to study the application of current classificatory frameworks as metadata for digital resources and to promote the use of such classificatory frameworks.
The Catalog Management Discussion Group's Midwinter discussion topic was the Program for Cooperative Cataloging's Core Bibliographic Record program and featured Kate Harcourt (Columbia University) and Christian Boissonnas (Cornell University) as presenters. The annual topic was The E-Cataloger's Stone: exploiting bibliographic data in electronic resources for building bibliographic records, and featured Roger Brisson (Pennsylvania State Univ., co-editor of Journal of Internet Cataloging), David Williamson (Library of Congress), and Jackie Shieh (Univ. of Virginia). The latter meeting provided a brief outline of possibilities for streamlining electronic resource cataloging including suggestions for trying to capture descriptive information as early in the processing stream as possible; demonstrated new forms and automated processes just developed by the Library of Congress to use publisher & web site supplied information as the basis for catalog records; and reviewed one library's approach to creative use of technology to streamline the creation of catalog records and to also generate TEI headers for electronic resources.
The Cataloging Norms Discussion Group's gathers included topics which emphasized the group's concern with maintaining high quality cataloging in varying applications. At the midwinter meeting in Washington, D. C., the PCC requested an opportunity to share the meeting and provide the panelists for a very substantive discussion of the use of the core record. Training issues and the acceptance of core records from the national databases for local cataloging were two areas that will be covered again later. At the summer meeting the topic chosen was Telecataloging: maintaining quality from remote sites. Panelists represented telecataloging for academic, special, and public libraries.
ALCTS CCS Cataloging of Children's Materials Committee
Diane Stine, Chair
The Cataloging of Children's Materials Committee completed a revision of the Guidelines for Cataloging of Children's Materials and a revised edition of Cataloging Correctly for Kids. The committee held two workshops, one at AASL and the other at the annual ALA meeting on the 13th edition of Dewey Abridged. CCMC also cosponsored SAC' s program on Demystifying Subject Cataloging and participated in the planning for an ALCTS Institute on cataloging, acquisitions and preservation of children's materials to be held in 1998.
ALCTS CCS Committee on Cataloging: Description and Access
Joan Swanekamp, Chair
The Committee on Cataloging: Description and Access was active on a number of fronts this past year. A number of Task Forces were charged to address topics of importance to cataloging constituencies, and a large number of rule revision proposals from the Library of Congress via the Joint Steering Committee reached CC:DA for discussion and approval. Perhaps the most unusual aspect of the year was the postponement of actions related to discussion topics on the agenda of the international conference in October.
Highlights:
- ALCTS published the brochure Building International Descriptive Cataloging Standards.
- The final report of the Task Force on Document Distribution was presented and accepted.
- The Task Force on Conference Proceedings II was charged to act of the recommendations of the earlier Task Force. The new task force is chaired by Martha Yee.
- The Task Force on Metadata and the Cataloging Rules continues under the direction of Sherry Kelley. As part of the revised charge of this task force they will respond to topics and questions identified by the ALCTS Metadata Task Force.
- CC:DA charged a task force to develop a CC:DA/CCS Program for the 1998 Annual Conference to be chaired by Daniel Kinney.
- CC:DA met with MARBI for the first time at 1997 Annual. The discussion focused on issues on mutual interest relating to Metadata.
- CC:DA agreed to co-sponsor the CCAAM 1998 Program.
- CC:DA recommended approval of the addition of the ALCTS Digital Resources Committee to Committees represented on CC:DA.
- CC:DA reviewed and commented extensively on the Guidelines for the Standardized Cataloging of Children's Materials.
- CC:DA considered twenty-one rule revisions from the Library of Congress and the associated comments.
- CC:DA continued its semi-annual meetings with the ALA Editions to review and comment on plans and progress toward an online AACR2.
ALCTS CCS Committee on Education, Training, and Recruitment for Cataloging
Tim Carstens, Chair
CETRC continued to work on the plan to created a network of catalogers who would serve as recruiter/mentors for library school students and other prospective catalogers. Letters to potential mentors and other documents related to this project were revised. The committee also discussed a list of institutions from which we might expect to draw our first cadre of recruiter mentors.
ALCTS CCS Policy and Research Committee
Merry Schellinger, Chair
During the past year, PRC began to conduct business over the CCS-PRC listserv, which provided an opportunity to participate more actively in activities at the Section and Division level. Activities included providing input into CCS reviews of the ALCTS Five-Year Plan and the Recommendations on Use of Electronic Communications in ALCTS. The Committee's minutes were approved via the listserv and put on the PRC web page. The Research Topics list, begun by PRC in 1987, was consolidated with updates and will be put on the PRC web page shortly. In addition, the Committee reviewed the topics and journals for the list, and made additions and changes which reflect changes in emphasis in the current research literature. Use of the list over the next six months will be reviewed at Midwinter 1998. A proposal for a program on research in cataloging and classification, which would provide networking opportunities for current and future researchers was developed at annual and will be submitted to CCS Exec for approval at Midwinter 1998. PRC will continue to look for ways to work with the LRTS Editorial Board in helping to promote and support research efforts.
ALCTS CCS Subject Analysis Committee
Diane Dates Casey, Chair
At 1997 Annual Conference SAC sponsored a preconference program on subject cataloging of electronic resources and a conference program on the implementation of form/genre subject headings. Three SAC subcommittees fulfilled their charges and submitted final reports on subject authority file recommendations for the PCC, on the DDC cuttering proposal for the Decimal Classification Editorial Policy Committee, and on subject relationships and reference structures.
SAC subcommittees continue to work on form/genre implementation, subject access to computer files, revision of the fiction guidelines, preparation of an Annual Program for 1998 Annual Conference and review of the IFLA document, "Principles Underlying Subject Heading Languages. Three new SAC subcommittees were established:
- to promote the display of currently encoded subject relationships,
- to identify and study major issues surrounding metadata and subject analysis, and
- to study the application of current classificatory frameworks as metadata for digital resources and to promote the use of such classificatory frameworks.
CCS Catalog Management Discussion Group
Eric Childress, Chair
The ALA Midwinter 1997 CMDG discussion topic was the Program for Cooperative Cataloging's Core Bibliographic Record program and featured Kate Harcourt (Columbia University) and Christian Boissonnas (Cornell University) as presenters. The ALA Annual 1997 CMDG discussion topic will be exploiting bibliographic data in electronic resources for building bibliographic records. Speakers: Roger Brisson (Pennsylvania State Univ., co-editor of Journal of Internet Cataloging), David Williamson (Library of Congress), and Jackie Shieh (Univ. of Virginia).
The ALA Annual 1997 topic was "The E-Cataloger's Stone: exploiting bibliographic data in electronic resources for building bibliographic records," and featured Roger Brisson (Pennsylvania State Univ., co-editor of Journal of Internet Cataloging), David Williamson (Library of Congress), and Jackie Shieh (Univ. of Virginia).
The presentations by three recognized leaders in cataloging workstation technology and electronic resource cataloging:
- provided a brief outline of possibilities for streamlining electronic resource cataloging including suggestions for trying to capture descriptive information as early in the processing stream as possible (e.g., taking advantage of book jobber's data via EDX) and recommended that no processing stream be considered adequate if any steps required rekeying data (Brisson);
- demonstrated new forms and automated processes just developed by the Library of Congress to use publisher & web site supplied information as the basis for catalog records (without rekeying the data) (Williamson); and
- reviewed one library's approach to creative use of technology to streamline both the creation of catalog records, but also simultaneously to generate TEI headers for electronic resources.
A lively discussion followed and led to a general consensus that outstanding policy issues (esp.: "Should my library create catalog records for web resources") more than outstanding issues of practice or techniques may be the key barrier to expanded, rapid cataloging of electronic resources.
New 1997-99 Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect: Stephen Skuce, Monograph Cataloger, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, The Libraries, Room 14E-210B, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307 skuce@mit.edu, (617) 253-0654 v, (617) 253-2464 fax.
CCS Cataloging Norms Discussion Group
Kathryn Bading, Co-chair
The Cataloging Norms Discussion Groups meets at ALA meetings on Saturday morning 9:30-11:00. The format is to have a three member panel give about 20 minute presentations on a chosen topic, followed by questions and discussion. Topics emphasize the group's concern with maintaining high quality cataloging in varying applications. At the midwinter meeting in Washington, D. C., the PCC had requested to share the meeting and provided the panelists for a very substantive discussion of the use of the core record. The meeting was well attended and included animated discussion, which indicated there is room for further discussions relating to the core record. Training issues and the acceptance of core records from the national databases for local cataloging were two areas that could be covered in greater depth. At the summer meeting in San Francisco the topic chosen was Telecataloging: maintaining quality from remote sites. Panelists represented telecataloging for academic, special, and public libraries. Extent of experience ranged from many years to a project that is being set up at the present time; presentations ranged from practical considerations of needed policies and problems of connectivity to philosophical issues. Questions and discussion filled the rest of the meeting time. Attendance was considerably reduced by a concurrent program which included a major presentation by Michael Kaplan: difficult competition for a discussion group. New officers were announced and an exploration of topics for the 1998 meetings is underway.
ALCTS Budget and Finance Committee
Bernard L. Karon, CCS Rep.
Brian Schottlaender, Budget & Finance Committee Chair, stressed the importance of all CCS program funding requests needing to be approved by the Budget and Finance Committee rep. B & F is concerned about the health of ALCTS's finances, especially noting the costs (and associated benefits) of the ALCTS Newsletter. Budget implications and concerns regarding funding and distribution of all publications were also brought to both Committees for discussion and further action.
At the request of CCS Exec, I brought the request for funding (not only the additional monies, but also policy and procedure issues) to attend IFLA, 1997 (Copenhagen) to Budget and Finance. While unable to garner further financial support, I reported back that the original allocation had not been cut. In addition, the issue has prompted the ALCTS Board to agree to study the philosophical underpinnings of the funding levels to ascertain to their adequacy and fairness with regard to distribution (amount, policy, and procedure issues).
ALCTS LRTS Editorial Board
Jay Lambrecht, CCS Rep.
The LRTS Editorial Board welcomed a new editor in 1996-97, as Jennifer Younger succeeded Richard Smiraglia. The majority of manuscript submissions to LRTS continued to be CCS-related. The Board agreed to support a special issue to resume the Year's Work tradition, but to focus on topics (not articles assigned to ALCTS sections) that might cover more than one year. The CCS Representative worked to improve interaction with the CCS Policy & Research Committee.
ALCTS Organization and Bylaws Committee
Ellen Kovacic, CCS Rep.
Among issues recommended by the ALCTS Organization and Bylaws Committee (O&B) to the ALCTS Board were: that the CRG bylaws be approved; that the ALCTS Councilor be made a voting member of the ALCTS Executive Committee; that the revised charge of the ALCTS Education Committee to include responsibility for paraprofessional needs be approved; and that the name of the ALCTS Blackwell North America Scholarship Award be changed to the ALCTS Blackwell Scholarship Award. O&B wrote charges for three newly-proposed committees: Electronic Communications, Metadata Issues, and Fund-raising. Among ongoing projects: O&B is studying the charges of the Commercial Technical Services Committee (CTS), the Publisher/Vendor-Library Relations Committee (PVLR) and the Association of American Publishers (AAP)-ALCTS Committee to avoid possible overlap; the Task Force on Section Representation to Division-Level Committees recommended that a new approach be taken to the study which will be firmed up over the summer and finalized at Midwinter; and the Task Force to Examine Liaison Relationships presented a draft document and will be ready with a revised document at Midwinter.
ALCTS Committee on Planning
Janet Padway, CCS Rep.
The ALCTS Committee on Planning discussed responses to the 5 year ALCTS plan solicited during the spring. CCS provided a very thorough and well-though-out response that will be used as groundwork to assist with the development of a strategic plan for ALCTS. The committee felt that the ALCTS membership survey should also be looked at and incorporate anything relevant. The urgency to complete the plan prior to summer 1997 seems to have disappeared, and therefore the Committee feels there will be adequate time to put together a good document.
The Committee members should be prepared to come to midwinter well prepared with an idea as how to organize and write the draft. The Committee has been charged by the Board to produce a strategic plan document. The Committee wants to create a dynamic and responsive document. Shirley Coleman, incoming chair, will send a packet of documents to all Committee members that will include all of the background documents needed.
Shirley will also send the following questions to each Section Chair:
- Does your section have a strategic plan? If so, please send to Shirley.
- Does your section have vision, mission or goals statements? If so, please send to Shirley.
- Have there been any changes, or are there any plans to make any changes, to your section's current committee structure?
- What are the three major issues or concerns that your section would like to see ALCTS address over the next five years? Please prioritize.
- What are the three major issues, plans or concerns that your section intends to address over the next five years? Please prioritize.
- Shirley will request responses to these by 9/15/97. They will be distributed to the Committee members in early October.
ALCTS Program Committee
Dan Kinney, CCS member
The ALCTS Program Committee heard and reviewed proposals for institutes, preconferences and programs at both the Midwinter Meeting and Annual Conference. The committee approved a set of guidelines for program planners at Midwinter. The ALCTS Board charged the Program Committee with developing principles for allocating speakers' expenses, and the committee appointed a team to draft a set of principles before the 1998 Midwinter Meeting.
ALCTS Publications Committee
Tony Olson, CCS rep.
Under the title for each publication, the decision and status of the publication are given.
AACR2000: Toward the future of the descriptive cataloging rules
Decision: Will be published as no. 8 in the ALCTS Papers on Library Technical Services and Collections series.
Status: Manuscript is at ALA awaiting their decision to publish.
Building international descriptive cataloging standards
Decision: Proposal rejected by ALCTS Publications Committee. Publication approved by ALCTS.
Status: Published as a brochure.
Cataloging correctly for kids. Rev. ed.
Decision: Manuscript approved for publication. Accompanying guidelines approved by CCS Executive Committee.
Status: Manuscript is at ALA editions.
Crisis in subject cataloging and retrieval
Decision: Proposal for publication by ALCTS rejected.
Status: The editor, Arlene Taylor, will investigate the possibility of publishing these papers as a special section in either LRTS or another journal.
Guidelines on subject access to individual works of fiction, drama, etc., Rev. ed.
Decision: Proposal for publication of a revised edition approved.
Status: Manuscript due in March 1998.
How to submit a rule change proposal to CC:DA
Decision: Proposal rejected by ALCTS Publications Committee. Publication approved by Karen Muller.
Status: Published as a brochure.
Manual of European languages for librarians
Decision Proposal rejected by ALA editions.
Status: Publication of a revised edition under consideration by Bowker Saur, London.
ALCTS Committee on Research and Statistics
Merry Schellinger, CCS rep.
During the past year I have acted as the CCS Representative to the Committee, although my official appointment was as a Member at Large. My appointment has been changed for the coming year and the role of the CCS Policy and Research Committee Chair as the CCS Representative to Research and Statistics was clarified.
The Committee was asked by the ALCTS Board to prepare a research agenda for ALCTS. After much discussion, the Committee decided instead to do the following:
- solicit very general, broad research questions from each Section, and put them on the Committee's web site and link to individual Section's work in this area where appropriate;
- sponsor a program on how to do applied research in a local setting.
The Committee also agreed to revisit a proposal for a Statistics Project that would investigate the use of standard statistics keeping across institutions.
Decimal Classification Editorial Policy Committee (EPC)
Pamela P. Brown, ALA Rep.
As the official ALA representative on the Decimal Classification Editorial Policy Committee (EPC), Pamela Brown attended the two EPC meetings during the past year and helped develop and present a Dewey preconference (DDC 21: Dewey for the 21st Century) at the California Library Association. Highlights for the year include publication of Abridged Dewey Edition 13, consideration of a proposal from the OCLC Office of Research for automatic cuttering, and very early planning for DDC 22.
RUSA MOPSS Catalog Use Committee
Martin Kurth, CCS Rep.
The RUSA MOPSS Catalog Use Committee planned and held its ALA 1997 program The Latest Fashion in Catalogs, But Does It Fit?, a critique of the current generation of online catalog systems. The committee continued to maintain its web site and to move forward on its project to revise CONDOC (Consortium to Develop an Online Catalog) to articulate catalog needs in the current environment. The committee plans to make its annual Midwinter vendor-researcher forum more viable by investigating merging it with a related forum. It also plans to study the feasibility of a nationwide catalog use study on the scale of the Council for Library Resources study of the early 1980's.
