VIVA User Services Cataloging and Intellectual Access Subcommittee

Joyce Ogburn (ODU), Chair of the Subcommittee, opened the meeting by reviewing the charge of the Subcommittee and explaining the Subcommittee's relationship to the VIVA User Services Committee.

Joyce wrote a mission statement for the Subcommittee, based upon the goals of last year's VIVA Cataloging and Intellectual Access Task Force (see document at http://www.lib.odu.edu/~joyce/vivacat.htm).

Jean Major (ODU), Chair of the VIVA User Services Committee, reviewed and approved the mission statement. Joyce further reported from her discussions with Jean that training had been of utmost importance to the User Services Committee; now it is one of three goal focuses for the Committee. Its work now includes the need to make users aware of VIVA resources, which is fundamental to the mission of the Cataloging and Intellectual Access Subcommittee.

Joyce stated that it is important for the Subcommittee to consider access issues beyond catalog records.

Elaine Day then reported that James Madison University had completed cataloging Project Muse and Academic Press's IDEAL titles. She also described links on their Web page for these titles and some of the local notes for use restrictions, network access, etc., in their catalog records. She also pointed out that no reliable mechanism exists for keeping VIVA participants informed about changes in resources.

Gerald Gordon reported that Radford University had cataloged Project Muse and IDEAL titles and that plans were being formulated for cataloging VIVA databases.

Joyce reported that the Guidelines for Cataloging VIVA Electronic Collections, developed by the VIVA Cataloging and Intellectual Access Task Force (at http://poe.acc.virginia.edu/~ejs7y/vivacat/vivacat.htm), had been mentioned or cited on several Web pages or listservs.

A general discussion followed on the need for and feasibility of establishing a listserv for catalogers within the state. A number of questions, including the scope of the listserv (VIVA resources, other electronic formats, cataloging issues, in general), the target audience (ways to provide public services staff participation), and purpose (disseminating VIVA information, reviewing standards, etc.) arose. It was agreed that the idea for such a listserv should be further investigated. Elaine Day, Jackie Shieh (UVA), and Berna Heyman (W&M) will check into the possibility of their respective institutions hosting the listserv.

Joyce next reported that she had talked with Marda Johnson of OCLC about the possibility of OCLC adopting an approach similar to the one used for Major Microforms for creating records for VIVA resources that could be shared by VIVA institutions. Such an approach is likely to occur, but it may not happen soon enough to benefit us very much, unless VIVA continues to buy collections like MUSE or IDEAL

The Subcommittee discussed a number of potential methods for cooperatively cataloging VIVA resources. This led to a discussion of the role of the Guidelines for Cataloging VIVA Electronic Collections in creating records that could be used cooperatively. There was some discussion about the need to include prescriptive language in the Guidelines. As they currently exist, the Guidelines are very much a document for catalogers. The Subcommittee agreed that it could be valuable to add examples to the Guidelines of the way records would appear to users. The Subcommittee decided that, as a first step, the Guidelines would be expanded and revised to illustrate them with examples and descriptions that would be clear to non-catalogers.

Ultimately, after additional review and revision of the Guidelines, the Subcommittee intends to submit them to the User Services Committee and, from there, to the VIVA Steering Committee for review and approval as official policy.

As a result of these discussions, the following assignments were made:

1) Elaine Day, Jackie Shieh, and Karen Cary (VCU) will review and revise the Guidelines to include examples of the way records would appear to users. The Guidelines will then be submitted to the full Subcommittee for further review;

2) Berna Heyman will look into the possibility of creating a Web site for sample records (as they appear to the public)--these records will reflect the various systems of the member institutions.

In addition, Joyce will talk with Solinet/OCLC about the creation of batch records (Techpro produces records for some of Ohiolink's collections) and will also talk with John Duke (VCU) about the VIVA Web page and access to resources. Everyone on the Subcommittee will review the article on creating Web pages from catalog records (at http://www.library.ucsb.edu/list1/97-summer/article2.html); Elaine and Joyce will talk with their public services and systems staff about the feasibility of the article model. A date and location for the next meeting of the Subcommittee will be determined after the initial work on the Guidelines revision is completed.

Respectfully submitted,

Karen Cary
Virginia Commonwealth University