Cost Savings to Canadian University and Large Urban Public Libraries from Their Use of National Library of Canada MARC Records
Jamshid Beheshti, Andrew Large, and Pat Riva
The authors present a study to determine the savings incurred by Canadian university and large urban public libraries as a result of using Canadiana printed monograph cataloging records generated by the National Library of Canada (NLC) rather than cataloging these items themselves. The study employed three methodologies: questionnaires were sent to 90 Canadian university and college libraries and to 30 member libraries of the Council of Administrators of Large Urban Public Libraries (CALUPL); follow-up telephone interviews were held with 18 university and 12 public libraries; and a sample of 100 bibliographic records for Canadiana printed documents was selected by the NLC from its catalog and then compared with records in a sample of 20 university and 10 public library OPACs to determine the extent to which NLC records form the basis for copy cataloging by other libraries. The saving per library through using NLC records as the basis for copy cataloging rather than originally cataloging items was $16,400 per annum for university libraries and $7,800 for large urban public libraries. An extrapolation to all university and large public libraries suggests an annual saving of $1,476,000 for all Canadian university libraries, and $249,000 for all Canadian large urban public libraries. Many libraries make use of NLC name or series authority data, and use NLC copy in their acquisitions processes or for other bibliographic purposes. The monetary benefits accruing to the libraries from these services and activities have not been quantified.
The Preservation Evolution: A Review of Preservation Literature, 1999–2001
JeanAnn Croft
The literature representing 1999 to 2001 reveals that the preservation field is absorbed in an evolution. The literature demonstrates that trusted practices are changing to improve outcomes and further advance the preservation field. Simultaneously, in the wake of the digital revolution, preservation professionals dream about merging traditional and digital technologies in the hope that both long-term preservation and enhanced access will be achieved. This article attempts to relate the values of the discipline in order to inspire further research and persuade more work in formulating hypotheses to integrate preservation theory and practice. Finally, this overview of the literature will communicate the scope of the preservation problem, clarify misconceptions in the field, and document areas that warrant further investigation and refinement.
Maximizing Metadata: Exploring the EAD-MARC Relationship
Katherine M. Wisser and Jennifer O’Brien Roper
Encoded Archival Description (EAD) has provided a new way to approach manuscript and archival collection representation. A review of previous representational practices and problems highlights the benefits of using EAD. This new approach should be considered a partner rather than an adversary in the access-providing process. Technological capabilities now allow for multiple metadata schemas to be employed in the creation of the finding aid. Crosswalks allow for MARC records to be generated from the detailed encoding of an EAD finding aid. In the process of creating these crosswalks and detailed encoding, EAD has generated more changes in traditional processes and procedures than originally imagined. The North Carolina State University (NCSU) Libraries sought to test the process of crosswalking EAD to MARC, investigating how this process used technology as well as changed physical procedures. By creating a complex and in-depth EAD template for finding aids, with accompanying related encoding analogs embedded within the element structure, MARC records were generated that required minor editing and revision for inclusion in the NCSU Libraries OPAC. The creation of this bridge between EAD and MARC has stimulated theoretical discussions about the role of collaboration, technology, and expertise in the ongoing struggle to maximize access to our collections. While this study is a only a first attempt at harnessing this potential, a presentation of the tensions, struggles, and successes provides illumination to some of the larger issues facing special collections today.