Metadata Interest Group Meeting
June 24, 2012, 8-10 AM
ALA Annual Conference
The Metadata Interest Group held a series of four presentations on the topic of transforming cataloging workflows through collaboration. Full presentations, when available, are posted on ALA Connect: http://connect.ala.org/node/182306.
Cataloging Partners: Collaboration Across the Library
Amy Jackson and Rebecca L. Lubas
University of New Mexico
Jackson and Lubas covered the topic of getting the Catalog Department to be a full participant in the library. This is consistent with the goal of unifying the FRBR tasks. Catalogers have a foundation to build on because of their experience with standards organizations and collaborating with catalogers at other institutions. RDA has bought about change and an increased need for flexibility. Catalogers have a high value on consistency and understand the need to have quality control to make metadata usable.
Collaboration can occur within technical services, such acquisitions and electronic resources. Examples include cataloger input when buying large electronic collections or working with large digitization projects like HathiTrust. Catalogers can also take a more active role in collection management, by taking advantage of data in catalog records. Catalogers need to demonstrate skills and strengths to other departments. The opening up of metadata has allowed for new roles and for catalogers to reinvent themselves as consultants to help other departments manage special collections
Working with Administration and front lines offers another opportunity for collaboration. Discovery layers bring new importance to catalog data being consistent and having a good understanding of that data, and catalogers can work with reference/public services to find problems and adjust the data, provide customizations that can be done within local catalog, and offer quality control for user-created tags. For example, UNM developed controlled vocabulary for tags for individuals creating LibGuides. Consistent data allows for good statistics and for the library to enter into a partnership with other libraries. It can be mined to showcase strength.
Jackson and Lubas also offered examples of working with circulation and access services, which rely on good quality and accurate cataloging records. Systems and IT departments are additional partners, where catalogers can help with workflows for large record loads and extractions, and work jointly to roll out new products, where Systems works on software/hardware, and Cataloging works on optimizing data. Special Collections and Digital Libraries frequently benefit from collaboration with catalogers. Special Collections may no longer have their own catalogers, so they are more likely to work with central cataloging department for standard cataloging needs or special projects, such as extracting data from the ILS to develop an online exhibit. Finally, grants frequently have a role for catalogers, especially those that have a metadata component or a data preservation plan.
Ever Changing role of the Catalogers and How Catalogers Manage the Changes
Debra Skinner
Georgia Southern University
Skinner began with a question: What direction do we take: Cataloging is obsolete versus Rich metadata is more important than ever? Skinner believes that catalogers must transform themselves to take the second path.
Skinner described a complicated and cumbersome previous cataloging workflow, which involved multiple people, pushing paper, and hand-edits to print-outs. Testing a different paperless workflow actually resulted in fewer errors and the new workflow was adopted. Paperless workflow is particularly important for e-books.
There are multiple forces transforming cataloging staff and workflows. Skinner mentioned, RDA, multiple catalog interfaces and discovery systems, non-MARC metadata, and growing electronic collections, among others. To manage the new workflow the Catalog Department was reorganized into three new teams, with adjusted workloads and responsibilities. Workflows were updated to include batch editing procedures and tools, more emphasis on electronic resources, and streamlined maintenance through the use of OCLC’s bibliographic notification service. Teams communicate via monthly meetings and webinars, and share procedures and problem records with each other.
Thinking Outside the Search Box: Redefining the Roles of Catalogers in an Academic Library
Anna Craft & David Gwynn
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Craft and Gwyn began with an overview of staffing changes in the Cataloging Dept., where professional staff has shrunk from 6 to 4 catalogers, and paraprofessional staff has shrunk from 11 to 8. Current organization is organized into teams set up by subject area, with increased support for e-resources. The Cataloging Department also works closely with other department and shares positions with by the IT department and Special Collections. Budget cuts and retirements and turnover, along with realignment to increase support for special collections and digital projects, led to the new arrangement.
To adapt to the changes and challenges, the department has untaken cross walking and cross training. For example, staff have learned new approaches to metadata through the creation of several cross-functional departments, working with EAD finding aids and participating in continuing education courses in metadata, EAD, and imaging training. This allows one person to perform a digitization project from start to finish. The department has also worked on exposing data to as many programs and services as possible, by cleaning up Dublin Core for sharing and harvesting and recycling MARC data for newly-digitized but already cataloged materials. The cross training approach has brought cataloging skills to new collections, such as LC subject access for EAD finding aids in Archon and metadata consultation for digital projects. The team approach has integrated cataloging expertise into projects. UNCG has a a scrapbook digitization project, where archivists select materials and contribute to descriptions, catalogers create metadata, and the IT librarian coordinates digitization standards and discovery options. This brings greater understanding and communication between different departments, although it can also lead to some challenges. There can be conflicts between project goals and departmental goals and physical proximity can make meeting difficult, so they have needed to figure out additional ways of communication besides face-to-face. But on the whole it has been beneficial: more learning opportunities for all parties, strengthened working relationships, new skills learned by staff, more buy-in and involvement of staff, and the foundation to build additional relationships for future collaboration
21st Century Cataloging, Changing Priorities
Sandra Lahtinen, Julie Swann and Pat Headlee
Northern Arizona University
Cataloging Skills are translatable to other types of work. They are basically skills to pull items together so people can find something. For example, data exchange requires an understanding of bibliographic records, OCLC, creating lists, and performing batch editing. E-resources management requires skills to create reports for usage and cost analysis, and search and edit OCLC records. Interlibrary loan requires skills to find interpret cataloging records.
Northern Arizona underwent some staffing changes from 2002 to 2012. Acquisitions and cataloging staff decreased from 21 in 2002 to 10.5 in 2012, but staff in ILL/document delivery increased during the same time period. In 2012, three units were combined to make one department, handling cataloging, course reserves, and ILL/document delivery. This helped redistribute workflow between staff and provided an emphasis on getting content to people quickly. The new department provided opportunities for cross-training, through this took time and the need to make sure all staff had a mutual understanding of priorities. When hiring new staff, the best attributes are people who are eager to acquire new skills and have an aptitude for learning and are flexible.
