From lpsmail@access.digex.netMon Jul 22 18:02:49 1996 Date: Mon, 22 Jul 1996 11:34:42 -0700 From: Shipment Reply to: Discussion of Government Document Issues To: Multiple recipients of list GOVDOC-L Subject: ADNOTES: ELECTRONIC TRANSITION AFFECTING CATALOGING BRANCH: DOWNING THE MESSAGE BELOW IS FROM ADMINISTRATIVE NOTES, VOL. 17, #10 (July 25, 1996) ELECTRONIC TRANSITION AFFECTING CATALOGING BRANCH OPERATIONS REMARKS BEFORE THE FEDERAL DOCUMENTS TASK FORCE BY TAD DOWNING Chief, Cataloging Branch 1996 Annual ALA Conference New York, NY July 6, 1996 Good morning everyone, and thank you for this opportunity to describe cataloging and locator services as they evolve to support an increasingly electronic Federal Depository Library Program. Time of Transition As with other services within the Library Programs Service, policies and procedures for cataloging are changing in response to the need to implement the expanded objectives described in the Strategic Plan portion of the recently published Study to Identify Measures Necessary for a Successful Transition to a More Electronic Federal Depository Library Program. The locator services component of strategic planning (p. 27) associated with the study identifies sections 1710, 1711, and 4101 of Title 44 U.S.C. as statutory authority for expanding the scope of the Cataloging and Indexing Program to include responsibility for identifying and locating remotely accessible electronic products. All of us here today appreciate the challenges of this task. In the recent past, our concerns were limited to cataloging titles soon after distribution to depositories. Today, we retain this traditional concern as we adapt to new challenges associated with cataloging remotely accessible electronic titles. Such efforts require some new policies, some new procedures, and a determination to learn as we meet new challenges. We are not alone in these efforts. Most, if not all, technical service organizations are faced with the same challenges. By acting on these challenges we are stepping up to the leadership position that GODORT and Council have urged us to assume. Our leadership in this area is particularly necessary because the pace of change appears greater at the Federal level than in any other sector of publishing. Federal agency publishers are applying new technologies to cut costs and still meet agency missions to disseminate information, even if only for a short while. Internet publishing creates exciting and challenging times for all of us. Some of these challenges are reflected in current Cataloging Branch operations. Cataloging Branch Operations Our objectives are to catalog physical forms shortly after distribution and electronic forms shortly after notification of their appearance at Web sites. Titles are cataloged after distribution or dissemination because this enables us to assure entry of accurate item numbers, shipping list numbers, and URLs in Monthly Catalog records. Such information is available only after the physical distribution or electronic dissemination has occurred. SuDocs class numbers, item and shipping list numbers, and URLs, are provided to us by personnel of the Depository Administration Branch. At the present time, 257 MOCAT records contain URLs. We are pleased to announce that URLs in our MOCAT Web site application are hot linked to electronic publications at various Internet sites. Hot links are an important feature that brings our Web site Monthly Catalog application to a "state of the art" level. Our MOCAT Web site applications have advanced from records only to records with a locate function, to records with "hot links." In effect, we now have an online National Catalog of U.S. Government Publications that either locates distributed titles or provides access to electronic ones. The address for MOCAT Web site is: . We expect to see a considerable increase in the number of MOCAT records with hot linked URLs. At the present time, our experience with learning where to display this information is reflected by the fact that such information appears in the 530 field of some records and the 856 field of others. Internet Cataloging Recently, we have established comprehensive policies for transcribing URL data in records for maps, monographs, and serials, and we now enter URLs only in the 856 field. As time permits, we expect to move URL data in older records from the 530 to the 856 field to assure a consistent approach that uses a single data element for this purpose. URLs in cataloging records are obtained from physical form publications and from personnel of the Depository Administration Branch. Cataloging Branch staff do not routinely "surf the net" to identify equivalent electronic editions as they catalog titles in physical forms. As anticipated, an increasing number of electronic only titles are sent to us for cataloging via DAB. A new and promising source of Internet titles is the new titles page of our Web site. Our policies for cataloging Internet titles and transcribing URLs are in complete accord with CONSER policies. We have had extensive meetings with the CONSER coordinator at the Library of Congress to ensure that our practices are consistent with CONSER policy. Those wishing to know more details about cataloging matters may wish to attend the GODORT Cataloging Committee tomorrow morning from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. at the Sheraton. We recognize that Internet access for all catalogers is needed to support extensive cataloging of the increasing number of Internet titles. Access for only several catalogers is insufficient. We intend to obtain access for each cataloger in the branch and are working with telecommunications personnel to expedite access to the Internet. Hardware and software now used for cataloging is completely satisfactory and does not need to be upgraded for cataloging Internet titles. Many of our catalogers are thoroughly familiar with the Internet and those who need additional experience are being trained. Monthly Catalog Related Information I would like to share some information with you concerning the Monthly Catalog. All Monthly Catalog records are produced in OCLC before appearing in the abridged paper edition of the Monthly Catalog, our soon-to-be published MOCAT CD-ROM edition and our Web site MOCAT. Records appear at the Web site within two days after production in OCLC. With the exception of those records produced approximately within the most recent six to eight weeks, all MOCAT Web site records have been replaced by edited versions. In the near future, we expect that MOCAT record ID numbers will be displayed in edited records at the Web site, and in all records in the CD-ROM, and abridged paper editions. This MOCAT entry number is assigned as part of the final edit process, hence recently produced Web site records will not have it. Records replaced by the edited version will contain this number. Web site records represent the production of nearly 66,000 records in the OCLC database from January, 1994 through as recently as two days ago. As mentioned previously, a "locate function" associates item numbers within records with the name and address of depository libraries that have selected the title. Users are able to obtain the name and address of the nearest depository library that has selected a title of interest. If a MOCAT record does not appear within the OCLC database and the Web site MOCAT within two weeks after a publication has been received in your library, please let us know. When doing so, please include such information as title, class number, shipping list number, and format. Please e-mail this information to me at: catlps@access.digex.net. If possible, please FAX a photocopy of the title page and verso to us at: (202) 512-1432. We appreciate your assistance in helping us assure prompt and thorough cataloging. We will assist this process by checking titles on shipping lists against MOCAT records at our Web site. Corrections to "Numbers" and URLs In general, questions regarding class numbers, item numbers, shipping list numbers, and URLs should be directed to the Depository Administration Branch (DAB) and not to the Cataloging Branch. Directing questions concerning these specific elements to DAB personnel will expedite decision making and hasten the pace of correcting these elements within MOCAT records as well as other LPS systems which carry the same data. We input information in these elements in accordance with information supplied to us by Depository Administration Branch personnel. DAB personnel may be contacted by phone at (202) 512-1153. The FAX number is (202) 512-1636. DAB e-mail should be directed to: staf3dab@access.digex.net. Evolving Pathway Services An additional Internet related effort is our creation and maintenance of Pathway GILS records at the agency level. This Pathway Browse application contains 34 GILS records and is available at . Users are able to navigate from the GILS records in this application to an agency's Web site via hot links. We look forward to participating in the development of additional Pathway applications as needs for services are identified. MOCAT Paper and CD-ROM Editions As you may have gathered, we consider our Web site Monthly Catalog to be our premier application. The ability of users to obtain online access to records produced as recently as two days after production in OCLC, the locate function that associates libraries and their holdings, and now, hot linked access from the record to electronic publications make this version ideal for cataloging and locator services. However, before concluding my remarks, I would like to mention the availability of the abridged paper and CD-ROM editions of the Monthly Catalog. We began publishing the abridged paper edition early this year and, in response to several requests, will soon display the MOCAT record number in edited records published in the paper, Web, and CD-ROM versions. The paper edition is now a true pamphlet form and includes a single title key word index and abbreviated records. Thus far, we have published issues from January through June, 1996. We expect to publish the first issue of the CD-ROM version of the Monthly Catalog this month. The initial issue will consist of the 1996 Periodicals Supplement and data sets for the months of January through June, 1996. Issues will cumulate each month and each will include the Periodicals Supplement and records from January, 1996 through the present. We anticipate cumulating up to several years of MOCAT records on each monthly CD-ROM. We are particularly grateful to the more than thirty people who reviewed this product and provided useful suggestions. We look forward to improving this product in the future.