Thursday, October 30, 2008

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

OCLC - Who are you? Do we really want to know?

We have been discussing today the mysterious policy changes to OCLC's use of WorldCat records. Our team wondered when did OCLC became the bad guy? Our library programmer and I just had a conversation last week about how old and confusing we found the policy currently in place. When did we begin to automatically assume that any changes they make to their policies would make matters worse, instead of better. In part, we decided it is because they hold all our data and don't do some simple things to add value to it. We've also had some bad experiences in the past with their help desk and the new service model does not allay our fears. By removing our regional representative from the chain, they are taking out the local contact who put a face on the bloated body of OCLC. Perhaps they have gotten too big, and we find it hard to trust big corporations, whether they are "non-profit" or not. We are not quite sure whose best interests they have in mind.

There are three ways to do things. The right way, the wrong way, and the OCLC way! Which is the wrong way but slower. - D.W. (2008) a tribute to the Simpsons.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Some new research reports on Cataloging

If we purchase these, will I have time to read them?

Emerging Issues in Academic Library Cataloging & Technical Services

ISBN: 1-57440-086-X Publication Date: April 2007
This report presents nine highly detailed case studies of leading university cataloging and technical service departments. It provide insights into how they are handling ten major changes facing them, including: the encouragement of cataloging productivity; impact of new technologies and enhancement of online catalogs;
transition to metadata standards; cataloging of websites and digital and other special collections; library catalog and metadata training; database maintenance, holdings, and physical processing; relationship with Acquisitions; staff education; and other important issues. Survey participants represent academic libraries of varying sizes and classifications, with many different viewpoints. Universities surveyed are: Brigham Young; Curry College; Haverford College; Illinois, Louisiana and Pennsylvania State Universities; University of North Dakota; University of Washington; and Yale.

Price: $72.95
Price: $88.00 (PDF)

Academic Library Cataloging Practices Benchmarks

- Read Excerpt
ISBN 1-57440-106-8
This 254 page report presents data from a survey of the cataloging
practices of approximately 80 North American academic libraries. In
more than 630 tables of data and related commentary from participating
librarians and our analysts, the report gives a broad overview of
academic library cataloging practices related to outsourcing, selection
and deployment of personnel, salaries, the state of continuing education
in cataloging, and much more.
Data is broken out by size and type of college and for public and private
colleges. Survey participants also discuss how they define the catalogers
range of responsibilities, how they train their catalogers, how they assess
cataloging quality, whether they use cataloging quotas or other measures
to spur productivity, what software and other cataloging technology they
use and why, how they make outsourcing decisions and more.
Price: $89.50 (Print) Price: $98.00 (PDF)