Database Management Meeting Minutes February 9, 2009

Attendance:  Doug Swiszcz (BAR); Mary Skaba (BUR); Brenda Fecteau (COV); Celina Auclair (CUM); Sarah Paquet (GVL); Mike Barrette (JOH); Melanie Ruggieri (LIN); Sue Connor (MID); Susan Moreland (NKI); Diane Leathem, Izabella Caselman (NPT); Pam Glen (NSH); Paul Arsenault (PAW); Doun Hinman, Pamela Rakowksi (PRO); Becky Turnbaugh (SKI); John Fitzgerald (TIV); Kristin Smith (WAR); Barbara Shapiro (WWA); Joan Gillespie, Lisa Davis, Lesya Kreshchuk, Patience Terrizzi (OSL)

Patience spoke about the OSL cataloging statistics which are up from last year.  She said that one reason for this increase is the St. George’s project.

Melanie mentioned that Gale is providing MARC records for some of their ebooks.  Patience thought that we can examine these records and possibly use them.  Melanie will post a message on the message board with examples.

Electronic resource is the material type for items that can be used remotely or can be held in the hand.  Patience provided some documentation from the Library of Congress concerning this topic.  Playaways have a material type of electronic resource.

Classic edition candidates were discussed.  Patience would like to one day see all of Shakespeare’s works accessible through classic edition records.  Committee members each picked up one or two folders with classic ed candidates which they will work on and make suggestions for inclusion or exclusion in the classic ed record.   The OSL catalogers will do the eventual merging of records after all libraries have been notified that they might have an item that could be merged into a classic ed record.  A library that doesn’t want their item merged can let the OSL catalogers know beforehand.

Patience said to email suggestions for classic edition candidates.  Non fiction works, such as the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, could be suggested.  In the past, classic ed records were limited to fiction.   Juvenile titles have usually not been given classic ed records because of the potential importance of different illustrators.  Translations have also not been included in the past because of the potential importance of different translators.   Sue will post a list of classic ed candidates on the message board.

Lisa reported that signups for new training sessions are going well.  She said that the Millennium 101 Best Practices has been popular.  Lisa talked about the Reclamation Project with OCLC.  RIOSL is the new symbol that OCLC will use for our consortium.  It is hoped that OCLC will finish the project by June 30^th.  Patience reminded everyone that last copies attached to a bib record can be scanned into a review file so that the OSL catalogers can delete the bib record and notify OCLC of our holdings.  Mary asked if we could have a common review file for all libraries to use.  Lisa will look into this.

There was some discussion about copy specific holds.  Using the public display from the client to get to the OPAC is an easy way to examine item records in regard to whether they are really available.  Staff should know not to choose an item that is “lost and paid” or “missing” when placing a specific hold.

Lisa reported on the authority work that Backstage did in January.  Hyperlinks from the report will be posted on the catalogers’ web page.  Questions about the reports can be directed to Lisa and Patience.  Lisa reminded everyone that there is a preferred search saved on Create List that can be used to track down items that have been unavailable since the migration.   Delete these unavailable items by mid-March.  If you need help creating a list, email Lisa.  Don’t delete items that have a status of “billed.”

Lisa said that the Reference Working Group has added to the “Featured Lists” on the OPAC.   Career Changes & Skills is the new list.

The Telecirc function that some libraries use is getting to be problematic.  If possible, encourage patrons to use email notification.

Sue mentioned that there are 800 items attached to the “on the fly” bib records.  These should be sent to cataloging when they return to their libraries so that they can be added to the correct bib record.  This problem will also be discussed at the upcoming Circ Heads Meeting.

Next meeting: May 11^th at 9:30 at the Cumberland Public Library