Copy Cataloging Unit
Annual Report 2007/2008
FY2008 was a year of consolidation for the unit. This was the first year since 2004 that the unit did not expand the scope of its cataloging activities or participate in a major change in workflows or procedures. This has been the year when staff have been able to internalize and fully own the many changes we have experienced. We continue to provide support to and work with virtually all areas of the library. The unit cataloged a total of 12,714 new titles this year, including 166 serials, 285 sound discs, 755 videos (VHS & DVD) and 852 electronic theses and dissertations. In addition, the unit reclassed 1,186 titles from storage and made 320 analytic titles fully accessible to the public.
Below are some of the unit’s activities in FY2008:
- A significant workflow change this year was taking on the bulk of the searching and cataloging of material from Gifts and Exchange. This allowed staff in G&E to focus fully on the receipt and processing of gifts received by the library. Approximately 1,665 monographic and 16 serial titles were received from G&E during the year.
- In December 2005, the handling of shelf-ready material was transferred to the Acquisitions and Licensing Department to increase throughput time. The library also began to obtain records for titles received shelf-ready through PromptCat. Copy Cataloging staff continue to review the repots generated by CatQC. This year we worked with the programmer to improve the display and usability of the reports with excellent results. We continued our work with the “problem material” that cannot be sent directly from box to owning location. Our unit also began to work with Acquisitions to identify material not currently received shelf-ready that is either received on a standing order or might be set up as a standing order so that the library can receive it shelf-ready. The former will increase throughput time, while the latter will also reduce ordering time
- An on-going goal for our department is to provide cataloging support in order to make Special Collections material more available to patrons. The unit continued to provide cataloging and support for several types of Special Collections material. Patsy Mongo continued doing the bulk of the copy cataloging of the Florida History Collection material. Fern Carlson worked 1/3 time providing support for the NEH Baldwin grant which is currently cataloging late nineteenth-century children’s literature.
- The unit continued providing support for the P. K. Younge Developmental Research School's Mead Library. Student assistants search material in OCLC and export it to Aleph where it can be cataloged by the Mead librarian.
- The unit continued to work with Paul Lightcap and Raimonda Margioni in Acquisitions and Licensing to identify material received on standing order that could possibly be received shelf-ready and also to identify material ordered regularly that could be put on a standing order saving both time and reducing errors.
- The storage reclass project became a much larger enterprise than originally anticipated at its inception. The unit reclassed 1,186 titles during the year. We took the opportunity while reclassing the material to replace the low quality CARP and Remarc records frequently encountered with older material. The project also provided the chance to check and when necessary correct holdings both in OCLC and our catalog.
- During FY2008 the unit employed on average 7 student assistants for the fall and spring semesters. Student assistants continued to be an integral part of the Copy Cataloging Unit. Students searched at least 85% of the new material coming into the department. They also cataloged a significant portion of the DLC/PCC material through April 2008.
- The unit worked with Michael Jay to improve the appearance and usability of the CatQC reports generated for each file received from WorldCat Cataloging Partners to excellent result.
- The unit participated in the department-wide training for Aleph 18
Below are the activities of individual Copy Cataloging staff in FY2008:
- Todd Chisholm:
- increased his CONSER-level serials maintenance work over the course of the year.
- began working on a proposal with Naomi Young and Nancy Poehlmann to develop a more detailed Library of Congress classification schedule for popular culture serials, i.e. comic books, magazines, & graphic novels.
- spent some time last year increasing his knowledge of the use of LKR fields in Aleph with an eye to solving the problems presented by incorrectly bound-together analytics. In discovering the use of other LKR fields (ANA, DN, etc.), he was able to streamline the post-cataloged, bound-together analytics process.
- collaborated with Michael Jay on an Aleph-18-friendly version of the macro that puts in correct ordered the titles of a numbered series.
- Doug Smith:
- worked with Mathew Daley and Priscilla Williams and Barbara Gunderson to develop a consistent lost book policy.
- was one of the trainers for the Aleph 18 training
- worked with Penny Chou from P. K. Youinge to prepare her for Aleph 18
- worked closely with Acquisitions to prepare for the change in domestic approval vendor
- Committees:
- Todd Chisholm continued to represent Copy Cataloging on the Print Media Planning Committee.
- Judy Rummel and Fern Carlson served on the Cataloging Department’s Party Committee.
- Doug Smith served on the, the Storage Committee, the New Item Processing Status Approval group, , Cataloging and Metadata Training Committee (chair) and the Approval Plan Review Committee which completed its mission in February of 2008.
