In an effort to provide Federal depository libraries and the general public with more timely access to bibliographic records in the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP), Library Services and Content Management (LS&CM) conducted an internal pilot project to develop standards for the creation of brief bibliographic records for monographs.
During this pilot, brief bibliographic records with valid Superintendent of Documents (SuDoc) classification numbers were created using the Integrated Library System (ILS). These records are similar in nature to acquisitions records, and will also allow LTIS to quickly create records for all formats identified during the acquisitions process. The pilot was conducted using a small sample of approximately 50 monograph publications.
Twelve of these brief records were added to the CGP for review by the depository community. Below is a summary of the comments received from June 22 through July 13, 2007 and GPO's response.
GPO’s ILS enables us to prepare reports that track workflow processes. Brief bibliographic records will be tracked to ensure that all brief records for items distributed to depository libraries move to the cataloging unit to receive full or abridged cataloging in a timely manner.
Brief bibliographic records are ‘acquisitions-type’ records created by paraprofessionals. Subject analysis and authority control for formats distributed to depository libraries is added to these brief bibliographic records as they move through the workflow to the cataloging unit. In our current workflow, professional librarians are responsible for assigning valid subject headings and handling authority control.
In the current workflow processes, GPO catalogs exclusively in OCLC. With the implementation of the ILS, GPO is examining this workflow, evaluating costs and methods such as batch loading capabilities that enable us to fully utilize the ILS and continue to contribute and support cooperative cataloging. This pilot and other examinations of our workflow will continue as we fully implement the ILS. Additionally, GPO expects that some libraries may be interested in becoming a cooperative partner with GPO to enhance these brief bibliographic records. GPO is investigating the feasibility of cooperative cataloging arrangements with libraries in the FDLP. A first step in this process is to test the Z39.50 gateway as a mechanism to exchange records.
In the fall of 2005, GPO announced that it would be investigating the move from single record approach to cataloging to a separate record approach to provide more information for each version of a document. This was particularly important as electronic resources represent the primary format for dissemination of government documents in the FDLP. The plans for the Future Digital System call for this type metadata creation. GPO has not yet implemented the separate record approach and this brief bibliographic record pilot help us evaluate workflow issues related to using the separate record approach.
Brief records are not meant to be permanent, except in the case of brief records for non-distributed format. These brief records perform the function of an acquisition record. This type of information is currently only available internally at GPO through a mainframe application that will be replaced by ILS functionality. Brief records offer a ‘heads-up’ as to what documents are forthcoming and have been identified but not fully processed. Backlogged documents will no longer sit on shelves and be fugitive. Brief records may or may not be useful to your library, but they will be available for individual libraries if they find them useful.
