Meeting Minutes (June 2, 2000)
Clemons Library, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
Present: Althea Aschmann (VPI), Elaine Day (JMU), Nadine P. Ellero (UVa), Trish Kearns (W& M),Charles Lewis (JSRCC), Allison M. Sleeman (UVa)
Members Absent: Karen Cary (VCU), Billie Hackney (ODU), Gail McClenney (VSU)
Guests: Daniel McShane (UVa) and Polly Khater (GMU)
Elaine Day (recorder), Nadine P. Ellero (will post to web)
Daniel McShane, Electronic Resources Cataloger at the University of Virginia, and Polly Khater, Head of Cataloging, George Mason University, were welcomed. As of July 1, Polly will represent GMU, and Daniel will replace Allison Sleeman, who is stepping down as representative from Alderman Library. Nadine Ellero will continue to represent the UVa Health Sciences Library.
Allison Sleeman announced that phase one of the project to digitize pre-1924 publications in American history is complete. Most of the works are cataloged in VIRGO, though some are analytics or ephemera and therefore not represented by discrete MARC records. At some points in the future, UVa will consider extracting MARC records from VIRGO for distribution to VIVA libraries. Phase two--digitization of 2000 additional works--is on hold for at least a year. [netLibrary decided not to proceed with the project at this time. A press release is available at: http://staff.lib.virginia.edu/commpub/resources/press/netLib.html <link broken 4/7/2008, TM> ]
The project is complete, except for final processing of the MARC files and downloading MARC records for original authorities, added entries, corrections to 36 URL's affected by heading changes, and three descriptive cataloging edits. A wage position is available though VIVA at George Mason University. It will be possible for someone in this position to support task force projects, such as downloading the remaining MARC authority records for the Chadwyck-Healey project and identifying ISSN's for Dow Jones aggregated periodicals.
Charles Lewis proposed that the web interface to the Chadwyck-Healey MARC files emulate the form for creating MARC records from aggregator title lists made available by Virginia Commonwealth University. VCU's MARCMakr Test form (http://www.library.vcu.edu/cfapps/jbc/instruct/vivamarc.cfm) provide blanks for local fields and outputs a customized MARC file.
The Task Force will develop procedures for processing future record sets based on experience with this project.
Virginia Tech has developed an external database of titles for electronic periodicals in Dow Jones, Lexis-Nexis, and Gale InfoTrac (http://www.lib.vt.edu/research/ejournals/prelude.html). This list and another that will be published soon at James Madison University are derived from vendor web lists. The JMU list and earlier lists at ODU and Radford also include citations for print and cataloged electronic journals extracted from the INNOPAC. In contrast, Virginia Commonwealth University uses the MARCMaker test form mentioned above to generate brief MARC records for aggregated periodicals. All three models rely on completely refreshing aggregator data with each update so that records need not be edited manually. We discussed options for evaluating the usefulness of each approach from the perspective of faculty and students.
Althea Aschmann will assume responsibility in July for editing the first revision. She will contact VIVA libraries for new and updated catalog examples. Daniel McShane will manage the HTML and graphics files. Our goal is to complete a technical update by mid-summer, and a substantive update after new rules and guidelines are published for AACR. Cataloging examples will include a representative sample of ILS vendors.
Scope and Purpose of the Task Force
The group reviewed a draft report to the Steering Committee on 1999-2000 activities and objectives for the coming year. Primary objectives are completing the Chadwyck-Healey project, technical and substantive revisions to the cataloging Guidelines, and developing a set of procedures for procesing and customizing other MARC reocord sets that become available to VIVA libraries fro digital resources. Other projects are contingent on availability of resources and support from the Steering Committee.
Althea Aschmann announced that a co-chair is needed for the VLA Technical Services and Technology Forum in 2000-2001. Please contact Sharon McCaslin, Longwood College (smccasli@longwod.lwc.edu) if you are interested in serving as co-chair in 2000-2001 and chair in 2001-2002. The Forum sponsored two sessions on Basic Serials Cataloging in Spring 2000, both of which were fully enrolled and had to turn people away. Althea is also interested in providing, through some forum, training on the Cataloger's Desktop. Please contact her (aschmann@vt.edu) if you think such training will be useful and also if you have suggestions for how to sponsor and organize this session.
Assuming that we are asked to continue for another year, the Task Force will meet again on August 4, 2000 at the Universityof Virginia.
Submitted by Elaine Day; marked up version by Nadine P. Ellero
June 27, 2000