Cataloging Department Work Plan 2007/2008

1. Work with administration to hire a new Serials Cataloger to replace the current Serials Cataloger, who is retiring in February 2008; once hired, mentor, orient and train to the extent necessary depending on background and experience.



2. Work with administration to hire either 1) an Assistant Unit Head for the Authorities & Database Maintenance Unit to assure continuity in the data loading that is the responsibility of this Unit or 2) a new Cataloger for Electronic and Research Materials to replace the cataloger who resigned in April 2007; once hired, mentor, orient and train to the extent necessary depending on background and experience.



3. Work with administration to prepare to hire an SLTA to replace the 2nd level cataloger who plans to retire in June or July (Record Creation Unit).



4. Work with administration to describe appropriate operational objectives which can then be appropriately assessed as part of the University's SACS reaccreditation self-study.



5. Continue to collaborate with the Florida Center for Library Automation (FCLA), with colleagues at other state university libraries and with other FIU library departments to prepare for the upgrade of our ALEPH version 15.5 library management system to version 18 and to follow up with post-upgrade ALEPH work.



• Prepare our ALEPH tables, permissions and OCLC server settings for a successful migration to version 18.



• Re-train for v.18 functionality all cataloging personnel as well as staff in other departments who need to use the ALEPH cataloging module for their work.



• Resolve any problems that resulted from upgrade.



• Work with FCLA and our Systems staff to customize the output of cataloging reports.



• Work with FCLA to further customize the various ALEPH clients-for example, 1) configure the software so that we can derive records from other libraries via Z39.50 and concomitantly evaluate possible new workflows made possible by this functionality and 2) configure and implement the "floating keyboard" to facilitate the input of an increased number of special characters.



• Re-write the procedures and workflows for record creation, cataloging, database maintenance and authority control to reflect changes resulting from v.18; post the re-written procedures on the departmental webpage.



• Take a leadership role in coordinating statewide authority control training and statewide cooperative projects for maintaining the shared Library of Congress authority file.



• Take a leadership role in coordinating the statewide evaluation of ALEPH indexes.



6. Provide access via the catalog to all the libraries' materials.



• Create records in the catalog so that users know what materials have been ordered and so that uncataloged materials can be requested prior to cataloging; this includes the pilot project to load Electronic Order Confirmation Records (EOCRs) for firm orders from Yankee Book Peddlar.



• Maintain the accuracy of the libraries' catalog through on-going database maintenance.



• Maintain the syndetic structure of the libraries' catalog by keeping up with the regular authority control reports generated by FCLA.



• Continue to load both the weekly Marcive shipping list records and the monthly Marcive full records for Government Documents; monitor success of overlay process; and provide GovDocs with problem reports.



• Continue to load bibliographic records into our catalog for any newly purchased netLibrary e-books.



• In close coordination with the Resource Development Department, catalog newly purchased serials titles, with special priority being given to new electronic serials titles, including conference proceedings.



• When a new Serials Cataloger is hired, evaluate the electronic serials records from vendors such as MarcIt and Serials Solutions to determine which product should be purchased; subsequently, do the necessary analysis, profiling, scripting, testing and documentation so that the records can be usefully and regularly loaded into our catalog.



• Catalog selected scholarly and refereed free online journals, as time permits.



• Continue the pilot project to load bibliographic records from OCLC PromptCat for new English-language approval books from Yankee Book Peddlar; develop and document load procedures and profiles; develop quality control checklists for the OPS staff.



• Continue the cataloging of new English-language books, with top priority going to current imprints.



• With priorities coordinated with the LACiC Librarian, catalog the new foreign-language books received from the four Latin American approval programs.



• If we are able to hire an OPS with Chinese language skills, we will catalog the many Chinese books which we cannot otherwise process.



• If either an Assistant Unit Head for the Authorities & Database Maintenance Unit or a new Cataloger for Electronic and Research Materials is hired, explore the possibility of loading additional batch files of MARC bibliographic records for electronic monograph packages.



• If a new Cataloger for Electronic and Research Materials is hired, work with the Digital Collections Center in order to prioritize the cataloging of appropriate materials from their various digitization projects.



• With priorities coordinated with the Music Librarian, catalog the scores received from the orders placed by the Music Librarian and from the music approval program.



• Coordinate with staff in Sound and Image Resources to catalog the audio and visual media received for this collection. If we are able to retain our current OPS staff, this will include cataloging the CDs given to the library for the Diaz-Ayala Collection and the Sheila Thompson Collection. Also coordinate with staff at BBC to catalog the visual materials collected there.



• Coordinate with Government Documents in record creation and cataloging of United Nations (UN), Organization of American States (OAS) and European Union (EU) depository documents.



• Coordinate with Special Collections so that--at a minimum--record creation is done for any newly acquired materials and so that some cataloging continues to be done as well.



• Catalog curriculum materials, microforms, non-current print materials and other lower priority materials as time permits.



• Coordinate with the Archivist at BBC in his work of cataloging the Spanish Resource Center books.
  
  
7. Contribute to international cooperative cataloging databases.



• Contribute at least 500 original bibliographic records to OCLC's WorldCat database.



• Contribute at least 200 personal, corporate and geographic names to the database of the Name Authority Component (NACO) of the Program for Cooperative Cataloging (PCC) of the Library of Congress.



• Contribute approximately 50 literary author cutter numbers to NACO. Most of our contributions are for authors from Latin America and the Caribbean.



• Contribute subject headings as needed to SACO, the Subject Authority Component of the PCC.



8. Begin to prepare for the probable implementation of Resource Development and Access (RDA), the new cataloging rules currently being written; orient staff to the principles of the Functional Requirements of Bibliographic Records (FRBR) so that they have the necessary background for the new rules.