Libraries can receive smart barcode labels along with their cataloging orders for $0.05 per label, and many libraries take advantage of this service.

However, did you know that you can also order generic (or "dumb") barcode labels from us? The advantages to ordering them from us are that you get the same clear font and strong adhesive as with the smart labels, your library name is preprinted on the label, and our pricing is very low.

A smart barcode label is linked to a particular bibliographic record. The title of the book and its call number are preprinted on the label along with the barcode number. What makes this so "smart" is that the barcode number is inserted into the bibliographic record. When you load the bib record, the barcode number is already linked to the book you have in hand, thus saving you work.

When you use MarciveWeb SELECT, you can order labels that are specific to a particular volume and copy. You can get smart barcode labels for a five-volume set in which you have a duplicate copy of volume number 1. Each label can reflect the actual location, call number, copy and volume information for that book.

The number of times when you really need a generic label is therefore not too high. There might be older records or serials for which you need barcode labels, but do not wish to use MarciveWeb SELECT to order them.

In that case, generic labels are perfect for you. We also sell generic labels to libraries that do not use us for cataloging. Please contact Customer Service for pricing and more details.

Generic barcode label

Generic barcode labels show
1) name of your library
2) scannable barcode
3) eye-readable barcode number.

You apply them to a book, call up the book in your system, and scan the label to make the link.

Smart barcode label

Smart barcode labels show
1) name of your library
2) title of the book
3) location, call number, and copy/volume information
4) scannable barcode
5) eye-readable barcode number.

MARCIVE has already generated the number and placed it into the correct field in the bibliographic record. When you load the bib record and attach the barcode to the correct book, your work is done.

Some Ongoing MARC Record Service customers have said that it seems to be taking longer to receive their diskettes than it did in the past. We do not know if some packages—particularly "lumpy" ones—are being examined as part of security measures somewhere along the way, or if it is just coincidence.

You might see this as an opportunity to switch from receiving your data on diskette to receiving it over the web. Not only would you avoid any security delays, but you would also be able to load the data into your system sooner.

Many customers have switched from "diskette delivery" to "browser download". On the next business day after submitting their order, they download the data to their own diskette (saves them the $2 media charge!) and import into their local system.

Please contact Customer Service (custserv@marcive.com or 1-800-531-7678) if you wish to make this change.

John Celli, CIP Division Chief, and Robert Fleming, MARCIVE President, at reception

June marked the thirtieth anniversary of the Cataloging in Publication (CIP) program, a cooperative program between the Library of Congress and publishers which provides cataloging for books before they are published. Librarians, educators, and readers have benefited greatly from this program.

Several organizations, including MARCIVE, contributed to the celebration of this anniversary. A poster commemorating the event illustrated that cataloging is key to providing access to information. We were privileged to attend a reception at the American Library Association conference in San Francisco and hear remarks on this milestone by John Celli, Chief of the Cataloging in Publication Division.

Introducing Cataloging and Authorities Manager
Mary Mastraccio

Implementing authority control was part of the strategic plan to enhance intellectual access and improve patron success in searching the catalog at Old Dominion University.

Billie Hackney, Cataloging Services Librarian at the Perry Library at ODU, explains how they chose MARCIVE to assist them in implementing this aspect of their plan. They requested clean-up of their 752,000 bibliographic records and matching authority records for loading into an Innovative Interfaces system. Since this interview, she has moved to The Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles. Charles Hillen, Lead Cataloger, oversees the ongoing maintenance of their database.

Subject searching accounts for nearly 60% of searches, and having authority control over the database is a major means of increasing searching success for patrons. We had been discussing the implementation of authority control for eleven years here at ODU, but something always prevented it from happening—until this time.

I made inquiries of several vendors and asked for quotes. Of them all, MARCIVE's services were the best fit for our institution, and were the most economical. Plus we have been using MARCIVE's government publications services for several years and have been satisfied with them.

Yes. When we decided to commit to authority control, we wanted to make certain that we maintained that control. What is the point of cleaning up your database if it just slowly becomes out of date again?

If you're going to coordinate a project like this, it helps having your boss's understanding; a talented, hardworking, self-motivated staff; and a strong, friendly relationship with your Systems Office. I was very fortunate to have all of these things here at Old Dominion University.

Plan ahead! Ask every question you can think of. Test load every type of record imaginable and compare the before and after carefully. As careful as we were, we came close to loading 8,000 records for electronic resources with invalid URLs because they would have been exported with a period at the end of the field.

Perry Library, Old Dominion University
Norfolk, Virginia

Our copy of the Kama Sutra was reported missing, and the bib record then suppressed (our standard practice with withdrawn materials). Last year, due to a WebPAC quirk, a patron noticed that the bib record for this title said "staff use only".

Last month, with authority control now in place, a patron pointed out that the name entry for the Kama Sutra didn't lead to holdings; it just went around in circles (because we received authority records for our suppressed records).

After both of these incidents, we decided that if patron demand was that strong, it was time to buy a couple more copies of the Kama Sutra!

You have chosen a nice, new automation system with an online catalog that looks great. The vendor's demonstration system was probably loaded with complete, up-to-date MARC records but now you are wondering if your database will look as good or function as well.

Your recent titles are in a system that did not retain full MARC data. Your older titles are still on shelflist cards. And no one has had time to do authority control on the headings, so there is a mixture of old and new subject headings.

You are not alone. Many libraries automating today have a combination of shelflist cards and computer records that need to be turned into a coherent, consistent database.

Hazelwood School District in Florrisant, Missouri, found itself with 147,000 cards and 85,000 brief records that needed to be converted to full MARC format for loading into a new SIRSI automated system. We emailed Michelle Schmitt, Media/Technology Consultant at Hazelwood, to learn how they approached this challenge.

We used MARCIVE to convert shelflists and to do a Brief Record Upgrade from an older automation system. We decided to use MARCIVE because we wanted accurate conversion and we lacked the time and personnel to undertake such a large project ourselves. MARCIVE came highly recommended to us, and we wanted a quality conversion.

Hazelwood is a school district of three high schools, two junior highs, and 19 elementary schools serving 18,500 students. We are automating 23 of the district's 24 libraries. (The other library felt that their records would be better if they converted the library by hand.) We are using Sirsi's Unicorn software.

We sent 810 batches of shelflist cards (147,000 records), and the rest of the records were electronic. We generated approximately 256,000 barcodes from this project. The entire project began in September of 2000 and all records were delivered by August 2001.

Each of our librarians spent many hours grooming their shelflists and preparing them to be sent off. The actual shipping was the easy part; checking the shelflists for accuracy beforehand took the most time.

The media/technology consultant worked with the shelflist cards, pulling test batches, taking inventory of the boxes from each library, and preparing the boxes for shipping. This portion of the project took approximately 20 hours.

Technology services pulled the records off the old automation system for transfer to MARCIVE. This process took about six hours.

I would say that any work you can do before the conversion is worth it in the end. Our librarians have found that the more complete, accurate, and precise their records were prior to conversion the better the outcome of the conversion.

The process took time, and in retrospect, I would have put more time in the schedule on this end, but MARCIVE delivered everything as promised, and they are working to smooth out the minor glitches that have occurred.

The people at MARCIVE are helpful, friendly, and easy to work with. The conversion was a learning process for me, and everyone was patient with my questions.

Brief Record Upgrade projects performed for several schools in Hazelwood School District including Armstrong Elementary School Library.

Unfazed by travel difficulties, nearly 400 librarians met in Alexandria, Virginia, for the Federal Depository Council Meeting hosted by the Government Printing Office October 14-16. Joan Chapa, Marketing Representative, and Jim Noël, Manager of GPO Services, attended the meeting.

On Monday Jim participated in a panel discussion on "Access to Web Publications from the Catalog from Value Added Service Providers". MARCIVE markets a value-added service Documents Without Shelves in which libraries automatically receive cataloging records for government document websites.

During the lunch hour on Tuesday, Jim and Joan hosted a MARCIVE Update to give customers an opportunity to discuss MARCIVE current and proposed services.

Jim talked to several librarians who had shown interest in having Department of Energy (DOE) records suitable for loading into their local automated systems. Although the records appear on the DOE website, they are not in an easily loadable format.

We have extracted about 100,000 of the approximately 2 million records so far for testing our conversion routines and we are actively working with the Department of Energy's Office of Science and Technical Information to acquire the rest of the backfile. Librarians from several libraries have agreed to provide feedback on the format and coding of sample MARC records and to suggest approaches that might be used in selecting subsets of the records. If your library has a collection of microfiche from the Department of Energy or the Atomic Energy Commission that has not been cataloged and you are interested in finding out more about our plans to provide records for them, please contact us for details.

Do you find yourself going through your new records each month changing the location information for Internet titles by hand? Let us help!

We can analyze the records as we process them for you and build or change location information reflecting a title's status as an online resource. Perhaps you don't like the text GPO uses in the z subfield of the 856 field? If you have standard text you prefer, we can handle that change as well.

To explore these and other adjustments to the record processing we provide, contact Jim Noël at jnoel@marcive.com.

October brings a new year for GPO selections. All those new numbers you selected earlier this summer are now kicking in. Many customers of our GPO record and shipping list services have already sent in their updates for the year. If you haven't, now is a good time to make sure we have up-to-date information for you. You may review the items we have for your library by requesting a copy of them any time.

While new items announced on shipping lists and in Admin Notes are added automatically, 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.

You have three options: 1) Send lists of adds and drops to Charity Fleming (charityf@marcive.com) or Donna Nystel (dnystel@marcive.com) on diskette or via email and we will process them at $0.50/item number, with a minimum charge of $25. 2) Modify a copy of your item profile and return it so that we may replace your present profile with the newly edited one. The charge for this is $75. 3) Have us replace your item profile with what GPO now says you select, also for $75. If you would like us to replace your profile with what GPO says you select routinely, contact Charity Fleming and let her know; we will automatically replace your profile each year.—JN

Four things you can use ePay to do: