What is a SACO funnel?
A SACO funnel is a group of libraries (or catalogers from various libraries) that have joined together to contribute subject authority records for inclusion in the Library of Congress Subject Headings. Funnel participants may work in the same subject area, such as the SACO Israel/Judaica Funnel, the SACO Music Funnel, or the SACO Slavic Funnel; or they may be regionally based, like the SACO Hawaii/Pacific Funnel or the Canada Funnel. SACO funnels are an efficient means of contribution, where one person or institution functions as the coordinator (or several share responsibility as co-coordinators). There may be members at all levels of expertise.
Current SACO funnels.
SACO funnel contributions
Individual institutional SACO partners typically have a requirement to contribute a minimum of 12 new or changed subject authority records per year. SACO funnels generally consist of libraries contributing at a more modest level and have no set contribution expectations.
Some funnels may be composed of individuals working in a particular language or subject area within larger institutions. These parent institutions may or may not be PCC participants. These catalogers have found a community of colleagues beyond the walls of their own institutions in professional organizations or in neighboring libraries and it makes sense to form a coordinated project to receive training and to have their SACO records reviewed by a specialist in a specific language, topic, or format.
Establishing and managing a SACO funnel
Anyone who has the institutional support to organize, train, and coordinate a group of libraries with common interests to contribute records to LCSH, LCC, LCDGT, LCGFT, LCMPT, or CYAC may propose the establishment of a SACO funnel. SACO staff in the Policy, Training, and Cooperative Programs Division of the Library of Congress will assist and mentor the funnel coordinator(s) in this process.
Per the Program for Cooperative Cataloging Governance Document, revised 17 October 2024, funnel coordinators have the following responsibilites:
- Funnel coordinators must be an existing member of the PCC program in which the funnel is being established;
- Funnel coordinators provide training and review records for funnel members and so must be very familiar with the program in which the funnel is established;
- Funnel coordinators cast one vote representing the entire funnel in annual Policy Committee elections. If there are multiple coordinators in a single funnel, the co-coordinators need to decide who is responsible for voting;
- Funnel coordinators host an annual meeting to discuss funnel business;
- Funnel coordinators contact any absent funnel members to determine their status within the funnel;
- Funnel coordinators cannot compel a PCC member institution to submit their records through a particular funnel.
Additionally, funnel coordinators will have an introductory, onboarding session with the SACO Lead. The SACO Lead will also host twice annual meetings with all SACO funnel coordinators to discuss general SACO business.
Training for SACO funnels
Potential SACO funnel coordinators should contact the SACO Program via [email protected] to discuss SACO training options for its members.
Costs?
The biggest investment involved in establishing a SACO funnel are the inherent costs in the time and effort required to organize and provide review of subject authorities for the funnel members. This makes SACO funnels a viable means for smaller and more specialized institutions to participate in the development and maintenance of LCSH, LCC, LCDGT, LCGFT, LCMPT, and CYAC. It is also helpful if at least one funnel coordinator or funnel member has an institutional subscription to Classification Web Plus and is able to enter proposals on behalf of the funnel.