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Model C Task Force of the PCC Standing Committee on Standards

Membership
Ann Caldwell
Brown University		 Karen M. Letarte, Chair
Southwest Missouri State University		 Shirley Lincicum
Eastern Oregon State University 		Christina Tarr
University of California, Berkeley

Charge:

  1. To investigate the feasibility of fully developing Model C, a model to evaluate the usefulness of the PCC Core Record Standard to catalog users.
  2. To consider, in the investigation, such areas as: Catalog users, impact of authority control, levels of records, specific areas of bibliographical records, user perception of acceptability of records and amount of information required in records for successful searching.

Proposed outcomes include:

  1. fully-developed model for research, or the determination that it is not possible to create such a model

If A is successful:

  1. The development of research methodologies for testing various parts of the model.
  2. The development of a small-scale test model and a report on initial data.

Timeline:

Interim reports: August and November 2000

Final report: February 2001

Interim report

August, 2000

Since its formation in late 1999, the Task Force has been defining its purpose and laying the groundwork for developing a research model to evaluate the Core Record Standard from the patron perspective. The Task Force met at the ALA Midwinter meeting in San Antonio on Sunday, Jan. 16. Those present included Susan Summer, Christina Tarr, Ann Caldwell and Karen Letarte. Joan Schuitema met with the Task Force to orient the members to the work done thus far on Model C and to suggest some directions for future work. The Task Force agreed to draft a charge and proposed timeline.

During the spring of 2000, The Task Force developed its charge and created a preliminary research bibliography of catalog use studies. The Task Force is in the process of identifying potential methodologies for studying the Core Record Standard from the patron perspective. Two Task Force members are planning small pilot studies.

Christina Tarr is planning a test of a methodology she is currently working on. She will work with users at the UC Berkeley Law Library, who will be asked to compare full and core records. Karen Letarte is planning a study to be conducted at Southwest Missouri State University in October 2000. Users will be given portions of core and full level records and asked to rank them in terms of usefulness. If these small-scale tests yield some fruitful results, it is hoped the methodologies can be used for more extensive future studies.

The Task Force met at the ALA Annual meeting in Chicago on Saturday, July 9 to discuss further directions for work. A fourth member, Shirley Lincicum (Eastern Oregon State University) joined the Task Force in June. Present at the meeting were Lincicum, Caldwell and Letarte. The group examined the current Model C developed by Elaine Yontz and agreed that it is fairly comprehensive and provides an excellent starting point for evaluating the usefulness of the Core to patrons. Over the next few months, the TF will evaluate the current Model C using the Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records document to identify areas of the model for further development and extension. The TF also hopes to delineate the core elements of the model and to define areas within the model that are customizable and could vary from study to study. The TF plans to continue to investigate potential methodologies in the research literature. The possibility of creating and making available a test database of records for research on the Core Record standard was discussed. This would allow researchers to use a set of standardized data, thus facilitating cross-study comparisons.

Activities for Aug. 2000- December 2000

  • Evaluate the current Model C using the Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records document. Section 6, Mapping Attributes and Relationships to User Tasks, is of particular relevance to the TF's work.
  • Use the FRBR to identify core areas of the model and gaps where the model needs further development.
  • Identify areas of the model that will be customizable to a particular study.
  • Hold a conference call at the end of August to discuss progress on this task
  • Use information from pilot studies and research findings to create a fully developed Model C.
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