NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #16/NN_1992_16.iso/spool/bit/listserv/advancl/187

Text File | 1992-07-23 | 4.2 KB | 77 lines

Comments: Gated by [e-mail]
Path: sparky!uunet!paladin.american.edu!auvm!AXE.HUMBOLDT.EDU!STEINHAGEN
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Date:         Thu, 23 Jul 1992 14:58:00 PST
Sender:       "ADVANC-L@IDBSU - USERS OF THE GEAC ADVANCE LIBRARY SYSTEM"
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From:         [e-mail]
Subject:      Re: ADVANCE and closing the shelflist
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Hi, Carol:

I am answering your query directly, and not to the list, as we are still
fighting this battle. Our card catalog was closed in l989 and our OPAC
has been CLSI for a number of years.  We had purchased ADV 3 years ago, but did
 not actually come up until this January.  At the time of closing the card
catalog, the shelf list was discussed but there was too much opposition to it.
Thus, after we came up in ADV this winter, I submitted a proposal again, for
closing the shelf list (although NOT getting rid of it!)  Most people were
in favor, except for some staff in Cataloging--which is the heaviest user of
it--who were reluctant to see an activity that gave them a sense of security
go and who did not want yet one more change in their lives.  Of course, with
the coming of ADV and the huge amounts of cleanup needed, most staff spend
their days working on database cleanup and often the shelf list is the onlyu
resource--short of going to the stacks--to solve a bib. or even authority
problem.  The other person (from a staff of 12 librarians) opposing it was
a reference librarian who is very involved in collection development and
who at this time, does not have  way to sort by collection on the call
number to see, for instance, what's in the Qs in Ref., or in the Ss in a
special collection, etc.
So, at least in our institution, most of the reluctance to part with the
shelf list stems from an ADV related problem, such as searching and options
available, or, in cataloging, looking at "dirty" records that only a manual
record might have the answer to, at least until we finish cleanup.  To be
fair, many of the problems really are not the fault of ADV, but since it is
such a sophisticated system, many of earlier cataloging, conversion,
authorities work (by Autographics) records and sins are very visible at
this time and findable, so we are overwhelmed in a way.  But, some of the
cleanup is so GREAT and instant that it is a pleasure!

Anyway, back to the shelf list.  I am sending forward the proposal to the
library administration with the idea of not ordering new shelf list cards
from OCLC beginning Sept.  (=savings in staff time & OCLC).  I am also
proposing to leave the old shelf list in place to assist with databse
cleanup, at least until we are done with it.  We will also do some
minimum maintenance on the old cards, especially with withdrawn titles.

The bib. record in ADV will carry any bibliographic information for the
user, such as: Library has: vol. 1-5,7, etc. (and the barcodes are unique
to these anyway...)  No copy info. will be recorded anywhere and the
"Library has" is input as a 590 in OCLC and is displaying for the user.
Other information important for other library staff is being input as a
910 in OCLC and avail. on the MARC option in ADV.  Here we record notes
such as: recat. by xyz, date.  Or, "user manual not classified,", or some
such info.  On the pieces, in the preservation note we will add info such as:
"no. 2 withdrawn," or "vol. 25 missing, date", or "bound with no. 2-5", if
they are analytics and the barcode is attached to the record for the first
analytics and the others that are bound with it do have Nbarcodes.

All this, to explain that we try to keep bibliographic information in the
bibliographic record, i.e., in the description.  Bibl info. needed by the
user is also on the bib. record, but as a local note, and any other "shlef
list type" info. should go on the pieces, which in a sense becomes an
electronic shelf list.

Hope this helps, as we are still in the process of working this out...
Good luck!

Elizabeth Steinhagen
Serials Catalog Libn. and Supervisor of Copy Cataloging
Humboldt State University Library
[phone]    Internet:  [e-mail]