Memorandum

To:     Trisha Davis, Jared Ingersoll, Marty Jamison, Jim Murphy, Mary Scott
From:     Carol Pitts Diedrichs, Chair, Technical Services Committee
Subject:     Electronic Resources Working Group
Date:     November 16, 1998
CC:     P. McCandless, G. Dannelly, B. Case

Thank you for volunteering to serve on the Electronic Resources Working Group of the Technical Services Committee (TSC). Your appointment has been coordinated with the Users Committee as well. I have asked Trisha Davis to convene the first meeting of the group. I will be happy to meet with you at the first meeting if any clarification of the charge is needed.

Current situation: The TSC has a number of issues on its agenda which relate to the display of electronic resources in the online catalog. This is a very new and ever changing area. However, we need to come to some conclusions about which options to pursue and which models to follow. These developments need greater input and thought than the TSC can accomplish in its bimonthly meetings. This group is being modeled after the recent group who recommended new standards for the Lib Has statements.

Charge: To look at the current issues before TSC as well as others that may come up in the course of the group's work concerning the display of electronic resources in OSCAR and to make recommendations for policies and practices as needed. Because this area is so changeable, it would be acceptable to me for the working group to recommend a trial period or pilot project for implementing particular changes such as whether to use a single record for multiple formats. The recommendations of the working group would be made to the TSC and Users. Broader discussion will also occur as needed.

I have attached the current issues before the TSC which are being assigned to your group.

Thank you for your willingness to work on this critical issue.

ICODE1 for Non-networked Reference Databases

     Summary: P. Pearson has developed a list of reference/citation databases which are available to patrons but are not accessible on the network. These databases will be made available in a boolean file to the public. What needs to be done to make this information useful?
     The list from P. Pearson needs to be reviewed and cleaned-up. We need to notify collection managers about how future purchases or gifts in these categories need to be submitted to technical services so that they will be processed and appear in this boolean file. We also need a definition about what type of material is to be included in the file. The decision was also made to add an item record for these products (which are physical pieces usually) and code them with ICODE1 = 6 (non-networked databases). What this boolean is for and how it should be defined has been referred by the Steering Committee to the Users Committee. Once that is determined, technical services can proceed to catalog and clean up these records and establish a process for new titles to be coded for inclusion in the boolean. T. Davis will investigate the questions above and draft a document for review by the committee (after Users Committee has defined).
     I believe that Users is struggling with this issue and might wish for the working group to consider it as part of their charge. Please verify that with Beau Case.

URL Checker/Displays in the 856

     Summary: A question was raised about maintenance of broken URLs.
What should be done about broken links? Where should they be referred in technical services for correction?
     Identifying electronic resources (new location codes, scoping, possible subject headings)

     Summary: The issue of using a scope to identify electronic journals is now in process. We need to discuss this aspect of the issue so this project can proceed. M. Scott has also raised the question of whether we should consider adding a local subject heading which would allow electronic journals to be located within broad subject areas.
     Automation has determined that this approach a separate location code for various servers is not needed. However, TSC did agree to a new location code for electronic full text journals — WWJ.
     Sally will flip the electronic full text journals to WWJ (location code). Any titles which are not full text will be reviewed by her to determine whether they fit the definition. If problems arise, she will refer those to TSC for discussion.

Online entries for e-journals (JSTOR example)

     Summary: we have a situation where the uniform title for an electronic journal is misleading to the public (or at least difficult to understand). Is there anything that can be done to improve this display?