Minutes of October 7, 1999 Meeting

Present:

V. Calderhead, H. Dess (recorder), T. Haynes, H. Hemmasi, A. King, L. Langscheid, M. Li, A. Montanaro, M. Page, L. Sak, B. Sewell, J. Sloan

1. Draft position description for position Associate Univ. Librarian for Information Systems & Technology (presented by Marianne Gaunt)
   
   The position description was distributed at the meeting for review and comment by TSC. It was decided that people needed more time to study the document. TSC members were asked to send any comments directly to Marianne Gaunt within the following week. Meanwhile, the draft document will be shared with other members of the TAS organization.
2. Budget discussion, presented by Bob Sewell
   Bob presented an overview of the library budget for the coming year. The much publicized $1,000,000 addition to the library budget is comprised of a $700,000 permanent addition, plus a one time increment of $150,000 which will be used to pay for the back files of the soon-to-be-acquired Web of Science, and a second increment of $150,000 which is earmarked for use by our Media Services group for equipping smart classrooms. Bob made it clear that although this new budget represents the most generous allotment of state funds experienced in recent years, very little of this money will be available for major new initiatives or purchases because of current commitments and the continuing inflationary pressures affecting all purchased library goods and services. As one specific example, this means that no new funding at this time has been allocated for recon, and in response to a question raised by Linda Langscheid, funding will not be forthcoming in support of a recommendation aimed at improving Vale (replacement of Site Search with the more expensive Ovid).
3. Reports
   1. Acquisitions, Jane Sloan
      Work is in progress on the design of an interactive monograph request form (for use by librarian selectors, not the public at large). Jane expects it to be available for use in the near future. Use will be optional; selectors can still use the paper forms if desired.
      
      The newly restructured NB approval plan is working very well. Many fewer returns have been experienced with the new system.
   2. Cataloging, Marjorie Li
      Backlogs noted for the following areas:
      • original cataloging: minimal
      • copy cataloging: approx. 5000 vols.
      • adaptive cataloging: approx. 4 month backlog
      Database Management should be notified when a unit is withdrawing the last copy/volume in the System (i.e. no other copies/volumes remain in IRIS). Unit libraries should not remove the last copy or volume from a fully cataloged record. This is to ensure that the shelf list cards get pulled from the central shelf list file at TAS and so that the bibliographic record gets deleted from RLIN.
      
      Units are also asked that they report the withdrawal of the last copy/volume at their unit. This allows DBM to pull the shelf list card from the central shelf list file at TAS. This applies to materials cataloged prior to 1991 for which shelf list cards exist.
      
      Any questions about this can be directed to Tracey Meyer, Database Management Section
      
      The initial dataload of approximately 220,000 records has been completed as of October 6. The initial dataload consisted of all cataloging done in IRIS since the implementation of Unicorn in August 1997 through August 6, 1999. It also included all UTLAS records and records from the Special Collections OCLC recon project.
      
      The uploading of our current cataloging (beginning with the week of August 7-13, 1999) has begun and will continue on a weekly basis.
      
      It should be noted that holdings uploaded to RLIN are not exhaustive, i.e. IRIS should still be considered our database of record for holdings.
      
      Wizard training will be presented over Oct./Nov., followed by authority training. An authority control implementation timeline was distributed.
   3. Systems, Ann Montanaro
      Systems is working on SIRSI release 99.2. The plan is to begin implementation on Jan. 3. Some system down time will be necessary, possibly several days. Dates for such down time are not known at present, but will be announced at the earliest opportunity.
      
      Kalaivani has been promoted to a new position, and Mark Cardullo has been hired to fill the slot left vacant by Armen. Mark is a systems programmer, and among other responsibilities, he will handle the Novell network. Mark has an MLS degree and we are pleased that he has joined the Systems staff.
      
      We obtained a one year grant for Vale support; position needs to be filled.
      
      End Note, a product much asked for in the Rutgers science community, is expected to be ready for use at Rutgers sometime later in year 2000.
4. Labels for CD-Roms accompanying books that are shelved separately, by Marjorie Li
   This is a problem area of long standing because the library has not come up with a common or standard treatment method for these products. Marjorie summarized the procedure utilized by the Music Library when a decision is made to shelve the CD separate from the book or journal. If at the point of receipt a decision is made to separate the CD from the book, score or journal, the two items may receive separate cataloging or may be cataloged together but shelved separately. The books receive the appropriate LC class number, and the CD's are assigned an accession number and shelved separately. Labels cross referencing the existence and shelving location of each part is placed on both items. The ensuing TSC discussion indicated that this procedure would not be universally acceptable throughout our library system. Mary Page pointed out that at LSM, the CD's are shelved with the book, and are not cataloged or stored separately (it was also noted that relatively few of the science books come with CD's). Government documents are a source of numerous CD's, and at LSM these are cataloged via sudoc number. However, a number of these Gov. doc. CD's are also permanently mounted for use by patrons. Linda Langscheid reported that at Alex the CD's are separated from the books and stored separately from the books, but the records of the CD's are maintained as alphabetic title lists. This discussion served only to emphasize the lack of standard treatment throughout RULS. Harriette asked Mary Page to lead a further discussion of this topic at the December meeting, focusing on two primary issues: labeling and shelving. Mary will ask for feedback prior to that meeting.
   
   Another outgrowth of this discussion: it was recommended that NBCG consider the status of the CD-rom collections at Kilmer and Douglass.
5. When to close entries for canceled journal titles, by Mary Page
   The key questions here are: should the IRIS entries be changed in advance of such stoppage (i.e., before we have received last issue), or should we wait until last issue has been received? Mary recommended waiting until the last issue was received before closing the entry in IRIS. Main reason is to avoid confusing our patron users. Harriette recommended that NB coordinate with Newark and Camden on this matter so that practice is uniform throughout RULS. Mary Page will coordinate this and report back at a future meeting what has been decided.
6. Proposal for restructuring serials receipts, by Jane Sloan
   Jane submitted a proposal whose purpose is to "Consolidate and streamline the handling of monograph series/sets by receiving centrally recurring orders. Conversely, there are a number of subscriptions for annuals and multi-volume sets that are not cataloged separately that are received centrally and would be better received in the units." This represents part of an ongoing program to rationalize our serials receipt and handling methodology, to make it function more efficiently.
   
   This process of change is already ongoing, and the desire is to step up the pace. Harriette is seeking an expression of consensus about this process and the proposal. Attendees were requested to study the proposal and send questions or critiques to Jane Sloan. The matter will be reviewed again at the November meeting of TSC.
7. Recon, by Harriette Hemmasi
   It is recognized that substantial funding will be required to carry out this project, but no new funds have yet been identified or allocated for this purpose. TSC will develop a plan to carry out this work, over time, in a manner that will keep costs as low as possible. HAH will initiate work on drafting such a plan. Meanwhile, units that have already started such projects on a small scale are asked to report on progress to date.
8. List of Gov. Docs. In IRIS, by Ann Montanaro
   Over the years various selectors at RULS libraries other than our depository libraries (Alex and LSM) have purchased Gov. Doc. materials that have then been cataloged with LC numbers and entered into IRIS as such. In many cases these items duplicate materials obtained under the depository program and which are cataloged via sudoc numbers at Alex and LSM (and not on IRIS). Systems was asked to determine how many such items are listed in IRIS and then to add Alex or LSM holdings information to these records, where appropriate. This would provide users with a better working knowledge of where these materials are held at Rutgers. The number of such items listed in IRIS was determined as 2627, but this number was questioned, and Ann agreed to look into the matter further.
9. Continuing discussion: work plan for TSC goals, 1999/2000
   Lack of time necessitated deferring this discussion to a future meeting.
10. Round robin and miscellany:

    Harriette:

    • "Annex Stacks" is a valid library location in IRIS and will be added to the profile list of library locations and sub-locations.
    • HAH will set up a TSC listserv to improve ease of communication for the group.
    • Web of Science and link directly to some full-text e-journals.

    Lida:

    • The RU-ONLINE entries and hot links for the Wiley journals have been completed. Work is now in progress on the Elsevier online journal list.

    Linda:

    • What can we do about titles in the Dow Jones database that we don't have? Users want to see these.

    Bob Sewell:

    • Workshop on funding and allocations will be presented in the near future.

    Mary:

    • Workshop for selectors on finding fund information in SIRSI will be presented Nov. 1.

Next meeting: November 7; 9:30 am, TSB Conference Room