Staying Afloat in a Sea of E- journals An Automated Process for Cataloging Electronic Serials David Banush Nathan Rupp Cornell University EndUser April 15, 2004

E-Journal Access at Cornell Title-level access in catalog Title-level access in catalog Detailed holdings Detailed holdings Separate Web-based e-journal title list Separate Web-based e-journal title list

Treading Water, 2002 E-journal growth E-journal growth Mulvers Mulvers Separate records Separate records Sleek records Sleek records E-journal title list E-journal title list

Mulver record 245$a Title 300$a Physical description 5XX $a Notes (print and e-versions) 650 _0 $a Subject heading $u link to JSTOR version of title $u link to ProQuest version of title $u link to Elsevier version of titlw

Mulver (OPAC view (1))

Mulver (OPAC view (2))

Separate records Record One: Record One: 245$a Title 245$a Title 300$a Description 5XX $a Notes 650 _0 $a Subject heading Record Two: Record Two: 245$a Title $h [electronic resource]. 5XX$a Notes 650 _0$a Subject heading $u link to ProQuest version of title

“Sleek” record

Sleek record (OPAC view)

How we got where we were Evolving national practices Evolving national practices Ad hoc local strategies Ad hoc local strategies Long-term consequences Long-term consequences

Maintenance Challenges Numerous large aggregator collections Numerous large aggregator collections Many changes to aggregator content Many changes to aggregator content Different approaches to cataloging e- journals Different approaches to cataloging e- journals Fewer staff to maintain e-journals manually Fewer staff to maintain e-journals manually No coherent strategy No coherent strategy New approach needed…

Goals of E-journal Task Force Develop comprehensive strategy for dealing with e-journal maintenance Develop comprehensive strategy for dealing with e-journal maintenance Balance rapid access with low costs Balance rapid access with low costs Repurpose metadata Repurpose metadata

Identifying E-journals (1) Challenges identifying titles in Voyager Changing e-journal coding practices Changing e-journal coding practices Use of different locations for e-holdings Use of different locations for e-holdings Other errors/inconsistencies in practices Other errors/inconsistencies in practices

Identifying E-journals (2) Challenges using MS Access No single query could retrieve all titles No single query could retrieve all titles Lack of speed in searching database Lack of speed in searching database No way to check accuracy of search results No way to check accuracy of search results

Identifying E-journals (3) Coding e-journals 899 field 899 field 948 field 948 field Implementation Implementation

948 and 899

Decisions…Decisions… Mulvers? Mulvers? Separate records? Separate records? Aggregator neutral approach? Aggregator neutral approach? Combination of those three Combination of those three

Separate Records…Why? Ease of use Ease of use –Utilization of metadata provided by external vendors –Tracking different versions of a title supplied by different aggregators –Maintenance of an entire set of titles from a single aggregator Cost and time savings Cost and time savings Compatibility with ENCompass Compatibility with ENCompass

Data Cleanup Identification of mulvers Identification of mulvers Tools used to identify records for cleanup Tools used to identify records for cleanup Kinds of mulvers Kinds of mulvers –With external data –Without external data –Multi-mulvers Manual vs. automated cleanup Manual vs. automated cleanup Division of labor Division of labor

Harvest Interface

VgerSelect

Ongoing Maintenance Automated maintenance Automated maintenance –Within the e-journal maintenance stream »ProQuest »SerialsSolutions –Outside the e-journal maintenance stream Manual maintenance Manual maintenance –Excluded aggregators –Single titles –“Immediate” access Considerations Considerations –Time lag between data update and loads –Passive/ad hoc maintenance

Currently… First data load First data load Subsequent data loads Subsequent data loads Problems Problems

Benefits Regular maintenance at minimal cost Regular maintenance at minimal cost Ability to change approaches/replace records en masse Ability to change approaches/replace records en masse Generation of e-journal information on demand Generation of e-journal information on demand –Aids collection development decisions –Populates e-journal list Infrastructure can be applied elsewhere Infrastructure can be applied elsewhere

Limitations Multiple records for e-journals/confusion for library users Multiple records for e-journals/confusion for library users Records lack subject headings and classification Records lack subject headings and classification Reliance on external providers for accurate data Reliance on external providers for accurate data E-journal title list E-journal title list –No left anchored search of database –Exact matches –Aesthetics

E-Journal Title List

Balance…or Brave New World? Large number of aggregators Large number of aggregators Changing workforce Changing workforce –Reduction in size –Shifting focus to digital library work Different methods of access Different methods of access

We haven’t drowned… Can we save others? Appropriate for CUL, not necessarily for other libraries Appropriate for CUL, not necessarily for other libraries Coding system can be extended to other electronic resources Coding system can be extended to other electronic resources Catalog as data repository Catalog as data repository Use of external tools/services—vendor and home-grown Use of external tools/services—vendor and home-grown

Questions?