Cataloging Electronic Books
Robert Bothmann
Papers on the cataloging of electronic resources have focused on electronic journals and Internet resources such as Web sites and not on electronic books. Electronic books are nonserial monographic resources accessed with a computer either directly or remotely. Rules and standards for cataloging electronic resources have changed and continue to change. This article discusses the electronic book as a unique manifestation and provides practical instruction on the application of current cataloging rules. The cataloging elements covered are control fields and variable data fields, including classification, uniform titles, title information, edition information, type and extent of the resource, publication and distribution information, physical description, series statements, notes, and subject analysis.
Paper to PDF: Making License Agreements Accessible through the OPAC
Marie R. Kennedy, Michele J. Crump, and Douglas Kiker
In search of a cohesive tool for managing license agreements, the University of Florida Libraries has devised an in-house project. This paper tracks development of the project from its theoretical inception, which began in 1997. The project was intended to be an all-encompassing database that allowed tracking of license agreements from the time they were received in the Serials Acquisitions Unit to their final signature. The discussion follows the progress of the database development and details the current portable document format (PDF) project in place, which uses scanned license agreements linked to the OPAC (online public access catalog) title record for ease of access and tracking by libraries staff.
Collection Development and Maintenance across Libraries, Archives, and Museums: A Novel Collaborative Approach
Phillip M. Edwards
Note: An earlier draft of this paper was presented on April 17, 2003, at the 2003 Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association Conference held in New Orleans, Louisiana, April 16–19, 2003.
This paper proposes guidelines for collaboration across libraries, archives, and museums that incorporate an understanding of how collections develop, the social systems that impart value to the collected items, and the needs of the research population. Future directions for professional practice implied by these general theoretical principles may enable collecting institutions to provide a high level of service to patrons while retaining their defined individual identities, expertise, and access (albeit sometimes indirectly) to the original physical objects.
The proposal relies on institutional relationships. To comprehend how relationships between collecting institutions can be used to preserve the historical record, one must understand why materials that document the historical record matter. The solution suggested here—that of a managed de-accessioning and accessioning cycle of selected and, therefore, historically important materials between different types of institutions—is an adaptation of the ideas presented by both Atkinson and Baker.1 Emphasis is placed on fostering active relationships between individual institutions in order to preserve original documents that have attained significant contemporary social value and potential future usefulness. Reshaping day-to-day practice and designing systems modeled on the proposed themes could lead to Pareto-optimal outcomes for all participating organizations.
The Administration and Management of Integrated Library Systems: A Survey and Results
Rosann Bazirjian
The Pennsylvania State University Libraries developed a committee organizational structure (composed of a steering committee and functional expert teams) to administer and manage its integrated library system. This paper will summarize that organizational structure and highlight management trends that were revealed as a result of a survey to CIC (Committee on Institutional Cooperation) libraries. Key patterns emerged in the areas of decision making, collaboration and reporting structure, and communication that may serve as standards in the discussion revolving around the best way to administer and manage an integrated library system. Decision making is being brought to the functional level, the need for positive collaboration between library departments is being realized, and the distribution of expertise throughout the libraries has facilitated the communication process.
Evaluative Study of Catalog Department Web Pages
Kavita Mundle, Lisa Zhao, and Nirmala S. Bangalore
Web page development is an important aspect of library practice, and evaluative studies can confirm further development and upgrades in the performance of Web pages. To date, there have been no published reports about Web pages of library catalog departments. So, the present study was undertaken to develop a model for the evaluation of catalog department Web pages. The present study examined the catalog department Web pages of institutions within the consortium of the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC). A performance index was devised to assess the usability or workability of these Web pages based on four parameters: accessibility, design and structure, internal documentation, and external resources. The performance index for the Web pages studied revealed significant differences among them and illustrated the potential of this model for further studies of this nature.
Cataloging and Metadata Education in North American LIS Programs
Ingrid Hsieh-Yee
This paper presents findings of a survey on the state of cataloging and metadata education in ALA-accredited library and information science programs in North America. The survey was conducted in response to Action Item 5.1 of the “Bibliographic Control of Web Resources: A Library of Congress Action Plan,” which focuses on providing metadata education to new LIS professionals.1 The study found LIS programs increased their reliance on introductory courses to cover cataloging and metadata, but fewer programs than before had a cataloging course requirement. The knowledge of cataloging delivered in introductory courses was basic, and the coverage of metadata was limited to an overview. Cataloging courses showed similarity in coverage and practice and focused on print materials. Few cataloging educators provided exercises in metadata record creation using non-AACR standards. Advanced cataloging courses provided in-depth coverage of subject cataloging and the cataloging of nonbook resources, but offered very limited coverage of metadata. Few programs offered full courses on metadata, and even fewer offered advanced metadata courses. Metadata topics were well integrated into LIS curricula, but coverage of metadata courses varied from program to program, depending on the interests of instructors. Educators were forward-looking and agreed on the inclusion of specific knowledge and skills in metadata instruction. A series of actions were proposed to assist educators in providing students with competencies in cataloging and metadata.
Notes on Operations
Gold Rush: Integrated Access to Aggregated Journal Text through the OPAC
Elizabeth S. Meagher and Christopher C. Brown
Faced with the challenge of providing access to full-text content offered through journal aggregator services, the University of Denver found a better way to integrate costly aggregator journal titles with traditional information resources through Gold Rush. Gold Rush is a database maintained by the Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries that allows the serials unit to populate the local OPAC with a single URL for each journal title with aggregator content. With one URL to maintain, the unit limits the amount of time devoted to electronic journals management.