annual0910

Cataloging and Metadata Department

The Cataloging and Metadata Department was active on many fronts this year as evident from the highlights noted below.

For detailed unit and program reports, see the following links:

Staffing/Organization

Successfully transitioned to a unified original cataloging unit, including 3 faculty and 9 support staff, resulting from the merger of the Science and Social Science Cataloging Unit and the Humanities and Special Collections Cataloging Unit. This change, which was precipitated by the reassignment of the latter unit’s head to a position outside the department, also led to authority workflow efficiencies and the expansion of liaison relationships with the branches. (2009-2010 Goal: Transition to new organizational structure)

Participated actively in offsite facility deliberations and formed a task group with Acquisitions to gather input and make recommendations. (2009-2010 Goal: Participate in planning discussions related to a department move)

Communicated with curators and branch managers to update the uncataloged inventory, which continues to be revised for an upcoming review by AGRSSR as requested by the deans. (2009-2010 Goal: Update uncataloged collections inventory)

Hired students with work study status as much as possible and implemented a new student assistant workflow to assist with headings corrections in the catalog. Not only did this greatly accelerate the pace of the maintenance work, but it also provided an additional activity during non-peak times for searching/cataloging. Students searched the vast majority of new material coming into the department and performed basic copy cataloging. (2009-2010 Goal: Manage OPS budget reduction)

Cataloging

Fully implemented an extensive multi-year initiative to catalog 300,000 federal documents in storage, an effort that requires a significant commitment of FTE from the department. Statistics posted at http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/catmet/stodocsproject.html. (2009-2010 Goal: Launch project to catalog federal documents in storage)

Cataloged 18,848 titles, including 2,985 original records (see FY00-10 stats), in addition to 15,109 titles, including 2,798 original records, completed by fiscal year end on the Storage Documents project (Stodocs).

Resumed rare materials cataloging workflow, including Cooper Science Collection books, in collaboration with the new Rare Books Librarian and cataloged a total of 606 rare titles during the fiscal year (555 new titles and 61 added titles). (2009-2010 Goal: Reinstitute rare book cataloging workflow, including Cooper Science Collection items)

In addition to cataloging IFAS, Hildebrand, and other items as requested, the department suggested improvements to the UFDC METS editor and brainstormed new approaches to updating UFDC metadata with Digital Library Center staff. (2009-2010 Goal: Collaborate on digitization priority planning and provide cataloging as needed)

Developed a method for loading ETD records directly from Aleph to WorldCat in order to provide faster worldwide access to the content.

Collaborated with FCLA to develop a much improved rush request process that allows patrons to click a title-specific request button in the catalog rather than having to locate and submit the generic online rush request form.

Began a project to systematically catalog the library's locally-created subject guides to provide another avenue for accessing these increasingly important resources supporting curricular and research needs.

Batchloaded 11,687 records for the following packages: Past Masters 3, Knovel 270, MyiLibrary 434, and Marcive 10,982.

Data maintenance/updating

Substantially completed two major projects to improve the accuracy and extent of UF data in WorldCat:

Uploaded 95,000 local serial holdings to OCLC and reviewed 3,500 error records. A process to establish routine update files for Main, Health, and Law holdings is underway, pending OCLC's review and ingest of the gap file sent in spring 2010. (2009-2010 Goal: Finalize initial load and implement update process for OCLC Local Serials Holdings (LHR) service)

Collaborated with FCLA on a library-wide OCLC Reclamation Project involving 4 million records. A review of 350,000 error records is ongoing. (2009-2010: Complete OCLC reclamation project)

Established a workflow and reclassified close to 1,400 circulating storage items, in addition to responding to other substantial reclassification requests. (2009-2010 Goal: Establish workflow for reclass of circulating storage material)

Consulted with storage and branch staff, corrected catalog copy, cataloged and withdrew items as needed to support efforts to process duplicates, weed, and prepare material for transfer to the planned High Density Storage Facility. (2009-2010 Goal: Participate in preparations for shared storage facility)

Improved the virtual bookplating workflow and responded proactively to a growing number of requests.

Made significant progress on a project to review 1,793 bibliographic tags used in the catalog and correct errors. By early fall of FY11, 589 tags had been fixed, 855 confirmed accurate, and 349 remained to be assessed.

Cooperative programs

Made significant changes to the authority workflow: 1) original catalogers submitted personal names to the National Authority File without review and 2) copy catalogers submitted authority records for numbered series to Connexion for NACO rather than to the local series authority file.

Contributed 1,216 new and revised NACO headings; 631 new and enhanced BIBCO records; and submitted 20 SACO proposed subject headings. Exceeded our quota of 400 CONSER contributions; more than 300 of these were original or upgraded records.

State University Libraries

In order to meet the needs of library users in the shared bibliographic environment of the State University Libraries, department representatives participated in establishing guidelines for consistent bibliographic and authority data input across the SUL through the following committees: Technical Services Planning Committee, Single Bib Pilot Project, TSPC Authorities Subcommittee, Liaison to the OPAC Subcommittee, Joint DISC/Metadata Subcommittee Working Group to Revise the Metadata and Access Guidelines for Digital Collections, Continuing Resources Discussion Group, and the Advisory Group on Statewide Standards for MARC Records.

Prepared by: Betsy Simpson
October 2010