PCC Participants Discussion Group Meeting
Meeting Summary
ALA Annual, Chicago, Ill.
July 9, 2000
The Program for Cooperative Cataloging (PCC) held its annual participants
meeting in conjunction with ALA Annual Conference at the Hyatt Regency
Chicago from 7:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M. on Sunday, July 9, 2000. PCC
participants and guests were welcomed by the newly-elected Chair,
Marjorie Bloss.
Bloss announced Michael Kaplan's early resignation as Chair of
the PCC to accept the position of Director of Product Management
with Ex Libris (USA) and that Larry Alford (University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill) has been elected as Chair-elect. Bloss with the aid
of transparencies depicted election results of new Policy Committee
members and provided highlights and statistical data on the component
programs (BIBCO, CONSER, NACO, and SACO).
She pointed out that in early 2000, Texas A&M University, the
US Government Printing Office, University of Oregon, and the University
of Dayton joined BIBCO, making a total of 42 institutions in the
Program; CONSER welcomed two new members during the spring: the Cleveland
Public Library and Northwestern University. Since ALA Midwinter,
14 libraries have joined NACO, and 18 institutions have received
new or expansion NACO training: Indiana Trails Public Library, Portland
State University, Queens Borough Public Library, Ohio State University,
Texas A&M University, University of Maryland Jewish Studies (Hebraica
Project), Illinois State University Special Formats (OLAC), Minot
State University and Northern State University (North Dakota Project).
The Vermont Project is a new NACO funnel including: Middlebury College,
Lyndon State College, Vermont Historical Society, Vermont Department
of Libraries, Vermont Law School and the University of Vermont.
In the first half of FY 2000, 1,532 new subject headings were approved,
a figure that is 76% of the FY1999. Libraries also sent in 296 subject
heading changes, 406 new classification numbers, and 49 class number
changes. Bloss reported that ongoing contacts with international
institutions have resulted in solid training plans for several institutions
in South Africa, Argentina, and New Zealand. She welcomed new BIBCO,
CONSER, and NACO participants into the PCC family.
The chairs of each of the standing committees provided a synopsis
of current activities and issues with which they are debating.
Carol Hixson, Chair of the Standing Committee on Training, gave
a brief report on the Saturday meeting. She stated that the BIBCO
participants manual was discussed and that no consensus was reached
as to what form or content the manual needs to follow-- CONSER, NACO
or combine the trainers manual and the participants manual into one.
Hixson reported that the committee members did agree that in the
manual there is a need to: combine BIBCO documents into one place;
provide real life examples with text that explain why decisions were
made; and demonstrate by examples why a record done at core level
and why it is a valid decision. Hixson stressed that the manual is
in a period of development but that a number of policy issues will
need to be reached with the Policy Committee before completion. She
also announced the formation of four new task groups: Task group
on NACO Continuing Education; Task Group on Educational Needs of
the Cataloging Community; Task Group on Web-based Training and Distance
Education; and Task Group on PCC Training and Participant Documentation.
Complete information on these task groups is available on the SCT
home page.
Joan Schuitema, Chair of the Standing Committee on Standards reported
that the final report from the Cross Reference Task Group had been
received. The report consists of seventeen recommended changes: 5
changes to AACR2 and 12 changes to the LCRI's. Schuitema mentioned
that the Data Gathering Model C Task Group chaired by Karen Letarte
are trying to develop a methodology for testing the usefullness of
core records to the end user. Schuitema also mentioned that two new
task groups have been formed: O42 Task Group and the PCC Task Group
on Multiple Manifestations of Electronic Resources. The 042 Task
Group chaired by Jennifer Bowen (Eastman School of Music) will investigate
the 042 code. They will find out the usefulness of developing a code
for inclusion in the 042 field of a bibliographic record which would
indicate that access points for names on pre-AACR2 records have been
evaluated and established according to current rules and which are
represented by records in the national authority file. The 042 Task
Group will explore, ask for input from PCC participants, and illustrate
findings at Midwinter. The PCC Task Group on Multiple Manifestations
of Electronic Resources chaired by John Riemer (U. Georgia) will
take on the task "of identifying the most common types of versions
and reproductions for textual resources currently available and the
most bibliographically significant characteristics of each" with
a view to making recommendations for their disposition within workflows.
Schuitema pointed out that this is the first joint BIBCO--CONSER
task group. An interim report is due at Midwinter but a final report
to the Standards Committee is expected in May 2001. Information on
these task groups and other activities of the Committee is available
on the SCS home page.
Karen Calhoun, Chair of Standing Committee on Automation announced
the names of committee members including Jeanne Baker (University
of Maryland), Matthew Beacom (Yale), Ruth Haas (Harvard), David Williamson
(LC), John Levy (LC) and John Riemer (University Georgia) Chair.
Calhoun reported on the PCC SCA Task Group on Journals in Aggregator
Databases. The task group is continuing to work with vendors to encourage
them to create sets of bibliographic records for major aggregations
like Bell and Howell's ProQuest Direct. The task group has already
collaborated with EBSCO on the creation of a record set for Academic
Search Elite. Most recently, the task group surveyed libraries that
have loaded the EBSCO set into their catalogs to learn more about
their experiences. Calhoun also stated that the task group will continue
for two more years and that a new charge for the task group has been
developed. Calhoun reported that more information on the task group
can be obtained from the SCA's home page.
Ruta Penkiunas, BIBCO Coordinator, reported on the BIBCO-At-Large
Meeting. Penkiunas reported that David Van Hoy (MIT) presented a
proposal on linking serial and monographic bibliographic records
by the use of the new MARC 765-787 linking fields. The proposal generated
little discussion mainly because chapter 12 revision has yet to be
completed. Penkiunas mentioned that during the meeting questions
were raised if BIBCO should have a BFM component and the need for
routine monitoring of Program records when, ongoing, how, who. To
help answer these questions a draft of the BIBCO parameters will
be made available for discussion. Comments can be made through the
BIBCOlist or directly to Ana Cristán.
The discussion of developing a BIBCO survey on the quality of program
records elicited a spirited discussion. The Policy Committee will
be canvassed to determine if they feel a survey is needed. Cornell
University, in the meantime, has volunteered to conduct a survey
on catalogers attitudes. Penkiunas noted that more information will
be available in be BIBCO-At-Large summary posted on the BIBCO homepage
Jean Hirons, Chair, CONSER Coordinator, reported that the rule
revision proposals for chapter 12 (Serials) and other related proposals
were meeting wide-spread support. Hirons reported that MARBI seemed
supportive of a proposed new bibliographic level code "i" for integrating
resources, contained in Discussion Paper 119. The CONSER Publication
pattern initiative formally began on June 1. This is a two-year experiment
that will add publication pattern data and associate holdings to
CONSER records in an OCLC- defined 891 field. Sally Sinn (NAL) will
chair the Publication Patterns Task Group. Hirons reported that 14
institutions will be participating initially and hopefully others
will join as they complete system implementation. Hirons stated that
a Spanish version of the CONSER manual is being developed and that
the Basic Serials Cataloging Workshop was given in Mexico City in
May. In addition, two SCCTP trainers will be going to Taiwan in August
to present a week long course in serials cataloging. A new course
on MARC holdings for serials is under development and will be available
February 2001 and an advanced serials course is due for summer 2001.
The guest speaker for the evening was Sever Bordeianu from the
University of New Mexico. Bordeianu's presentation dealt with cataloging
productivity. His presentation was based on two articles that he
and two others (Claire-Lise Bernaud and Mary Ellen Hanson) co-authored.
Bordeianu stated that both articles: "Cataloging Production Standards
in Academic Libraries" and "The Quantification of Cataloging: Documenting
Productivity in a Flexible Scheduling Environment" are published
in the Technical Services Quarterly.
Bordeianu stated that his work began in 1997 in order to develop
a new system for keeping track of catalogers production and to provide
catalogers with flexible work schedules. Bordeianu felt that in the
cataloging profession quantitative standards had not been defined
therefore catalogers output could not be uniformly measured and compared
among libraries. In an effort to determine what cataloging production
standards exist in academic libraries, a survey of selected ARL and
non-ARL libraries was conducted.
The survey covered library characteristics, staffing patterns,
cataloging tasks, production standards, and the effect of technology
on productivity. The survey revealed fewer than 50% of the libraries
surveyed said they had standards but of that number none of the libraries
gave numbers. He concluded that a lack of production standards existed
in many libraries and a variety of standards existed among those
that have them. Bordeianu reported that from the survey he received
69 responses and only 11 libraries gave numbers of expectations.
Bordeianu further reported that in 1998 the catalog department at
the University of New Mexico General Library developed a point system
to document cataloging output. The system measures cataloging production,
cataloging support activities, and generic work activities. The degree
of accountability allows catalogers to set their own flexible schedules.
The point system goes beyond traditional flextime in that staff are
not required to work a fixed amount of hours per month.
In the article "The Quantification of Cataloging: Documenting Productivity
in a Flexible Scheduling Environment" there is a description of the
six-month pilot project that tested the effects of the point system
and compares it with an earlier six-month period. The point system
is a process whereby catalogers earn so many points per month for
a described list of duties. For example a cataloger had to earn at
least 240 points a month, points were deducted for generic activities,
and bonus points were assigned to a cataloger working with non-book
materials or additional points were assigned to catalogers working
in NACO activities. Once catalogers met the required points they
could come and go as they wish.
The point system was implemented at the University of New Mexico
General library department-wide. The greatest benefit from the point
system is that non-professional catalogers have complete control
of their schedule, there is a 50% reduction in sick leave, and there
is a great improvement in morale. The results of the point system
was encouraging and can be found in the article "The Quantification
of Cataloging: Documenting Productivity in a Flexible Scheduling
Environment". Bordeianu pointed out to that a formal quality control
system is not yet in place and that yet another article need to be
written.
The meeting ended with a presentation of awards. Pat Thomas, who
received the Margaret Mann citation, was presented an award for outstanding
achievements in cataloging and for fostering programs in the PCC;
Carol Fleishauer for her role as CONSER representative on the Policy
Committee; Catherine Tierney for her contributions to the PCC as
a BIBCO representative on the Policy Committee. Joan Schuitema, who
will be leaving the Standing Committee on Standards as Chair, was
given an award for three years of outstanding leadership. Michael
Kaplan, outgoing chair of the PCC Policy Committee, was given an
award for his years of service to the PCC and his contributions for
the expansion of constituents. He was also given a poster that represented
an architectural replica of the Great Hall in the Jefferson Building
with signatures of PCC participants. The meeting closed in sufficient
time to allow participants to meet various members of the PCC.
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