Minutes of the May 16, 2013 Meeting

Present:: Stephanie Bartz (chair), Natalie Borisovets, Joseph Deodato, Ellen Calhoun, Jane Otto (recorder), Bob Warwick
Excused:: Theo Haynes

1. Continuing review of Project Chart

Bob reported on project chart items:

This just in has been updated to display the 264 if one exists and the 260 only if there is no 264.
The labels for the 337 and 338 fields were changed.

Stephanie will update the project chart in the LibGuide.

2. Feedback/fixes

Words anywhere default operator. Bob explained that a Words Anywhere search uses an implicit Boolean ‘same’ operator, meaning the words searched must appear in the same field (but not a particular occurrence of that field) in order to be retrieved. Jane suggested this was counter to user expectation and suggested the policy be reviewed. It was suggested that the Committee look at the convention used in other catalogs and review search logs if possible. Bob will look into the possibility of search logs, which Jane will review if they are available. Joseph will look at other catalogs, and other members were invited to do the same. This will be discussed again at the next meeting..
Ask a Librarian widget. The Committee looked at the Drew catalog, wherein the chat box comes up in the hit list and remains there (because it is in the header). This is in contrast to the new pullout tab being implemented for the RUL website. There was a discussion of placement and real estate available in the RUL catalog. If the box is not in the header, it must be written into each specific page. If in the banner, it will be displayed everywhere, including places like My Account. Bob will ask that the pullout tab be added to the test catalog, and will keep LCC informed as changes are made to the catalog..
Links to status definitions from item lines. It was proposed we follow the model of the University of Chicago catalog, which offers a link “What status means” next to the status term, which takes users to a table of definitions. This would be possible in our catalog, preferably, with the status term itself linking out to a table in the User Guide. The group agreed this was a good idea. Stephanie will work on simplifying the table when time permits and Bob will implement the links in the test system..
No logout after renewal. It was discovered that after renewing one’s books, there’s no logout option because there’s no gray menu bar. Bob will look into fixing the problem..

3. Future agenda items

The group had no preferred order for reviewing default displays for the remaining formats. No other new topics were proposed.

4. Information sharing

RUL website/changes to the Catalog. Changes to the Library Catalog will likely be put in place to parallel changes to the website. LCC isn’t involved in the process but will, at a minimum, need to follow-up with changes to the User Guide.
UMDNJ Integration. A UMDNJ person will likely be added to LCC. The “go live” date for the combined catalog will be in June, and UMDNJ collections will be unshadowed at that point.
Webscale discovery update. RFPs were returned last month and reviewed by the Webscale Discovery Service Evaluation Team. Trials are currently being set up for three vendors : ExLibris (Primo Central), Serials Solutions/ProQuest (Summon) and Ebsco (EDS). May 31 is the deadline for trials going live. The Team may do some preliminary work, then make a testing script available and request feedback via survey. Final recommendation is due at the end of June, and the service is scheduled to be up and running by December, 2013. LCC will need to review how the discovery service duplicates catalog search needs.
LTI contract. Bob noted that the entire library catalog database was sent to LTI, and 841,000 changed bib records and 1.8 million changed or new authority records were returned. Bob is loading as practical, beginning with the bib records; 240,000 records have been loaded thus far.
Icons to denote format. The question was raised as to the possibility of using icons to denote physical format, since general material designations (format designation following the title proper, e.g., [electronic resource]) will not be used under RDA cataloging rules. This is already on the Project list; it is thought there is no cost from SIRSI, but it will have to be investigated further.

5. Next meeting