth occurred to vast majority of the remaining packages. Using batch processing, we performed a major deletion project in August, removing ABI/INFORM access in a two-day period from over one thousand titles.

Monographs

Relative to last year, our increase in access to e-monographs was significantly less, with just 7,525 access points added. Packages experiencing the greatest increases were SPIE Digital Library conference proceedings (1,737), Early American Imprints I (1,420) adding the last of the items for that package, SpringerLink (1,363), and IEEE Xplore conference proceedings (1,260). Two new licensed packages were processed. Another major monographic package that was completed was LION. We added records for the sub-database, Early American Fiction (729).

Integrating Resources

The net growth in integrating resources (databases) was 81. Integrating resources represent a minor workload relative to journals and monographs. However, depending on the database, there is the potential for discrete, individual title access. While planned for, this can cause the SCP workload to occasionally mushroom.

California Documents

SCP increased net access to 35 serials, 288 monographs, and 7 integrating resources during this report period. Output for CalDocs was lower than in past years partly as a result of the CalDocs postion being vacant for several months (see staff changes below).

Link Resolvers

We added nearly 12,000 new PIDs this fiscal year, so SCP staff are now maintaining 108,131 PIDs. In addition, SCP staff created 1,678 BibPURLs, bringing the total of BibPURLs maintained to 5,144. BibPURLs are created using the same technology as PIDs and their use is guided by the same principles. We adopted the use of BibPURLs in keeping with national level cataloging practices. BibPURLs are used for free access materials and are added to the OCLC master record for national, and UC, distribution. In contrast, PIDs are created for UC licensed resources, and being UC specific, are not entered into the OCLC master record.

Other Accomplishments

SFX OpenURLs. CDL and SCP staff continued to meet and to plan a transition from the CDL PID server to a mixed environment using SFX OpenURLs and URLs created using a proposed CDL Persistent URL resolver. Beginning July 1, 2006, SCP staff began using SFX OpenURLs in all case when possible when providing new electronic access to serials. Retrospective conversion in records for serials, of PIDs to SFX OpenURLs, will occur in two stages. In stage one, SCP staff will convert the native URLs in the PID server to their corresponding SFX OpenURLs. In stage two, staff will replace the PIDs in bibliographic records with their corresponding SFX OpenURLs and redistribute the records to the campuses. As to the development of the proposed resolution service, SCP staff assisted CDL in creating the software specifications and establishing detailed linking guidelines for when to use the various persistent identifiers available for use in bibliographic records (SFX OpenURLs, PIDs, ARKs, BibPURLs, and GPO PURLs: see http://www.cdlib.org/inside/projects/scp/UClinkresolverguidelines.doc )

Acquisitions and ERM tracking proposals. Working with UCSD Acquisitions staff and the SCP Advisory Committee, SCP implemented the 793 $g proposal. Via this subfield, the campuses have a mechanism by which to track the nature and currency of access for each vendor for each serial title. In addition, in preparation for the Verde ERMS implementation, CDL requested SCP add the SFX Object IDs to SCP serial records. These projects dovetailed with a comprehensive serial record clean-up project SCP had been working on. Work on all three projects was completed early this year and the complete SCP serial file was distributed to the campuses in mid-March.

UC CONSER Funnel. SCP staff participated in the creation of the UC CONSER Funnel. Working with some members of the SCP Advisory Committee, other UC staff, and CONSER (a national level program devoted to serials cataloging), the Funnel became operational in April. The Funnel represents a new development for CONSER as no other funnel program had been created within CONSER before now. SCP cataloger Renee Chin was selected to be the Funnel's Communications Coordinator and promptly set up the Funnel's email list and Web presence ( http://libraries.universityofcalifornia.edu/hots/conser/ ).

As a precursor to the Funnel, SCP staff agreed to a serial maintenance pilot project by which the campuses sent notice of select serials maintenance work they wished performed on OCLC serial master records. Because the UCSD Libraries are an associate member of CONSER, UCSD serial catalogers are able to make permanent changes to the OCLC serial master records. By directing the maintenance requests to SCP catalogers, updated OCLC records could then be distributed to the campuses, allowing for the most current version of the serial record to be used by all the campuses. The work generated by this project was within means so that at the end of the pilot, SCP agreed to continue to act on serial maintenance requests from the other campuses. Eventually, full participation by all the campuses in the UC CONSER Funnel will make this maintenance work on the part of SCP unnecessary. However, as part of their Funnel work, participating campuses will continue to report to SCP the OCLC numbers of serial records they revise so that SCP can redistribute those revised records to the campuses.

Congressional Serial Set. SCP staff continued to work with vendors to maximize use and availability of vendor records. Most significantly, SCP staff, along with SCP Advisory Committee Chair John Riemer, met with representatives from Readex to discuss the creation of a MARC record set for the Congressional Serial Set. This package will eventually contain some 350,000 items. Meeting during ALA midwinter and annual meetings, we advised Readex of various strategies for creating MARC records with authorized headings and of the potential market for such a set. At this point, the MARC XML conversion specialist has received the proprietary records from Readex to convert. John Riemer, Adolfo Tarango, and Becky Culbertson hope to review a set of sample records created through this process some time this fall.

Road Show. Between July and November, SCP and CDL Acquisitions staff traveled to each of the ten campuses, giving one-day presentations on both programs at each one. The presentations were divided into two parts. The first half was a general overview aimed at all interested library staff, covering the history, purpose, and various general operational processes. The second half was geared to a more select technical services audience and provided more detail, including answering specific questions. The “Road Show,” as it was called, was quite a success. Accomplishing its goal of raising awareness and understanding of the SCP in general, the second half of the program allowed SCP staff to work directly and in a focused manner with local staff on a variety of issues. File processing of SCP records emerged as the most important area of discussion. During our final visit, with UC Riverside, it was suggested that a meeting of cataloging and systems staff from each campus would be a good follow-up to the Road Show. As most issues involve the loading and manipulation of the SCP files they receive, an exploration of workflow and processing techniques might lead to more efficient processing by each of the campuses.

Personnel. In April of this year, SCP lost its long-time California documents cataloger, Hanley Cocks, when she accepted another position within the UCSD Libraries Metadata Services Department. Being the first cataloger hired for the cataloging of California documents, her expertise in this area, and plain old collegiality, will be missed by all. She has fortunately agreed to train her replacement, Dónal O'Sullivan. Dónal started July 23rd. Coming from the UCSD Libraries' Acquisitions Department, Dónal worked on the acquisitions of government publications, including California documents. His familiarity with them and other skills made him an outstanding candidate for the position and we look forward to his future contributions to the program.

On another front, SCP gained approval to post for and hire a temporary Chinese language materials cataloger. The person hired will begin with a focus on cataloging the China Academic Journal and other Tier 1 Chinese language packages licensed by CDL.

Goals for 2006-07

1. Process and distribute the EEBO and ECCO records.

2. Continue to work with CDL on integrated URL resolution service.

3. Continue to improve communication, with particular attention to status of work on current packages. One idea we are exploring is a wiki to record and share detailed information.

4. Complete the transition to SFX OpenURLs, phase one by Dec. 31, phase two by June 30. Distribution of records after phase two is a separate process.

5. Develop a more efficient workflow for SFX maintenance.

6. Continue to explore new ways to consolidate link maintenance, i.e., using SFX OpenURLs and possible the OCLC Digital Archive links for CalDocs.

7. Continue exploration of batch process improvements, especially processes that aid campuses in processing SCP files.

8. Hire the temporary Chinese language cataloger and begin processing and distributin Chinese language records. Develop a longer-term strategy for systemwide CJK cataloging needs.

9. Work with CDL staff to find a sustainable mechanism for distributing records with appropriate links for UC's digitized content from the Open Content Alliance and Google Books projects.

10. Evaluate MARCit! and other similar services to assess economies for maintenance.

11. Evaluate various strategies for staffing, cataloging, and distributing records for non-textual materials (music, maps, etc.).

12. Continue to monitor the implementation of Verde and leverage that system and its data through SCP processes to reduce redundancy and achieve greater efficiency.

Horizon Issues

UCSD Database Management staff continues to devise various creative strategies for the manipulation of large records sets . Our experience with vendor records indicates that the quality and integrity of data remains varied. Much of our ability to manipulate record sets remains dependent on functionality specific to UCSD's Innovative Interfaces system. If ongoing discussion with Readex proves fruitful, strategies for batch authority control and bibliographic authority maintenance will need to be explored.

The potential for workload increases remain and must be carefully managed. When completed, the addition of the EEBO, ECCO, and the Congressional Serial Set would add nearly 500,000 titles to each local ILS through the judicious use of vendor records. The cataloging of new material types is becoming more of a reality. CDL recently concluded negotiations for musical sound files from Classical Music Library, Naxos Digital Services, and Smithsonian Global Sound. As always, we will make use of vendor records to the degree possible, but vendor records are not always available. Current SCP staff lack music cataloging expertise, and additionally, cataloging policies and procedures for these new materials will need to be developed. While SCP can take advantage in the short term of advice from UCSD music cataloging staff, long term commitment will require exploring other options. A broader strategy to handle various formats and languages needs to be developed.

The balance has shifted between serials and monographs. When SCP began in early 2000, serials represented 100% of SCP's workload. As the statistics below show, monographs have become the greater share of SCP's workload, with serials now representing only about 20% of titles cataloged and just over one-third of SCP's total transactions. We expect that this trend toward the cataloging and maintenance of non-serial records will continue. When SCP began, products (such as SFX) and vendors (such as Serials Solutions) did not exist to assist with electronic serial management. SCP needs to explore new products and services to assess any efficiencies we might gain that would allow staff to focus attention in other needed areas.

Discussions generated by the work of groups set up to explore implementation of the recommendations of the Bibliographic Services Task Force (BSTF) report describe many potential impacts on SCP. SCP was held up as a model in some ideas enumerated in the BSTF report, but also might be rendered unnecessary through implementation of other ideas contained in the report.  Options and strategic directions articulated by the Japanese language cataloging subgroup of  HOTS, the Chinese language report being prepared by SCP, and the CAMCIG report on the single file store may be early indicators of the future directions for SCP.

Submitted on September 25, 2006 by Adolfo R. Tarango

Productivity/Statistics  

¹ New Access: all instances of adding an 856 link, either because a new title was cataloged, or a new link was added to previously cataloged title.

² Modified Records: all instances of bibliographic record maintenance such as updating holdings data, processing title changes, correcting cataloging errors, etc

³ Withdrawn Access: all instances of the removal of an 856 link