Tag: cataloging
PromptCat Record Loading Resumes in Two Phases
OCLC and their WorldCat Cataloging Partners (suppliers of PromptCat records) made substantial changes to how they generate PromptCat files in late October, 2009. PromptCat files loaded with slip dates of 10/26/09 or later contained so many problems that we suspended loading the files into Millennium in early December. OCLC has corrected the problems and regenerated all the files for us. We plan to resume loading files in a two phase process.
Phase 1: Starting immediately, PromptCat files that were never loaded into Millennium will be loaded at a rate of about 1 file per day. After each load, MRU will release the relevant shelf-ready books to the Subject Libraries for processing. Subject Library books that came from PromptCat which were not shelf-ready will be sent to the Catalog Dept. for further processing.
Main PromptCat books will be released for selector review as files are loaded. Lupe Ochoa will send an email to the relevant selectors when materials are ready for review.
Phase 2: Loading the newly regenerated files that correct problems created by the previous PromptCat file loads into Millennium is more problematic. We are test loading a number of these files on the Millennium training server to see what kind of clean-up we have to undertake when these files are loaded into the production server (e.g., duplicate item records created). We’ll post more information on the Catalog Dept. blog, as our plans develop for reloading these files.
Note: Subject Libraries that are holding books due to errors in the previously loaded files should continue to hold these until we have informed you that we have reloaded all the files in Phase 2. Please do not send database maintenance requests for these record problems. You will be able to process these once the corrected records are reloaded.
Cataloging Prio. #1 (of 3): Establish a normal and efficient workflow
Priority 1: Establish a standard and efficient workflow
Work restrictions and new procedures required by the Millennium implementation has created substantial backlogs and disrupted many Catalog Department workflows. Through this period, there were multiple attempts to adjust operations to keep materials moving through the department. The constant adjusting created new problems and the loss of a “normal” workflow.
We have recently made great progress in establishing a new, standard workflow that moves materials through the cataloging process. The Department is also collecting statistics to understand our capacity to process materials at each point in the workflow. It is our plan to let this new workflow run for a number of months. We will then be better able to evaluate our statistics and see what is working and where adjustments are needed.
Catalog Dept. Operations Update – 1/28/09
Catalog Dept. Update – 1/28/09
1) Accompanying Materials
Books with accompanying materials (e.g., CDs, DVDs) are now being cataloged in our standard workflow.
Action: If your unit stores these materials in a separate location or ever withdraws the accompanying material, you will need to follow the procedures found in the “Cataloging” section of AskTico – http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/Staff/asktico/
2) OCLC PromptCat Problem Update
Acquisitions, Systems and the Catalog Dept. have worked together to verify that OCLC has (finally) corrected all the problems with PromptCat records. Phase 1 record loads are progressing (see blog of 1/21/10).
Alert:
a) Selectors who review books should be doing so now in 250 Moffitt.
b) Subject Libraries are now receiving Phase 1 PromptCat books
Acquisitions, Systems and the Catalog Dept. are now working on the Phase 2 record load problems to learn what Millennium clean-up will be needed, as these PromptCat files are loaded.
3) Photocopies
FYI – The Catalog Department has developed Millennium procedures for cataloging photocopies of original works and these are now being added to our standard workflow.
Cataloging Prio. #2a (of 3): Maximize Patron Access to Newly Received Monographs
Priority 2a: Maximize patron access to newly received monographs by cataloging as much of this material as possible
A Catalog Department priority will be to move the same number of materials out of the final phase of our new cataloging workflow, as enter the first phase. In this process, we will try to minimize the number of items that receive Level 3 cataloging (i.e., In process call#s)
There also have been cases where new materials have not been cataloged because old Gladis procedures were not updated for Millennium (e.g., analytics, accompanying materials, dissertation photocopies, etc). We have identified all categories of materials with this problem and have made great progress in drafting, vetting and approving new procedures.
Priority 2b: Fix high-priority record problems reported to the Catalog Department
The Catalog Department has categorized and made an attempt to quantify the different types of record maintenance requests we receive. For example, book and record do not match, mistake in a record that compromises retrieval (e.g., in an authors name), incorrect treatment (book cataloged as a monograph that should have been part of a MVM set), reclassification needed. We are in the process of developing a plan to distribute this work throughout the Department. This will require the development of a new “ticket” tracking system (e.g. based on Footprints). A Task Force has been charged to design and implement this new system. Its members include people who submit tickets to ensure that we develop features such as a user-friendly form to report errors and the ability to allow library staff to see the tickets they have submitted.
Phase 2 PromptCat File Loading Complete
Good News – All the Phase 2 PromptCat files have been (re)loaded into Millennium.
Phase 2 files were regenerated by OCLC to correct problems created by previous PromptCat loads with bad and missing records. For more details, see http://blogs.lib.berkeley.edu/catdept.php/2010/01/21/promptcat-record-loading-resumes-in-two-phases
Your unit should now be able to process any books that are being held due to PromptCat load problems. If you have books that are still missing bibliographic records, or have other unusual problems, please contact Lupe Ochoa at lochoa@library.berkeley.edu
Current PromptCat files are now loaded through the end of January. We should be completely caught up and back to a normal file loading schedule within a week.
A special thanks to Jim Gordon, Rico Estrada and Dave Zuckerman who bore the brunt of the file loading, clean-up and coordination with OCLC. We greatly appreciate your patience, as we recovered from this problem.
Training for Cataloging Analyzed Monographic Series
For all those who are eagerly anticipating cataloging analyzed sets in Millennium, the procedures for doing so will soon be in your hands, and we have scheduled two training/demonstration sessions for Thursday March 4. These will be held in 251 Moffitt, one in the morning beginning at 10am and one in the afternoon beginning at 2:30pm. Each session will last 90 minutes.
Please note that these sessions are intended only for individuals who will be cataloging analytics. The scope of this training is limited to analyzed monographic series–the additional nuances of analyzed multi-volume monographs and multi-volume analytics (“sets within sets”) will be covered on another occasion yet to be scheduled.
If cataloging analytics is part of your work and you wish to attend this training, please RSVP to Kai Stoeckenius, kstoecke@library.berkeley.edu
Priority 3: Manage the backlog and find creative means to reduce its size
There are two categories of backlogs. The first is of made up of print materials. As of February 2010, there are over 60,000 books in the Catalog Department. The second category is a substantial backlog of batch MARC catalog records to load into OskiCat.
The monographic backlog is challenging because its sheer size creates its own set of problems. For example, tracing materials is extremely difficult given the number of items that may have to be searched. We will investigate and implement creative means such as OCLC batch searching and use of the OCLC Bib-notification service to automatically upgrade records.
The MARC record batch load backlog exists because the Department can not allocate enough time to analysis and spec-writing that is required for each load. Our plan forward is to leverage the synergies between the Catalog Department and System Office. We will train selected LSO programmers to do the analysis, spec-writing and programming for less complicated loads. Complex load analysis, such as SCP monographs and serials, will remain with the Catalog Department.
Thesis and Dissertation Backlogs
Over the past several weeks, I have been blogging about the Catalog Department’s new priorities. We started work on our third priority, “Find Creative Methods to Address our Large Backlog,” by categorizing and counting the backlog.
As part of this process, we discovered that well over 2,000 dissertations & thesis were waiting for cataloging. LSO programmers volunteered to catalog a small number of these every day, starting with the dissertations. Catalog Dept. staff have now trained the Systems programmers on the finer points of dissertation cataloging and they have begun work on this backlog.
I haven’t tried to estimate when this project will be completed, but the end of the calendar year would be a safe bet. This collaboration between LSO & the Catalog Dept. not only has clear benefits to our library patrons, but will sharpen the bibliographic skills of a number of our programmers. It also will be a useful experience when we start receiving electronic dissertations, as we will investigate automating the cataloging process using metadata from Proquest.
A special thanks to all the people involved in this project. …Bernie
Bibliographic Field Use Changes in Millennium (Tier 1-3; Locally Added Uniform Title Data)
Procedural changes will need to be implemented, to support e-resource tier tracking, the retention of locally added data, and ongoing SCP monograph and serial loading on an ongoing basis, as discussed in Technical Services Council on 2/16/10.
Acquisitions and cataloging units (including self-cataloging units and Affiliated Libraries) will need to update their procedures with the information found in the “Bibliographic Field Use Changes in Millennium” document, which is now on AskTico.
Use of these fields defined in this document need to be in place in your unit on or before (but no later than) Monday, March 1, 2010. On this date, the System Office will begin loading the SCP Monograph Recon files into Millennium.
Not following these procedures may result in the loss of bibliographic data.
This document applies to you, if you:
- Catalog and maintain tier 1-3 materials
- Add locally devised uniform titles.
- Edit bibliographic data.
- Are acquisitions staff who review bibliographic data for tier 1-3 data.
- Or, otherwise work with tier 1-3 materials.
Questions? Please contact Dana Jemison <djemison@library.berkeley.edu>
Best, Bernie