From lpsmail@access.digex.netMon Jan 22 09:41:11 1996 Date: Sat, 20 Jan 1996 13:01:36 -0800 From: Shipment Reply to: Discussion of Government Document Issues To: Multiple recipients of list GOVDOC-L Subject: ADNOTES: CATALOGING BRANCH UPDATE THE MESSAGE BELOW IS FROM ADMINISTRATIVE NOTES, VOL. 17, #02 (Jan. 15, 1996). CATALOGING BRANCH UPDATE [The following text was presented at the ALA Midwinter Meeting, GODORT, 1/20/96.] CATALOGING BACKLOG NEARLY ELIMINATED During each fiscal year from FY 1992 through the end of FY 1995, the Cataloging Branch received an average of about 49,000 publications for processing. As of January 2, 1995, our cataloging backlog consisted of approximately 1,500 titles. Not since FY 1984, when receipts were 27,780 and the backlog was 850 titles, has our backlog been this low. Most materials are cataloged within three weeks of receipt. RECORD LINKS In response to a recent Council recommendation, we have begun to establish links between records for selected titles in multiple formats. To date, approximately 100 records for the USDA "Quick Bibs" published in paper, microfiche, and electronic products have been linked. We expect to add links for many other selected titles, but will need adequate space within OCLC records and records maintained within internal LPS systems. At the present time, we are not cataloging titles accessible via agency Internet sites. A review of Internet titles indicates that most are only temporarily accessible, hence we neither catalog nor make links to such sites from non-Internet related records. PATHWAY BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORDS For the near future, we expect to produce brief Pathway bibliographic records as an alternative to producing Monthly Catalog records for selected titles at agency Internet sites. These records will be based on selected data elements from Government Information Locator Service (GILS) records and will be accessible via the GPO Homepage (http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/). Access to Pathway records will be achieved via title, key word, and Subject Bibliography terms. Users may use "hot links" within Pathway bibliographic records for access to relevant Internet sites. We expect to create records for this application early this year. STATUS OF MONTHLY CATALOG DISSEMINATION PROJECTS Several organizations within GPO jointly provide the data processing required for publishing Monthly Catalog records. Recent holidays, a furlough, and two blizzards have contributed to delays in publishing Monthly Catalog GPO Locator records and publication of the CD-ROM and abridged paper editions of the Monthly Catalog. The most recent load of Monthly Catalog records for the GPO Locator on the web site was through December, 1995. We regret the delay and expect to resume updating this application within three days after records have been produced in OCLC. The microfiche edition of the Monthly Catalog is no longer published. Despite lost time from work, we still plan to publish the abridged paper edition of the Monthly Catalog during January, 1996. However, we expect a delay of several weeks in the publication of the CD-ROM edition. Additional time is required to complete development of software to assure efficient and timely data conversion to support this application. Questions may be directed to: Thomas A. Downing Chief, Cataloging Branch (202) 512-1121 catlps@access.digex.net January 1996