Showing papers in "Library Resources & Technical Services in 2009"

Better,faster,stronger: integrating archives processing and technical services

Abstract: The University of Denver’s Penrose Library implemented a consolidated cataloging and archives processing unit for all materials, taking advantage of the structure, workflow design, and staff resources that were already in place for library-wide materials processing: acquisitions, cataloging, binding, and stacks maintenance. The objective of Penrose Library’s integrated approach was to efficiently create metadata that allow searches based on subject relevance rather than on collection provenance. The library streamlined archives processing by integrating digital content creation and management into the materials processing workflow. The result is a flexible, sustainable, and scalable model for archives processing that utilizes existing staff by enhancing and extending the skills of both experienced monographs catalogers and archivists.

User Tags versus Subject Headings: Can User-Supplied Data Improve Subject Access to Library Collections?

Abstract: Some members of the library community, including the Library of Congress Working Group on the Future of Bibliographic Control, have suggested that libraries should open up their catalogs to allow users to add descriptive tags to the bibliographic data in catalog records. The website LibraryThing currently permits its members to add such user tags to its records for books and therefore provides a useful resource to contrast with library bibliographic records. A comparison between the LibraryThing tags for a group of books and the library-supplied subject headings for the same books shows that users and catalogers approach these descriptors very differently. Because of these differences, user tags can enhance subject access to library materials, but they cannot entirely replace controlled vocabularies such as the Library of Congress subject headings.

Author-assigned keywords versus library of congress subject headings: Implications for the cataloging of electronic theses and dissertations

Abstract: This study is an examination of the overlap between author-assigned keywords and cataloger-assigned Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) for a set of electronic theses and dissertations in Ohio State University’s online catalog. The project is intended to contribute to the literature on the issue of keywords versus controlled vocabularies in the use of online catalogs and databases. Findings support previous studies’ conclusions that both keywords and controlled vocabularies complement one another. Further, even in the presence of bibliographic record enhancements, such as abstracts or summaries, keywords and subject headings provided a significant number of unique terms that could affect the success of keyword searches. Implications for the maintenance of controlled vocabularies such as LCSH also are discussed in light of the patterns of matches and nonmatches found between the keywords and their corresponding subject headings.

Graphic novels in libraries supporting teacher education and librarianship programs

Abstract: Academic libraries supporting education and library science programs collect juvenile literature to support courses that teach students to evaluate and use books with children and teenagers. Graphic novels have not only become popular with teens but also are being frequently discussed in both the education and library literature. This paper discusses the literature on graphic novels for teens, explores the extent to which academic libraries supporting education and library science programs collect graphic novels for teens, and concludes that academic librarians responsible for juvenile collections should evaluate their graphic novel holdings and begin actively collecting graphic novels for teens.

Librarian for Latin American and Caribbean Studies in U.S. Academic and Research Libraries: A Content Analysis of Position Announcements, 1970-2007

Abstract: The present research investigates the evolving requirements, roles, and responsibilities of the Latin American and Caribbean studies librarian. Content analysis was used to study 94 position announcements published from 1970 to 2007. Variables were examined from the following categories: position description, educational background, work experience, technology skills, languages, personal traits, duties, and subject responsibilities. Cross tabulations and chi-square tests were executed to determine the statistical significance of relationships between variables. An advanced degree in a related subject field is expected by employers. Strong Spanish language abilities are required, and a working knowledge of Portuguese is highly desirable. The average number of duties per announcement has increased over time, reflecting the evolution of the position from being narrowly specialized to being more diversified. The Latin American and Caribbean studies librarian may also be responsible for additional subjects, in particular Iberian studies.

From Innovation to Transformation

Abstract: This paper reviews the leading trends in and contributions to the peer-reviewed and professional literature of serials librarianship published in 2006 and 2007. The review shows that a central topic in the literature is the nature and effect of libraries’ ongoing transition from acquiring serials in print to providing access electronically. Propelled forward by user preferences, this transition is reflected in publications that reconceptualize collections and describe innovative initiatives and strategies for acquisition, access, and management. Throughout the literature, the review traces a prevailing sentiment that libraries are advancing well beyond the confines of print-centered models and are assuming new roles, imagining new possibilities, and developing new solutions.

Using Batchloading to Improve Access to Electronic and Microform Collections

Abstract: Batchloading bibliographic records into the catalog, as a rapid and cost-effective means of providing access to electronic and microform collections, has become in recent years a significant workflow for many libraries. Thanks to batchloading, previously hidden collections, some costing hundreds of thousands of dollars, are made visible, and library holdings are more accurately reflected by the online catalog. Subject specialists report significant increases in the use of electronic resources and microforms within days (and sometimes only hours) of loading record sets into the online catalog. Managing batchloading projects requires collaboration across many library units, including collection development, acquisitions, cataloging, systems, and public services. The authors believe that their experiences will be instructive to other libraries and that Penn State’s processes will assist them in making their own batchloading policies and procedures more efficient.

Automated Metadata Harvesting: Low-Barrier MARC Record Generation from OAI-PMH Repository Stores Using MarcEdit

Abstract: For libraries, the burgeoning corpus of born-digital data is becoming both a blessing and a curse. For patrons, these online resources represent the potential for extended access to materials, but for a library’s technical services department they represent an ongoing challenge, forcing staff to look for ways to capture and make use of available metadata. This challenge is exacerbated for libraries that provide access to their own digital collections. While digital repository software like DSpace, Fedora, and CONTENTdm expose bibliographic metadata through the Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH), few organizations have a simplified method for harvesting and generating Machine-Readable Cataloging (MARC) records from these metadata stores. Fortunately, a number of tools have been developed that can facilitate the harvesting and generation of MARC data from these OAI-PMH metadata repositories. This paper will examine resources that enhance technical services staff’s ability to use existing metadata, with specific focus on one of these current generation tools, MarcEdit, which was developed by the author and provides a one-click harvesting process for generating MARC metadata from a variety of metadata formats.

Criticism of Cataloging Code Reform, as Seen in the Pages of Library Resources and Technical Services (1957–66)

Abstract: The history of cataloging rules is often written as a story of continuous improvement toward a more rational and efficient code. Not all catalogers, however, have been in agreement that reform of the cataloging code has been improvement. The debate of the 1950s and 1960s over cataloging code reform, hosted in part by LRTS, is an example of conflicting values in the cataloging community. Seymour Lubetzky’s proposal for a cataloging code based on logical principles eventually became the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, but many catalogers of the period felt that other values, such as tradition and the convenience of the user, also deserved consideration in the cataloging code.

Name Authority Control in Local Digitization Projects and the Eastern North Carolina Postcard Collection

Abstract: Authority control is a vitally important but frequently overlooked aspect of metadata creation for local digitization projects. The addition of digital projects metadata to the traditional cataloging environment creates a number of challenges for authority control, challenges arising in turn from the nature of the materials being digitized, choices made during the project, and the tools used for the project. By examining the authority control applied to named entities in the Eastern North Carolina Postcard Collection at East Carolina University, this paper describes these challenges in some detail, and also describes endeavors to overcome them.

Can blogging help cataloging?: using a blog and other web 2.0 tools to enhance cataloging section activities

Abstract: In response to the ongoing conversation about Library 2.0, which has focused on user participation and emphasizes efficiency in delivering library services to users, this paper draws attention to a practical application in technical services: using Web 2.0 tools to enhance performance in the cataloging department. From his position as the coordinator for non-Roman cataloging in a large academic library, the author shares his experience using a blog and other Web 2.0 tools to improve section management and professional activities.

Descriptive Metadata for Digitization of Maps in Books: A British Library Project

Abstract: Hidden special collections are increasingly being made visible and accessible by small digitization projects. In the project described in this paper, the British Library employed existing library standards and systems to accomplish key functions of a project to digitize a selection of maps contained within rare books. The integrated library system, using the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules (AACR) and Machine-Readable Cataloging (MARC) format, acted as a lynchpin, linking directly bibliographic descriptions of both the original and the digital copies of the map, the book containing the map, the digital image, and preservation data and strategy, making the items widely searchable and visible while uniting them with the broader collections.

Supporting Name Authority Control in XML Metadata: A Practical Approach at the University of Tennessee

Abstract: While many different endeavors to support name authority control in Extensible Markup Language (XML) metadata have been explored, none have been accepted as a best practice. For this reason, libraries continue to experiment with the schema, tool, or process that best suits their local authority control needs in XML. This paper discusses current endeavors to support name authority control in XML for digitized collections and demonstrates an innovative manual solution developed and implemented by the University of Tennessee Libraries to achieve this goal. Even though this method for authority control in XML metadata still relies on manual efforts, it effectively reduces time and research work by efficiently setting priorities, identifying critical descriptive areas in the digital transcriptions, and identifying the most appropriate biographical resources to consult. The effectiveness of this approach in improving the rest of the metadata production workflow is evaluated and presented.

"Wholly Visionary": the American Library Association, the Library of Congress, and the Card Distribution Program

Abstract: This paper offers a historical review of the events and institutional influences in the nineteenth century that led to the development of the Library of Congress (LC) card distribution program as the American version of a national bibliography at the beginning of the twentieth century. It includes a discussion of the standardizing effect the card distribution program had on the cataloging rules and practices of American libraries. It concludes with the author's thoughts about how this history might be placed in the context of the present reexamination of the LC's role as primary cataloging agency for the nation's libraries.

Literature of Acquisitions in Review, 2004-7

Abstract: This review covers the literature of acquisitions from 2004 through 2007. The purchase of electronic resources continued to grow, especially for e-journals. E-books gained more attention with a variety of pricing models emerging, many of which were similar to print purchase plans or a modification of e-serial plans. The electronic resource management (ERM) of subscriptions and licensing became a major concern as the acquisition of these items continued to grow. Many libraries developed local ERM applications while vendors began developing commercial ERM systems. The Digital Library Federation (DLF) Electronic Resources Management Initiative (ERMI) emerged as a major step in the development for ERM system standards. Many libraries expressed dissatisfaction with some of the new pricing models for e-journals, especially the Big Deal packages, as libraries were caught between budget reductions, price increases, and complex license agreement terms. Budget and the allocation of funds remained a frequent topic in the literature. With the transition from print to electronic versions, acquisitions staff required more support and new resources. Workflows changed as acquisition units and technical services departments reorganized to accommodate the growth of electronic resources.

Creating Organization Name Authority within an Electronic Resources Management System

Abstract: Staff members at North Carolina State University (NCSU) Libraries have identified the need for name authority control within E-Matrix, a locally developed electronic resources management (ERM) system, to support collection intelligence, the process of collecting, collocating, and analyzing data associated with a collection to gain a sophisticated understanding of its qualities for strategic planning and decision making. This paper examines the value of establishing authority control over organization names within an ERM system in addition to describing NCSU’s design for conducting name authority work in E-Matrix. A discussion of the creation of a name authority tool within E-Matrix is provided along with illustrations and examples of workflow design and implementation for the assignment of authoritative headings. Current practices related to authority control and ERM systems in academic libraries and within organizations such as the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) are also investigated and summarized to provide context for this project. Future possibilities for the use of this type of authority control on the part of librarians, vendors, and standards bodies are explored.

Acquisitions Globalized: The Foreign Language Acquisitions Experience in a Research Library

Abstract: This paper highlights foreign language titles from the perspective of acquisitions in a large academic research library. Selecting, ordering, cataloging, and providing access to non-English materials reach beyond the boundaries of departments responsible for the individual tasks. Assignments require different levels of language proficiency ranging from bibliographic proficiency to the near-native proficiency of the educated speaker. The highest level of language proficiency is used at the earliest and latest point of technical services (i.e., ordering and cataloging), and the rest requires only bibliographic proficiency or none at all. Because international vendor experiences vary country by country, strong cooperation is critical between the partners in the acquisition process. Vendor-supplied records used for foreign language acquisition purposes seem to have the potential to improve accuracy in bibliographic records.

How the Current Draft of RDA Addresses the Cataloging of Reproductions, Facsimiles, and Microforms

Abstract: The cataloging of microforms and other reproductions has been difficult throughout the history of cataloging codes, particularly due to the “multiple versions problem.” The proposed new cataloging code, Resource Description and Access (RDA), seeks to clarify the relationship between reproductions and originals by applying the principles of Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records ( FRBR ) to cataloging. While the use of FRBR principles does help to identify the relationships between works in the catalog, RDA as currently designed is challenging for the cataloger and includes many data that may prove to be difficult for catalog users to understand.

Comparing catalogs: Currency and consistency of controlled headings

Abstract: Evaluative and comparative studies of catalog data have tended to focus on methods that are labor intensive, demand expertise, and can examine only a limited number of records. This study explores an alternative approach to gathering and analyzing catalog data, focusing on the currency and consistency of controlled headings. The resulting data provide insight into libraries' use of changed headings and their success in maintaining currency and consistency, and the systems needed to support the current pace of heading changes. ********** Much of the work of technical services takes place out of public view. Perhaps this explains in part why measures of technical services' contribution to the library are relatively lacking in compendiums of library measures. The number of volumes and subscriptions in a collection, the rate at which electronic resources are accessed, circulations and reference interviews--all of these are frequently cited as measures of academic libraries' performance, but rarely is the work contributed directly by technical services used as a library's performance measure. For some in technical services, there might seem to be an advantage to being "under the radar" when internal or library-to-library comparisons are done; but the lack of measures can also leave any operation unsure of its own success and of the validity of any local or shared set of norms. Having practicable methods of determining a technical services unit's success in meeting its goals and of assessing that accomplishment in relation to that of peer institutions can help technical services units build confidence in their goals, identify systemic problems, and contribute to library planning and priority setting. The study presented here seeks to define and test an approach to measuring one of the contributions of technical services: the use of consistent and up-to-date headings in the library catalog. Methods of Measuring Catalog Data Quality One obvious component of library service is the product of technical services efforts: the data in the library catalog. The catalog assists users with finding known items in the collection; browsing the collection by subject, author, and title headings; browsing the result sets of keyword searches; examining and selecting items via their surrogate records; and locating the items desired. These basic services are provided through a wide variety of interfaces and displays. Vendors and designers of automated library systems offer a range of interface choices to their customers, and each library tailors its system's functionality and presentation for its users. Comparative evaluation of the differences between such varied interface options would inevitably be complex and highly subjective. In their review of the literature on quality in cataloging, Myall and Chambers note the difficulty and rarity of high-level evaluation of the catalog: Quality of the overall catalog appears to be less frequently the subject of study, ... notwithstanding the fact that both Cutter's objects and much of FRBR's approach are focused on the catalog as a whole rather than on individual records. Presumably, the limited extent of study at this level is due to the complexity and multi-faceted nature of the task, which now must include not only content and structure of the database, but also completeness and presentation of data on various screens, search engine execution, presence of context-sensitive help, and other elements in an environment in which users are familiar with many other Web-based information tools. (1) Nevertheless, behind the variable screens of automated system interfaces, the data records that feed catalog indexes and displays are highly standardized. The widespread adoption of a core set of data standards by the U.S. academic cataloging community--the Machine-Readable Cataloging (MARC) 21 formats for mark up; the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, 2nd ed. …

Series Authority Control at Oregon State University after the Library of Congress’s Series Policy Change

Abstract: The Library of Congress (LC) decided to suspend creating series authority records on May 1, 2006 and to transcribe all future series statements as untraced. To evaluate the effect on cataloging workload at Oregon State University (OSU) Libraries, bibliographic records were examined for untraced series statements from June 1, 2006 to December 31, 2007. Series titles were then searched in the Library of Congress Name Authority File (LCNAF) and corrected to match the authority record, if necessary. Series titles not found in the LCNAF were evaluated according to current cataloging rules and corrected if necessary. Of the 53,911 records added to OSU Libraries’ catalog during the study, 977 (2 percent) had an untraced series statement. Only 60 (6 percent) of the 977 were records created by the LC after the 2006 decision. The majority of records (64 percent) with untraced series statements were records created by the Government Printing Office. Many untraced series were also found in records for materials with publication dates before 2000, most resulting from a serials retrospective conversion project. The data suggest that the LC’s policy change has not created a large cataloging burden and, with relatively little effort, OSU Libraries catalogers are able to continue to provide users with authorized series title access.

Training Successful Paraprofessional Copy Catalogers

Abstract: This paper argues for an incremental, progressive approach to teaching an inexperienced paraprofessional cataloger the basic skills required for copy cataloging. It demonstrates how to devise a training plan that is logical and progressive and argues that the plan should be based on a thorough analysis of the skills and knowledge required by the job. It then describes a specific approach to teaching the terminology of cataloging, Machine-Readable Cataloging (MARC), and International Standard Bibliographic Description (ISBD) punctuation. These three are the basic skills most copy catalogers will need first, and their mastery should precede training for more complex skills.

Association for Library Collections and Technical Services Annual Report 2008–9

Abstract: This year was full of accomplishments new initiatives, and the start of a thorough review of the Association for Library Collections and Technical Services (ALCTS) organizational structure. The effect of the current global economy has been far-reaching and has affected ALCTS members, their libraries and organizations, membership renewals, division participation, conference attendance, and the operation and financial management of the division. Data Gathering The survey of the ALCTS membership conducted in 2007-8, based on The 7 Measures of Success: What Remarkable Associations Do That Others Don't, continued to provide valuable insight into member needs, concerns, perceptions, and expectations. (1) Additional analysis, including the Preservation and Reformatting Section (PARS) study titled "Changing PARS Discussion/Interest Group Structure" and the Membership Committee review of ALCTS members in public libraries provided additional useful information. The "Membership Research Study," conducted by the American Library Association (ALA) Office for Research and Statistics also revealed demographic and employment data. Communication Increasing and improving communication with and between the membership and implementing new modes of communication were accomplished. The ALCTS Newsletter Online and a rejuvenated ALCTS@aGlance featured conference and meeting previews as well as reports, news, and announcements of education opportunities. An assortment of discussion lists enabled members to examine topics ranging from digital preservation to the future of subject headings. The ALCTS E-forum, which debuted in May 2008, has attracted more than nine hundred subscribers for lively discussions on subjects including disaster preparedness, coping with shrinking resources, and national cataloging standards versus local policies. The ALA Connect introduction, in spring 2009, offers another communication tool that ALCTS members will find very useful for sharing documents and information. 2009 ALA Midwinter Meeting and Annual Conference Forums during the 2009 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Denver attracted large audiences listening to experts discuss a variety of hot topics. Particularly noteworthy were "RDA [Resource Description and Access] Update Forum" and "Who's at the Wheel? What We've Learned About Patron-Driven Collection Development." "Creating and Sustaining Communities around Shared Library Data," a forum that focused on OCLC's proposed change to its record use policy, drew more than 150 attendees. The 2009 Annual Conference in Chicago featured an excellent schedule of events. "ALCTS 101 Primer: Who We Are, What We Do, and How You Fit" provided new members with an overview of the opportunities the division offers. Programs included "Leadership Development in Transition: Steering the Ship from the Helm and Deck," "Swingin' with the Pendulum: Facing Cancellations in the Age of E-Journal Packages," and the ALCTS President's program, "Who Owns Antiquity? Museums and the Battle over Our Ancient Heritage," featuring James Cuno, president and Eloise W. Martin director, from the Art Institute of Chicago. The recipient of the 2009 Ross Atkinson Lifetime Achievement Award, Cindy Hepfer, was recognized at the awards ceremony for her exceptional service to ALCTS and to the library profession at-large, as a library leader, educator, author, scholar, and mentor. Library Resources and Technical Services The division's highly respected peer-reviewed journal, Library Resources and Technical Services (LRTS), adds to its deserved reputation for quality articles under the leadership of Editor Peggy Johnson. The LRTS article "Approaches to Selection, Access, and Collection Development in the Web World: A Case Study with Fugitive Literature," by Karen Schmidt, Wendy Allen Shelburne, and David Steven Vess, won the 2009 Blackwell's Scholarship Award and the 2009 Best of LRTS Award. (2) LRTS has seen slowly declining subscriptions over the last several years. …