Cataloging and Metadata Department
FY05 Annual Report
After weathering the Aleph migration and a reorganization - major events in the life of any cataloging department - the staff emerged to face a host of new issues including, to name a few, post-STP problems and training needs, serials cataloging staffing changes, the ever-increasing pressure to batchload large groups of records, and the need to improve workflow between the department and other areas of the library. As usual, the department took a deep breath, then got to work. The result was a year filled with some frustrations but many accomplishments. The report below highlights progress in key areas but does not begin to cover all of the department's activities and successes of the year. The individual unit/area annual highlights provide a fuller picture:
Copy Cataloging Unit
Science and Social Science Cataloging Unit
Humanities and Special Collections Cataloging Unit
Authorities and Metadata Quality Unit
Lead Aleph post-STP cataloging
activities
Contributed to:
- TS Aleph Implementation Group http://web.uflib.ufl.edu/catmet/committees/active/TSAlephIG/rspmpgmain.html
- Aleph Cataloging Trainers Group: continued to meet regularly through early fall 2004 to address problems as well as assess training and documentation needs
- UF Aleph Steering Committee
- A-Team: provided instruction in Aleph serials holdings, Aleph item records, and title changes
Improve cataloging processes
Implement serials cataloging workflow
- Led in-depth serials training utilizing material from the Serials Cataloging Cooperative Training Program (SCCTP):
Basic Serials course (19 participants), November 2004 with later make-up classes
Advanced Serials course (13 participants), February 2005 with later make-up classes
- Provided one-on-one review
- Reassigned FTE to support serials cataloging activities
- Created supporting documentation (see serials-related procedures at What's New in AlephPro)
Develop authority control mechanisms
- Reviewed LCA10 updates and gave feedback to FCLA
- Performed extensive review and revision of UFU10 series authorities
- Collaborated actively with SUL colleagues via the TSPC Authorities Subcommittee
- Investigated possibilities for outsourcing authority maintenance activities
- Created new faculty position to address authority issues for digitized material
Incorporate PromptCat and OCLC Bib Notification into workflow for YBP and Blackwell's material
- Set up PromptCat and OCLC Bib Notification profiles and revised as needed
- Established process for loading files
- Laid groundwork for new YBP shelf-ready workflow whereby material will be checked against invoice in Acquisitions and sent directly to the owning locations
Additional significant happenings included:
- Developed AlephPro, began to phase out CatPro, and revised or created new documentation (see What's New in AlephPro)
- Inaugurated the Catalog Problems mailbox (between October 2004-June 2005 91e-mails were received from 26 staff)
- Coordinated establishment of a cooperative agreement with the Nuclear and Radiological Engineering Department (NRE) Library, created a Satellite Cataloging Procedure to support NRE's cataloging work, and trained NRE personnel
- Refurbished alcove (thoroughly cleaned and rearranged box storage)
- Hosted Sara Gonzalez, an FSU library science student intern
Cataloging statistics for FY00-FY05 for the Copy Cataloging Unit, Science and Social Science Cataloging Unit, and Humanities and Special Collections Cataloging Unit (including pre-reorganization unit structure) reflect budgetary fluctuations as well as varying demands from one year to the next. The staff have shown remarkable perseverence in tackling issues surrounding the transition to a new library management system and are commended for their ongoing efforts to streamline workflow, address training needs, absorb special projects (e.g., reclass), and participate in grant work.
Batchloaded records included the following new titles in addition to Table of Contents records:
Books 24x7=1,657 new titles
Early English Books Online (EEBO)=42,164 new titles (plus 32,084 overlays)
Eighteenth Century Collections Online (ECCO)=127,000 new titles
Gale Virtual Reference Library=29 new titles
History E-books=234 new titles
netLibrary=10,868 new titles
PastMasters=3 new titles
Total count=181,955 new titles
CONSER stats dipped considerably during FY05 (203 new and updated records). A number of factors impacted this downturn, which should ease in the coming year: 1) transition to a distributed serials cataloging workflow 2) related training/learning curve for staff 3) difficulties in working with serials in Aleph and 4) delay in readjusting FTE assigned to serials cataloging.
Foreign language outsourcing
OCLC TechPro cataloged 60 Hebrew books. David Bade, Original Monograph Cataloger at the University of Chicago Library, assisted with the cataloging of 3 books in Amharic on a volunteer basis, and a UF graduate student transcribed 9 books in Amharic.
Microform analytics
Added 1,706 microfiche titles:
Major studies and issue briefs of the Congressional Research Service. Supplement (1,453 titles)
Health, physical education and recreation microform publications (253 titles)
Arrearage titles
26% decrease from FY04 to FY05
ARREARAGE 2/96 6/97 6/98 7/99 7/00 6/01 10/02 10/03 10/04 9/05 Fine Arts 480 242 239 217 104 103 10 9 9 0 Humanities 1701 1287 934 903 467 395 230 226 226 0 LAC 4050 2806 2413 2049 1602 986 878 865 829 829 Science 1079 884 414 112 81 76 67 39 18 0 Social Sciences 2327 1963 1411 689 290 119 108 102 93 22 Microform no stat no stat 144 104 104 104 77 77 77 77 TOTAL 9637 7182 5555 4074 2648 1783 1370 1318 1252 928
Migrate to OCLC Connexion
- Oversaw client installation
- Offered training to all interested library staff, March 2005
- Provided additional support when requested
- Adjusted cataloging workflow as needed
Complete retrospective cataloging of databases
- Created listing in Public Folders and categorized all databases in the Database Locator
- Developed guidelines and put in place a manageable workflow
- 34% of databases cataloged
Establish department training committee
- Formed committee (Membership and Charge)
- 2004-2005 training-related activities included:
- Acquisitions Overview for Catalogers
- Intro to CatDesk on the Web
- Back to the Future Brown Bag: Come and Learn about FRBR and Tomorrow's Catalogs
- FRBR Applications Brown Bag
- Greenstone Demo for Catalogers
- Metadata I Brown Bag: What is Metadata and How It Affects You
- Metadata II Brown Bag: Technology
- Basic and Advanced Serials Cataloging
- Connexion Training
- plus held numerous small sessions for both cataloging and non-cataloging staff on a variety of topics
Support reclassification efforts
- Participated in Library West Collection Preparation II Steering Committee
- Reclassified selected microfilm newspapers and provided labels
- Revised periodical holdings and items in preparation for final reclassification prior to Library West reopening
Provide cataloging support for NEH Baldwin and SOLINET grants
NEH Baldwin
- Supervised NEH Baldwin Project Cataloger
- Assisted with hiring and training of Archivist
- Collaborated with Project Cataloger and Curator to review workflow and revise procedural documentation
- Project on target for meeting cataloging quota
- Filled vacancy resulting from appointment of grant Project Cataloger (temporary Sr. Archivist in Humanities and Special Collections Cataloging Unit devoted to special collections cataloging)
SOLINET
- Created cataloging guidelines and performed cataloging of 45 Kohler Theology Collection pamphlets per month to meet grant quota
Implement Blackwell's Table of Contents service
- Completed profile and implemented service
- Loaded ToC for 1991-1999 in FY05 - a total of 103,712 enriched records
Prepared by: Betsy
Simpson
Created: September 1, 2005
