F e d e r a l D e p o s i t o r y L i b r a r y P r o g r a m ADMINISTRATIVE NOTES Newsletter of the Federal Depository Library Program [ PDF version ] [ Back Issues ] -------------------------------------------------------------------- - February 15, 2002 GP 3.16/3-2:23/03 (Vol. 23, no. 03) -------------------------------------------------------------------- LPS Cataloging Update American Library Association Midwinter Conference January 2002 First, the good news. LPS is pleased to report that, between the "Online Fugitives Group" and the "Law Librarians Fugitives Group", approximately 170 online fugitive titles have been discovered. Other good news is that the submissions of both groups are of high quality and fit very well within the scope of the FDLP Electronic Collection. Because of the high quality of work performed by submitters, many of these titles have been added to the collection with minimal effort. Other submissions, mostly serials, take more time. I do not have an exact figure on the number of titles that have been cataloged and added to the collection, but most of the work that has been submitted has been done. We appreciate these efforts and believe that efforts by the fugitives groups are of significant value to the Federal Depository Library Community. Now for some seriously bad news. As reported at last ALA, we have lost 30% of our cataloging staff to higher graded positions, particularly at the Library of Congress. Since ALA, we have lost two-thirds of our Cataloging Branch supervisory staff. Both these losses have a significant adverse effect on our ability to discover, catalog, and archive resources. Our production figures have decreased in proportion to the decrease in staff. What may not be clearly understood is that in the online environment in which we work, discovery of resources, cataloging of resources, and archiving of resources are one and the same. Without cataloging, works are not brought into the FDLP Electronic Collection. This is because our catalogers must discover work for themselves, evaluate the work for suitability for the collection, classify it, catalog it, assign a PURL for persistent access, take people to the right "page", and archive the resource for the collection. Given this complex level of work and the need to make many decisions concerning a single resource, a lack of sufficient catalogers means that our FDLP Electronic Collection is not growing anywhere near the pace with which agencies are publishing. If we do not act quickly to discover, catalog, and archive works (all done by catalogers) we may never know of the works that are taken from agency servers before they can be discovered. Given the tremendous importance of cataloging online resources and the need for these resources to build a modern electronic collection, we are working very hard to recruit replacements to our lost staff. Unfortunately, we are losing staff to other Federal libraries with GS-12 positions, which offer considerably more pay that our GS-11 catalogers earn at GPO. This inequality of positions and incomes is creating a serious crisis for the future of the FDLP Electronic Collection. Our need to continually recruit personnel has an adverse impact on production because, for the first year after people are recruited, production decreases. This decrease occurs because our experienced catalogers must train new catalogers. What is more troubling, however, is that we expect to lose more catalogers to other Federal libraries with higher grades. We also expect that several of our most experienced and productive catalogers will retire sometime this year. What is most troubling of all, however, is that it is becoming extremely difficult to recruit people to become catalogers. At the present time, we have only fourteen catalogers. I hope that we will be able to recruit several people sometime this year but expect that, if we do so, these gains will be offset by more defections to other Federal agencies and/or by retirements. Be assured that I am working very hard to hire two section chiefs and as many catalogers as I can recruit. I am also continuing with efforts to make our best case for position upgrades. Position upgrades should solve most of the problems we have. Again, I am very sorry that I am unable to attend. Your meetings are very important to me and I hope that I will be able to meet with you during ALA Annual. Best wishes for a successful meeting. Thomas A. Downing Chief, Cataloging Branch Library Programs Service January 17, 2002