CORC Pilot Project Summary Report

Emory University General Libraries

Bibliographic Gateway Services

Internet Resource Cataloging (CORC) Pilot Project

Summary Report

Prepared: July 24, 2002

Revised: August 1, 2002

Prepared by Susan Bailey

CORC Pilot Project Executive Summary

Cataloging of Internet resources has been a topic of interest to catalogers and a subject of legitimate study and effort at least since the beginning of OCLC's InterCat project in 1995 (http://www.oclc.org/oclc/man/catproj/catcall.htm). The InterCat project evolved into OCLC's CORC Service, a service that facilitated cataloging of Internet resources by automatically harvesting metadata from web pages. In the General Libraries, although we had prepared records for web-accessible resources such as electronic journals and federal documents, we had never taken part in any of the Internet cataloging projects, had any real training in cataloging these resources, or investigated the possibilities associated with cataloging them.

Because so many libraries had already conducted CORC pilot projects, we were able to draw on a wealth of existing documentation to adapt and develop selection documents and cataloging templates.

We chose to develop our project in ways that had some commonalities with other projects, but diverged in ways that would allow us to gather information about online training, use of cataloging records for collocation/retrieval by subject selector, level of staff needed to catalog Internet resources in General Libraries, and collaborative learning among a wide variety of staff members. We also hoped to gather sufficient data to allow us to assess the value of cataloging Internet resources-- to our users, to those of us doing the cataloging, and to selectors/departmental liaisons.

While there are still a number of questions that need to be answered about the long-term value of cataloging these resources, the CORC Pilot Project Group recommends that cataloging of Internet resources continue in BGS at a level that can be reasonably supported by current staffing levels. We will continue to investigate a wide variety of open questions related to this work, use lessons learned in planning it toward future training, examine and make adjustments to BGS' organization, and explore other opportunities presented by the project.

Context of the BGS Internet Resources Cataloging Pilot Project

Within the BGS Division, there existed a number of reasons to develop a project that might allow wide participation of staff in a collaborative project. The BGS Coordinating Group agreed that the development and offering of the OCLC Online Learning Course on Cataloging Electronic Resources gave us the perfect opportunity. We decided that the Project Group would include the division leader, all team leaders, and that staff from any team within the division, whether they were currently trained catalogers or not, could participate in the project if their team leader approved. Of course, non-catalogers would have a great deal more to learn, but if they were willing to commit to the goals and methodology of the project, which stressed collaboration, interactive learning, and a minimum time commitment, they were acceptable participants. The final project group included the staff members listed in the Appendix. Participants were encouraged to seek out a selector who would be willing to participate in the project, recommending web sites that met the same general criteria as those for selecting other materials for our collections. This was not a requirement, and the division leader offered to seek out material to be cataloged for those who were not comfortable with seeking out a partner.

Each cataloging participant was expected to take the online training course by a specific date. We encouraged staff to work with a "study buddy" if they wanted to take the course together and to also work together on cataloging titles if they wished. At the conclusion of the initial training, the group began meeting at least monthly in room 314 to discuss cataloging problems, issues, and share information on their experiences. We invited staff from User Services to attend our meetings and share their perspectives on cataloging issues, and did have one member attend two or three of the meetings. A listserv list was established for participants to ask questions, distribute notes from meetings, share information.

At the final project meeting in June, we gathered information on participant's experience of the project and solicited written comments from each on that experience, their interest in continuing to catalog Internet resources, and their feeling about the need or lack thereof to continue this work.

Statistical highlights:

Added access to 288 Internet titles to EUCLID

American Memory Project: 56

History Web Resources: 88

GALILEO links: 27

Emory related sites: 15

Art History Resources: 15

African American Resources: 27

UN/International studies Resources: 43

Observations/Results:

We cataloged a variety of free Internet resources--from pdf files for web-accessible books, both those we own in print and those we don't own, to sites that are gateways to American cultural collections, to sites for organizations like Emory's Carlos Museum.
We tried to learn how to do everything "right" and at standard, but believe that many web resources could be cataloged at a much lesser degree of completeness and perfection.
As catalogers, we experienced conflicts within ourselves and among ourselves over the level of cataloging needed for these resources.
Although we did establish standard selection criteria, we cataloged items selectors requested even when we thought they might not fully meet the criteria. For ongoing work, we need to decide whether to continue that practice.
We found ourselves looking at our cataloging records much more than we customarily do in WebCat, since we had to check the links when we loaded the cataloging record. Our perspective on what our users see in the catalog is much more personal now!
We see definite potential for selectors and/or faculty who are willing to provide sites to be cataloged and select a local subject term for use in the records to provide continually updated lists for Selected web resources by discipline or instructor. This could free them from maintaining the links on static web pages, i.e.

It was difficult trying to achieve a balance between having too few sites to catalog versus having too many; we were concerned that if we got too many requests and weren't able to handle the volume, we would discourage further participation by selectors.
It wasn't easy getting selectors to work with us. Some were very anxious to do so, but time was a major problem.
We really enjoyed having the User Services staff member attend and provide the "public services" perspective and sometimes tell us just to move on!
Staff enjoyed the collaborative learning process and the work in the electronic classroom.
Most of us aren't yet very comfortable with online learning: we almost all found ourselves printing off documentation and trying to organize it!
The size of our group was just about right, not too large or too small.
We liked doing something different and new.
People enjoyed the equality-no one was an expert and everyone acknowledged the work was confusing, confounding, and fun!
At the conclusion of the pilot, all the project group members except one expressed a desire to continue to catalog Internet resources as part of their regular work!

Potential benefits of continuing to catalog Internet resources:

Integrates resources available within our collections with relevant resources available on the Internet.
Places us with the majority of ARL libraries surveyed, who are cataloging these resources.
Provides users the opportunity to locate Internet resources selected on the basis of quality by qualified staff.
Collaborations among BGS staff and User Services staff have been very rewarding, and this gives us a forum to continue and build on those relationships.
Development of this "virtual team" cataloging Internet resources can serve as a model for other virtual teams--we can make adjustments to work and workflow without "hard coded" structural changes.
Need a critical mass of material in the catalog before we can assess value, and if we continue to add these resources, we can hopefully develop an assessment mechanism in conjunction with Collection Management and/or the Market Councils.
Need time to more fully explore some of the goals we had originally established, such as having selectors prepare the original record through OCLC and having a cataloger complete the work. The interface allows the user to create in MARC, Dublin Core, RDF, etc.

Potential disadvantages of continuing to catalog Internet resources:

When we are cataloging web sites, the backlog of other materials to be cataloged may build somewhat.
Maintenance of URLs in the catalog grows as the number of URLs grows.
Integrating resources are very changeable, how will we deal with the volume of potential changes over time?

Recommendations:

Although we recognize that there may be other solutions on the horizon for federated searching of online catalogs and Internet resources, those solutions do not involve the added value from librarians and faculty of selection and resource description. We believe we have an opportunity to integrate links to relevant, high quality resources in the online catalog, and our users derive benefit from that. With a sufficient quantity of material in EUCLID, we can hopefully test this at a later date. Until there is something better, we strongly endorse soliciting and adding Internet resources to EUCLID, linking our users to resources that include web pages, digital images, archival resources, etc. Because this involves the potential of somewhat increased backlogs and involves the use of trained staff to catalog a category of material that was not formerly part of our standard workflow, we share this information and request feedback and hopefully support and encouragement to proceed.

Ongoing Goals:

Get information in the August issue of the Social Sciences newsletter to solicit web sites for cataloging from faculty.
Get forms for requesting cataloging of Internet resources available on the BGS web page.
While we have the momentum and interest, proceed with making cataloging of Internet resources part of ongoing work so we can resume monthly meetings and use the information toward future training.
Catalog more of the relevant resources at Emory, even though they may require original cataloging.
Strive to answer a myriad of remaining questions!

Appendix A

Participants in the CORC Pilot Project from BGS:

Susan Bailey

Susan Pinckard

Lola Halpin

Joan Moffson

Ann Vidor

Laura Akerman

Marietta Clark

Marian Kelley

Valerie Watkins

Sue Trowbridge

Betty Berry

Elizabeth Phipps

Beverly Turner

Pam Matthews

Tim Bryson

Primary Selectors:

Marie Nitschke

Barb Mann

Kim Collins

Raquel Cogell

We received selections of Internet resources to catalog additionally from Ruth Pagell, Betsey Patterson, Selden Deemer, Lloyd Busch, Tim Bryson, and Allen Tullos. We also included some titles based on previous requests from User Services and other staff.

Appendix B

Comments on the project provided by selectors:

" Definitely helpful, and definitely should continue. I am really delighted to find other sites there now, as well as ones that I have asked for."

" It would be great to get patron feedback when we have a greater mass of sample records. Another benefit is quality control. If other libraries have catalogued a site, you feel more comfortable about presenting it on a subject web guide. I guess a long-term question is whether we will "filter" web links through EUCLID. For example, should the art history web guide link to the Smithsonian catalog OR to the EUCLID record on this site? What are the benefits of the latter situation?"

"I think this is a WONDERFUL project! Since there are so many important research sites that only contain electronic publications, those that are deemed important should be included in the catalog. We just can't purchase them, but they are equally important."

" Thanks so much for cataloging the African American Studies web sites that I recommended. They are very valuable resources for those researching African American Studies topics and they add tremendous depth to the materials we purchase. I plan to show students how to find these sources in EUCLID when I teach next semester. Again, many thanks for the time you and your staff devoted to this project. I hope you continue with the project, because I would like to send more URLs your way."

"... Margaret Ellingson gave me her favorite definition of the Internet; she called it "the world's largest library, with all the books on the floor." What you're doing is getting the books off the floor, and on to the shelves where they can be found. And that's exactly what needs to be done. I am *very* excited by the prospect of having access to all that information - not simply Web sites of course, but e-books and journal articles and conference papers, photo archives and films and holographic images of buildings or statues, all that and more - in a controlled and consistent way."

Appendix C

Selected CORC Projects:

Smithsonian Institution

http://www.sil.si.edu/Cataloging/corcprocedures.htm

Cornell

http://www.library.cornell.edu/staffweb/CORCatCornell.html

Northwestern

http://staffweb.library.northwestern.edu/catalog/corc/

Auburn

http://www.lib.auburn.edu/catalog/docs/corcprocedures.html

Connecticut State Library

http://www.cslib.org/pathfinders/corc.htm

MIT

http://macfadden.mit.edu:9500/colserv/sercat/corc/corc.htm

SUNY Buffalo

http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/units/cts/about/corc.html

A number of the projects previously documented on the web, such as that of the University of Chicago, are now either removed or behind Staffwebs that are no longer publicly available.

Appendix D

Selected Bibliography:

Boydston, Jeanne M.K., and Joan M. Leyson. 2002. Internet Resources Cataloging in ARL Libraries: Staffing and Access Issues. The Serials Librarian 41, no. 3/4: 127-145.

Calhoun, Karen. Redesign of Library Workflows: Experimental Models for Electronic Resource Description, from the Conference on Bibliographic Control in the New Millennium (Library of Congress)

http://www.loc.gov/catdir/bibcontrol/calhoun_paper.html

Grenci, Mary. 2000. The Impact of Web Publishing on the Organization of Cataloging Functions. Library Collections, Acquisitions, & Technical Services 24: 153-170.

Hinton, Melissa J. 2002. On Cataloging Internet Resources: Voices from the Field. Journal of Internet Cataloging 5, no. 1: 53-67.

Ward, David, and Diane VanderPol. 2000. Librarian, Catalog Thy Work! Getting Started Integrating Internet Resources into OPACs. Journal of Internet Cataloging 3/4: 51-64.

Appendix E

Selected Related Documents:

There are numerous documents on the project description, decisions made by the project group etc. that can be shared with anyone who wishes to see them.

Selection form:

*******DRAFT*********

Emory University General Libraries

LIBRARY Cataloging REQUEST FORM for Adding Free Internet Resources to EUCLID

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Library Selectors please use this form to add titles for free Internet resources to EUCLID, the library's online catalog, in support of the teaching and research needs of the University.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bibliographic Information:

Please fill in as many fields as possible in the bibliographic section for the requested title.

Resource Title (in title-bar): required

Title Commonly Cited as (legible title):

Resource URL: required

Date Cited: required

Author/Editor:

Access Restriction: i.e. by IP or login/password required

Requestor Information:

Name:

Email Address:

Phone:

Academic Department:

Course or academic program for which the site/resource is relevant:

Broad Subject for the Site/Resource (i.e: Biology, Linguistics, Sociology, etc.):

Relevant Comments: (relating to the site/resource):

9/20/01 (rev.11/09/01) sbb

Criteria (liberally adapted from Yale http://www.library.yale.edu/CDC/public/documents/eresourceCat.shtml):

Draft guidelines for Electronic Resource Cataloging Pilot 8/9/01 sbb

Criteria for cataloging selected remote access electronic resources

For the purposes of selection at Emory University General Libraries, remote electronic resources can be divided into three types, each type has a corresponding cataloging action.

Type I: Material that Emory or Emory's Libraries is committed to maintaining or maintaining access to for its readers.

Actions: Catalog type I materials using an appropriate level of cataloging.

Selector notifies catalog staff.

Examples of commitment include:

General Libraries or Emory has an agreement licensing access to the resource
General Libraries or Emory created the resource and there is commitment to preserving the resource
Emory is obliged to provide access to the resource (e.g. as a Federal Depository Library).

Resources examples of commitment include:

Women's Writers Project
materials digitized in Sage Project
materials digitized by Beck Center
U.S. government documents

Type II: Material that other institutions are committed to maintaining or maintaining access to for their readers or members.

Actions: Catalog type II materials per cataloger and selector's judgment as appropriate.

If you judge this material to be of value for research and teaching at Emory and that is supported by a reliable institutional commitment to accessibility that ensures it is a stable and sustainable remote access resource, then notify cataloging staff. In addition to the usual reasonings for selected a resource for the Emory collections, remote access electronic resources must be clearly identified, consistently available, regularly maintained, and freely accessible to the Emory community. Additionally, responsibility for the resource must be stated in the resource, and the integrity of any original source must be reasonably preserved.

Types of other institutions include:

consortia
libraries
museums
universities
research institutes
non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
associations
state or local governments
national governments other than U.S.

Examples of such an institutional commitment include:

Cornell U. commits to the preservation of certain digital materials
LC digitizes materials for its American Memory project
the Bibliographical Society of Virginia and UVa publish _Studies in Bibliography_
material published by the United Nations

Type III: Material that lacks the commitment of institutional support that is common to type I and type II.

Actions: Do not catalog type III material.

While this material will not be cataloged you may find that its potential utility to the Emory community for research or teaching may warrant placement on a subject web page.

Examples of such a lack of commitment include:

sites that are by nature or by circumstances ephemeral such as discussion lists, newsletters, etc.
material that in print we would recognize as "gray literature" such as company or association home pages
sites maintained by an individual person or group of persons with no credible institutional support such as personal homepages.

Appendix F

SAMPLE EUCLID TITLES CATALOGED:

Abraham Lincoln papers at the Library of Congress [electronic resource] :

a collaborative project / Library of Congress Manuscript Division and

Lincoln Studies Center, Knox College.

[Washington, D.C.] : Library of Congress, American Memory, [2000-

CORC Project.

History web resource.

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/alhtml/malhome.html

African American odyssey [electronic resource].

[Washington, D.C.] : Library of Congress, American Memory, 1998-

CORC Project.

African American web resource.

History web resource.

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/aaohtml/aohome.html

African American Theses and Dissertations, 1907-2000 [electronic resource]

/ compiled by Phyllis B. Bischof, with the assistance of Dorothy Lazard.

[Berkeley, Calif.] : University of California, Berkeley, [199?]-

CORC Project.

African American web resource.

http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/Bibliographies/AfricanAmerican/

The Alexander Graham Bell family papers at the Library of Congress,

1862-1939 [electronic resource] / Manuscript Division, Library of

Congress.

[Washington, D.C.] : Library of Congress, American Memory, [1999-

CORC Project.

History web resource.

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/bellhtml/bellhome.html

All that JAS [electronic resource] : journal abbreviation sources.

[Ames, Iowa : Hosted by Iowa State University, 2000-

CORC Project.

History web resource.

http://www.public.iastate.edu/~CYBERSTACKS/JAS.htm

America from the Great Depression to World War II [electronic resource] :

photographs from the FSA-OWI, 1935-1945 / Prints and Photographs Division,

Library of Congress.

[Washington, D.C.] : Library of Congress, American Memory, [1998-

CORC Project.

History web resource.

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/fsowhome.html

American Indians of the Pacific Northwest [electronic resource] /

University of Washington Libraries.

[Washington, D.C.] : Library of Congress, American Memory, 2000-

CORC Project.

History web resource.

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/award98/wauhtml/aipnhome.html

American routes [electronic resource]

New Orleans, LA : American Routes, 1999-

CORC Project.

http://www.americanroutes.org/

American slave narratives [electronic resource] : an online anthology /

Bruce Fort.

Charlottesville, Va. : University of Virginia, 1998-

CORC Project

African American Web resource.

http://xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/wpa/wpahome.html

Antidumping in the Americas / José Tavares de Araujo Jr., Carla Macario,

Karsten Steinfatt.

Santiago, Chile : United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and

the Caribbean, Division of Integration and International Trade, 2001.

CORC project.

http://www.eclac.cl/publicaciones/Comercio/6/LCL1516P/lcl1516i.pdf

The art & architecture thesaurus browser [electronic resource]

Los Angeles, Calif. : J. Paul Getty Trust, [1998?]-

CORC project.

ArtHistory web resource.

http://www.getty.edu/research/tools/vocabulary/aat/

Mathew Brady's portraits [electronic resource] : National Portrait

Gallery, Smithsonian Institution.

[Washington, D.C.] : Smithsonian Institution, [c1997?]-

CORC Project.

History web resource.

http://www.npg.si.edu/exh/brady/gallery/gallery.html

MCCM, Michael C. Carlos Museum, Emory University. [electronic resource]

Atlanta, Ga. : Emory University, [200-?]

CORC project.

ArtHistory web resource.

Site home page: http://carlos.emory.edu/

Emory Women Writers Resource Project [electronic resource] / Professor

Sheila Cavanagh, Director.

Atlanta, Ga. : Emory University, 1996-

CORC Project

http://chaucer.library.emory.edu/wwrp/

If you wish to see the complete listing:

http://www.library.emory.edu/uhtbin/KW/CORC+Project