ADMINISTRATIVE NOTES Newsletter of the Federal Depository Library Program ------------------------------------------------------------------------ July 15, 1999 GP 3.16/3-2:20/11 (Vol. 20, no. 11) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Cataloging Branch Update Establishing Requirements for an Integrated Library System (ILS) The Cataloging Branch is currently preparing a requirements analysis for procuring an integrated library system (ILS). Cataloging applications will be a major component of the ILS, although the system will ultimately have applications throughout the Library Programs Service (LPS). The National Library of Medicine and the Library of Congress have shared with LPS relevant information regarding their recent acquisitions of ILS software. While keeping in mind that ILS funding is not assured, we are working towards obtaining an ILS that should, among many other benefits, enable us to effectively maintain the Web edition of the Catalog and thereby create a national online public access catalog for U.S. Government publications. Cataloging Branch and OCLC's CORC Project As a member of the Federal Library and Information Center Committee (FLICC), LPS contributes to FLICC-sponsored efforts to investigate the potential that OCLC's CORC (Cooperative Online Resource Cataloging) project may have for providing access to works published via the Internet. CORC is a research project to investigate the feasibility of producing brief bibliographic records to provide access to Internet related titles. To date, OCLC has extracted data from several thousand GPO-produced OCLC records to "seed" the CORC database. We understand that OCLC intends to extract data from additional GPO-produced records in the near future and that consideration is being given to routinely adding GPO records to the CORC database on a regular basis. We look forward to continued involvement with CORC, especially as it may assist us in identifying opportunities to improve the scope or timeliness of our cataloging and locator services. Cataloging Operations The transition to a more electronic Federal Depository Library Program has produced a complex assortment of interrelated works in all media. During the first seven months of Fiscal Year 1999, approximately 20,000 works in various media were received for cataloging. Approximately 21,000 have been processed, leaving a balance of approximately 8,900, mostly serials. This serials backlog is being addressed in three ways. First, through daily efforts to reduce the backlog as we continue to process incoming work as soon as possible. Second, through efforts to recruit a serials cataloger. And third, through developing requirements for a commercial contract for cataloging serials in microfiche. Most works in paper and CD-ROM and those available via the Internet are cataloged within one or two weeks of receipt. Our use of an electronic team approach has hastened the cataloging of most works listed in Browse Electronic Titles (BET). Approximately 50% of these titles have been cataloged as of the day they appear on the BET list. A cataloging backlog of approximately 300 BET entries has recently been reduced to approximately 160 entries. Most of the backlog in BET and microfiche consists of serials. Recruitment of Serials Cataloger We will make a selection for a serials cataloger as soon as possible after the Office of Personnel Management has certified the applications. Improvements to the Catalog Web Application Users of the Web edition of the Catalog now have a "user-friendly" display option that includes selected data elements that are clearly labeled as to content. The full-record, numeric MARC-tagged display remains available as an option. The search screen has been improved, and documentation associated with the application has been much improved. PURLs/URLs and the Web Catalog The Web edition of the Catalog consists of approximately 121,000 records. Approximately 8,900 of these records contain PURLs and/or URLs. Approximately 2,900 Monthly Catalog records contain PURLs. Approximately 6,000 additional older Monthly Catalog records contain URLs. As broken links in records with URLs are re-established, these works are made accessible via PURLs. CD-ROM Edition of the Monthly Catalog The complete CD-ROM edition of the Monthly Catalog, which consists of two CDs, contains approximately 60,000 records. The combined 1996 and 1997 CD-ROM (with their respective Periodicals Supplements) should be retained for the near future. We expect that the March and April editions will be issued soon. Delays in data processing support account for late distribution of monthly issues. Availability Records On recommendation of the Depository Library Council, production of availability records will cease as of October 4, 1999. The Periodicals Supplement, published in January 2000, will not be affected by this change. The supplement produced for January 2001 will include all serials, regardless of frequency.