ALCTS > ANO v. 19 no. 2

Letters from ALCTS

From the Editor

Mary Beth Weber, Editor

April Preview

The 2008 ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim is a little more than two months away and several programs and preconferences are finalized, while many more are in progress. This issue of ANO includes preconference and program announcements. More details will be available in the June issue, as many groups are finalizing their plans.

It is often the case that the programs I want to attend are scheduled for the same time slot. I look forward to the reading the reports submitted for the post-conference issue of ANO (August) so that I can read about the programs I missed! I have posted a call for volunteer reporters for Annual Conference events in this issue. I encourage conference attendees to consider reporting.

Other highlights in this issue include:

• Executive Director Charles Wilt’s special April 1 message, which has become a tradition.
• The “Spotlight” column, featuring the Cataloging and Classification Section.
• An interview with Linda Harris Mehr, Director of the Margaret Herrick Library at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Harris Mehr will be the featured speaker at the 2008 ALCTS President’s Program on Monday, June 30, at 10:30 am. The program is entitled: “From Here to Eternity: the Challenges of Managing Oscar’s Very Special Collections.”
• A report on the ALA Ethical Fitness Workshop by Rebecca Routh, ALCTS Liaison to the ALA Committee on Professional Ethics.
• Charles Wilt’s article “Association’s Association: Investing in the Next Fifty Years of ALCTS” for a view on the future of our association.
• An announcement of the publication of a definition of digital preservation, courtesy of the Preservation and Reformatting Section (PARS).
• Announcement of a new task group formed to analyze the recommendations made in the report of the Library of Congress Working Group on the Future of Bibliographic Control.
• Announcements of the 2008 ALCTS Awards winners. Congratulations to all the winners!

I hope you find the information in this issue of ANO informative. As always, I welcome your input and suggestions for submissions.

Contact Mary Beth Weber

Letters from ALCTS

From the President

Pamela Bluh, ALCTS President

ALCTS Success and the Seven Measures

At the beginning of April, the ALCTS Executive Committee held its spring meeting in Baltimore. Over a period of a day and a half, a wide range of issues from the ALCTS budget, to updates from the sections and division level committees, to an overview of the work of the Non-English Steering Committee were discussed. Soon the analysis of the recommendations in the LC Working Group report prepared by the task group chaired by David Miller will be available on the ALCTS website and our plans for addressing a number of those recommendations will be outlined.

Since Midwinter 2008, we have been engaged in an assessment of ALCTS based on Jim Collins’ 7 Measures of Success. Two groups, one composed of ALCTS leaders, and the other consisting of a random sample of ALCTS members, were surveyed and their answers revealed very similar impressions of our strengths and weaknesses. In general, ALCTS is regarded as a remarkably successful organization. Our customer service orientation and our emphasis on developing quality continuing education offerings are highly valued. Charles Wilt, our executive director, is very well regarded and widely recognized for his creativity and for providing continuity and the long-range perspective we need. The completion of the strategic plan and the availability of the planning database, the proposal to migrate all discussion groups to interest groups, and the digitization of the entire backfile of LRTS were mentioned as positive developments. Empowering the division level committees to carry out their mandates and the availability of effective programs are among the strengths of the association.

There were a number of recurring themes throughout the responses, and these were earmarked for additional study: communication; collecting and using data; and organizational adaptability. Three teams, each led by a director-at-large and supported by two board members, reviewed these areas, identified positive developments, outlined areas of concern, and made suggestions for improving those areas of concern. Have a look at the reports in the NewsLinks section of the ALCTS web site.

Permeating the comments is a sense that the key to achieving a truly remarkable association lies in establishing the means for effective communication. Difficulties in understanding and navigating the ALCTS organizational structure and in communicating across sections were noted. The perception that becoming involved in association activities is reserved for a privileged few continues to persist. Although ALCTS collects a variety of data, how and when that data is used for planning and in decision making is not widely known. Greater emphasis on adapting rapidly to changing industry conditions is critical.

After reviewing the reports and the possible next steps outlined in the reports, the Executive Committee decided to concentrate on the following points for the immediate future:

• ensuring that at least one virtual member is appointed to every ALCTS committee (when appropriate) and that virtual members participate fully in the committee’s activities throughout the year
• establishing a mechanism for online exchange of information that will enable interested individuals to engage in online discussion and dialogue on topics of immediate interest and concern

Between now and the Annual Conference in June, I will provide specific details about these initiatives and demonstrate our commitment to improving the channels of communication.

As always, I invite your comments and suggestions.

Contact Pamela Bluh, ALCTS President

Letters from ALCTS

From the Office

Charles Wilt, ALCTS Executive Director

Looking Back (and Forward)

As I was thinking about what I would write for my column, I looked back over what I have written (a few odd ones included). I then counted the number of articles I have written (thirty). That is five years” worth. I began my column in the April 2003 ANO issue and have been writing them ever since. I have a headache just thinking about it. Not to brag, but some were really good, there are some about which I really wonder, and there a couple of repeats when my brain just would not cooperate. What really got me started thinking about these articles was the realization that come April 30, I will have been your Executive Director for seven years, having begun this tenure on that date in 2001. Ah, the new millennium. I remember that. So long ago already. I know, I feel old, too.

One of my goals with these articles has been to discuss issues that are association issues. ALCTS is not alone in its struggle to survive and thrive in a very tough market with lots of competition and distractions for you, the dedicated member, and the potential member. There is only so much time and money for any one person to devote to an organization like ALCTS. ALCTS has been fortunate in this regard: your devotion and dedication. After all, it is my understanding that most of you have other jobs and maybe even a life that require at least some of your attention now and again.

Most if not all of the topics about which I have written in the past are still relevant as we move forward with re-creating, re-shaping, re-aligning ALCTS to take advantage of new developments and new relationships. There is still a need for continuing education, publications, and enhancing members’ ability to get involved (maybe re-defining what is meant by “involvement”). I have written about our need to create web courses, webinars, digital publications, and fast moving groups such as interest groups. I have also written about how important it for us to plan ahead ourselves, and now that ALA has a more defined planning process, in conjunction with it. To me, the organizational excellence goal that appears in our plan and ALA’s plan is vitally important for our health and welfare. I have said this before in any number of ways: we cannot remain, as we were if we are going to succeed in the future. That is why the work that many groups within ALCTS are doing right now is worthwhile and why the focus of the new website will be on content and what we offer.

I have also written about hopes and vision and defining the “who” in ALCTS. Who we are is entirely up to us, or you, more accurately: the design, the feel, the structure, the tone, the definition.

We gained much strength and purpose from our 50th Anniversary celebration. ANO has published some stirring “My ALCTS Experience” articles. Pamela and the other Presidents have written equally inspiring articles of their own. We have a definitive body of work that extols our virtues, challenges us to forward action, and lies out our promise. Go back and re-read some of it. You will be amazed and inspired. I hope that what I have written has in a small way contributed to this discussion.

Contact Charles Wilt

Looking Ahead

Calendar of Upcoming Events

Features

Spotlight on CCS

David Miller, Curry College

Everyone active in the field knows well by now that the cluster of activities that we call “bibliographic control” is undergoing multiple, significant transformations. The Cataloging and Classification Section (CCS) is very much involved with the ongoing changes in bibliographic control principles and practice, as a look at the section’s upcoming programming for the 2008 ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim will show. If there is an unofficial theme for CCS programs in Anaheim, it is that of interconnections: among libraries and other types of cultural institutions; among languages, scripts, and cultures; among ALCTS/CCS and other groups in and outside of ALA; and among standards themselves, existing and evolving.

CCS Programs

Serving the Whole Community: Multilingual Access in Public Libraries

This program is one response to the 2007 Report of the ALCTS Task Force on Non-English Access. The population of North America continues to become richer and more diverse, linguistically and culturally. As this process continues, the need for multilingual access through library catalogs and other services has moved well beyond the major urban centers, in addition to multilingual collection development. What are the multilingual needs of public library users today? How are they being met, what is needed, and to what developments can we look forward? The speakers are

• Mary Catherine Little (Queens Borough Public Library),
• Pat Fahrenthold (San Francisco Public Library),
• Shelley Ekeroth (County of Los Angeles Public Library)
• Lisa Elliott (Project Manager, Language Sets, OCLC)

Saturday, June 28, 1:30–3:30 pm, Disney Paradise Pier, Pacific B. Co-sponsored by the Cataloging Needs of Public Libraries Committee of the Public Library Association,

Getting Ready for RDA and FRBR: What You Need to Know

Later that same day, we will take a look at what to do to prepare for Resource Description and Access ( RDA) and Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR). Libraries, archives, and museums, among others, need to prepare for the release of RDA in 2009. This new standard differs from AACR2, and incorporates concepts from FRBR and Functional Requirements for Authority Data (FRAD). This program focuses on functionality, as well as implementation strategies, issues such as infrastructure and re-thinking cataloging, education, and the impact of RDA across the stakeholders' communities. Speakers:

• Barbara Tillett (Library of Congress),
• Glenn Patton (OCLC)
• Shawne D. Miksa (University of North Texas; Chair, RDA Implementation Task Force)

Saturday, June 28, 4–5:30 pm, Anaheim Convention Center, Room 204B.

Creating the Future of the Catalog and Cataloging

This program had its origin, in part, in the concern that discussions about “the future of cataloging” and “the future of the catalog” have been moving along separate tracks, with little contact between them. The program, co-sponsored by the ALCTS Networked Resources and Metadata Interest Group (NRMIG) and the LITA Next Generation Catalog Interest Group, will explore the connections between the promise of next generation catalogs, the potential of global information networks, and what catalogers do. How may catalogers and others use new tools such as WorldCat Local, the eXtensible Catalog, and faceted browsing, new concepts such as “ambient findability,” and new behaviors like social tagging, to create valuable services for information users? These questions will be addressed by

• Martha Yee (UCLA Film and Television Archive),
• Jennifer Bowen (University of Rochester),
• Tim Spalding (LibraryThing) and
• Diane Hillman (Cornell Digital Library Research Group).

Robert Wolven (Columbia University) will moderate the discussion, which will include audience questions and conversation.

Sunday, June 29, 8 am–noon, Anaheim Convention Center, Room 204B.

Forums

CCS has made increasing use of forums in the last couple of years, as a means of addressing current issues in a shorter time frame than formal program planning generally allows. On Monday morning, from 8–10 am, we will present a CCS Forum on the topic of international aspects of authority control, including the addition of non-Roman script data to authority records and an update on the Virtual International Authority File project. It is also possible that, in addition to the RDA program described above, we will host the latest in a series of RDA Forums on Saturday morning. This will be confirmed as the 2008 ALA Annual Conference approaches, so please watch for announcements. Find more information on all ALCTS programs at the 2008 ALA Annual Conference online.

In April of 2007, the CCS Executive Committee prepared a statement, submitted by the ALCTS Board of Directors to the Library of Congress Working Group on the Future of Bibliographic Control, for the WG’s second public meeting on “Standards and Structures.” A quote from that statement expresses the commitment that CCS has to facing an environment of persistent complexity:

Standards and structures need to enable metadata drawn from different disciplines and communities to be reused intelligently in a variety of end-user environments. ‘Library-created’ metadata, whether of established or recently developed types, should be able to flow easily into applications created outside librarianship proper. Similarly, metadata types with provenance outside librarianship should be able to be incorporated into whatever ‘library systems’ become, for the purposes of building on the strengths of library-created metadata as well as addressing its weaknesses. Implied are the development of standards and structures which allow fluid sharing and mixing of data types, preservation of context (the metadata’s ‘original intelligence’), granularity in indexing and display to any degree desired, decoupling of markup from display, and translation/transformation into the conventions of multiple end-user environments.

—from Testimony Submitted to the LOC Working Group on the Future of Bibliographic Control, p. 58.

We look forward to seeing you in Anaheim!

Features

Report on ALA Ethical Fitness Workshop

Rebecca Routh, University of Iowa

As the twenty-first century heralds a new era of progress in information technology, the need for ethical awareness is becoming more urgent, although training in this area is rarely offered in library and information science programs. Members of ALA’s Committee on Professional Ethics and the Intellectual Freedom Committee met in Chicago on March 14, 2008 for a workshop aimed at providing a language and framework in which to promote ethical fitness. Recommended pre-reading for the session was from Rushmore Kidder’s How Good People Make Good Choices (William Morrow and Company, 1995).

Nancy Zimmerman (Associate Professor and Assistant Dean, College of Library and Information Science, University of South Carolina) and Veanna Baxter (Professor, Mansfield University, New Holland, Pennsylvania) presented the ALA Ethical Fitness Workshop that posed the question “What is ‘ethical’ behavior?”

For many, it is viewed simply as “obedience to the unenforceable,” something with which to enhance a reputation or keep out of trouble. Kidder takes a broader view, seeing it as essential for the survival of society. Zimmerman suggests that ethics extend beyond moral behavior as it requires conscious thought and reflection. Stephen Almagno, University of Pittsburgh, defines ethics as “the art and the science that seeks to bring creativity and method to the discernment of moral values.”

Creating a code of ethics requires defining the shared values of the group it serves. Participants broke into small groups for an exercise in values definition, after which it was concluded that some of the core values of American society include integrity, fairness, respect, responsibility, and moral courage. Baxter noted that other groups define themselves by different values, as evidenced by a look at their ethical codes (West Point Honor Code, Girl Scout Law, Islamic Code of Sports Ethics).

Zimmerman led a session on ethical dilemmas and outlined a five-step process of analysis. Unlike moral temptations, which are based on a conflict between right and wrong, ethical dilemmas involve a conflict between two “rights.” All dilemmas can be described by one of four conflict paradigms:

• truth versus loyalty
• self versus community
• short-term versus long-term
• justice versus mercy

Dilemma analysis requires identifying whose problem it is (the actor), defining the facts, testing to identify whether it is an ethical dilemma or a moral temptation, and finally, defining the conflict paradigm and underlying values.

Baxter discussed three decision principles that are often useful in dilemma resolution. Ends-based thinking involves determining what will provide the greatest good for the greatest number of people. Rule-based thinking favors acting on the highest principle, assuming one cannot foresee the consequences of an action. Care-based thinking invokes the golden rule (“do unto others as you would have them do unto you”) but requires identifying the most important “other.” If none of these decision principles offers a clear resolution to an ethical dilemma, it is sometimes possible to find a “third way out” that honors both “rights.” When that is not possible, one must simply analyze the situation and make a tough decision.

Participants concluded that the workshop was a valuable tool for promoting ethical fitness and that the outline provided by The Institute for Global Ethics in their workbook, Ethical Fitness: Preparing for the Challenges of the 21st Century offers a useful framework for ethics training within the library profession.

Feature

Special April 1 Message from the ALCTS Office

In what has become a tradition, the following message was issued to the ALCTS Leaders discussion list by ALCTS Executive Director Charles Wilt on April 1, 2008. It is reproduced here so all members can enjoy it! —Ed.

WARNING! WARNING! Due to several reports of intentional misrepresentation, this message was re-directed to agents of FEPA (Federal E-mail Protection Agency), a department of the FCC, for investigation. Applying community based standards for suitable e-mail content, FEPA found no evidence of significant violations. Distribution was approved.

S.P. Ammer
Regional Director
FEPA
8:33 PM CDT
April 1, 2008

*************************************

Dear Leaders,

I have a rather lengthy list of items for this month. Seems the past few weeks have been quite busy.

The ALCTS Office is undergoing a re-structuring. Beginning today, Julie Reese, current ALCTS events manager, will become Associate Executive Director for Education and will oversee that department. Christine Taylor, currently publications and membership, will become Associate Executive Director for Publishing and Member Services and will oversee both departments. Congratulations to Julie and Christine on their new titles.

As you might have seen before, ALCTS is joining the “going green” movement within ALA. Significant progress has already been made in our conversion, but much work is left to do. As of today, the carpet has been replaced, the walls and file cabinets painted, and the ceiling done. The green chosen was easily matched to all surfaces and retained it hue and luster beautifully.

ALA has decided not to pursue its quest for naming rights to the hallowed Wrigley Field here in Chicago.

Difficulty in incorporating the “@ your library” branding in the name proved to be the downfall. Wrigley Field at @ your library Park just did not elicit much enthusiasm or support.

In more ALA news, ALA Graphics has just announced a multiyear deal to place “boutique-style” ALA stores in all Macys stores across the country. Heralded as a breakthrough agreement, Macy’s has adopted ALA as its preferred association partner. ALA Graphics is developing a line of products that will be a Macy’s exclusive. The agreement has already drawn protests from rabid Marshall Field’s loyalists here in Chicago.

As a special treat for conference goers this June, ALA is adding a new event to its already crowded line-up. Following the overwhelming success of the library book cart race, ALA will conduct the first Disney character race. Librarians from around the country will dress as their favorite Disney character and race one lap around the exhibit floor. The winner receives an all-expense paid trip to the next Annual Conference in Orlando. BTW: there is no truth to the rumor that ALA is outsourcing its conference management to the Disney Company.

As you may have read, ALA Council created a Task Force on E (electronic)-member participation chaired by our very own Janet Swan Hill. Although a very small percentage of total ALA members, E-members have every expectation of being able to participate in ALA. Resident primarily in Second Life, these members can offer ALA a different perspective. The E-member caucus has pushed for this recognition ever since ALA assumed a presence in Second Life. In addition to Second Lifers, there is a movement to incorporate current E-members in other such environments like SimCity. The SimCity library community has grown rapidly in recent years and along with the Second Lifers could provide the needed membership boost that ALA will need in the future. The Task Force report is greatly anticipated by all E-members.

This news from our colleagues in Europe: Marc Format of the European Union, in his state of the EU address to a satellite IFLA meeting in Brussels, announced a more aggressive implementation schedule for the EUROI. If you remember a couple years ago, Format revealed plans for a European version of cataloging rules, called EUROI (European Union Rules for the Organization of Information). In his address, Format remarked that “Although the RDA is still very strong in England and Canada, the EUROI Steering Committee feels it necessary to move forward at a faster pace than we had thought previously. With the de-valuation of the RDA in America due to America’s continuing subprime BIBCON crisis, the timing is right for this more aggressive schedule. The EU with backing from interested parties in the Middle East and Asia wish to capitalize on the outstanding work done by various IFLA groups.” Queries to the American RDA establishment have gone unanswered at this writing.

Watch for the launch of the new literary magazine: Z671. This new magazine will emphasize stories, poetry, and expressions telling the librarian experience in twenty-first century postmodern deconstructionist pre-Warp America.

Now that the writers strike for the TV shows is over, you might look for these new shows to begin production:

• Desperate Catalogers
• CSI: The Back Room
• Are You Smarter than a Digital Information Strategist?

From the group that brought you “Second Life,” experience “Afterlife,” the new environment that captures your avatar in perpetuity. In Afterlife, avatars will take on a more ghostly appearance. An apparition appearing in your Second Life world is one option now available. Other options on the horizon include séance management.

OCLC has recently denied making a bid to acquire the cataloging operations of the Library of Congress. Spokespersons for each group have been unavailable for comment. This recent development follows last year's failed attempt by LC to outsource its cataloging. That initiative headed by elements in Google soon fell victim to widespread outrage in the library community.

On a quick note, the new book from Brian E.C.M.A. Madison, The FRBR Dilemma, has reached book stores across the country this week. The much anticipated sequel to the The AACR Chronicles, Dilemma is a tightly woven and highly entertaining story of how one elusive and misunderstood concept forged by a dedicated group of followers changed the entire scope of information organization worldwide. Watch for the book tour which launches this summer at Geisel and Company, the ever popular Anaheim, California book store.

In anticipation of National Library Week, Hollywood has announced a number of new movies to debut between now and the summer. Here is a partial list:

• No Library for Old Books, a Google Digital Arts production, co-produced by MS VISTA
• Atonement, the story of a collector who left Post-it notes in his rare books
• PARS Wars join Luke, Leia, Han and the Reformatting Alliance as they battle the evil Lord Dust Vapor and the Brit-El Empire
• The Death of a Marc, a movie based on the newly discovered Hercules Poirot mystery from Agatha Christie
• The Serialist, based on the recent riveting biography of master serialist, Susan Davis “National Library,” features Nicholas Cage’s search of the depths of LC for secret treasures linked to suspicious Congressional activities in this, the third installment of his highly successful series.

Reading this far is much appreciated,

Charles
Charles Wilt
Executive Director
The Back Room Society

Features

Interview with Linda Harris Mehr

Linda Harris Mehr

By Cindy Hepfer , State University of New York at Buffalo and
   Pamela Bluh , Marshall Law Library at the University of Maryland

Cindy Hepfer, Chair of the 2008 ALCTS President’s Program, and Pamela Bluh (2007/2008 ALCTS President) recently submitted interview questions to Linda Harris Mehr, who will be the featured speaker at the 2008 ALCTS President’s Program on Monday, June 30, at 10:30 am in Anaheim during the 2008 ALA Annual Conference. The program is entitled: “From Here to Eternity: the Challenges of Managing Oscar’s Very Special Collections,” and Harris Mehr is the director of the Margaret Herrick Library at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Harris Mehr held us spell-bound on the phone discussing her library’s collections, and the challenges her staff members face in working with this iconic collection. While her collection is iconic, we nevertheless believe that many of the challenges her library faces are those to which we can all relate. We hope that this brief interview with Harris Mehr will whet your appetite and that as many of you as possible will attend the program.

We also encourage anyone who is interested to look at the Margaret Herrick Library’s website. We think that you will find the information and images that you find there as intriguing as we do!

Exterior of the Margaret Herrick Library, Fairbanks Center for Motion Picture Study

ANO: Please tell us about some of the highlights of the collections of the Margaret Herrick Library at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.

LHM: To name just a few, the Margaret Herrick Library is home to:

• The personal papers of:
  • Directors: Alfred Hitchcock, John Huston, Fred Zinnemann, and George Stevens
  • Actors: Mary Pickford, Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, Gregory Peck, Mae West, and W.C. Fields
  • Costume designers: Edith Head, Marjorie Best, and Dorothy Jeakins
  • Production designers: Robert Boyle, George Jenkins, and Henry Bumstead
  • Writers: Ring Lardner, Jr. and Charles Brackett
  • Producers: Mack Sennett and Hal Wallis
  • Composers: Jerry Goldsmith and Alex North
  • Cinematographers: James Wong Howe
  • Gossip columnists: Hedda Hopper and Louella Parsons.
• Studio archival collections: MGM screenplays and photographs; Paramount Pictures screenplays, pressbooks and photographs; RKO photographs; United Artists photographs.
• Organization records: Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) Production Code files (censorship records 1930–1967); American Society of Cinematographers records; Screen Composers Association records.
• 10 million photographs: portraits, publicity, scene stills, behind-the scenes, Hollywood social life, Academy Awards
• 35,000 posters documenting films from 1895 on—U.S. and world-wide—special collections on black artists in film (1300+), posters for animation films (1200+), Polish posters of extraordinary graphic design (1700+).

Perils of Pauline 5th episode poster

ANO: How do you envision the Margaret Herrick Library growing and progressing in the future?

LHM: In a nutshell, we will continue to collect material to document past history as well as current activities of the industry, explore new technologies to provide increased access to our holdings, and seek additional space to handle growing collections.

Photoplay magazine cover with Constance Bennett, 1931

ANO: Tell us about your background and how you came to be the director of the Margaret Herrick Library.

LHM: I have a Ph.D. in History with an emphasis on American social and cultural history. In the process of completing my dissertation (which in part dealt with images of women in film), I became very familiar with the Los Angeles area library holdings of motion picture-related collections. I was then hired by the Film and Television Study Center (a local consortium of universities and organizations with film and television materials) to write a grant proposal (awarded) and then do the bibliographic work required by the grant to create a union list of motion picture, television and radio holdings in institutions in the eleven western states. The results were then published (1978). I went on to provide separate bibliographic projects for UCLA and the Academy of Motion Pictures, taught film and history courses at the University of Southern California and the University of California San Diego, was hired as Archivist for the Urban Archives at California State University Northridge, and then in 1982 was offered the position of director of the Margaret Herrick Library where I have been ever since.

Buster Keaton in a scene from THE LOVE NEST (1923)

ANO: What do you find most challenging and most rewarding about your job?

LHM: Most challenging is to find adequate space for the continuously growing collection, as well as to reach the appropriate balance between the need to preserve the multitude of rare archival materials of varying types--manuscripts, photographs, posters, books, periodicals, clipping files, drawings, music scores, and sound recordings—and the need to make such materials accessible to researchers. We are blessed with an abundance of extraordinary items documenting all aspects of filmmaking. We are also fortunate to have an amazingly talented, knowledgeable staff who are highly skilled at performing the needed cataloging and conservation work and who do their utmost to assist researchers. The most rewarding part for me is knowing that we are playing a major role in maintaining the memory of an industry that has provided the most significant form of popular culture for more than a century.

Mary Pickford portrait, circa 1919

ANO: What kinds of skills and background do you look for when you hire staff for the Margaret Herrick Library?

LHM: Knowledge of film history is highly desired, or at the least an awareness that such must be acquired while working here to perform at the highest level. It goes without saying that excellent cataloging and archival skills are essential, and our top professional staff have MLS degrees and/or advanced degrees in film studies. We seek people with fine organizational abilities, ability to pay careful attention to details, knowledge of current library practices and new technologies, a willingness to work well with others and a desire to assist researchers.

ANO: Please give us a preview of coming attractions, i.e. the topics you might address in your presentation, “From Here to Eternity: the Challenges of Managing Oscar's Very Special Collections” at the ALCTS President's Program on June 30.

LHM: I plan to discuss the types of materials we have acquired in the past, along with what we are seeking now. I will discuss the manner in which we organize and catalog our holdings, the types of new technologies we employ to increase access, the preservation challenges we encounter and the conservation methods we have enacted for dealing with various types of materials, as well as the ongoing space issues we face in order to increase and maintain our holdings. There will be multiple images from our collections, as well as visual documentation on preservation and housing measures.

News from ALCTS

Midwinter 2008 Reports: Part II

The following reports summarize some of the ALCTS activities that took place during the 2008 Midwinter Meeting in Philadelphia.

ALA Recruitment Assembly

Manuel Urrizola, ALCTS Representative to the ALA Recruitment Assembly

The ALA Recruitment Assembly met on Monday, January 14, 2008. Sixteen representatives and interested parties attended.

I reported on:

• ALCTS/SAGE Support Staff Travel Grant
• ALCTS Membership Committee mentoring program
• ALCTS Membership Committee recruitment program, especially toward public librarians
• ALCTS Membership Committee program to contact and visit library schools
• UCR and UCI Libraries Career Recruitment and Outreach Program in association with the Librarians Association of the University of California, Irvine and the UCI Career Center
• Associates, the premier online journal for library support staff, hosted by UCR

Other topics discussed included:

• ALA Web site redesign project
• ALA Placement Center
• Future of the Librarian Workforce project
• Article titled “Signature Story: the Next Chapter” in Forum magazine about ALA’s recruitment efforts and featuring a snapshot of the Recruitment Assembly’s efforts
• Central Jersey Regional Library Cooperative’s latest recruiting brochures: The Mystery of the Fulfilling Career; and, Ladies and Gentlemen and Children of All Ages
• ACRL’s Western European Studies Section’s initiative to attract students to the profession
• Professional Options Fair for Spectrum Scholars
• Responding to ACRL white paper “Achieving Racial and Ethnic Diversity among Academic and Research Librarians”
• Emerging Leaders Projects: will go forward in 2009
• Recruitment Clearinghouse Wiki, a 2008 Emerging Leaders project
• LibraryCareers.org

All representatives will contribute to the Recruitment Clearinghouse Wiki and will give feedback to the ALA Web site redesign project on recruitment links.

TOP

Electronic Resources Interest Group

Luiz Mendes, incoming chair of the ALCTS Electronic Resources Interest Group (ERIG), opened the meeting by acknowledging newly elected Vice-chair, Jennifer Lang, and thanked outgoing Chair, Allene Hayes for her work and accomplishments, recognizing in particular her efforts to implement the ALCTS Electronic Resources Interest Group Blog, developed and maintained by Jennifer Lang. Participants were informed that announcements and updates to upcoming programs, as well as speakers’ presentation slides, would be posted to the ERIG Blog. The program for this meeting was blogged by Jennifer Lang and presentation slides are currently available at the ERIG Blog.

The program focused on issues related to making e-resources management more manageable in terms of availability, source, and quality of the records for e-book aggregations and databases (integrating resources). The title of the program was: “Making E-Resources Management More Manageable: RECORDS.” Central to the workflows and management of e-resources are bibliographic records. While there is now a general, well-established workflow for e-journals, which are for a large part represented by standard CONSER records in most systems such as Serials Solutions and SFX, the same is not true for e-monographs and integrating resources (databases). Proposals have been made to guide the creation of records for e-monographs by publishers and vendors. There are also proposals are in the making for a provider neutral IR-record. Where are we? What are publishers and vendors doing in this area? After all, source and quality of records impact our decisions, workflows, and management of e-resources.

The program speakers were

• Nicole Pelsinsky, Product Manager, Serials Solutions;
• Timothy Savage, Senior Project Manager, OCLC; and
• Peter Fletcher, Cyrillic Catalog Librarian and Metadata Specialist, UCLA.

Making E-Resources Management More Manageable

Pelinsky’s presentation provided the perspective from services such as Serials Solutions related to the issues, problems, and solutions to e-content management for electronic book collections. Pelsinsky noted that Serials Solutions strives to acquire better data from publishers, and to build collaborative relationships in order to benefit Serials Solutions, the publishers, and the libraries.

Automated E-Resource Cataloging

Through his presentation, Savage provided an in-depth analysis of the issues and challenges related to the workflows for both the cataloging and management of e-resources for monographic materials, and suggested the adoption of “aggregator-neutral records” for e-monographs as a potential solution. During his presentation, Savage also presented current approaches used by OCLC for the creation of records for e- collections (e.g., template-based record cloning) as well as enhancements to publisher metadata, and stressed the importance of cataloging values, automation, and consistent application of standards. Savage showed examples of OCLC records created for e-content (e-book and streaming music).

Provider-Neutral Record for Remote Access Electronic Integrating Resources

Fletcher’s presentation outlined the proposal for a provider-neutral record for integrating resources (IR) based on the final report of the PCC Task Force on Provider Neutral Records for Electronic Integrating Resources. The report is available online. Fletcher presented the problems of multiple records for IRs and the benefits of a provider-neutral record, which would provide one authoritative record rather than several records, less duplication, and would make selection and editing of records from the national database more straightforward, providing a simpler record adaptable to local needs and facilitating the utilization of the record in serial management systems.

There was ample time for discussion and questions from the audience. The presentations engendered a great number of questions and discussion with participants and many remarked the program was extremely informative and the topic important and timely.

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Association’s Association: Investing in the Next Fifty Years of ALCTS

Charles Wilt, ALCTS Executive Director

In 2007, ALCTS celebrated its 50th Anniversary with many gala events centered on our theme, “Commemorating the Past, Celebrating the Present, Creating the Future.”

To honor one of ALCTS’ most outstanding members, the first Ross Atkinson Lifetime Achievement Award was presented in June to Brian E.C. Schottlaender, Geisel University Librarian, at the University of California–San Diego. This very special award, sponsored by EBSCO, was created to celebrate Ross Atkinson’s impact on the library community and ALCTS.

This past fall, a commemorative 50th Anniversary book was published as a fitting finale to the year’s celebrations, Commemorating the Past, Celebrating the Present, Creating the Future: Papers in Observance of the 50th Anniversary of the Association for Library Collections & Technical Services. The volume, edited by ALCTS President Pamela Bluh, features articles by noted ALCTS members including Michael Gorman, Janet Swan Hill and Peggy Johnson. In addition, the ALCTS research journal, Library Resources & Technical Services ( LRTS) edited by Peggy Johnson, celebrated its 50th Anniversary with a special reprint of volume 1, issue 1, a cumulative 25-year index, and a commemorative article in the October issue, “A Look at Fifty Years of Library Resources & Technical Services” by Tschera Harkness Connell of Ohio State University.

As important as it is to look back into our history and honor all of ALCTS’ accomplishments over the last fifty years, ALCTS members now are turning their attention to the last portion of our theme, “Creating our Future.” In the ever changing landscape that members face at their own institutions and in the profession, which is then reflected in their association (ALCTS), the association must respond positively, creatively, and nimbly. ALCTS’ strategic plan outlines an aggressive agenda based on nimbleness, flexibility, adaptability, and collaboration.

In 2006, the American Society of Association Executives published a study titled “7 Measures of Success: What Remarkable Association Do That Others Don’t.” This landmark study was based on Jim Collins’ work Good to Great. Over the next months, ALCTS’ leadership will be analyzing results of a survey conducted in December 2007 based on these seven measures. The measures provide ALCTS with benchmark comparison goals upon which we can judge our progress to becoming a remarkable association.

Moving ALCTS forward requires dedicated member volunteers. Are you ready? If so, ALCTS has a place for you!

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Definition of Digital Preservation Now Available

ALCTS’ Preservation and Reformatting Section (PARS) is pleased to announce the publication of a definition of digital preservation. The definition is available on the ALCTS website.

The definition was developed to promote an understanding of digital preservation within the library community, our allied professions, and the user communities libraries serve. This definition emerged from a meeting of the ALA Digital Preservation Discussion Group at the 2007 ALA Midwinter Meeting. The ALCTS Board of Directors approved the definition at the 2008 ALA Midwinter Meeting. The definition was presented to ALA Council, and accepted as an informational document. The definition is being incorporated into the forthcoming revision of the current ALA Preservation Policy. PARS is coordinating this effort.

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ALCTS Group to Analyze LCWG Recommendations

David Miller, Curry College

A new ALCTS Task Group has been formed to analyze the recommendations outlined in “On the Record,” the Report of the Library of Congress Working Group on the Future of Bibliographic Control (LCWG). At the 2008 ALA Midwinter Meeting, the ALCTS Board of Directors charged this group to analyze the recommendations in the LCWG’s report and to identify those recommendations which ALCTS is well-suited to address. The recommendations are available online. They present great challenges to our profession, and while many of them are recommended for specific action by the Library of Congress, a wide range of stakeholders will be involved.

The Task Group will produce a document intended primarily for use within ALCTS, as compared with writing an “official” ALCTS public statement. During the course of the LCWG’s deliberations, ALCTS produced public statements responding to each of the WG’s public hearings, as well as a response to the WG’s draft report. This document, by contrast, is intended to help ALCTS itself prioritize some of its activities in the short to medium term.

The Task Group was scheduled to present our findings to the ALCTS Executive Committee, before the Committee’s spring meeting in late March.

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Electronic Resources Interest Group Blog

The Electronic Resources Interest Group now has a blog. The ERIG blog was developed and is maintained by Jennifer Lang. Announcements and updates to upcoming programs and speakers’ presentation slides will be posted to the blog.

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David Miller Elected as SACO Representative

David Miller of Curry College has been elected as the initial Subject Authority Cooperative Program (SACO) representative to the Program for Cooperative Cataloging (PCC) Policy Committee to represent the SACO membership and subject headings concerns.

Karen Darling Appointed to new E-Government Services Ad hoc Subcommittee

ALA’s Committee on Legislation (COL) has formed a new E-Government Services Ad hoc Subcommittee. Karen Darling has been appointed to the new subcommittee. The subcommittee’s preliminary charge is:

To develop policy recommendations, legislative proposals and other strategies for the ALA Committee on Legislation related to the role of libraries and the delivery of E-Government services to the American public. The subcommittee shall seek involvement from the broadest range of interested units within ALA and promote collaboration to determine and meet the needs for policy, training, research, legislation and other activities related to libraries and E-Government services. (from the E-Government Services Wiki).

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News from ALCTS

2008 Award Winners Announced

The ALCTS Awards Ceremony will recognize those who have been honored with ALCTS awards for 2008. The ceremony will be held Sunday June 29, 5 pm at the Sheraton Park Hotel in rooms A-C. The ceremony will be followed by a reception on the Tiffany Terrace and Patio. Congratulations to all the award winners!

Best of LRTS

William H. Walters, dean of library services and professor of social sciences at Menlo College, Atherton, California, has won the 2008 Best of LRTS Award for his article, “A Regression-based Approach to Library Fund Allocation,” published in Library Resources & Technical Services ( LRTS), 51, no. 4, October 2007, pages 263–278.

The Best of LRTS Award is given to the author(s) of the best paper published each year in LRTS, the official journal of ALCTS. The author receives $250 and a citation in recognition of their work. | press release

Leadership in Library Acquisitions

The Acquisitions Section of the Association for Library Collections & Technical Services (ALCTS) has selected Karen Darling, Head of Acquisitions at the University of Missouri, to receive the 2008 Leadership in Library Acquisitions Award.

The Leadership in Library Acquisitions Award, sponsored annually by Harrassowitz, is given to a librarian to recognize contributions and outstanding leadership in the field of acquisitions and includes a $1,500 gift. | press release.

Margaret Mann Citation

Martha Yee, cataloging supervisor, UCLA Film and Television Archive, is the recipient of the 2008 Margaret Mann Citation presented by the Cataloging and Classification Section (CCS) of ALCTS. The Mann Citation, recognizing outstanding professional achievement in cataloging or classification, includes a $2,000 scholarship donated in the recipient’s honor by OCLC Inc. to the library school of the winner’s choice.

Yee is recognized for her outstanding contributions to the practice of cataloging and her interest in cataloging education. Yee’s professional contributions have included active participation in ALA and ALCTS and numerous publications. She has served in many leadership roles: CCS (Executive Committee Chair), MARBI (again, as Chair) and as a member of a CCS Task Force to Develop Name and Title Authority Training. This last is a significant initiative of ALCTS/CCS and illustrates her dedication to teaching cataloging concepts through the continuing education efforts of the Association, as well as through traditional Library and Information Science curricula. | press release

Sage Support Staff Travel Grants

Six library support staff have been awarded a 2008 ALCTS/SAGE Library Support Staff Travel Grant. These grants provide airfare, three nights’ hotel and conference registration for the individuals to attend the 2008 ALA Annual Conference to be held in Anaheim, California. Those receiving the travel grant this year are:

• Behzad Allahyar, Persian and Arabic Language Specialist in Serials and E-resources cataloging, UCLA, Los Angeles, California
• Gary Beer, Senior Library Specialist, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois
• Angela Hand, Library Academic Technician, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas
• Michelle Schrade, Library Assistant, Glendale Public Library, Glendale, Arizona
• Angela Slaughter, Fast Track Serials Cataloger, Indiana University, Indiana
• Israel Yanez, Library Assistant, California State University, Sacramento, California

Reports documenting the grant recipients' conference experiences will be published in the August issue of ANO. | press release

Esther J. Piercy Award

Daisy P. Waters, Assistant Acquisitions Librarian for Electronic Resources, Lockwood Library, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, N.Y., the winner of the 2008 Esther J. Piercy Award. The Esther J. Piercy Award was established by ALCTS in 1968 in memory of Esther J. Piercy, the editor of Journal of Cataloging and Classification from 1950 to 1956 and of Library Resources & Technical Services from 1957 to 1967. It is given to recognize the contributions to those areas of librarianship included in library collections and technical services by a librarian with no more than 10 years of professional experience who has shown outstanding promise for continuing contribution and leadership. The recipient receives a $1,500 grant donated by YBP, Inc. and a citation in recognition of his/her accomplishments.

Waters embodies the qualities of leadership and participation that the award is intended to recognize, encourage and reward. In the six years since receiving her MLS degree, Waters has progressed quickly and impressively in her professional activities. Most notably, she has served in major leadership positions within the Serials (now Continuing Resources) Section of ALCTS and has participated widely in a number of other professional organizations at the local, state, regional and national level. She was also an ALA Spectrum Initiative Scholarship recipient in 1999, which led to an opportunity to serve as author and researcher for a significant national research study published by the ALA Office of Diversity: “Bridging Boundaries to Create a New Workforce: A Survey of Spectrum Scholarship Recipients, 1998–2003.” She also has a number of other scholarly publications to her credit. Daisy Waters embodies the very best qualities that today's library professional needs to be successful. | press release

Ulrich’s Serials Librarianship Award

Vicky Reich, director and co-founder of the LOCKSS Program, Stanford University Libraries, is the winner of the 2008 Ulrich’s Serials Librarianship Award. Reich's contributions have helped to create digital publishing, preservation and archiving solutions for scholarly content. This award for distinguished contributions to serials consists of a citation and $1,500 donated by Ulrich’s. | press release

First Step Award

Erin Leach, Catalog Librarian at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, is the recipient of the 2008 First Step Award-A Wiley Professional Development Grant presented by the ALCTS Serials Section. John Wiley & Sons sponsors this $1,500 grant which offers librarians new to the serials field an opportunity to broaden their perspective by attending an ALA Annual Conference and by encouraging professional growth through participation in ALCTS Serials Section activities.

Leach began her current position in 2006, cataloging print and electronic resources. She has demonstrated her commitment to serials work and continued professional development by attending two intensive Serials Cataloging Cooperative Training Program (SCCTP) workshops and obtaining other training, as well as participating in the NASIG mentorship program. She readily shares new information with colleagues and uses it to inform practices in her daily work. Leach expressed a desire to build relationships in the national field and to find her place in the ALCTS Continuing Resources Section.| press release

Blackwell’s Scholarship Award

The Blackwell’s Scholarship Award for 2008 is awarded to Lucy Eleonore Lyons for her article, “The Dilemma for Academic Librarians with Collection Development Responsibilities: A Comparison of the Value of Attending Library Conferences versus Academic Conferences,” published in The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 33, no. 2, March 2007, pages 180–189.

Lyons explores the dilemma librarians with collection responsibilities often face when deciding whether to attend library conferences or relevant academic conferences. She offers an illustrative comparison of the limitations and advantages of the American Library Association's annual meeting and the annual conference of the American Political Science Association, utilizing a methodology that could easily be adapted for other disciplines. She concludes that neither type of event can be responsibly ignored and offers concrete strategies for resolving the dilemma.

The Blackwell’s Scholarship Award honors the author of the year’s outstanding monograph or article in the field of acquisitions, collection development, and related areas of resources development in libraries. Blackwell donates a $2,000 scholarship to the American or Canadian library school of the winning author's choice. Ms. Lyons has designated that the scholarship be given to her alma mater, the School of Information & Library Science, Pratt Institute, in New York. | press release

Banks/Harris Preservation Award

Janet Gertz is the winner of the 2008 Paul Banks and Carolyn Harris Preservation Award. The award, consisting of $1,500 and a citation, sponsored by Preservation Technologies, L. P., recognizes the contribution of a professional preservation specialist who has been active in the field of preservation and/or conservation for library and /or archival materials.

Gertz, an internationally recognized leader in library preservation, has served as director of preservation at Columbia University for two decades, where she has developed a highly respected preservation program that has advanced a research agenda as well as maintained and protected Columbia's priceless assets. | press release

Ross Atkinson Lifetime Achievement Award

The Ross Atkinson Lifetime Achievement Award honors the memory of Ross Atkinson, a distinguished library leader, author, and scholar whose extraordinary service to ALCTS and the library community at-large serves as a model for those in the field. Carol Pitts Diedrichs, dean of libraries and William T. Young Endowed Chair at the University of Kentucky Libraries, is the recipient of the 2008 ALCTS Ross Atkinson Lifetime Achievement Award.

The ultimate practitioner/scholar, Diedrichs has written and spoken extensively on issues in acquisitions, serials, electronic resources, preservation, collection development, technical services organization and scholarly communication. She served for more than a decade as the editor-in-chief of Library Collections, Acquisitions, and Technical Services, one of the premier peer-reviewed journals in the field. With colleague Trisha Davis, she developed the first Web-based course, Fundamentals of Acquisitions, offered by ALCTS, for which she was honored with an ALCTS Presidential Citation. Through her publications, presentations, committee assignments and consultancies, she has significantly influenced best practice in the rapidly changing fields of collections and acquisitions. | press release

ALCTS Outstanding Collaboration Citation Awarded to Chandler and Pesch

CTS Information Technology Librarian Adam Chandler, Cornell University, and Oliver Pesch, Chief Strategist, Information Technology, EBSCO Information Services, have been awarded the ALCTS Outstanding Collaboration Citation in recognition of their leadership of the SUSHI Working Group in the development of the NISO Standardized Usage Statistics Harvesting Initiative (SUSHI). The results of their work have a universal impact on usage statistic measurement and provide a technical model for gathering usage statistics for electronic resources. SUSHI is a protocol that allows data for electronic resources to be transported from data providers to tools like e-resource management systems using an automated process. With the increase in electronic resource collections, it is extremely valuable to the collection development process to have this protocol and automated method for statistics gathering. Adam and Oliver's leadership of a collaborative effort in providing the library community with a very valuable tool is commended.

The ALCTS Outstanding Collaboration Citation recognizes and encourages collaborative problem-solving efforts in the areas of acquisition, access, management, preservation or archiving of library materials. It recognizes a demonstrated benefit from actions, services, or products that improve and benefit providing and managing library collections. The citation may be presented to two or more individuals or groups who have participated jointly in an appropriate achievement. Accomplishments that expose problems may be as valuable as successes. The citation will be presented in a year when an achievement of merit has occurred. | press release

First LBI Cunha/Swartzburg Award Goes to Ryder

Becky Ryder is the winner of the inaugural LBI George Cunha and Susan Swartzburg Preservation Award. The Preservation and Reformatting Section (PARS) of ALCTS will present the award on Sunday, June 29, at the ALCTS Awards Ceremony during the 2008 American Library Association meeting in Anaheim, Calif. The Cunha/Swartzburg Award is sponsored by LBI: The Library Binding Institute and includes a $1,250 grant and citation.

Established in 2007, the award honors the memory of George Cunha and Susan Swartzburg, early leaders in cooperative preservation programming and strong advocates for collaboration in the field of preservation. The award acknowledges and supports cooperative preservation projects and/or rewards individuals or groups that foster collaboration for preservation goals.

Ryder, head of the preservation department at the University of Kentucky Libraries, has made a wealth of contributions to the preservation field. She has an ongoing commitment to collaboration in advancing the preservation of library and archival materials and serves as an educator in both formal educational and professional development settings. | press release

Jewell Inaugural Recipient of Coutts Award for Innovation in Electronic Resources Management

The Collection Management and Development Section (CMDS) of the Association for Library Collections and Technical Services (ALCTS) is pleased to announce Tim Jewell, Director, Information Resources, Collections, and Scholarly Communication at the University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, as the winner of the first annual Coutts Award for Innovation in Electronic Resources Management.

The award recognizes significant and innovative contributions to electronic collections management and development practice. The recipient receives a $2,000 award generously donated by Coutts Information Services and a citation. The award will be presented on Sunday, June 29, at the ALCTS Awards Ceremony during the 2008 American Library Association (ALA) meeting in Anaheim, California.

Jewell has a distinguished record of innovation in the field of electronic resources management and is a key figure in the development of initiatives and standards. His pioneering report, “Selection and Presentation of Commercially Available Electronic Resources: Issues and Practices,” shed light on the ways that libraries were integrating electronic resources into print collections. | press release

News

Annual ‘08 Conference Preview

ALCTS Preconferences and Programs

The following list is arranged by scheduled program times; see the ALCTS Events Schedule by date/time and by group for locations of these events.

To learn more about these events and registration information, see the ALA Annual Conference Web site. Consult and post to the annual wiki for information on events, registration, and many other conference topics.

Preconferences

Thursday, June 26

Electronic Serials Cataloging (SCCTP)

8:30 am–5 pm

This workshop is a basic training course for cataloging electronic serials distributed via the Web, designed for those with previous serials cataloging experience. It is based on the Anglo-American Cataloging Rules, 2nd edition ( AACR2) and its Library of Congress Rule Interpretation. CONSER policies and practices, and the MARC21 format with regard to electronic serials cataloging. The workshop will include instruction and hands-on experience in cataloging electronic serials. Speaker:

• Margaret Mering, Principal Serials Catalog Librarian, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

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Thursday, June 26 and Friday, June 27

Metadata and Digital Library Development

8:30 am–5 pm each day

In an applied, exercise-based context, this two-day workshop introduces practicing catalogers to digital library metadata implementation considerations and prepares attendees to serve as metadata specialists in digital library projects. Topics include: introduction to digital library systems and metadata; the role of the metadata specialist in design and implementation of digital library projects; metadata enhancement and mapping. This workshop is part of the LC Cataloging Distribution Service/ALCTS “Cataloging for the 21st Century” continuing education series. Speakers:

• Jennifer Lang, Princeton University Library
• Barrie Howard, Digital Library Federation

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Friday, June 27

Electronic Serials 101: What I Wished I'd Known Before I Got in Over My Head

8:30 am–5 pm

Electronic information has come of age, yet many organizations have yet to fully appreciate the new skill set needed to successfully cope with the complex nature of electronic serials management. This one-day preconference is designed to provide survival tips for those who find themselves drowning in e-information overload. Practical issues such as workflow, organizational structure and e-management tools will be covered, as will the roles of the various players in the e-serials information chain. Speakers:

• Dan Tonkery, Vice President of Business Development, EBSCO Information Services
• Robert Boissy, Manager, Vendor Relations, Springer
• Jill Emery, Head of Acquisitions, University of Texas at Austin Libraries
• Tina Feick, Vice President, Customer Relations, Swets Information Services
• Dalene Hawthorne, Emporia State University
• Lisa Macklin, Emory University

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Anaheim Programs

Ebook Workflows: Selection to Access

Join the Acquisitions Organization and Management Committee for the program “Ebook Workflows: Selection to Access” on June 28, 8–10 am, at the Anaheim Convention Center, Room 204B. E-book workflows cross the organization and involve individuals with a variety of skills and responsibilities. This program is a follow-up to our successful preconference on workflow analysis but the focus is specific to ebook selection, acquisition, and access. Speakers will introduce issues regarding user behavior, e-book distribution, impacts on staffing, and one consortium's approach to e-book acquisition. Speakers will identify problems and offer potential solutions. A panel discussion will conclude the program. Speakers include:

• Aline Soules, California State University, East Bay
• Mary Gilbert, Towson University; and Carolyn Morris, Coutts Information Services

CCS Forum: International Aspects of Authority Control

The Cataloging and Classification Section (CCS) Forum will take place on June 30, 8–10 am, Marriott Anaheim, Salon F. The Forum will explore the topic of international aspects of authority control, including the addition of non-Roman script data to authority records and an update on the Virtual International Authority File project.

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Creating the Future of the Catalog and Cataloging

Explore the connections between the promise of next generation catalogs, the potential of global information networks, and what catalogers do. How may catalogers and others use new tools like WorldCat Local, the eXtensible Catalog, faceted browsing, etc., new concepts like “ambient findability” and new behaviors like social tagging and web searching to create valuable services for information users? This program will present views of the future of catalogs, cataloging, and catalogers.

This program, which will take place on June 29, 8 am–Noon, in the Anaheim Convention Center, Room 204B is sponsored by The ALCTS Cataloging and Classification Section (CCS), the ALCTS Networked Resources and Metadata Interest Group (NRMIG), and the LITA Next Generation Catalog Interest Group.

Robert Wolven, Associate University Librarian for Bibliographic Services and Collection Development, Columbia University, will serve as the program moderator. Speakers include:

• Martha Yee, Cataloging Supervisor, UCLA Film and Television Archive
• Jennifer Bowen, Head of Cataloging, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester
• Tim Spalding, Creator of LibraryThing
• Diane Hillman, Cornell Digital Library Research Group

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Getting Ready for RDA and FRBR: What You Need to Know

This program will take place on June 28, 4–5:30 pm, in the Anaheim Convention Center, Room 204B and is sponsored by the ALCTS Cataloging and Classification Section (CCS).

Libraries, archives, and museums, among others, need to prepare for the release of Resource Description and Access ( RDA) in 2009. This new standard differs from AACR2, and incorporates concepts from the Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records and Functional Requirements for Authority Data (FRAD). This program focuses on this functionality, as well as implementation strategies, issues (e.g., necessary infrastructure, re-thinking cataloging workflows, timelines), and education (e.g., road shows, web-based training) and the impact of RDA across the stakeholders’ communities. Speakers:

• Barbara Tillett, Library of Congress
• Glen Patton, OCLC
• Shawne D. Miksa, Chair, RDA Implementation Task Force.

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Institutional Repositories: New Roles for Acquisitions

The ALCTS Acquisitions Section (AS) is sponsoring this program (Katharine Treptow Farrell is the program chair), which will take place on June 30, 1:30–3:30 pm, in the Hyatt Regency Orange County, Grand A.

Content types and sources are expanding faster than ever before. As the advent of electronic resources drove radical change in acquisitions, so too is the ingestion of digital content changing work of acquisitions staff. Learn about the next new frontier for acquisitions. Speakers will provide brief overviews and context, and will then discuss the technology, workflow and policies of acquiring content for institutional repositories; and define some new staff roles, such as copyright negotiating and rights management. Speakers:

• Maureen P. Walsh, Ohio State University
• Terry Owen, University of Maryland

Succession Planning: The Future of Your Library Depends on It

Chances are that your library, like many others, is facing key leadership vacancies and the resulting loss of institutional knowledge and expertise. Preparing the next generation of leaders requires more than a hope and a prayer. Succession planning is the tool de force that libraries need to move forward with confidence. Understanding its key concepts will give you a foundation for building a reservoir of talent ready to respond to the challenges facing your library.

The ALCTS Leadership Development Committee will present “Succession Planning: The Future of Your Library Depends on It” on June 28, 10:30 am–Noon, in the Hilton Anaheim, California Pavilion D.

Program speakers will be:

• Vicki Whitmell, Principal Consultant, Whitmell & Associates
• Nanette Donohue, Technical Services Manager, Champaign Public Library (Illinois)
• LeRoy LaFleur, Head, Arlington Campus Library, George Mason University

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Making the Switch from Print to Online: Why, When and How?

Planning on going e-only? Four panelists will examine the issues of switching from print to online from different viewpoints. Two publishers will describe challenges associated with maintaining print and online, and when and under what conditions they would choose to provide e-only. Two librarians will discuss decision-making strategies associated with dropping print and moving to e-only.

The ALCTS Collection Management and Development Section (CMDS) is sponsoring this program (Selden Durgom Lamoureux is the program chair), which will take place on June 29, 1:30–3:30 pm, in the Anaheim Convention Center, Room 204B. Speakers include:

• Judy Luther, Informed Strategies
• Tim Bucknall, University of North Carolina, Greensboro
• Rick Anderson, University of Utah
• Noella Owen, Springer Verlag
• Kim Steinle, Duke University Press

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Metadata Mashup: Creating and Publishing Application Profiles

Application profiles are documents used to define metadata elements and policies for a particular metadata implementation. They have emerged as a solution to documenting the often complex synthesis of multiple metadata standards. This session, intended for librarians building, organizing or describing digital collections, will provide examples of current work and guidance on creating and publishing application profiles. Speakers will address issues of the mixing of metadata standards in light of RDA and other metadata developments. Speakers include:

• Melanie Feltner-Reichert, University of Tennessee-Knoxville
• Arwen Hutt, University of California at San Diego
• Jennifer O'Brien Roper, University of Maryland

The Networked Resources and Metadata Interest Group (NRMIG) is sponsoring this program (John Chapman, program chair), which will take place on June 28, 2008, 1:30–3:30 pm, in the Anaheim Convention Center, Room 204B.

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P(l)anning for Gold: Preservation Models in California and the West

The ALCTS Preservation and Reformatting Section (PARS) and the Public Library Association (PLA) are co-sponsoring this program (Karen Mokrzycki, program chair), which will take place on June 28, 2008, 1:30–3:30 pm, in the Hilton Anaheim, Pacific Ballroom B.

Preservation collaboration in California and the West is yielding rich results. Learn how an expandable network model is working to meet the challenges created by large distances between population centers. Speakers will describe the purpose, organization, services and future of the California Preservation Program (CPP) and WESTPAS, Western States and Territories Preservation Assistance Services, which covers 15 states and territories. Current initiatives to preserve California's vast moving image and recorded sound collections will be described. Tom Clareson, Program Director for New Initiatives, PALINET, will serve as the program moderator. Speakers include:

• Susan Hildreth, California State Librarian, California State Library
• Gary Kurutz, Curator of Special Collections, California State Library
• Barclay Ogden, Head, Preservation Department, University of California, Berkeley; Co-Coordinator, California Preservation Program; Program Coordinator, WESTPAS
• Julie Page, Co-Coordinator, California Preservation Program; User Services Coordinator, WESTPAS

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ALCTS President's Program

From Here to Eternity: The Challenge of Managing Oscar's Very Special Collections

The ALCTS President's Program will feature the Margaret Herrick Library of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. Its collections include relevant working books and periodicals plus numerous special collections containing 10 million photographs, 30,000 posters, and huge numbers of movie scripts, scores, and production and costume designs. These internationally obtained materials exist in a variety of formats. Issues revolving around collection development, acquisitions, preservation, technology, legal rights, and metadata will be explored. Speaker:

• Dr. Linda Harris Mehr, Director, Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences

The ALCTS President’s Program (Cindy Hepfer, program chair) will take place on June 30, 10:30 am–Noon, Marriott Anaheim, Salon F. Read more about Dr. Mehr in this issue of ANO.

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Removing the Fence: Merging Print and Electronic Serials Workflows

The ALCTS Continuing Resources Section (CRS) is sponsoring the program “Removing the Fence: Merging Print and Electronic Serials Workflows,” which will take place on June 28, 10:30 am–Noon, in the Anaheim Convention Center, Room 204B.

Workflows developed by libraries to support electronic resources are frequently ad hoc and separate from long-established print workflows. However, many of the administrative tasks relevant to the electronic are not easily separable from the print, and appropriate print-related workflows may already exist that can more efficiently support the electronic. This program examines the convergence of print and electronic workflows from the viewpoints of the subscription agent, the system provide, and the library.

Gary Ives, Coordinator of Electronic Resources, Texas A&M University Libraries, will serve as the program moderator. Speakers include:

• Oliver Pesch, Chief Strategist, E-Resource Access and Management Services, EBSCO Information Services
• Clinton Chamberlain, Coordinator for Electronic Resource Acquisitions, University of Texas Libraries

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RDA Update Forum

The RDA Update Forum will take place on June 28, 10:30 am-Noon, at the Marriott Anaheim, Salon E.

Serving the Whole Community: Multilingual Access in Public Libraries

The population of North America continues becoming richer and more diverse, linguistically and culturally. As this process continues, the need for multilingual access through library catalogs and other services has moved well beyond the major urban centers, in addition to multilingual collection development. What are the multilingual needs of public library users today? How are they being met, what is needed, and what developments can we look forward to? Speakers include:

• Mary Catherine Little, Queens Borough Public Library
• Pat Fahrenthold, Chief of Technical Services, San Francisco Public Library
• Lisa Elliott, Project Manager, Language Sets, OCLC
• Shelley Ekeroth, County of Los Angeles Public Library
• David Miller, Curry College
• Sally Smith, King County Library System (Washington State)

The ALCTS Cataloging and Classification Section and the Public Library Association Cataloging Needs of Public Libraries Section are co-sponsoring this program, which will take place on June 28, 1:30–3:30 pm, Disney Paradise Pier, Pacific B.

Serials Standards Update Forum

The Serials Standards Update Forum, which is sponsored by the ALCTS Continuing Resources Section (CRS), will take place on June 29, 10:30 am–Noon, in the Hilton Anaheim, Pacific Ballroom A.

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Staying Alive: Books Through Print-on-Demand Technology

The ALCTS Preservation and Reformatting Section (PARS) and the LITA Technology and Access Committee are co-sponsoring this program (Debra S. Nolan, program chair) on June 28, 10:30 am–Noon, in the Anaheim Convention Center, Room 304A/B.

Books can be available in a matter of seconds through print on demand technology. Librarians can opt for in-house or outsourced versions of this technology. This session will address the print-on-demand market, who is involved, what publishers are doing, in-house and outsourced printon-demand options, as well as what libraries should consider when binding print-on-demand materials. Speakers include:

• Brian Baird, Vice President of Library Services, Bridgeport National Bindery
• Lynn Terhune, POD and USR Administrator, John Wiley and Sons
• Gary Frost, University of Iowa and
• Beth Wladis, Head of Access Services, New York Public Library.

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ALCTS Events Schedules

By Group | By Day

ALCTS 101: Write Here

First-time conference attendees and other guests are invited to learn about opportunities for getting involved in ALCTS; specifically ALCTS publishing. New members who are not yet active within the division are also encouraged to attend to meet active members and learn about areas where they may contribute. This special open house will be held Friday, June Friday, June 27, 7–8:30 pm, Anaheim Convention Center, Room 201C. This gathering will focus on publishing opportunities offered by ALCTS membership and participation.

ALCTS Awards Ceremony and Awards Reception

Join us for the ALCTS Awards Ceremony on June 29 at the Sheraton Park Hotel in Rooms A-C, 5–6 pm. The ceremony will be immediately followed by the Awards Reception, 6–7 pm, on the Tiffany Terrace and Patio. Learn more about ALCTS awards and this year’s recipients.

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New Leaders Orientation

New committee appointees, newly appointed committee, discussion and interest group chairs: the ALCTS New Leaders Orientation is the place to meet ALCTS executive staff and current ALCTS leaders to learn about your responsibilities and opportunities as you take on your roles.

Following brief presentations from the division committee chairs, editors of the ALCTS Newsletter Online ( ANO) and Library Resources and Technical Services ( LRTS), ALCTS Pamela Bluh, ALCTS President-Elect M. Dina Giambi, and ALCTS Executive Director Charles Wilt, there will be an opportunity to meet informally with the presenters. The session will take place on Sunday, June 29, 8–10 am in the Sheraton Park Hotel, Palm Ballroom.

Reporters Needed to Cover ALCTS Events

Volunteers are needed to write summary reports on ALCTS preconferences and programs that will take place at the 2008 ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim, California in June 2008. The reports, which carry a byline, will be published in the August issue of the ALCTS Newsletter Online. Both seasoned reporters and novices are welcome. Your contributions will enable all members to benefit from reading about the events our division is sponsoring at the Annual Conference.

If you would like to be a reporter in Anaheim, this is what you need to do:

• Select an event from the list of ALCTS Programs and Preconferences (see the next news item) in this issue.
• Contact the editor, Mary Beth Weber, and indicate the event you would like to cover. You will receive a reply to let you know if a report is needed for that event. One friendly suggestion: Include alternate choices in case the one in which you are most interested happens to be taken.
• Attend the program or preconference and take good notes!
• Write a brief report (300 words for programs, 500 for preconferences) including names of speakers, topics covered, and whatever other information you deem important, such as: major points of emphasis, conclusions reached, or audience response.
• Submit the report to Mary Beth Weber, no later than July 31, 2008.

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Conference Watch ’08

ALCTS Event Schedule by Group

ALCTS Division Meeting	Date	Time	Hotel	Room
ALCTS 101: Write Here	6/27, Fri.	7–8:30 pm	ACC	201 C
ALCTS Education Committee Meeting I	6/28, Sat.	8–10 am	HIL	Manhattan
ALCTS Education Committee Meeting II	6/30, Mon.	1:30–3:30 pm	CLAR	Orangewood 1
ALCTS/MAGERT Cartographic Materials Cataloging Discussion Group	6/29, Sun.	8–10 am	ACC	203 B
Automated Acquisitions and In-Process Control Discussion	6/29, Sun.	10:30 am–noon	HYATT	Salon II
Awards Ceremony	6/29, Sun.	5–6 pm	SHER	Park A-C
Awards Reception	6/29, Sun.	6–7 pm	SHER	Tiffany Terrace and Patio
Board of Directors I	6/28, Sat.	1:30–5:30 pm	ACC	206 B
Board of Directors II	6/30, Mon.	1:30–5:30 pm	ACC	206 B
Board of Directors III	7/1, Tues.	1:30–3:30 pm	ACC	212 B
Board Orientation	6/28, Sat.	8–10 am	ACC	212 B
Budget and Finance Committee	6/27, Fri.	4–5:30 pm	HIL	Conference Rm. 3
Budget and Finance Committee	6/29, Sun.	1:30–5:30 pm	HIL	Conference Rm. 1
Cataloging Cultural Objects in Libraries: A Workshop on Using the Emerging Descriptive Standard, CCO, for Cultural Works and their Visual Images in Libraries	6/27, Fri.	8:30 am–5 pm	ACC	201 D
Collection Analysis: Assessment and Evaluation	6/26, Thu.	1:30–5 pm	ACC	206 A
Collection Development: Policy, Planning and Fiscal Management	6/26, Thu.	8:30 am–noon	ACC	206 A
Creative Ideas in Technical Services Discussion Group	6/29, Sun.	4–5:30 pm	ACC	213 D
Describing and Organizing Geographic Information: A Comparison of RDA and ISO 19115 Standards	6/30, Mon.	1:30–3:30 pm	ACC	213 C
Electronic Resources Interest Group	6/28, Sat.	10:30 am–noon	DIS	Adventure Room
Electronic Resources Management Interest Group	6/27, Fri.	6:30–8 pm	ACC	203 A
Electronic Serials 101: What I Wished I’d Known Before I Got in Over My Head	6/27, Fri.	8:30 am–5 pm	ACC	207 D
Electronic Serials Cataloging: an ALCTS/Library of Congress SCCTP Workshop	6/26 Thu.	8:30 am–5 pm	ACC	203 A
Forum	6/30, Mon.	8–10 am	MAR	Salon F
FRBR Interest Group	6/27, Fri.	10:30 am–noon	ACC	203 B
Fundraising Comittee	6/28, Sat.	8–10 am	HIL	Lido C
International Relations Committee Meeting	6/28, Sat.	10:30 am–noon	DOUB	Florence
Leadership Development Committee	6/29, Sun.	1:30–3:30 pm	HIL	Conference Rm. 7
Library Materials Price Index Editorial Board	6/29, Sun.	10:30 am–noon	PIER	Redondo
LRTS Editorial Board	6/29, Sun.	10:30 am–12:30 pm	HYATT	Royal A/B
MARBI (ALCTS/LITA/RUSA Machine-Readable Bibliographic Information Committee	6/28, Sat.	10:30 am–noon	DIS	South Exhibit Hall
MARBI (ALCTS/LITA/RUSA Machine-Readable Bibliographic Information Committee	6/29, Sun.	1:30–6 pm	DIS	South Exhibit Hall
MARBI (ALCTS/LITA/RUSA Machine-Readable Bibliographic Information Committee	6/30, Mon.	1:30–3:30 pm	DIS	South Exhibit Hall
MARC Formats Interest Group	6/28, Sat.	1:30–3:30 pm	DOUB	Tuscany F
Membership Committee	6/29, Sun.	1:30–3:30 pm	DIS	Wonder Exec. Bd. Rm.
Metadata and Digital Library Development: an ALCTS and Library of Congress Workshop	6/26, Thu.	8:30 am–5 pm	ACC	208 A
Metadata and Digital Library Development: an ALCTS and Library of Congress Workshop	6/27, Fri.	8:30 am–5 pm	ACC	208 A
Metadata Mashup: Creating and Publishing Application Profiles	6/28, Sat.	1:30–3:30 pm	ACC	204 B
Networked Resources and Metadata Interest Group	6/29, Sun.	8–10 am	DIS	No. Exhibit Hall Mtg. Rm. B
New Leaders Orientation	6/29, Sun.	8–10 am	SHER	Palm BR
Newspaper Discussion Group	6/28, Sat.	1:30–3:30 pm	PIER	Redondo
Organization and Bylaws Committee	6/29, Sun.	1:30–5:30 pm	HIL	Conference Rm. 9
Out of Print Discussion Group	6/29, Sun.	8–10 am	ACC	201 D
Papers Series Editorial Board	6/28, Sat.	1:30–3:30 pm	DOUB	Siena
PARS/CRG/Division Chairs Executive Committee	6/29, Sun.	10:30 am–noon	HYATT	Royal A/B
Planning Committee	6/27, Fri.	2–4 pm	MAR	304
Planning Committee	6/29, Sun.	1:30–3:30 pm	HIL	Salinas
President's Program: From Here to Eternity: the challenges of managing Oscar's very special collections	6/30, Mon.	10:30 am–noon	MAR	Salon F
Program Committee I	6/28, Sat.	8 am–noon	HIL	Conference Rm. 3
Program Committee II	7/1, Tues.	8 am–noon	HIL	Conference Rm. 1
Publications Committee	6/29, Sun.	1:30–3:30 pm	HIL	Exec. Bd. Rm.
Publisher - Vendor - Library Relations (PVLR) Interest Group - Business Meeting	6/28, Sat.	1:30–3:30 pm	DOUB	Tuscany A/B
PVLR Open Forum : Branding and Marketing for Libraries, Publishers, and Vendors	6/30, Mon.	8–10 am	ACC	213 C
Role of the Professional Librarian in Technical Services Discussion Group	6/29, Sun.	4–6 pm	DIS	No. Exhibit Hall Mtg. Rm. G
Scholarly Communications Interest Group	6/30, Mon.	1:30–3:30 pm	DOUB	Tuscany E
Staying Alive: Books Through Print On Demand Technology	6/28, Sat.	10:30 am–noon	ACC	304 A/B
Steering Committee to Oversee the Non English Task Force Recommendations Implementation	6/30, Mon.	10:30 am–noon	HIL	San Clemente
Succession Planning: The Future of Your Library Depends on It	6/28, Sat.	10:30 am–noon	HIL	California Pavillion D
Technical Services Administrators of Medium-Sized Research Libraries	6/28, Sat.	10:30 am–noon	PIER	Pacific C
Technical Services Directors in Large Research Libraries Discussion Group	6/27, Fri.	9:30 am–12:30 pm	CROW	Mazatian BR B/C
Workflow Efficiency Discussion Group	6/30, Mon.	1:30–3:30 pm	HIL	Monterey
You Know FRBR, But Have You Ever Met FRAD	6/29, Sun.	1:30–5:30 pm	ACC	210 A-C
AS Meetings	Date	Time	Hotel	Room
Acquisitions Managers and Vendors Interest Group	6/29, Sun.	1:30–3:30 pm	GRAND	Trillium C
AS All Committee Meeting	6/28, Sat.	1:30–5:30 pm	HIL	Palos Verdes B
Ebook Workflows: Selection to Access	6/28, Sat.	8–10 am	ACC	204 B
Executive Committee	6/29, Sun.	10:30 am–12:30 pm	HYATT	Royal A/B
Executive Committee	7/1, Tues.	8–10 am	MAR	304
Gifts Discussion Group	6/28, Sat.	8–10 am	HIL	Conference Rm. 7
Institutional Repositories: New Roles for Acquisitions	6/30, Mon.	1:30–3:30 pm	HYATT	Grand A
CCS Meetings	Date	Time	Hotel	Room
Catalog Management Discussion Group	6/28, Sat.	1:30–3:30 pm	HYATT	Grand B
Cataloging and Classification Research Discussion Group	6/28, Sat.	10:30 am–noon	DOUB	Tuscany C
Cataloging Norm Discussion Group	6/28, Sat.	1:30–3:30 pm	HIL	Malibu
Cataloging of Children's Materials	6/29, Sun.	1:30–3:30 pm	HYATT	Madrid
CCS/PCC Continuing Education Training Materials Committee	6/29, Sun.	1:30–3:30 pm	HIL	Santa Barbara
CETRC Continuing Education Subcommittee	6/28, Sat.	4–5:30 pm	HIL	Exec. Bd. Rm.
CETRC Mentoring Subcommittee	6/28, Sat.	4–5:30 pm	HIL	Conference Rm. 8
Committee on Cataloging: Asian and African Materials	6/29, Sun.	1:30–3:30 pm	HIL	Conference Rm. 14
Committee on Cataloging: Description and Access Meeting on RDA Draft	6/27, Fri.	1:30–5:30 pm	CROW	Mazatian BR B/C
Committee on Cataloging: Description and Access Meeting	6/28, Sat.	1:30–5:30 pm	CROW	Mazatian BR B/C
Committee on Cataloging: Description and Access Meeting	6/30, Mon.	8 am–12:30 pm	CROW	Mazatian BR B/C
Copy Cataloging Discussion Group	6/30, Mon.	10:30 am–noon	ACC	208 A
Creating the Future of the Catalog and Cataloging	6/29, Sun.	8 am–noon	ACC	204 B
Education, Training and Recruitment for Cataloging Committee	6/28, Sat.	1:30–3:30 pm	CROW	Mazatian BR A
CCS Executive Commitee	7/1, Tues.	8:30–11 am	MAR	312
CCS Executive Committee	6/27, Fri.	9–10 pm	HIL	Green Room
CCS Executive Committee	6/29, Sun.	10:30 am–noon	HYATT	Royal A/B
CCS Forum	6/27, Fri.	7–8:30 pm	ACC	204 A
Getting Ready for RDA and FRBR: What You Need to Know	6/28, Sat.	4–5:30 pm	ACC	204 B
Heads of Cataloging Discussion Group	6/30, Mon.	8–10 am	ACC	207 D
Old Records, New Records, New Interfaces	6/28, Sat.	10:30 am–noon	MAR	Platinum 6
Policy and Planning Committee	6/30, Mon.	8–10 am	HIL	Conference Rm. 10
RDA Implementation Task Force	6/29, Sun.	1:30–3:30 pm	HYATT	Harbor Room
RDA Update Forum	6/28, Sat.	10:30 am–noon	MAR	Salon E
CCS Research and Publication Committee Meeting	6/28, Sat.	4–5:30 pm	CROW	Cozumel
SAC Future of Genre/Form Headings Subcommittee	6/28, Sat.	4–5:30 pm	HIL	Santa Barbara
SAC Subcommittee on The Future of Subject Headings	6/27, Fri.	4–6 pm	HYATT	Pacific Room
Serving the Whole Community: Multilingual Access in Public Libraries	6/28, Sat.	1:30–3:30 pm	PIER	Pacific B
Subject Analysis Committee Subcommittee on FAST	6/27, Fri.	7:30–9 pm	HIL	Green Room
Subject Analysis Committee	6/29, Sun.	8 am–noon	DIS	South Exhibit Hall
Subject Analysis Committee	6/30, Mon.	1:30–5:30 pm	CROW	Mazatian BR B/C
Task Force on Competencies and Education for a Career in Cataloging	6/27, Fri.	4–6 pm	HYATT	Garden 4
CMDS Meetings	Date	Time	Hotel	Room
CMDS All Committee Meeting	6/29, Sun.	8–10 am	HYATT	Royal A/B
Chief Collection Development Officers of Large Research Libraries	6/28, Sat.	8–10 am	CROW	Mazatian BR B/C
Collection Development Issues for the Practitioner Interest Group	6/29, Sun.	1:30–3:30 pm	ACC	205 A
Collection Development Librarians of Academic Libraries Discussion Group	6/28, Sat.	1:30–3:30 pm	SHER	Garden Room
Collection Management in Public Libraries	6/30, Mon.	10:30 am–noon	PIER	Redondo
CMDS Executive Committee	6/29, Sun.	10:30 am–noon	HYATT	Royal A/B
Making the Switch from Print to Online: Why, When and How?	6/29, Sun.	1:30–3:30 pm	ACC	204 B
CRG Meetings	Date	Time	Hotel	Room
Affiliate Relations Committee	6/29, Sun.	4–5:30 pm	HIL	Exec. Bd. Rm.
Continuing Education Committee	6/29, Sun.	4–5:30 pm	HIL	Salinas
CRG Membership Meeting	6/29, Sun.	1:30–3:30 pm	HIL	Balboa A
PARS/CRG/Division Chairs Executive Committee	6/29, Sun.	10:30 am–noon	HYATT	Royal A/B
CRG Planning Session	6/27, Fri.	7:30–9:30 pm	HIL	Conference Rm. 1
Speakers' Bureau Committee	6/29, Sun.	4–5:30 pm	HIL	Santa Barbara
CRS Meetings	Date	Time	Hotel	Room
CRS All-Committee Meetings	6/28, Sat.	8–10 am	GRAND	Trillium B/C
Committee on Holdings Information	6/28, Sat.	8–10 am	HIL	Santa Barbara
Continuing Resources Cataloging Committee Annual Update Forum	6/30, Mon.	1:30–3:30 pm	ACC	304 A/B
CRS Executive Committee Meeting	7/1, Tues.	8–10 am	HIL	Manhattan
CRS Executive Committee	6/29, Sun.	10:30 am–noon	HYATT	Royal A/B
Journal Prices in Libraries Discussion Group	6/29, Sun.	4–5:30 pm	ACC	211 A
CRS Policy and Planning Committee	6/30, Mon.	8–10 am	HIL	Conference Rm. 8
Removing the Fence: Merging Print and Electronic Serials Workflows	6/28, Sat.	10:30 am–noon	ACC	204 B
Research Libraries Discussion Group	6/28, Sat.	10:30 am–noon	DIS	Dreams D
Serials Standards Update Forum	6/29, Sun.	10:30 am–noon	HIL	Pacific BR A
PARS Meetings	Date	Time	Hotel	Room
“Action!” Setting Preservation Priorities and Ensuring Access to Your Moving Image Collections	6/29, Sun.	1:30–3:30 pm	HIL	Pacific BR D
PARS All Committee	6/30, Mon.	8–10 am	DOUB	Tuscany A/B
Collaborative Digital Initiatives: Show and Tell and Lessons Learned	6/30, Mon.	1:30–5:30 pm	HYATT	Grand B-D
Digital Preservation Discussion Group	6/29, Sun.	8–10 am	HIL	El Capitan
PARS Executive Committee II	6/30, Mon.	10:30 am–noon	DOUB	Tuscany A/B
Intellectual Access Interest Group	6/28, Sat.	8–10 am	ACC	208 B
Library Binding/Physical Quality&Treatment Combined Discussion Group	6/29, Sun.	1:30–3:30 pm	PIER	Pacific A
P(l)anning for Gold: Preservation Models in California and the West	6/28, Sat.	1:30–3:30 pm	HIL	Pacific BR B
PARS Programm Planning and Publication Committee Meeting	6/29, Sun.	4–5:30 pm	HIL	Conference Rm. 10
PARS/CRG/Division Chairs Executive Committee	6/29, Sun.	10:30 am–noon	HYATT	Royal A/B
Preservation Administration Discussion Group (PADG)	6/27, Fri.	1:30–5 pm	MAR	Salon H-K
Preservation Instruction, Education, and Outreach Discussion Group	6/28, Sat.	4–5:30 pm	HIL	La Jolla
Preservation Issues in Small to Mid-sized Libraries Discussion Group	6/29, Sun.	1:30–3:30 pm	PIER	Pacific B
Recording Media Discussion Group	6/29, Sun.	10:30 am–noon	HIL	Manhattan

Conference Watch ’08

ALCTS Event Schedule by Time

Thursday, June 26	Time	Location	Room
Collection Development: Policy, Planning and Fiscal Management	8:30 am–noon	ACC	206 A
Electronic Serials Cataloging Workshop	8:30 am–5 pm	ACC	203 A
Metadata and Digital Library Development: an ALCTS and Library of Congress Workshop	8:30 am–5 pm	ACC	208 A
Collection Analysis: Assessment and Evaluation	1:30–5 pm	ACC	206 A
Friday, June 27	Time	Location	Room
Cataloging Cultural Objects in Libraries	8:30 am–5 pm	ACC	201 D
Electronic Serials 101	8:30 am–5 pm	ACC	207 D
Metadata and Digital Library Development: an ALCTS and Library of Congress Workshop	8:30 am–5 pm	ACC	208 A
CCS Executive Committee	9–10 pm	HIL	Green Room
Technical Services Directors in Large Research Libraries Discussion Group	9:30 am–12:30 pm	CROW	Mazatian BR B/C
FRBR Interest Group	10:30 am–noon	ACC	203 B
Preservation Administration Discussion Group (PADG)	1:30–5 pm	MAR	Salon H-K
Committee on Cataloging: Description and Access Meeting on RDA Draft	1:30–5:30 pm	CROW	Mazatian BR B/C
ALCTS Planning Committee	2–4 pm	MAR	304
ALCTS Budget and Finance Committee	4–5:30 pm	HIL	Conference Rm. 3
SAC Subcommittee on The Future of Subject Headings	4–6 pm	HYATT	Pacific Room
Task Force on Competencies and Education for a Career in Cataloging	4–6 pm	HYATT	Garden 4
Electronic Resources Management Interest Group	6:30–8 pm	ACC	203 A
ALCTS 101: Write Here	7–8:30 pm	ACC	201 C
CCS Forum	7–8:30 pm	ACC	204 A
Subject Analysis Committee Subcommittee on FAST	7:30–9 pm	HIL	Green Room
CRG Planning Session	7:30–9:30 pm	HIL	Conference Rm. 1
Saturday, June 28	Time	Location	Room
ALCTS Program Committee I	8 am–noon	HIL	Conference Rm. 3
ALCTS Education Committee Meeting I	8–10 am	HIL	Manhattan
ALCTS Fundraising Committee	8–10 am	HIL	Lido C
Board Orientation	8–10 am	ACC	212 B
Chief Collection Development Officers of Large Research Libraries	8–10 am	CROW	Mazatian BR B/C
Committee on Holdings Information	8–10 am	HIL	Santa Barbara
CRS All-Committee Meetings	8–10 am	GRAND	Trillium B/C
Ebook Workflows: Selection to Access	8–10 am	ACC	204 B
Gifts Discussion Group	8–10 am	HIL	Conference Rm. 7
Intellectual Access Interest Group	8–10 am	ACC	208 B
ALCTS International Relations Committee Meeting	10:30 am–noon	DOUB	Florence
Cataloging and Classification Research Discussion Group	10:30 am–noon	DOUB	Tuscany C
Electronic Resources Interest Group	10:30 am–noon	DIS	Adventure Room
MARBI (ALCTS/LITA/RUSA Machine-Readable Bibliographic Information Committee	10:30 am–noon	DIS	South Exhibit Hall
Old Records, New Records, New Interfaces	10:30 am–noon	MAR	Platinum 6
RDA Update Forum	10:30 am–noon	MAR	Salon E
Removing the Fence: Merging Print and Electronic Serials Workflows	10:30 am–noon	ACC	204 B
Research Libraries Discussion Group	10:30 am–noon	DIS	Dreams D
Staying Alive: Books Through Print On Demand Technology	10:30 am–noon	ACC	304 A/B
Succession Planning: The Future of Your Library Depends on It	10:30 am–noon	HIL	California Pavillion D
Technical Services Administrators of Medium-Sized Research Libraries	10:30 am–noon	PIER	Pacific C
AS All Committee Meeting	1:30–5:30 pm	HIL	Palos Verdes B
Board of Directors I	1:30–5:30 pm	ACC	206 B
Committee on Cataloging: Description and Access Meeting	1:30–5:30 pm	CROW	Mazatian BR B/C
Catalog Management Discussion Group	1:30–3:30 pm	HYATT	Grand B
Cataloging Norm Discussion Group	1:30–3:30 pm	HIL	Malibu
Collection Development Librarians of Academic Libraries Discussion Group	1:30–3:30 pm	SHER	Garden Room
Education, Training and Recruitment for Cataloging Committee	1:30–3:30 pm	CROW	Mazatian BR A
MARC Formats Interest Group	1:30–3:30 pm	DOUB	Tuscany F
Metadata Mashup: Creating and Publishing Application Profiles	1:30–3:30 pm	ACC	204 B
Newspaper Discussion Group	1:30–3:30 pm	PIER	Redondo
P(l)anning for Gold: Preservation Models in California and the West	1:30–3:30 pm	HIL	Pacific BR B
Papers Series Editorial Board	1:30–3:30 pm	DOUB	Siena
Publisher - Vendor - Library Relations (PVLR) Interest Group - Business Meeting	1:30–3:30 pm	DOUB	Tuscany A/B
Serving the Whole Community: Multilingual Access in Public Libraries	1:30–3:30 pm	PIER	Pacific B
CCS Research and Publication Committee Meeting	4–5:30 pm	CROW	Cozumel
CETRC Continuing Education Subcommittee	4–5:30 pm	HIL	Exec. Bd. Rm.
CETRC Mentoring Subcommittee	4–5:30 pm	HIL	Conference Rm. 8
Getting Ready for RDA and FRBR: What You Need to Know	4–5:30 pm	ACC	204 B
Preservation Instruction, Education, and Outreach Discussion Group	4–5:30 pm	HIL	La Jolla
SAC Future of Genre/Form Headings Subcommittee	4–5:30 pm	HIL	Santa Barbara
Sunday, June 29	Time	Location	Room
Creating the Future of the Catalog and Cataloging	8 am–noon	ACC	204 B
Subject Analysis Committee	8 am–noon	DIS	South Exhibit Hall
ALCTS/MAGERT Cartographic Materials Cataloging Discussion Group	8–10 am	ACC	203 B
CMDS All Committee Meeting	8–10 am	HYATT	Royal A/B
Digital Preservation Discussion Group	8–10 am	HIL	El Capitan
Networked Resources and Metadata Interest Group	8–10 am	DIS	No. Exhibit Hall Mtg. Rm. B
New Leaders Orientation	8–10 am	SHER	Palm BR
Out of Print Discussion Group	8–10 am	ACC	201 D
Automated Acquisitions and In-Process Control Discussion	10:30 am–noon	HYATT	Salon II
CCS Executive Committee	10:30 am–noon	HYATT	Royal A/B
CMDS Executive Committee	10:30 am–noon	HYATT	Royal A/B
CRS Executive Committee	10:30 am–noon	HYATT	Royal A/B
Library Materials Price Index Editorial Board	10:30 am–noon	PIER	Redondo
LRTS Editorial Board	10:30 am–12:30 pm	HYATT	Royal A/B
PARS/CRG/Division Chairs Executive Committee	10:30 am–noon	HYATT	Royal A/B
PARS/CRG/Division Chairs Executive Committee	10:30 am–noon	HYATT	Royal A/B
PARS/CRG/Division Chairs Executive Committee	10:30 am–noon	HYATT	Royal A/B
Recording Media Discussion Group	10:30 am–noon	HIL	Manhattan
Serials Standards Update Forum	10:30 am–noon	HIL	Pacific BR A
ALCTS Budget and Finance Committee	1:30–5:30 pm	HIL	Conference Rm. 1
ALCTS Organization and Bylaws Committee	1:30–5:30 pm	HIL	Conference Rm. 9
You Know FRBR, But Have You Ever Met FRAD	1:30–5:30 pm	ACC	210 A-C
“Action!” Setting Preservation Priorities and Ensuring Access to Your Moving Image Collections	1:30–3:30 pm	HIL	Pacific BR D
Acquisitions Managers and Vendors Interest Group	1:30–3:30 pm	GRAND	Trillium C
ALCTS Membership Committee	1:30–3:30 pm	DIS	Wonder Exec. Bd. Rm.
ALCTS Planning Committee	1:30–3:30 pm	HIL	Salinas
ALCTS Publications Committee	1:30–3:30 pm	HIL	Exec. Bd. Rm.
Cataloging of Children's Materials	1:30–3:30 pm	HYATT	Madrid
CCS/PCC Continuing Education Training Materials Committee	1:30–3:30 pm	HIL	Santa Barbara
Collection Development Issues for the Practitioner Interest Group	1:30–3:30 pm	ACC	205 A
Committee on Cataloging: Asian and African Materials	1:30–3:30 pm	HIL	Conference Rm. 14
CRG Membership Meeting	1:30–3:30 pm	HIL	Balboa A
Executive Committee	10:30 am–12:30 pm	HYATT	Royal A/B
Leadership Development Committee	1:30–3:30 pm	HIL	Conference Rm. 7
Library Binding/Physical Quality & Treatment Combined Discussion Group	1:30–3:30 pm	PIER	Pacific A
Making the Switch from Print to Online: Why, When and How?	1:30–3:30 pm	ACC	204 B
Preservation Issues in Small to Mid-sized Libraries Discussion Group	1:30–3:30 pm	PIER	Pacific B
RDA Implementation Task Force	1:30–3:30 pm	HYATT	Harbor Room
MARBI (ALCTS/LITA/RUSA Machine-Readable Bibliographic Information Committee	1:30–6 pm	DIS	South Exhibit Hall
Affiliate Relations Committee	4–5:30 pm	HIL	Exec. Bd. Rm.
Continuing Education Committee	4–5:30 pm	HIL	Salinas
Creative Ideas in Technical Services Discussion Group	4–5:30 pm	ACC	213 D
Journal Prices in Libraries Discussion Group	4–5:30 pm	ACC	211 A
PARS Programm Planning and Publication Committee Meeting	4–5:30 pm	HIL	Conference Rm. 10
Speakers' Bureau Committee	4–5:30 pm	HIL	Santa Barbara
Role of the Professional Librarian in Technical Services Discussion Group	4–6 pm	DIS	No. Exhibit Hall Mtg. Rm. G
Awards Ceremony	5–6 pm	SHER	Park A-C
Awards Reception	6–7 pm	SHER	Tiffany Terrace and Patio
Monday, June 30	Time	Location	Room
ALCTS Forum	8–10 am	MAR	Salon F
CRS Policy and Planning Committee	8–10 am	HIL	Conference Rm. 8
Heads of Cataloging Discussion Group	8–10 am	ACC	207 D
PARS All Committee	8–10 am	DOUB	Tuscany A/B
Policy and Planning Committee	8–10 am	HIL	Conference Rm. 10
PVLR Open Forum : Branding and Marketing for Libraries, Publishers, and Vendors	8–10 am	ACC	213 C
Committee on Cataloging: Description and Access Meeting	8 am–12:30 pm	CROW	Mazatian BR B/C
ALCTS President's Program: From Here to Eternity: The Challenges of Managing Oscar's Very Special Collections	10:30 am–noon	MAR	Salon F
Collection Management in Public Libraries	10:30 am–noon	PIER	Redondo
Copy Cataloging Discussion Group	10:30 am–noon	ACC	208 A
PARS Executive Committee II	10:30 am–noon	DOUB	Tuscany A/B
Steering Committee to Oversee the Non English Task Force Recommendations Implementation	10:30 am–noon	HIL	San Clemente
Board of Directors II	1:30–5:30 pm	ACC	206 B
Collaborative Digital Initiatives: Show and Tell and Lessons Learned	1:30–5:30 pm	HYATT	Grand B-D
Subject Analysis Committee	1:30–5:30 pm	CROW	Mazatian BR B/C
ALCTS Education Committee Meeting II	1:30–3:30 pm	CLAR	Orangewood 1
Continuing Resources Cataloging Committee Annual Update Forum	1:30–3:30 pm	ACC	304 A/B
Describing and Organizing Geographic Information	1:30–3:30 pm	ACC	213 C
Institutional Repositories: New Roles for Acquisitions	1:30–3:30 pm	HYATT	Grand A
MARBI (ALCTS/LITA/RUSA Machine-Readable Bibliographic Information Committee	1:30–3:30 pm	DIS	South Exhibit Hall
Scholarly Communications Interest Group	1:30–3:30 pm	DOUB	Tuscany E
Workflow Efficiency Discussion Group	1:30–3:30 pm	HIL	Monterey
Tuesday, July 1	Time	Location	Room
ALCTS Program Committee II	8 am–noon	HIL	Conference Rm. 1
CRS Executive Committee Meeting	8–10 am	HIL	Manhattan
Executive Committee	8–10 am	MAR	304
CCS Executive Commitee	8:30–11 am	MAR	312
Board of Directors III	1:30–3:30 pm	ACC	212 B

News

From ALA

Annual Wiki Now Available

Find the 2008 ALA Annual Conference wiki at: http://wikis.ala.org/annual2008/index.php/Annual_2008. The wiki includes general information (accessibility, childcare, event planner, shuttle buses), a calendar and events (awards, diversity events, resources for job seekers, preconferences, presidents’ programs, programs and sessions), registration information, volunteer opportunities, the conference (traveling to and from Anaheim, tips for presentations as well as navigating the conference), and a guide to Anaheim. ALA encourages members to post information about programs, meetings, and events. This is another way to publicize your group’s program or meeting event.

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ALA Allied Professional Association to Celebrate 5th Anniversary at Annual Conference in Anaheim

The ALA Allied Professional Association will celebrate its 5th Anniversary at 2008 ALA Annual Conference. Events include the ALA-APA Angels Reception and fundraiser, honoring 30 people and groups who have helped ALA-APA reach this point. ALA-APA is also sponsoring programs at the Annual Conference on topics such as employee relations, managing union employees, and salary negotiations.

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Council Votes to Establish Advocacy Committee

At the 2008 ALA Midwinter Meeting, Council voted to establish an Advocacy Committee. The committee’s charge is

To support the efforts of advocates for all types of libraries to develop resources, networks and training materials for advocates at the local, state and national levels; to work closely with the Office for Library Advocacy, the Public Information Office, and other ALA offices, units and committees, and with external groups to integrate advocacy efforts into the overall planning, priorities, and policies of the association; and to cultivate future leadership in order to sustain and enhance the advocacy efforts of the association.

The committee will be composed of thirteen ALA members. The term of service will be two years; terms will be staggered to enable six members to conclude their terms at the close of the 2009 Annual Conference. Terms for the remaining seven members would conclude at the close of the 2010 Annual Conference.

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Registration Open for RBMS Preconference

Registration is now open for the Annual RBMS Preconference, “Rare and Special Bytes: Special Collections in the Digital Age.” The preconference was organized by the Rare Books and Manuscripts Section (RBMS) of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL). The University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) and the Getty Research Institute are sponsoring the preconference. The preconference take place on June 24–27, in Los Angeles, California, prior to the 2008 ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim, California. The preconference will explore the role of special collections in an increasingly digital world.

Program, registration, housing and scholarship information are now available online.

At least twelve scholarships, valued at more than $10,000, will be offered to subsidize first-time preconference attendees. Registration is $235 for members; $280 for non-members; and $95 for current, full-time students. A $50 late fee will be added to registrations received after May 21. Address questions to Tory Ondrla at ALA.

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News

From the Profession

Francis L. Miksa Wins Cataloging & Classification Quarterly Award for Best Article

Francis L. Miksa (University of Texas at Austin) has received the award for the best article published in volume 42 of Cataloging & Classification Quarterly ( CCQ).

“The DDC Relative Index,” is an analysis of the various indexes to the Dewey Decimal Classification, their origin, development, structure, and their complex nature. The article appears in CCQ 42 (number 3/4), pages 65–95 ( http://dx.doi.org/10.1300/J104v42n03_02), and also in Moving Beyond the Presentation Layer: Content and Context in the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) System, edited by Joan S. Mitchell and Diane Vizine-Goetz.

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Calls for Papers/Proposals

ACM Conference on Information and Knowledge Management

The Association for Computing Machinery’s (ACM) Special Interest Group on Information Retrieval (SIGIR) and Special Interest Group on Hypertext, Hypermedia and the Web (SIGWEB) are sponsoring the ACM Conference on Information and Knowledge Management (CIKM) on October 26–30, 2008 at the Napa Valley Marriott Hotel and Spa, Napa, California.

Submissions of papers on all topics in the general areas of databases, information retrieval, and knowledge management are sought. Papers that bridge across these areas are of special interest and will be considered for a “Best Interdisciplinary Paper” award. In addition to papers, CIKM 2008 is soliciting workshop and tutorial proposals.

The organizers have also organized a series of invited speakers and an industry day (separate from the industry research track) where experts primarily from industry and venture capital community will provide insights on how technologies can be leveraged for business success.

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Hawai’i International Conference on System Sciences Minitrack on Classification of Digital Documents

The organizers of the Hawai’i International Conference on System Sciences invite papers for a minitrack on Classification of Digital Documents. The minitrack will address the social, organizational and technical aspects of classification for digital media. Contact co-chair Barbara Kwasnik (Syracuse University) for more information. Submit abstracts by June 1 for guidance and indication of appropriate content. Full papers are due by June 15. Acceptance is scheduled for August 15. Final papers are due by September 15. The minitrack will take place on January 5–8, 2009 at the Hilton Waikoloa Village Resort, Waikoloa, Big Island, Hawai’i. More information, including author instructions, is available online.

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International Web Archiving Workshop

The Eighth International Web Archiving Workshop will focus on active research and practice regarding acquisition, maintenance and preservation of digital objects for long-term access. Papers on the following topics are sought: case studies, data acquisition, storage models and architecture, digital preservation, access, and policy and social issues. The event will be held September 18–19, 2008, in Aarhus, Denmark.

Papers are due by May 19, 2008. Authors will be notified by June 16, 2008; final, camera-ready copy is due July 14, 2008. See submission details online. For more information, contact co-chair Julien Masanès (European Archive).

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RDA/MARC Working Group Established

An RDA/MARC Working Group has been established to collaborate on the development of proposals for changes to the MARC 21 formats to accommodate the encoding of RDA data. The Working Group will be drafting proposals for review and discussion by the MARC community in June 2008. They will identify what changes are required to MARC 21 to support compatibility with RDA and ensure effective data exchange into the future.

The RDA/MARC Working Group members are:

• Everett Allgood (New York University and CC:DA Liaison to MARBI)
• Corine Deliot (British Library)
• Rebecca Guenther (Library of Congress)
• Bill Leonard (Library and Archives Canada)
• Sally McCallum (Library of Congress)
• Marg Stewart (Joint Steering Committee Liaison to the RDA/MARC Working Group)
• Martha Yee (UCLA Film and Television Archive)

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RDA Vocabularies Project

The RDA ( Resource Description and Access) Vocabularies Project is underway, working toward publishing Semantic Web vocabularies in Resource Description Framework (RDF). These vocabularies will provide machine-accessible versions of RDA Element and Value vocabularies, allowing for reuse in applications and citation via Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs).

The work is led by Gordon Dunsire (University of Strathclyde) and Diane Hillmann (Cornell University), with support from Tom Baker (Dublin Core Metadata Initiative). Other key participants include

• Karen Coyle (independent consultant)
• Alistair Miles (editor for the Simple Knowledge Organization System (SKOS) and member of the W3C Semantic Web Deployment Working Group)
• Mikael Nilsson (researcher in the Knowledge Management Research Group, Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden and co-chair of the DCMI Architecture Forum).

More information on the project is available online. Join the discourse on the DC-RDA discussion list.

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PALINET and SOLINET Boards in Merger Talks

PALINET and SOLINET, major library networks in the Eastern United States, announced in February that their respective Boards of Trustees are discussing the merger of the two organizations. A due diligence period slated to last approximately sixty days is set to end soon. At that point, the groups will hold town hall meetings throughout their constituencies to publicize recommendations and solicit feedback. The recommendations will then be put to a vote by the membership.

A combined organization would represent more than 3,000 member organizations, and would provide increased discounts for subscriptions and services. The hope is that greater operational efficiencies will also aid the development of new programs and services. | press release

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Library of Congress Introduces LCCN Permalink URL Service

LCCN Permalink is a new service designed to create persistent links to bibliographic records in the Library of Congress Online Catalog using the Library of Congress Control Number (LCCN). The links are an intuitive way to cite LC resources in online tools and publications.

Permalinks are constructed by appending an LCCN to the Permalink domain name, http://lccn.loc.gov/ (i.e., http://lccn.loc.gov/2003556443). LCCN Permalinks are displayed as part of the bibliographic record in the LC Online Catalog. For more information, consult the LC Permalink FAQ or send specific questions to the Ask-A-Librarian service.

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New Listserv for Catalogers of Middle Eastern Languages

The Middle East Librarians Association (MELA) has started a new listserv, mideastcat, for discussions of cataloging topics related to Middle Eastern material. MELA’s Committee on Cataloging will be using this list as the primary vehicle for announcements and for discussions of best practices for original script.

Information about how to join the list is available on the MELA website.

Reed Business Information to be Sold

Reed Elsevier announced in February 2008 that it will sell off Reed Business Information (RBI). RBI is responsible for several major publications, including Variety and Publisher’s Weekly. The reason for the sale, according to Sir Crispin Davis, CEO of Reed Elsevier, was an operational mismatch with the rest of the conglomerate: “[RBI’s] advertising revenue model and the inherent cyclicality fit less well … with the subscription-based information and workflow solutions focus of Reed Elsevier’s strategy.” RBI had 2007 revenues of $1.76 billion (of which 60 percent came from advertising), and a profit of $231 million.

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NASIG Mentoring Program

NASIG is offering a mentoring program for first-time attendees at the NASIG Conference, which will be held June 5–8 in Phoenix, Arizona.

Participation is open to all; those wanting to serve as a mentor should have attended at least one NASIG conference, and be willing to make contact with a mentee before the conference. Mentors are expected to meet with their mentees at the conference. Mentees and mentors are also invited to the First-timers Reception on Thursday, June 5, 3:30–4:30 pm.

More information on mentoring and the program is available online

ARL Initiative to Recruit a Diverse Workforce

The ARL Initiative to Recruit a Diverse Workforce, funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and ARL member institutions, is designed to recruit MLS graduate students from ethnic and racial background into careers in research libraries. The Initiative includes a stipend up to $10,000, leadership and career development, mentor, and visit to a research library. Applications for the 2008–2010 program class are now available and are due by July 31, 2008.

Additional information online. The ARL contact is Jerome Offord, Jr., Director of Diversity Initiatives.

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ARL, ALA, MLA, and SLA Support GPO FY '09 Budget

An open letter to leadership of the United States Congressional Subcommittees on Legislative Branch Committee on Appropriations regarding the Government Printing Office’s budget for fiscal year 2009 is available on the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) website. The letter is in support of the budget, citing the importance of the Federal Depository Library Program and the GPO Access service. The letter is signed by leadership of ARL, ALA, the Medical Library Association (MLA), and the Special Libraries Association (SLA).

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News

Professional Reading List: Now Available

Technology Watch Report 08-01: JPEG 2000 - a Practical Digital Preservation Standard?

The Digital Preservation Coalition, a UK-based organization, has released a report examining the utility of the JPEG 2000 file format. The report is aimed at organizations involved in the management and storage of digital information. It is written to help archives, libraries and other institutions make informed decisions about JPEG 2000 format and their future storage needs.

Author Robert Buckley, a Xerox Research Fellow, concludes that JPEG 2000 represents a great stride forward for the archival community. The format allows for greater compression rates and a recompression rate that is visually lossless. It also allows for better handling of large files over networks, and viewing features such as pan, scan and zoom.

The report can be downloaded from DPConline. For further information, contact Tim Matthews (National Archives, UK).

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EDUCAUSE Update on Key U.S. Copyright Developments

A video presentation of a briefing by James G. Neal (Columbia University) on United States copyright and the work of EDUCAUSE is available on the EDUCAUSE website. Copyright continues to be a key area of interest for libraries and academic institutions. Areas of focus include: orphan works, digital fair use, broadcast flag, Section 1201 anticircumvention rulemaking, electronic reserves, peer-to-peer file sharing, open access to government-funded research, and the report of the Section 108 Study Group on exceptions and limitations for libraries and archives. Find presentation slides and audio online.

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Proceedings of “Electronic Resource Management Systems”

IFLA’s Serials and Other Continuing Resources Section has made available the proceedings of their August 2007 satellite conference, “Electronic Resource Management Systems: A Solution with Its Own Challenges.” Speakers’ abstracts and full text presentations are available.

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