Cataloging and Metadata Department
FY06 Annual Report
In FY06 the department showed its muscle with Aleph, finding ways to maximize its functionality as well as Connexion's, and made major workflow changes - all with the goal of improving user services and interdepartmental relationships. New ideas within the profession about the role and practice of cataloging continued to spur discussion, including prompting a local white paper to address key issues within the context of the library. The expertise, flexibility, and good nature of the department staff - a staff with many, many years of cataloging experience - gave the department sure footing to master the challenges and look forward with optimism to the future. Working together, and with the assistance of Jason Fleming, Technical Support Librarian , the department was able to move forward on a number of fronts as outlined below and covered in greater depth in the individual unit/area annual reports:
Copy Cataloging Unit
Science and Social Science Cataloging Unit
Humanities and Special Collections Cataloging Unit
Authorities and Metadata Quality Unit
The FY00-06 statistics for the Copy Cataloging Unit, Humanities and Special Collections Cataloging Unit, and Science and Social Science Cataloging Unit highlight shifts in cataloging production caused by workflow modifications, special projects, training activities, budget fluctuations, and so on. Many of these factors and their impact on the cataloging statistics have been noted in prior annual reports.
In addition to the work described under particular goals below, the following were significant this year:
- Highest annual total for original cataloging since FY00 (and a 21.5% increase over FY05)
- Significant decline in copy cataloging, in large part due to PromptCat workflow changes
- Implemented new cataloging statistics macros and reports
- Participated in development of New Titles list
- Determined local plan for coping with the LC series announcement
- Completed cataloging for the SOLINET Kohler theology pamphlet grant
- Outsourced foreign language material - 50 titles (48 Hebrew, 2 Arabic)
- Took training and began to contribute to EAD (Encoded Archival Description) work
- Continued to shift more shared copy from the original cataloging units to Copy Cataloging
- Added to a growing suite of cataloging macros
- Created and revised numerous procedures (see What's New in AlephPro)
- Served on many committees and task groups
- Volunteered at public service desks and with Ask a Librarian and assisted with LW computer setup
- Conducted overview sessions for the following groups: FIU (11/9/05), UCF (6/1/06), FSU (6/15-16/06), USF (6/17/06), MSL librarians (6/30/06)
A detailed batchload record count is maintained by the Authority and Metadata Quality Unit. FY06 activity included:
4,142 44,670 11,052 5,882 65,746 -609 79,398 2,239 1,929 83,566 148,703 1,620 9,200 42 190
A long-standing collection of arrearage items continued to decrease:
2/96 6/97 6/98 7/99 7/00 6/01 10/02 10/03 10/04 9/05 9/06 480 242 239 217 104 103 10 9 9 0 0 1701 1287 934 903 467 395 230 226 226 0 0 4050 2806 2413 2049 1602 986 878 865 829 829 756 1079 884 414 112 81 76 67 39 18 0 0 2327 1963 1411 689 290 119 108 102 93 22 0 no stat no stat 144 104 104 104 77 77 77 77 41 9637 7182 5555 4074 2648 1783 1370 1318 1252 928 797
FY06 Goals
Assess effectiveness of serials cataloging workflow modifications and make necessary improvements
- Finetuned workflow, created procedures, and finalized FTE assignments
- 382 CONSER contributions in the fiscal year, an 80% increase over 2004/2005 (203)
- 252 CONSER original records in the fiscal year, more than an 588% increase over 2004/2005 (43)
Fully integrate PromptCat and OCLC Bib Notification services, minimizing need for item handling
- Collaborated with Acquisitions & Licensing to create and implement new workflow for book handling
- Using macros and programming, set up system for identifying potential problems
- Completed training and transferred PromptCat loads to Acquisitions & Licensing by fiscal year-end
Authority Control
- Collaborate with FCLA to refine GenLoad as tool for batchloading records and augmenting authority maintenance tasks
- Shared GenLoad enhancement ideas
- Tested and provided feedback
- Incorporate LCA10 into cataloging workflow
- Assisted with authority loads (subject file loading up-to-date; series file loading underway)
- Reviewed and revised UFU10 series authorities
- Coordinated SUL efforts to improve authority infrastructure
- Investigate and advise on authority control outsourcing options
- Completed assessment - Aleph loading difficulties prevented further action
Update uncataloged inventory and prioritize work
- Completed inventory - posted in Public Folder "CatMet-Inventory"
- Collaborated with Special Collections and other areas to establish priorities
Work closely with Digital Library Center to develop new cataloging processes to complement Greenstone implementation
- Hired, trained, then replaced Digital Projects Metadata Librarian (whose responsibility includes developing workflows and coordinating cataloging-related tasks and associated issues)
- Developed and documented workflows
- Cataloged items and created authorities as needed
- Investigated options for authority control
Provide cataloging support for NEH Baldwin and SOLINET grants
- Supervised Baldwin NEH Project Cataloger
- Provided .30 FTE cost-share
- On target to complete cataloging quota ahead of schedule: Baldwin statistics
Reclass Library West periodicals and monographs
- Reclassified over 1600 periodical titles held in Library West
- Began project to consolidate inaccurate holdings and separate storage holdings
- Assigned call numbers for monograph reclass project
- Created thousands of labels for reclassed material
Complete transfer of cataloging documentation to AlephPro and archive CatPro
- Revised and transferred CatPro procedures to AlephPro - project completed
- In addition, reviewed "old" RS AlephPro folder and eliminated the Web site
Prepared by: Betsy
Simpson
Created: August 2006
