National Bibliographic Records Inventory Initiative (NBRII)

  • Last Updated: May 10, 2023
  • Published: December 11, 2014

Overview

The Cataloging & Indexing Program (C&I), U.S.C. Title 44, Sections 1710 and 1711, aims to provide a comprehensive index of every document issued or published by a department, bureau, or office not confidential in character. Library Services and Content Management (LSCM) administers this program and provides public access to this index through the online bibliographic records contained in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP).

The identification and creation of online bibliographic records for new U.S. Federal Government documents, in all published formats, is accomplished through daily operations at GPO. However, a separate effort is necessary to incorporate missing records, and enhance existing bibliographic records, for historic materials. This effort is known as the National Bibliographic Records Inventory Initiative (NBRII).

The NBRII endeavors to provide online bibliographic records or serial holding records for those historic materials that are not currently captured in the CGP. These records include:

  • Fugitive and historic materials, focusing on publications issued prior to 1976 ;
  • Older documents where bibliographic records only exist in a non-electronic format, for example 3x5 catalog cards, or other paper bibliographic record, such as the Monthly Catalog; and
  • Materials that were previously cataloged with minimal information that require critical record enhancement. When available, Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) data, such as item number and SuDocs class number, will be included.

While the NBRII will focus primarily on documents within scope of the FDLP, it will also handle other C&I program materials when identified.

The NBRII is a major undertaking which is currently supported through a series of projects. Sub-projects may be conducted by LSCM staff efforts, contracts, and/or cooperative cataloging partnerships. All projects are initiated and implemented in a staggered approach as time, resources and funding allow.

Cooperative Cataloging Efforts

LCSM is working with depository libraries and others to create, share, and enhance bibliographic records for pre-1976 publications as well as the digital versions of other titles distributed through the FDLP.

During FY 2014, LSCM added the following to the CGP.

  • University of Montana: 751 records for U.S. Forest Service publications were enhanced.
  • University of Florida: 1,653 records for digital versions of National Recovery Administration publications created and same number of records for the tangible versions were enhanced.
  • University of Iowa: 1,455 Dublin Core records for Federal posters were converted to MARC21 and enhanced.
  • University of North Texas (UNT): Records were created or updated for 6 UNT collections of digital publications. The collections are Federal Register, Congressional Record, World War II Newsmaps, World War I collection, and Government Documents General, which includes Ames’ Comprehensive Index to the Publications of the United States Government 1881-1893, Poore’s Descriptive Catalog of the Government Publications of the United States 1774-1881, and the 1909 Checklist.

During FY2015, LSCM added the following to the CGP.

  • University of Montana: 445 bibliographic records for publications from the U.S. Forest Service were enhanced
  • University of Colorado, Boulder: 751 records for print USGS Bulletins were enhanced
  • Colorado School of Mines: 741 records for electronic USGS Bulletins were enhanced
  • University of Florida: 100 records for the digital versions materials related to the Panama Canal were created and the same number of records for the tangible versions were enhanced
  • University of North Texas: Records were created or updated for 6 collections. The collections are Statutes at Large, United States Reports, Register of Debates in Congress, Congressional Globe, and The Debates and Proceedings of in the Congress of the United States
  • FRASER: Cataloged titles recently digitized by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

During FY2016, LSCM added the following to the CGP.

  • University of Montana: 99 bibliographic records for publications from the EPA in the general publications SuDoc class were added and enhanced.
  • University of Colorado, Boulder: 915 records for print USGS Bulletins were added and enhanced.
  • Colorado School of Mines: 1,679 records for electronic USGS Bulletins were added and enhanced.
  • FRASER: Cataloged titles recently digitized by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

During FY2017, LSCM added the following to the CGP.

  • University of Montana: continued adding bibliographic records for publications from the EPA in the general publications SuDoc class.
  • University of Colorado, Boulder:
    • 703 records for print USGS Bulletins were added and enhanced. Work on this effort was completed.
    • 942 records for print Bureau of Mine Report of Investigations were added and enhanced.
  • Colorado School of Mines:
    • 739 records for electronic USGS Bulletins were added and enhanced. Work on this effort was completed.
    • 755 records for electronic USGS Professional Papers were added and enhanced.
  • FRASER:Cataloged titles recently digitized by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

During FY2018, LSCM added the following to the CGP.

  • University of Montana: Adding and enhancing records for publications from small Federal agencies and the Environmental Protection Agency. Work on this effort was completed.
  • University of Colorado, Boulder:
    • 4,492 records for print Bureau of Mine Report of Investigations were added and enhanced. Work on this effort was completed.
  • Colorado School of Mines:
    • 680 records for electronic USGS Water Supply Papers were added and enhanced.
    • 1,430 records for electronic USGS Professional Papers were added and enhanced.
    • 223 records for electronic USGS Circulars were added and enhanced.
  • University of Kentucky:
    • 183 bibliographic records for print publications from the WPA were added and enhanced.
  • FRASER: Cataloged titles recently digitized by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

During FY2019, LSCM added the following to the CGP.

  • Colorado School of Mines:
    • 2122 records for electronic USGS Water Supply Papers were added and enhanced.
    • 60 records for electronic USGS Open File Reports Series were added and enhanced.
    • 957 records for electronic USGS Circulars were added and enhanced.
    • 4 records for electronic USGS Water Resources Investigations were added and enhanced.
  • University of Kentucky:
    • 204 bibliographic records for print publications from the WPA were added and enhanced.
  • University of Minnesota Cataloging Project:
    • 50 bibliographic records were added and enhanced.
  • FRASER: Cataloged titles recently digitized by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
    • 550 bibliographic records for print publications from the WPA were added and enhanced.
  • William & Mary Congressional Budget Office (CBO) tangible preservation documents.
    • 175 bibliographic records were added and enhanced.

Record Conversion Projects

LSCM is engaged in a multi-year effort to convert paper and internal records to MARC21 records and to electronic serial holding records.

During FY 2014, LSCM completed the following as part of this effort.

  • 41,500 serial issues were checked into the CGP
  • 1895 and 1898 volumes of the Monthly Catalog were transcribed; 9,681 MoCat records are now available
  • Over 18 shelflist drawers were transcribed with authority work completed as well; 157,611 shelflist records now available

During FY 2015, LSCM completed the following as part of this effort.

  • Completed 68 drawers of the Historic Shelflist, exceeding our goal for the fiscal year
  • 7,677 shelflist titles were transcribed and, one authorized Library of Congress Subject Heading and one corporate name authority to 11,907 existing shelflist records
  • Almost 18,000 serial issues were checked into the CGP

During FY 2016, LSCM completed the following as part of this effort.

  • Completed 150 drawers of the Historic Shelflist, exceeding our goal for the fiscal year
  • 17,600 shelflist titles were transcribed and, one authorized Library of Congress Subject Heading and one corporate name authority were added to 18,083 existing shelflist records
  • 72,700 shelflist serial issues were checked into the CGP
  • 4,128 complete bibliographic records for historic Congressional hearings and prints were added
  • 3,200 item records were added to bibliographic records for historic Congressional hearings and prints already in the CGP

During FY 2017, LSCM completed the following as part of this effort.

  • Completed 223 drawers of the Historic Shelflist, exceeding our goal for the fiscal year
  • 11,317 shelflist titles were transcribed and, one authorized Library of Congress Subject Heading and one corporate name authority were added to 26,505 existing shelflist records
  • 22,255 shelflist serial issues were checked into the CGP
  • Completed cataloging a collection of historic Congressional hearings and prints acquired from a depository library

During FY 2019, LSCM completed the following as part of this effort.

  • Completed transcription of 28 drawers of the Historic Shelflist

NBRII Related Presentations

Fall 2014 Virtual DLC Meeting 

Fall 2016 Federal Depository Library Conference: Updates from GPO’s Technical Services Unit 

Fall 2017 Federal Depository Library Conference: Library Technical Services Update