Copy cataloguing in Finland

1. Copy cataloguing in Finland Juha Hakala The National Library of Finland 2006-10-26

2. Contents • Introduction • First steps: VTLS 1989-2000 • Second stage: Voyager • The present: tools, practices & impact • Experiences and future challenges

3. Introduction • Cataloguing takes more time than any other back office activity in a research library • There is increasing pressure to catalogue more: (growth of publishing, new applications like portals and digital archives) • Libraries are facing staff cuts just like the rest of the public sector • Therefore we must make traditional cataloguing more efficient using new tools and work methods (without sacrificing quality, since bad OPAC means poor service)

4. First steps: VTLS 1989-2000 • No client server model; cataloguing was done by ”dumb” terminal • It was only possible to copy records from other VTLS databases, using proprietary protocols of Hewlett-Packard (VTLS hardware provider) • Union catalogue Linda enabled at best copying of about 40 -50 % of new foreign materials • No batch loads of e.g. Library of Congress records to Linda (and there are still no plans to make them)

5. Second stage: Voyager • Voyager is a client server application; its cataloguing client contains a Z39.50 client, which allows cataloguers to access any Z39.50 database such as Gegnir, but… • The Voyager client was not very reliable; accessing many targets at the same time was sometimes ”fatal” • No tool for conversion of MARC records • Essential ingredient of copy cataloguing; manual editing of records is time consuming

6. The present: tools • In 2003, the decision was made to evaluate copy cataloguing tools: • Stand-alone Z39.50 clients • MARC converters • Replacing the Z39.50 client of a library system is easy; the copied records are stored on PC as ISO2709 file, which is converted according to local MARC requirements and loaded into the cataloguing client of local ILMS

7. The present: tools (2) • After thorough evaluation, we chose • BookWhere Z39.50 client • Usemarcon MARC converter • BookWhere’s best feature is the large number of Z39.50 targets it knows how to access (and its reliability) • Finnish libraries have 500+ user license; some Finnish modifications have been made (such as FINMARC support) • Version 5.0 supports Unicode

8. The present: tools (3) • Usemarcon is probably the best stand-alone open source MARC converted you can get • There is no limit what a skilled user can do; but learning to use the tool takes time • Examples: (copy) cataloguing of Russian publications; treatment of Icelandic records; fixing FENNICA records • Originally built in an EU project, but developed further by the British Library and other users such as the Nat. Library of Finland • Millions of records can be converted in a few hours on a PC • Efficient usage is only possible if source and target formats are well known

9. The present: practices • The National library maintains the Usemarcon conversion tables and negotiates the contracts with the BookWhere vendor and database providers such as OCLC • SVUC is seen as part of this work • All libraries have adapted their cataloguing processes & principles • Cataloguers share target database information • The person who first tries Gegnir will inform the rest

10. The present: impact • Primary cataloguing of foreign publications has been reduced a lot • At best, 95 % of acquisitions are copy catalogued • Due to Usemarcon conversions, manual editing is often limited to authority control related data • The quality of copied records is usually very good • The best data comes from US academic libraries which extend the records they’ve copied from LoC/WorlCAT • Cataloguers still must be skilled, but requirements have changed: • What is the best target database for this book? • What kind of searches work best in this target? • Is this name form appropriate for this author?

11. Experiences • No single target database will serve you well • WorldCAT is not really the world catalogue - yet • Efficient copy cataloguing is possible if a broad scope of target databases is available, and cataloguers are familiar with them • If you know where to look, even exotic materials can be copy catalogued efficiently (GBV union catalogue and 16th-17th century books) • You need to give up some old practices and keep just those that really matter from end users’ point of view • Does cataloguing language really matter?

12. Experiences (2) • When applied well, copy cataloguing can increase productivity and quality a lot • Picking the right tools is easy; changing the cataloguers’ minds may be more difficult • Finnish cataloguers have adapted themselves quickly to the new working methods, but… • Appropriate training is essential • Gate keepers play a central role; in these issues, people listen to their peers, not their directors • Speed of adaptation varies from very fast to very slow • Administrative action is often needed • E.g. merger of acquisition and cataloguing departments

13. Future challenges • Copying of authority records • This may require stand-alone national authority databases (hosted by e.g. national libraries) and batch loads between and from them, instead of copying just one record at the time • Inter-format copying • ONIX – MARC – ONIX (needed for new ISBN) • Dublin Core – MARC – Dublin Core (needed between OAI-based open archives and ILMS) • MARC – MarcXchange – MARC (to facilitate usage of our bibliographic data in XML-based systems)

14. Future challenges (2) • OAI-based metadata exchange, later extended to copying of the documents as well (automated legal deposit) • Exchanging new kinds of metadata • Work level records (FRBR) • Portal metadata (collection and IR service descriptions) • ERM metadata (on e.g. licensed resource usage, using SUSHI protocol) • Technical metadata (related to the long term preservation of electronic resources)