Standing Committee on Automation

Notes of SCA Meeting at ALA Midwinter

Present: Matthew Beacom, Ruth Bogan, Karen Calhoun (Chair), Eric Celeste, Ed Glazier, Carol Hixson, Louise Ratliff, Gary Strawn, David Whitehair, David Williamson

Update on OCLC Batchloading Task Group (Carol Hixson)

Carol Hixson, chair of the SCA Batchloading Task Group, gave a status report on the group's work. Other members of the task group are Mechael Gago, John Levy, Gary Strawn, and Robert Bremer (replacing Jay Weitz).

The task group was charged in January 1998 to advise OCLC on issues surrounding batchload as they relate to PCC contributions. The task group made recommendations having to do with Encoding level 4, credits, more timely batchloading, batchloading mixed files, and overlay of existing records with BIBCO and CONSER records. OCLC expects that its Batchload Redesign Project will address many of the task force's recommendations, but the timeframe for completion is uncertain. In the meantime, OCLC has issued a new version of the Cataloging MicroEnhancer (CatME) that allows real time upload of PCC records created in a local system to OCLC. The upload results in a full original cataloging credit.

We discussed testing CatME's ability to meet PCC participants' needs for uploading Program records. Gary Strawn noted he's made test files available to OCLC from Northwestern. David Whitehair urged that PCC libraries test the functionality now, so that any changes could be incorporated into the maintenance release scheduled for this summer.

Action: Karen agreed to prepare a brief announcement for the PCC home page and PCCLIST to alert Program participants of the real time uploading feature of CatME, asking them to test it in their libraries in the next few months, and inviting comments to be posted to PCCAUTO (the SCA's listserv). The announcement will include a link to the download site for the CatME software. She will draft the announcement and send it to the SCA for review, then to the Secretariat for posting.

In a discussion of the task force's next steps, SCA members noted their gratitude for the role the task group played in encouraging OCLC to develop real time upload of Program records via CatME. They also discussed the difficulty of asking the task force to push on when the batchload redesign is not an active project at OCLC.

Decision: In light of the uncertainty surrounding the timing of OCLC's Batchload Redesign Project, SCA members advised Carol to submit a final report noting the task group's recommendations to OCLC along with a number of action items (working with OCLC to identify fields to be retained in a merge; CONSER field selection criteria). Carol concurred. Following submission of the final report, the task force can be discharged. The SCA recommends the batchloading issues related to Program records be taken up again once OCLC is ready to resume work on the project. At that time, a new task force should be formed.

Review of PCC Tactical Plan items assigned to SCA

1. Real-time upload of authority records (OCLC; 1998-2000). The real time upload of authority records created in a local system to OCLC and LC is extremely important to some PCC libraries; others prefer to create their authority records directly in the OCLC system. SCA members agreed we need some additional information to determine how many PCC libraries might use a real time authority record upload feature, should OCLC develop one. David Whitehair noted that an AR upload feature is not on the CatME development schedule at this time. We will take up this matter at the next SCA meeting, once Program participants have gained some experience using the real time upload feature for BIBCO records.
2. Authority record generation (RLG; 1999). Done. Ed Glazier gave us a status report on the product, which will be rolled out in two phases, and members thanked him for RLG's work in this area.
   
   Action: Karen will ask Ed for a draft announcement for the PCC home page and PCCLIST. Once reviewed by the SCA, it will be forwarded to the Secretariat for posting.
3. Real time upload of bib and authority records (RLG; 1999). We had a free-ranging discussion of options for accomplishing real time upload into RLIN. It seems most promising to begin with an investigation of real time upload of authority records.
   
   Action: Ed Glazier and Matthew Beacom will prepare a brief functional description of real time upload of authorities in RLIN and conduct a needs assessment of NACO libraries to assess their interest in, and potential to use, this functionality. They plan to present a report to the SCA at ALA Annual.
4. Streamlining notification to LC of bibliographic file maintenance from NACO headings. This element of the tactical plan is tabled until after LC's ILS is in place.

"What's new" In cataloging tools-- getting the word out

At its November meeting, the PCC Policy Committee encouraged developing means to raise awareness and promote products (especially cataloging tools) that have resulted in whole or part from PCC efforts. SCA members endorsed the idea and briefly discussed ideas for making information about cataloging tools more prominently and systematically available to Program libraries.

Action: Ruth Bogan and Louise Ratliff will draft a list of what they believe the tools are and make recommendations for publicizing them. They plan to send this list to SCA members for comment, with the goal of having something to share with the PCC Policy Committee by ALA annual.

Desiderata for vendors/publishers of full-text aggregations

The Midwinter meeting featured lively discussions of the challenge of providing intellectual access to the titles of full-text e-journals within aggregations like UMI's ProQuest or EBSCOHost. The CONSER Task Group on Serials in Aggregator Databases presented the results of their latest survey to assess the need and most desired form of access and the level of willingness to cooperate on providing such access.

At the Midwinter CONSER At Large meeting, the CONSER task group suggested that the effort to discover useful, cost-effective, timely means for providing access begin by approaching vendors. In addition, it was recommended that this activity be incorporated within the purview of the SCA. The first steps would be to 1) define the content of a brief vendor record and 2) mount a demonstration project with an interested vendor. After that, the goal would be to develop a list of desiderata that could be presented to other vendors of full-text aggregations. SCA members discussed the recommendations from the CONSER At Large meeting and expressed enthusiasm for working on the aggregator issue.

Action: Karen and Jean Hirons will draft a charge for an SCA task group, which they will send for approval to the PCC Policy Committee. We will recommend the task group consist of the former CONSER task force members (Jeanne Baker, Karen Calhoun, Ruth Haas, Jean Hirons, and John Riemer) plus Eric Celeste and Matthew Beacom of the SCA. Oliver Pesch of EBSCO has agreed to be a liaison to the task group. We plan for an interim task group report in time for comment at the CONSER/BIBCO Operations Committees' meetings April 22-23, 1999.

Automatic generation of classification numbers

With very little time left in the meeting, SCA members spent a minute or two discussing a possible new initiative to explore machine-assisted classification of library materials. Gary Strawn mentioned he has some experience with automated classification and a good deal of interest in the topic. Karen mentioned the research of Diane Vizine-Goetz and Jean Godby, which was discussed at the CCS Research Discussion Group at Midwinter.

Action: Gary Strawn agreed to lead a more structured discussion of this topic at the next SCA meeting.

The meeting was adjourned at 6:30 p.m. after we agreed that next time, we must have food. David Whitehair kindly offered the OCLC suite for our meeting at annual, and we decided to either brown-bag it or order room service. The date and time will be Sunday, June 27, 4:30-6:30 p.m.