My favorite sites have something in common: they have enriched their records, either laboriously by hand or automatically through a service. Table of Contents (TOC), Fiction/Biography Enrichment, and Summary data add keywords and phrases that improve access and help me get an idea about the book without going to the shelf. I like to search amazon.com for the same reasons.

So, when we had the opportunity to offer MARC Record Enrichment Service, we jumped at the chance. We knew that other librarians would recognize that enriching their MARC records can have a dramatic impact on usage of library materials.

Since the ALA conference, we have been answering questions nonstop from our customers and people who might be interested in becoming customers. We thought you might be interested in some of them, starting on this page and continued on page 4. And, of course, if you would like to receive information about MARC Record Enrichment Service, please contact us at info@marcive.com or call your representative.

Academic libraries such as Vanderbilt University and Temple College have added TOC enrichment to their Overnight Authorities profiles. They FTP their MARC records to us, we perform authority control on the records, add TOC data, and make the records available for FTP pickup the next morning. Another academic library—Macon State College—chose to have its entire MARC database examined and, for any matches in our database, enriched with TOC data and author notes at the same time that we performed authority control.

TOC enrichment has also been requested by special libraries such as the Amon Carter Museum Library, the E. & J. Gallo Winery Library, and the Tektronix Library.

Public libraries and schools are interested in the TOC data and also request the added entries for biography and fiction.

October 1-3 are the dates for this conference. Whether you are interested in authority control, MARC Record Enrichment, or any of our other services, drop by booth #511 to find out what’s new.

We hope to see our customers as well as prospects at the Federal Depository Conference to be held at the Holiday Inn Rosslyn Westpark Hotel on October 22-24 in Arlington, Virginia. Jim Noël and Joan Chapa will be at a table in the promenade area on Monday and Tuesday during the sessions, so please stop by.

On Tuesday, October 24, we will host a Users’ Meeting during the lunch hour in the Shenandoah Room from 12:30pm-1:30pm. Please bring your lunch and your questions and ideas to share.

If you have topics that you would like discussed at this meeting, please contact Joan or Jim.

If you are trying to process more books and audiovisuals without more resources, please stop by our booth—#902—for help. Dates of the conference are November 15-18.

As a sponsor of this meeting, we look forward to hearing what the great minds of our profession have to say on the future of bibliographic control.

If you are not going to attend this November 15-17 meeting, you may wish to discuss the topics (or just lurk) in an electronic discussion group set up for that purpose. If so, send a message to listserv@loc.gov with the message: subscribe bibcontrol [name].

We know you’ve seen Brian Smith’s haiku in American Libraries or at www.netjunk.com/users/lafnlibn/alahaiku.htm

If you have tough bibliographic problems, we’re game. We won’t be having a users meeting so stop by our booth January 12-17 and let us try to answer your stumpers.

Medical librarians in California, Nevada and Arizona, we look forward to seeing you February 8-9. We have two new items of interest for you: providing government documents directly to your OPAC users and enriching your records with Table of Contents (TOC) data!

Academic customers and prospects, we hope a visit to the MARCIVE booth March 15-18 is in your plans.

March 29-31 are the dates to stroll the RiverWalk and, if you have time, drop by our booth.

Depository librarians are converging on our hometown for this meeting April 1-4. Plan now to be here!

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This service is available to all Ongoing MARC Record Service customers who order using MarciveWeb SELECT, Cataloging Input System, or traditional methods, such as faxed lists of ISBNs.

It is not appropriate for customers receiving catalog cards because it creates so many additional access points that each card set would be huge and very expensive.

Send an email to Customer Service at custserv@marcive.com, indicating that you would like to sign up for MARC Record Enrichment (MRES) for your daily orders. They will send you a special profile, MARC Record Enrichment Service Profile for Cataloging Customers. Please fill out, sign, and return the profile.

We do not charge an initial profiling fee. However, if you request a modification of the profile or request that your data be reoutput to different specifications, we reserve the right to charge a $35 fee.

Once you have added MRES to your profile, any records which contain enrichment data will generate the surcharge. The surcharges will show up on your monthly invoice as a separate line item, as follows:

MARC Record Enrichment Table of Contents $0.50/per hit

MARC Record Enrichment Fiction/Biography $0.50/per hit

MARC Record Enrichment Summaries $0.30/per hit

There are three ways to receive Table of Contents (TOC) data. Basic 505 and Enhanced 505 fields are defined in the MARC manual. Alternatively, the

Innovative Interfaces Inc. system has a special display of TOC data which requires that we output the data in a 970 field. We are also happy to output TOC data in any other vendor-defined field, at no additional cost.

Customer Service can send you a record in each of the three formats for your evaluation.

Yes. Please contact Customer Service to receive a free sample of the Fiction/Biography records, with the default MARC tags.

If you do not answer any of the questions about which MARC tags you want the data in, we will set up your profile using the defaults that are marked with an asterisk.

One of two things will occur. Your local system will not recognize any of these default tags because they are not defined in the MARC manual. Or your local system has already defined these tags to mean something else.

We recommend that you contact your system vendor for their suggestions. If you are considering accepting the default fields, we encourage you to obtain sample files from us before you send in your profile. Then load the records to determine how you need to modify your system.

No. Enrichment processing is done in a batch after your order is submitted. However, you can probably delete or modify fields in your local automated system once you receive the MARC records from us.--JM

Smart barcode labels reduce labor costs and speed implementation, when used with an automated system that permits automatic item creation. Basically, smart barcode labels are preprinted to reflect the library’s holdings; the corresponding bib record contains the barcode number.

The library name, barcode number, title of the book, location and call number, and, at your request, copy/volume are printed on the label to help in matching the label to the book.

Generic barcode labels, or "dumb" barcodes, are labels which show a barcode number and the library name. A person must make the link between the generic label and online record. Order generic labels for serials, extra copies, and materials for which bib records were not available as part of the project.

Labels that you print yourself at your library tie up your printer for long periods of time, are more expensive than you may realize, can be unprofessional in appearance, and may "burn" or discolor your books.

The most important reason to get your labels from MARCIVE or a comparable vendor is preservation. The PermaSeal® adhesive on MARCIVE labels will not burn your books. Smudgeproof and flexible, these labels are designed specifically for application to library materials.

First of all, weed and inventory your collection.

Secondly, consolidate your processing tasks. Barcodes can be created during a keyed retrospective conversion, database output, authorities, reclassification, MARC Record Enrichment, or Brief Record Upgrade project. It is cheaper and cleaner to have everything done at one time.

Next, develop a team to apply the labels. Save yourself for supervision and problem resolution.

Determine a schedule that will minimize disruption to your patrons.

Figure out how you are going to get barcode labels for new acquisitions and put that in place as soon as possible. Otherwise, you will be playing catch-up forever.

Books. For self-checkout or shelf inventory, place the barcode on the outside of the book. (3M and other vendors have placement guides.) Many libraries put them in the lower left front cover, adjusting the position to avoid covering up important information.

Cover the label with a barcode protector—especially important for books with nubby, fuzzy, or plasticized surfaces. Do not "protect" your labels with Scotch® tape as the adhesive is acidic and will burn your books.

Microforms. Most libraries do not barcode microfiche. If you do, attach a label to the sleeve and alternate the position of the label on the sleeve to avoid lopsideness in storage.

Videocassettes. Attach a barcode to the "spine" of the videocassette housing itself and a duplicate on the case so the case doesn’t have to be opened at checkout.

Note: If you decide to attach security strips under the barcode labels, contact your provider to determine if they will cause problems if attached to videocassettes and other materials sensitive to magnetic media.

Compact discs with books. Attach the label to the jewel case and hand write the barcode number with a Sharpie® on the CD. A different barcode label goes onto the accompanying book or other material, and each piece is scanned at checkout.

Maps. Place barcodes on the verso of the map outside the neat line. If that is not possible, try to avoid covering up important information by placing the label on advertising, deserts, or oceans. For maps in cases, do not place the barcode in just one place or the stack will become lopsided.

Rare books and maps. Even though MARCIVE labels use an adhesive that will not burn your materials, we do not recommend attaching barcode labels to rare materials. You might consider attaching a barcode label to an acid-free flag strip.

If you are a MarciveWeb SELECT customer, you have a lot of control over the creation of smart barcode labels, down to the copy and volume level. Use Standard Order, Continue, Local Data (Item Level).

If you do not obtain your cataloging from MARCIVE, purchase generic barcode labels and perform item conversion as you receive the books.--JM

I was pleased to be invited to the 5 State Depository Library Conference held August 15-18 at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona.

The especially beautiful Cline Library was the setting for this meeting, the first of its type. Depository librarians from New Mexico and Arizona have had joint meetings in the past and this year invited librarians from

Colorado, Montana, and Utah. This was a good opportunity for documents collections personnel in libraries with limited travel funds to receive GPO Access training, talk to GPO representatives, hear different issues about documents management, and hear vendor presentations such as the one I gave on MARCIVE’s GPO Services.

It was a delightful opportunity to touch base with customers (and actually SEE a customer’s library) and meet librarians unfamiliar with our services.

If your state is planning a joint session or similar type meeting and would like to have a MARCIVE representative attend, please let us know. While it is not possible for us to attend all meetings, we welcome the opportunity to at least provide materials to be distributed.

In August we bid a fond farewell to Dianne Rendón, who has handled subscription renewals, item profile updates, and monthly production runs for GPO records and our CD-ROM GPO CAT/PAC for the past several years. Dianne decided it was time for a change and to spend more time with her family. We'll miss her.

Taking over Dianne's subscription handling duties will be Charity Fleming in the Business Office. If you have any questions about renewals or making adjustments to your existing subscriptions, Charity will be able to help.

Another change in August came when Donna Nystel joined our department to replace Jeanette Cosby. Donna is now handling new customer setups, test files, and adjustments to record processing for GPO Retro, Ongoing, and Shipping List Service customers. She has a lot to learn, but she's off to a great start. We look forward to working with her.

Welcome, Donna and Charity!—JN

Now that you've submitted your item updates to GPO and are anxiously awaiting the arrival of those newly selected items, don't forget to make sure our item number information for you is correct. You may request a copy of your item profile at any time.

New items announced on shipping lists and in Admin Notes are added automatically, but we don't automatically add item numbers that are surveyed, nor those added during the annual review. We also don't make drops automatically. You will need to send us information about that periodically.

The item profile may be updated a few different ways. You may send lists of adds and drops to process on diskette or via email. You may modify a copy of your profile and return it so that we may replace your present profile with the newly edited one. Or you may have us replace your item profile with what GPO now says you select. If you aren't sure what the best thing to do is, don't hesitate to contact me (Jim Noël) about it.

Since December 1999, a number of libraries have contracted with us for retrospective and/or ongoing GPO services. Some libraries from Minnesota had contracted with us for these services, and decided that since they shared a database, would go the "consortium route." Bemidji State University, St. Cloud State University, and Southwest State University had all contracted with us for Retrospective Extraction, Ongoing GPO Database Service and Shipping List Service (SLS), but decided to join with fellow consortium members Gustavus Adolphus University; Minnesota State University, Mankato; Winona State University; and St. John's University to have us produce consortium files for Ongoing GPO Database Service and SLS Electronic Records. We will create one file with multiple holdings for each of these services. The MnSCU/PALS consortium has a shared database using the PALS system on a server at Minnesota State University, Mankato. SLS records will be loaded first, with holdings for all libraries displayed. These records are used for documents check-in in a very timely manner. The full GPO cataloging records provided through Ongoing GPO Database Service will then overlay the brief-level SLS records. Some libraries (Bemidji and St. Cloud) contracted with us separately for retrospective projects that will not involve the other libraries. Many libraries opted to contract with us separately for SLS SuDoc Number labels and/or smart barcode labels.

What constitutes the "consortium" route and why would this be advantageous?

Contracting, profiling, and testing are handling by the governing body rather than the individual libraries. Consortium pricing is cheaper than pricing for standalone projects. Generally, the secondary depositories benefit from this pricing. In order to qualify for these rates, the group must meet the following criteria:

1) Shared database. Two or more libraries share a database in which multiple holdings are displayed. You must be able to load one set of records with multiple holdings. If a group wants records split by holding library, then individual pricing applies.

2) One contract. Most consortia have a governing body for database policy, management, and billing. This body is responsible for signing the contract and listing all member libraries.

3) One invoice. Shared products such as SLS Electronic Records and Ongoing GPO Database Service are billed to one source. There is no billing for these services to individual libraries. Libraries wanting non-shared services such as SuDoc Labels or smart barcode labels contract with us directly for these products.

4) One contact. There is one project manager who will oversee the implementation of the shared services. This person is responsible for making sure all member libraries submit profiling information; is involved in the contractual aspect of the project including purchase order creation; oversees the test approval phase of the project.

If you would like more information about this type of arrangement for the shared purchase of our GPO services, please contact Joan Chapa.

Other libraries new to MARCIVE GPO Services since December 1999:

The Keystone Libraries of Pennsylvania as a part of a grant for the State System of Higher Education received funding for subscriptions to Ongoing GPO Database Service (with the option to add any record with a URL or PURL) and/or MarciveWeb DOCS. They are Endeavor Voyager libraries with individual catalogs.

Participating libraries include:

Libraries can now receive MARC records automatically for hundreds of web sites sponsored by U.S. government agencies.

This may be especially useful to medical libraries and public libraries with a need for medical information. In May, the Government Printing Office (GPO) and the National Library of Medicine (NLM) signed an agreement that assures permanent electronic access to Pub Med ™ and NLM LocatorPlus, information that had previously been distributed through the Federal Depository Library Program in a variety of paper and/or microfiche publications. In addition to records for electronic titles from NLM, Documents Without Shelves provides access to scores of agencies such as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Environmental Protection Agency, Health Care Financing Administration, National Center for Health Statistics, National Center for Infectious Diseases (U.S.), and Public Health Service. Information on everything from the Americans With Disabilities Act to the National Hospital Discharge Survey to the country study for Zaire is at the fingertips of anyone using the library’s OPAC.

St. Jude Medical Library and Resource Center in Sylmar, California, is the first medical library to subscribe to Documents Without Shelves and Harris Methodist Health Science Library in Fort Worth, Texas is the next.

Not limited to medical information, Documents Without Shelves is available to any library interested in providing electronic resources to its patrons, regardless of federal depository status. Cost of this new service is $1,325 per year. The library can begin its subscription with a backfile and continue receiving updates of MARC records for approximately 100 new sites per month. The records are customized to load easily into the library’s integrated library system.

Contact Joan Chapa at jchapa@marcive.com or 1-800-531-7678 for details on how to initiate a subscription.--JM