PROSPECTOR CATALOGING REFERENCE COMMITTEE MEETING

November 17, 2005

 

PRESENT:  Cynthia Wilson (chair), Wendy Baia, Joan Beam, Pam Blome, Mary Beth Chambers, Gene Gardner, Gwen Gregory, Virginia Inness, Florence Jones, Janet Lee, George Machovec, Rose Nelson, Janet Ryan, Mary Sacoman

 

 

 

  1. ANNOUNCEMENTS:

A.     Introductions: Rose Nelson, a new member of the Alliance team starting November 23, 2005, attended today’s meeting. 

B.     Prospector Statistics: George provided a handout of the quarterly database statistics produced by III during the 3rd week of October.  There were no major changes since the previous quarterly report.  The data show that the Prospector database has a total of 6.23 million MARC bibliographic records and 19.33 million item records.

C.     University of Wyoming:  When Wyoming attempted to transfer records into Prospector, only 50% of the records went in.  It is a problem on the Endeavor side.  They need to change some values.  Once the new script is in place, Wyoming’s records will be loaded.    

D.    State Publications Library: George plans to do a test of the State Library’s records by the end of November and to have the State Library go live in Prospector in January.  It is a relatively small database and should take only a couple hours to load.  George will notify Prospector members via email when sample records are available for review.

E.     New Mexico Libraries:  Next week Alan Charnes from the Alliance is going to New Mexico to talk to people at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque Public, and Santa Fe Public about joining Prospector.  UNM is a large, scoped site that includes New Mexico Tech and branch libraries making it a complicated system.  The UNM database holds about 1.8 million MARC records. The new courier will go to New Mexico.

F.      Prospector Directors Meeting:  The Prospector Director’s meeting will be held tomorrow, November 18.  There is one controversial issue that the directors will address--some libraries such as Arapaho, Broomfield, Aurora, and Louisville, are getting hit hard for requests for AV materials, particularly DVDs and Videos.  There are three possible solutions: 1. Libraries can stop lending AV materials.  2. Libraries can place embargo periods on new AV materials.  3. George can adjust the load balance so that net lenders of AV materials are placed lower on the list to prevent them from getting hit so hard.  George hopes the directors will opt for solution number three.  George also noted that, for three months, technical problems caused DPL to turn off AV lending.  DPL is now lending materials, and that too could help to even things out.  George will run a report for the three months that DPL was not lending AV materials to get a picture of the impact that might have had.  Cynthia mentioned that Jeffco is building its AV collection and over time this will help to ease the situation.

G.    Interstate:  Cynthia announced that the III InnReach test with Jefferson County and Sacramento, the Interstate system, will be going away at the end of the year.  III did all the testing they wanted and will now re-work the system, however, Jeffco has no arrangement with III to bring it back.

 

  1. Matching algorithm review and CU’s ACLS records: Wendy Baia said that CU loaded ACLS monograph records (American Council of Learned Societies history e-books) into their local system with strange results in Prospector. One of three things happened:  ACLS records overlaid the Prospector record for the print version; or the ACLS record did not show up in Prospector (but sometimes CU’s holdings for the electronic records got attached to the record for the print version; or ACLS records looked fine in Prospector.  Wendy distributed a handout that described the problem and showed examples of each of the three scenarios.  Likely this is a match point algorithm issue. George recently went to an InnReach Administrators Workshop where they discussed match points.  George distributed a handout that describes the InnReach matching algorithm.  He pointed out that the LRI (Local Record Indicator, a unique number that represents a record coming from a local system) is actually the first match point, followed by the 001.  In Prospector the next match point is the title key match (this is an optional match point that Prospector uses).  The title key match looks for a match in the first three words of the title, excluding articles.  George noted that matching algorithms are set up with the idea that it is better to create a duplicate record rather than a false match in the system.  George suggested that CU check the BCODEs on the ACLS records, and if they are in order, they should try to reload the records by suppressing and un-suppressing them.  Florence asked if the records have OCLC 001 fields.  If not, that could be causing the problem.  George agreed.  Wendy will check.  If the problem cannot be solved locally, it will have to be sent to III.

 

  1. Prospector Map: George said the Alliance has been asked many times to provide a map of Prospector libraries. Often local library patrons want to know where the closest pick-up point is, or they want to go to a Library and check out the materials themselves using their Colorado Library Card or they might have multiple library cards they can use.  The Alliance has now created a map using Google Maps and Java scripts. It is based on a similar map created by DPL.  George displayed the map for the group and demonstrated how it works.  It is staged in port 2082.  The map has Java script push pins for every Prospector library.  A patron can move in on any individual library.  Selecting a site (a push pin) pops up a window with the name and address of the given library and a search box for getting driving instructions to get to the library. Members of the committee suggested that a URL and a phone number for each library should be added to the pop up window.  George asked committee members to review the map and to send him the appropriate phone number for the pop-up window, send him the appropriate URL for the Library, and let him know if there are other branches or pick-up locations that need to be included for their libraries--send him an email with this information.  George hopes to roll out the map in December.

 

  1. RAPID:  The “Request Articles” button for Rapid has been activated in Prospector.  It works differently for every library because different tools are associated with it at every library.  For instance, the link might send a library user to the library’s link resolver, or to an IL manager.  Some libraries are Rapid participants and some are not.  George asked committee members to make sure the link is taking users where their libraries want them to go.  In most cases libraries will want users to go to their link resolvers if they have one.  George noted that the majority of RAPID users will get to RAPID through their databases and not through Prospector.

 

  1. New Officers:  Pam Blome agreed to be the Committee recorder for next year. This is a one-year appointment.  No one present at the meeting volunteered to chair the committee, a two-year appointment. Therefore, selecting or nominating a chair was postponed until the January meeting.

 

  1. Meeting Frequency Changed:  Committee members agreed to hold meetings on a bimonthly basis rather than a monthly basis in the future.  Meetings will be held in January, March, May, July, and September.

 

  1. Upgrade to Release 2005: George wants to do the upgrade to release 2005 in December.  Because Prospector has non-III libraries, III advised him that he should do the upgrade during a time when III is fully staffed in case something should go wrong. George will aim for Thursday, December 15.  However, if III staff is available, he will do it on December 19 instead.

 

  1. NetLibrary:  There was nothing new to report on NetLibrary.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Submitted by Mary Beth Chambers 11/29/05