CONSER Operations Meeting 2011 Outcomes

The report from the CONSER Operations Meeting held May 5-6, 2011, is now available.

Topics covered include:

• Linking multiple formats
• ISSN
• Working with RDA records
• Future of CONSER documentation
• Open Access Journal Project
• CONSER RDA decisions that need to be made

2010 CONSER Annual Report Now Available

The 2010 CONSER Annual Report has been posted to their website. Highlights include:

• information on new CONSER member libraries
• highlights from the May 2010 operations meeting
• information on the Open Access Journal Project
• Serials Cooperative Cataloging Training Program (SCCTP) update

CONSER RDA Testing

The CONSER Program has shared some of their Resource Description and Access (RDA) testing information.

A three-part document covers issues related to RDA, the CONSER Standard Record (CSR), and the Library of Congress Policy Statements (LCPSs).  It includes the following sections:

• RDA as Modified by CSR: Recommended Guidelines
• Differences between CSR, RDA, and LCPS
• Using Existing OCLC Bibliographic Records for Serials: CONSER RDA Testers

A webinar recording from September 29, 2010, consisting of RDA test discussions for CONSER catalogers is also available.  It is just under one hour long and will be of interest to RDA testers and those dedicated to following the test process.

Helpful links were shared in the webinar:

The Program for Cooperative Cataloging has a web page devoted to RDA testing: http://www.loc.gov/catdir/pcc/RDA-PCC.html

The University of Chicago Library has kindly shared its RDA testing information as well:  http://www.lib.uchicago.edu/staffweb/depts/cat/rda.html  Included is a link to Renette Davis' presentation "Changes from AACR2 to RDA for Cataloging Serials."

"CONSER Cooperative Open Access Journal Project" by Les Hawkins

CONSER members have discussed a plan to provide CONSER-authenticated records for online journals in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). This column provides information on the Cooperative Open Access Journal Project, which is a multi-library project to provide high quality bibliographic records containing accurate ISSN data. If successful, the project could serve as a model for cooperatively providing records for other online journal collections.

The CONSER website has a page devoted to the project: http://www.loc.gov/acq/conser/Open-Access-Project.html

"CONSER Cooperative Open Access Journal Project" is published in the Serials Review, vol. 36, issue 3 (Sept. 2010), pages 167-168.

DOI: 10.1016/j.serrev.2010.05.007

CONSER At-Large Meeting Summary from June 27, 2010, Available

A summary of the CONSER At-Large Meeting held at the ALA Annual Conference on June 27, 2010, is now available on the CONSER website.  Topics covered include:

• Open Access Journal Project
• OCLC's CONSER database scan
• CONSER documentation and training
• RDA testing
• ISSN update

588 Field: Source of Description Note

Now available on the CONSER website, information on the new source of description note:

• Draft instructions for the MARC 588 field (pages from the CONSER Editing Guide)
• PowerPoint slides from a recent webinar
  
• Archived webinar
  

CONSER Operations Representatives Meeting

Outcomes and Action Items from the CONSER Operations Representatives Meeting, held May 6-7, 2010, have now been posted on the CONSER website. Topics covered include:

• ISBD punctuation
• Implementation of new MARC coding
• Multiple character set guidelines
• Open Access Project Task Group report
• Lack of one-to-one correspondence between print and online versions due to changes in title change rules
• Linking field issues
• Changes to uniform titles
• RDA testing
• ISSN-L
• And more!
  

"Record Authentication as a Barrier: Reflections on Returning to CONSER" by Christopher H. Walker

Christopher H. Walker's humorous essay on his career in serials both entertains and makes some relevant observations on the frustrations faced by catalogers in non-CONSER institutions who discover mistakes and needed updates to CONSER-authenticated bibliographic records in OCLC's WorldCat database. He concludes:

CONSER authentication remains valuable as a guarantee that the bibliographic description is the work of one or more catalogers with significant training. But because serials continue to develop and change until they cease, it may be time to look for strategies, as a cataloging community, to share more widely the burden of keeping those records up-to-date.

This article is published in Cataloging & Classification Quarterly, vol. 48, no. 2 & 3 (Feb. 2010), pages 161-168.
DOI: 10.1080/01639370903535684

"Doing More with More: The UC CONSER Funnel Experience" by Valerie Bross

"Doing More with More" outlines the process undertaken by libraries in the University of California system to create a CONSER funnel. The experiences of the UC Funnel and the lessons learned shared by Bross provide useful information to other groups that might consider creating a similar funnel.

This article is published in Cataloging & Classification Quarterly, vol. 48, no. 2 & 3 (Feb. 2010), pages 135-160.
DOI: 10.1080/01639370903535676

"The Road to CONSER--Taken by the Health Sciences Library System, University of Pittsburgh" by Liping Song

Liping Song's article outlines the process of becoming a CONSER member library, based on the experience at the Health Science Library System at the University of Pittsburgh.

This article is published in Cataloging & Classification Quarterly, vol. 48, no. 2 & 3 (Feb. 2010), pages 143-152.
DOI: 10.1080/01639370903535668

Notes from the ALA Mid-Winter CONSER-At-Large Meeting

Notes from the CONSER-At-Large Meeting held January 17, 2010, are now available. Topics covered include:

• Cooperative Open Access Journal Project
• Repeatable 260 Field
• Format changes from CD-ROM to DVD-ROM
• ISSN Report
  

More on the Repeatable MARC 260 Field

CONSER has posted a recording of a recent webinar, "A Passing Interest in Publishers: Multiple 260 Fields in the MARC Record" presented by Melissa Beck and Valerie Bross, both of UCLA. The webinar covers repeatable 260s for serials, integrating resources, and multipart monographs. The webinar recording is about 1 hour in length, followed by a little over 10 minutes of discussion.

Links to the webinar recording (via Elluminate) and related information are on the right-hand column of the CONSER homepage. Or you can link directly to the webinar recording, PowerPoint slides, and chat session transcript.

A previous posting included a link to the 260 field documentation.

Information on the Repeatable 260 Field

The Library of Congress has announced its plans for implementing the repeatability of the MARC 21 260 field. The Library of Congress and Program for Cooperative Cataloging plan to implement the changes on September 1, 2009. Guidelines for the repeatable 260 field (to account for publication data that changes over time) are now available.

Report from the Joint BIBCO CONSER Operations Meeting and the CONSER Operations Meeting

The report from the Joint BIBCO CONSER Operations Meeting held April 30, 2009, and the CONSER Operations Meeting held April 30-May 1, 2009, is now available on the CONSER Web site. Topics covered include:

• Proposal to make field 008/39 obsolete (cataloging source data)
• Use of the term "Online" as a series qualifier
• Repeatable MARC 260 field guidelines
• MARC 853 field for print archiving
• Individual CONSER memberships
• Coordination with Serials Solutions on CONSER MARC records
• NISO best practices for title changes
• RDA and LCRIs
• Google Books Library Project records
• CONSER practice on MARC 776 and 856 fields in print records
  

“Harnessing the Spiderweb: Collaborative Serial Maintenance, Challenges and Solutions at UC” recorded by Lisa S. Blackwell

Blackwell’s report covers a presentation given at the 2008 NASIG Conference by Sarah Gardner, Melissa Beck, and Valerie Bross on a cooperative cataloging project undertaken by University of California system libraries. The logistics for setting up the UC CONSER Funnel are discussed.

This report is available in The Serials Librarian, vol. 56 (2009), pages 240-245 and to NASIG members on the NASIG Web site.

CONSER 2009 ALA Midwinter At-Large Meeting Summary

The CONSER ALA Midwinter At-Large Meeting Summary from Jan. 25, 2009 is now available. It includes information on the RLG Shared Print Program, ISSN-L developments, the CSR MARC Task Group, the update of the SCCTP Holdings Workshop, and more.

Serials Holdings Workshop - Call for Trainers

CALL FOR TRAINERS

A train-the-trainer session for the Serials Cataloging Cooperative Training Program (SCCTP) Serial Holdings workshop will be held in conjunction with the ALA Annual conference in Chicago on Friday, July 10, 2009. The session will be held from 8:30-5:00 and will include modeling of selected course materials as well as training tips.

Requirements:
Trainers should have experience using the MARC Format for Holdings Data (MFHD), familiarity with serials, and some training experience. Trainers will be expected to be available to give a minimum of two workshops per year. The holdings course is designed to be given by a single trainer or a pair of trainers using PowerPoint, a trainee manual, and hands-on exercises.

Costs:
There is no cost for the train-the-trainer session. Your institution will be responsible for travel, lodging and per diem costs while you are attending the training. Training materials will be provided online for printing free of charge.

For more information on the SCCTP program, see http://www.loc.gov/acq/conser/scctp/scctp-home.html

Application Process: If you are interested in becoming a trainer for this workshop, please send an email to CONSER Program email address conser@loc.gov by March 20, 2009 with the following information:

1) Your name, title, mailing and email addresses and telephone and fax numbers.

2) A brief description of your experience in MARC Format for Holdings Data (MFHD), your experience with cataloging serials, and your experience with providing cataloging or other training

3) Names of three references who can attest to your experience and training ability

Selection of participants:
When choosing participants for the train-the-trainer session, selectors may wish to consult with the applicant's supervisor or another reference who can provide helpful details on qualifications. A maximum of 15 people
in the session may limit acceptance.

The Serials Cataloging Cooperative Training Program (SCCTP) requires a statement of support from the prospective trainer's home institution if the participant will be using official time to prepare, travel, and instruct at another institution. When the applicant becomes a trainer, the group sponsoring the SCCTP event will cover the travel and lodging expenses of the instructor, and optionally, may offer an honorarium.

Confirmation Required for Course Attendance:
Submitting an application does not guarantee that you will be placed in the training session. Accordingly, you should not make any travel arrangements before receiving official confirmation. The registrar will acknowledge all applications as they arrive. The registrar will notify each potential candidate of the response to their application by March 27, 2009, sending confirmation notices and additional details to participants.

Please direct any questions to:
Les Hawkins
CONSER Coordinator
Library of Congress
lhaw@loc.gov
202-707-5185

via SERIALST

MARC Field 588 Proposal

MARC Discussion Paper no. 2009-DP02, regarding the proposed definition of field 588 for a metadata control note, is now available. In serial records, the field would be used for source of title, description based on, and latest issue consulted notes, as well as other data useful for tracking changes. Since this information is primarily of interest to catalogers, having a separate MARC field for the data would allow it to be suppressed from OPAC displays.

via Catalogablog

CONSER Annual Report for 2008 Now Available

The 2008 CONSER Annual Report has been posted on the CONSER homepage. Topics covered include:

• Membership Updates
• CONSER Standard Record Update
  
• Serials Cooperative Cataloging Training Program (SCCTP) Update
  
• Links to Member Reports and Statistics

CONSER At-Large Meeting, ALA 2008

The summary of the CONSER At-Large Meeting held at ALA Annual is now available on the CONSER Web site. Topics covered include:

• the proposal to make the 440 field obsolete
  
• the proposal to add new subfields to the 8XX fields (including one for ISSN)
  
• the use of the 007 field in the single record cataloging approach
  
• updates to the CONSER Standard Record (CSR) guidelines
  
• a new proposal to define the 588 field for "description based on" and "latest issue consulted" notes
  
• the repeatable 260 field