East Central ISD Uses MarciveWeb SELECT for Cataloging & Book Labels
A University Library in Texas Converts Collection, Loads into New System
Are You Looking for a New Authority Vendor? Don’t Lose the Work You’ve Already Done
New GPO Item Number Search Added to MarciveWeb DOCS
New MarciveWeb DOCS Subscribers Include Libraries from Maine to Alaska
Electronic Discussion List Being Developed for Cataloging Customers
Arizona Department of Library, Archives Chooses MARCIVE for Online Catalog Processing and Documents Data
Guest feature by Dale Steele
Arizona Dept. of Library, Archives and Public Records
To successfully implement its first integrated online library system, the Arizona Department of Library, Archives and Public Records needed a reliable source of bibliographic records for the 80% of the titles in its holdings that are federal documents. It also needed authorities processing for its non-depository holdings. MARCIVE was chosen for both projects.
The Department is Arizona's state library and a regional depository in the U.S. Government Printing Office's Federal Depository Library Program. It has federal publications dating to its designation as a depository, sometime around 1895. Federal documents comprise such a large part of the Department's holdings that a quality bibliographic database was key to the success of its online system.
MARCIVE's long reputation for having a quality documents database led to its selection as the source for federal document records. The high level of service MARCIVE provided reinforced their positive reputation.
"MARCIVE greatly eased the implementation of our system," Research Division Director Janet Fisher said. "They provided everything we asked for—which was important because of the tight deadlines we were under—and patiently walked us through procedures for profiling and using their data files."
The Department has used MARCIVE's GPO CAT/PAC (GPO database on CD-ROM) for several years. It expects that having this data available on its web accessible OPAC will make the federal documents holdings more accessible to a broader range of people when the OPAC opens for public use in early 1999.
The Department also used MARCIVE's Authorities Processing service to correct the author and subject entries on the 60,000 non-documents records on its OCLC tapes. 28% of the records needed some change; 14% of the 225,133 headings were changed or flagged for review.
The next stage is to put bar codes on the federal documents which have records in the database. The Department subscribes to MARCIVE's GPO Ongoing Database Service (MARC records) and Shipping List Service (Electronic Records, Smart Barcode Labels, SuDoc Labels) to keep the online catalog current and to help with the processing of new materials.
To keep up with changes to authorities records distributed by the Library of Congress, the Department subscribed to MARCIVE’s authorities Notification Service.
Installing the automated library system is one of two major projects the Department's Arizona History and Archives and its Research Library divisions undertook in 1998. They also radically changed the design of their public service by putting the reference desks for the Arizona Collection, State Archives, Genealogy Collection, and Federal and Arizona State Documents collections on the same floor. Only the Map Collection is separate. Several collections were moved and the floor plan reconfigured to accommodate the new design.
The new design and the online catalog will allow the Department to provide better service to its clientele. MARCIVE greatly contributed to this improvement by helping make author and subject entries consistent and by making bibliographic information about federal documents more readily available.
"They provided everything we asked for on time," says Janet Fisher, Director, Research Division, Arizona Department of Library, Archives, and Public Records
Federal Documents Librarian Carol Downey loads an update from MARCIVE onto the online system.
MARCIVE USERS' MEETING TO BE ONLINE
We are in the process of establishing two discussion lists, one for customers of our US government documents services and one for customers of our ongoing cataloging services. Think of it as a users’ meeting online!
Many MARCIVE customers are not able to attend conferences at which we hold users’ meetings. Even those who are able to go to the conferences cannot always make time to come to the users’ meeting. But everybody wants to be able to poll other MARCIVE users about how they process materials using MARCIVE services.
This new solution should make users’ meetings accessible to everyone. We may still host users’ meetings from time to time when we feel interest will justify the expense, however they will not be held at every conference. Please let us know what you think about this new enhancement to our customer service.
Philadelphia PA: ALA MidWinter
Stop by booth # 1753 between January 30 and February 1 and meet with Jim Noël, Joan Chapa, Rose Marie McElfresh, Carol Love, and several other staff members. Although we will not be having a Users’ Meeting, we would love to meet with you in person.
Detroit MI: Association of College and Research Libraries
Academic librarians should mark April 9-12 as the dates to be in Detroit. Jan Meldrum and Ro McElfresh are ready to discuss your library’s bibliographic project.
Washington DC: Federal Depository Conference
Joan Chapa and Jim Noël are looking forward to meeting with US government document librarians. Check our website after March 1 for specific programs. If you are subscribed to our new discussion list, we’ll be posting the information there too.
Dallas: Texas Library Association
We’d never miss TLA! Hope you’ll stop by booth #1629, April 21-23. Rose Marie McElfresh, Richard Smith, and Denise Thompson are looking forward to seeing you.
Chicago IL: Medical Library Association
We are delighted to be sponsoring the New Members Reception during the 101st MLA in Chicago. If we don’t see you at the party, please drop by booth # 402 to find out what’s new with MARCIVE.
East Central ISD Uses MarciveWeb SELECT for Cataloging & Book Labels
By Janifer Meldrum
Jana Knezek, Director of Secondary Curriculum at East Central Independent School District in San Antonio, Texas, invited us out to see MarciveWeb SELECT in action. I was delighted to visit their new processing center and meet Carolyn Pollok and Karen Ring, who search for records on MWS and download them into their Dynix system.
Carolyn and Karen explain their very efficient workflow
Carolyn and Karen are responsible for processing all of the books and audiovisuals for eight schools. The high school handles its own processing. For the seven automated schools, MARCIVE provides MARC bibliographic records and spine label sets. The preschool library is not automated and so MARCIVE prints catalog cards and labels for their materials."The speed of the process and the accuracy of the bib records" are what Carolyn likes about MarciveWeb SELECT. "If I submit my order on Thursday, I have the MARC records back the next day and the labels on Monday."
Carolyn searches MarciveWeb SELECT to obtain MARC records for their Dynix System and labels for their books.
"It’s so easy now [with Browser Download]," Carolyn said, comparing the process with the several steps they followed for FTP. "Now we just download the file, take the diskette to our Dynix computer, choose ‘Load MARC Records’ and use ‘DOS Transfer for Standard MARC Format.’ We print a list of the titles to check against billing. If there are 30 records, it takes about 15 minutes for Dynix to load and index them."
Carolyn Pollok, Karen Ring, and
Jana Knezek, East Central ISD
When I asked if they had a good hit rate with MARCIVE, they said it was excellent except for audiovisuals. After further investigation, I realized that their profile was not set up to view the PMSC A/V Accessâ database. (This is a common problem and I would encourage any library that wants A/V cataloging to check their MARCIVE profile.) They changed their profile that day and now their hit rate is excellent for all material types.
Jana Knezek is enthusiastic about their use of MarciveWeb SELECT, "Our system works great and we would recommend it to anyone in a school library district trying to decide how to get cataloging."
A University Library in Texas Converts Collection,
Loads into New System
We recently talked with Rebecca Vickers, Library Director at Lubbock Christian University, about her library’s experience with automation. Her advice to other libraries about retrospective conversion? "Don’t consider doing this project inhouse!"
An executive library council formed from several areas of the campus, including one librarian, chose MARCIVE to convert the Library’s collection to MARC format. MARCIVE conversion staff looked up each shelflist card, found a good MARC record or created one, keyed piece-specific information, and submitted the results to authority control.
The Library was then provided with both MARC bibliographic records and the appropriate MARC authorities records, which are used by some automated systems to control headings and create cross references. The Library loaded the bib records into a brand new system being developed by EOS, Inc., the Q Series. At the time of this interview, EOS planned to release the capability of handling cross references and changed records shortly, which will permit the loading of the authorities records.
1) How did you decide to use MARCIVE’s retrospective conversion service?
Lubbock Christian University considered options for retrospective conversion such as: quality of record, turnaround time, hit rate, MARC record, 100% conversion, and expert convertors.
2) How was the project funded?
Friends of the University raised the funds.
Lubbock Christian University Library
3) What is one thing you really liked about MARCIVE’s service?
The efficiency, the timeliness, the constant communication between MARCIVE and the Library. Carol Love [Manager of Conversion Services at MARCIVE] is to be commended for her work, her friendliness and professionalism in this project.
4) What is the current status of your project?
MARCIVE completed retroconversion the first part of August. EOS software was installed and training held during October. The 3 modules completed are OPAC, cataloging, and circulation. Beta enhancements are still to be resolved [at the time of this interview in October 1998].
5) What do you see as the advantage of loading authorities records?
It provides another source for keywords.
6) What would you tell others considering retrospective conversion?
 | Don’t consider doing this project in house. |
| Go with a reputable company and pick a compatible software company with a good relationship with the converting agency and your library. |
| Review reference, special collection and indexes shelf list for inconsistencies.—RM |
Are You Looking for a New Authority Vendor? Don’t Lose the Work You’ve Already Done
Many libraries who used Blackwell services for authority work have been waiting to see what would develop after Blackwell sold its authority business to OCLC. In the meantime, their authority work has been getting further and further out of date.
MARCIVE offers excellent authorities processing to all types of libraries, even if the library did not use MARCIVE for backfile processing. Libraries are encouraged to contact MARCIVE to learn how easy it is to establish service.
Special features of MARCIVE ongoing processing include:
| Ability to load a history file of past work from other vendors. Keeps the library from receiving records from MARCIVE that they had already received from another vendor. |
| Overnight turnaround for ongoing customers’ files of up to 10,000 titles. To qualify, the library must be signed up for Overnight Authorities and send & pick up records by FTP. |
| Electronic reports, or paper if the library prefers. |
| Optional Notification Service to alert the library to changes in previously released authority records. |
Of course, MARCIVE also does backfile processing. To obtain a quotation or simply receive current information, please contact either Joan Chapa or Rose Marie McElfresh.—JM
by Jim Noël
At various times over the years our government document customers have asked whether there was an electronic mail discussion list devoted to MARCIVE topics. There was none that we knew of, although relevant discussions often crop up on GOVDOC-L, DOCTECH-L, various system vendor discussion lists, and elsewhere. With interest in such a list apparently still significant, we decided the time was ripe to start such a list.
Enter Marcive_GPO. This new list is meant for the use of MARCIVE’s GPO services customers. This includes those receiving GPO cataloging, shipping list records, labels, or cards, and subscribers to GPO CAT/PAC or MarciveWeb DOCS.
The list is meant to assist MARCIVE customers in sharing solutions
to common problems encountered with the GPO services. The list is monitored by MARCIVE
staff and will also serve as an avenue for occasional announcements from MARCIVE. We hope
it will be useful
to you.
If you are interested in subscribing to the list and are a customer, please send requests to subscribe or unsubscribe to me at the address below.
I have subscribed at least one person from nearly every GPO services customer institution based on information I already have, so if you are getting messages from the list and don't wish to, just let me know. Other interested staff members are welcome to join.
Postings are accepted only from list members.
If you have any questions about or problems with the list, send a note to the moderator/owner:
Jim Noël
Manager, GPO Services
Marcive, Inc.
jnoel@marcive.com800-531-7678
210-646-0167 (FAX)
Available to current MARCIVE GPO customers & intended for discussion of these services:
| Retrospective Extraction from the Enhanced GPO Database |
| Ongoing GPO Database subscription |
| GPO Records with URLs subscription |
| GPO Authorities Notification Service |
| Electronic records (SLS) |
| Smart barcode labels (SLS) |
| SuDocs labels (SLS) |
| Shelflist cards (SLS) |
| GPO CAT/PAC Plus |
| MarciveWeb DOCS |
New GPO Item Number Search Added to MarciveWeb DOCS
Depository librarians can be pleased about the release of a new search feature.
They now have an easy way to create lists of government documents published in a particular year and distributed under a particular GPO Item Number. MarciveWeb DOCS has long offered patrons the ability to search by a combination of fields; the list
of fields searchable using Boolean operators now includes:
Title
Author
Subject
Notes
Anyword
Format
Date
Language
GPO Item Number NEW!
A librarian might be interested in searching for all titles which have a Date of "BEFORE 1993" and a GPO Item Number of "899", and that capability is now available.
If you would like to know how MarciveWeb DOCS is demonstrably superior to the other three sources of monthly catalog products on the market, please contact
jchapa@marcive.com for a detailed point by point comparison.—JM
Subscribers to the popular government document reference database have access to new titles almost as soon as they have arrived. All titles are interfiled in Browse lists and keyword-searchable, all the way back to 1976.
The CD-ROM version of this database, GPO CAT/PAC Plus, is available with monthly, bimonthly, and quarterly updates; weekly updates are not planned.—JM
New MarciveWeb DOCS Subscribers Include Libraries from Maine to Alaska
What’s special about this list? It includes everything from small public libraries (e.g., Lakeland Public Library) to state libraries (e.g., Alaska) to large academic libraries like Johns Hopkins University! If you’ve got a depository collection that you’d like to open up to your users, all you need is a web connection, a browser, and a subscription to MarciveWeb DOCS.
To request a free 30-day trial, please contact Joan Chapa.—JIC
Abilene Christian University (TX)
Bates College (ME)
Alaska State Library
Brigham Young University, Hawaii
California State University, Los Angeles
California State University, Sacramento
Claremont Colleges (CA)
Contra Costa County (CA) Public Library
Creighton University (NE)
Davenport (IA) Public Library
Delta College (MI)
Florida International University
Johns Hopkins University (MD)
Lakeland (FL) Public Library
Lambuth University (TN)
Lawrence University (WI)
Lycoming College (PA)
Montana State Library
Multnomah County (OR) Library
New Jersey State Library
New Orleans Public Library
Newburgh Free Library (NY)
Northeastern University (MA)
Northwestern University (IL)
Oregon State University
Phoenix (AZ) Public Library
Slippery Rock University (PA)
St. Lawrence University (NY)
St. Olaf College (MN)
Southern Nazarene University (TX)
State Library of Iowa
Stephen F. Austin State University (TX)
Tacoma Public Library (WA)
Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi
Texas A&M University, Laredo
University of Alaska, Anchorage
University of Memphis
University of Nebraska, Kearney
University of North Carolina, Asheville
University of North Texas
University of South Alabama
University of South Dakota
University of Southern Colorado
University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire
U.S. Naval Academy (MD)
Washington University (MO)
West Chester University (PA)
NOTE: A few of these customers are not strictly new, but were not listed in previous issues.
Electronic Discussion List Being Developed for Cataloging Customers
Do you subscribe to LM-NET, AUTOCAT, or other electronic discussion lists? More and more librarians are finding such lists to be a great way to obtain answers to their questions about how other libraries handle various responsibilities, including cataloging and processing.
Several libraries have asked if we would sponsor a discussion list for users of our cataloging services. The answer is, Yes! We are actually in the process of developing two lists, the first of which is for our government documents customers, since their questions are so different from those of our regular cataloging customers.
So if you use our MarciveWeb SELECT, Ongoing MARC Record Service, Demand! Authorities, smart barcode labels, spine labels or cards, we shall soon be making information available about this new electronic forum.
Alternatively, if you use our GPO services, please see page 6. That list has already started.—JM
