TSC Electronic Resources Working Group
Meeting Minutes - March 17, 1999

1. ICODE1 for Non-networked Reference Databases

Summary:    P. Pearson 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. 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.

The ERWG will investigate the questions above and draft a document for review by the committee (after Users Committee has defined).

Action:    Waiting recommendations from Users Committee (Murphy)

2. 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?

Action:    Mary will consult with Sally Rogers about status of URL checkers.

Action:    Broken URLs may be referred to Teri Hagerman in SER. We will wait and publicize after we learn about URL checker.

3. Use of web to provide list of E-journals by subject, title, etc.

Summary:    We can now use the E-journal scope to identify electronic journals.

     Should we consider adding a local subject heading to allow refinement of this list by broad subject areas?

Action:    Test feasibility of this option by selecting several Subject Headings for e-journals in SEL and testing access and search results.

-- Determine if we can have the 690 field added to the subject heading index.
     Mary will talk to Sally again.

-- Determine which subject headings to add.
     Jim will run a boolean and look for common headings.

4. 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?

Test record for SIAM journal on numerical analysis built:
See: SIAM journal on numerical analysis (Online test)

Action:    Evaluate test record on OSCAR web.

-- Trisha will rebuild sample using format: Connect to v.17- (1991)-

5. Single-record vs. Separate Bibs by format options

Summary:    There is no national standard on this issue, and libraries continue to use both options.

Action:    On Hold until new Serials Coordinator arrives

6. Multiple title entries in OSCAR display record

Summary:    When searching by journal title, the brief display record lists both the online title and the print title, which is linked in the bib record. Each entry takes you only to the online, which is confusing to the public who are looking for the print journal and thus continue to search on each entry. To the public, and to some reference librarians, it appears that we actually have holdings of the print journals and/or that OSCAR is not working correctly. Can this be remedied?

Action:    Search title: FEMS microbiology on OSCAR for discussion.

-- An issue of education. Mary will confer with SEL librarians.

7. Evaluation of URLs in OCLC bib records brought into OSCAR.

Summary:    For E-journals, decisions were made and approved by TSC and Steering in Fall 1998:

For journal titles for which there are multiple bibliographic records in OSCAR for the paper, online and microform versions: the URL should be added as an 856 field in the bib record for the electronic version of the journal title; a 530 note field should be added to all versions of the bibliographic record with text about the availability of online version(s).

Jim Murphy provided the following background info: Bib records for both electronic and related paper titles often include a variety of URLs. Any URLs that are retained in the 856 will function as 'hot links' in the webpac. URLs retained elsewhere in the record will not function as hot links but they are available for view to the patron. Many of these are not directly related to the title and/or not available to OSUL patrons. Even when URLs are valid links, they need to be reviewed and maintained on a regular basis to assure that they lead to relevant resources. Thus, any URL retained should be verified, reviewed, and updated as needed on a regular basis.

The public services representatives have noted a need for keeping some of the URLs. The issue of using a URL checker on a regular basis to check for broken links was raised. Carol Diedrichs will explore this issue with Automation. Jim Murphy and Trisha Davis will be asked to look at a less conservative approach to retention of URLs.

The User's recommendation does not spell out the fact that existing URLS will be deleted from records for paper versions but is implicit in the stricture that URLs should not be added to the paper version. There was long discussion about how confusing these URLs are (especially when we don't have access to the electronic version and the URLs don't work).

Recommendation:

For serial bibs: delete URL's that do not work at the point of finalizing the cataloging. From a review of the bibs on hand, these are mostly connections to OCLS, old gopher addresses, unrelated gov. doc sites, bad URLs and those that need passwords.

For monographic bibs: further guidance needed from Users Committee.

8. Do we catalog "free" e-journals in OSCAR

Summary:    What is the collection development policy relating to linking to "free" electronic products? One option is to have the collection manager request that the e-journals be cataloged, thus linked from OSCAR. Because access is available to anyone, this does not require licensing, passwords, or submission of IP addresses to the publisher. It would be comparable to a location-controlled gift.

An alternative would be to have collections managers simply list them in their web pages.

Action:    ERWG recommend that "free" E-journals be handled just as paid titles. Collection Managers must submit them via the Electronic Products Checklist, soon available on the the TS web site, and they will follow the normal procedures and processing.

9. Do we catalog web sites in OSCAR

Summary:    What is the collection development policy relating to linking to web sites via OSCAR? One option is to have the collection manager request that web sites be cataloged, thus linked from OSCAR. Are web sites appropriate for the collection? If so, how do we define them? Does CORC fit into this? What does our agreement to cooperate mean?

An alternative would be to have collections managers simply list them in their web pages.

Action:    Continue to prepare a recommendation for TSC to forward to CAC. Select sample sites, build sample records, and outline essential characteristics of the file, eg. unique title, identifiable publisher, site contact information, copyright or other ownership statement.

10. Local E-Journals on OhioLINK

Summary:    Anne Gilliland (by Meg, I assume), and several others, including Onadell Bly. Anne suggested that local sites not contribute to central records for e-journals that are not generally accessible by OhioLINK patrons. Onadell preferred that the records go to central but that local sites include a note; e.g., Access available from Bowling Green Campus only.

If we have already addressed this issue here and I have forgotten, please just remind me and consider this simply an alert that OhioLINK Users and DMSC are likely to be addressing it soon. If not, it should be added to the TSC or Electronic Task Force agenda. Penny will also discuss it with the OSCAR Users Committee.

From Penny's message to OhioLINK USC:
     I've recently had two situations where a patron and a librarian found in the OhioLINK central catalog bib records that include a hot link to the full-text. After selecting this hot link the user is asked for a user name and password. Since OSUL does not subscribe to these two specific e-journals we don't have a user name/password and our users cannot access them. This is confusing for our users and our public service personnel. The two titles are: Clinical and Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology Journal of Managerial Psychology.

Laura Blomquist replied:
     We had a lively discussion of the issues related to the question at our staff meeting on Tuesday and believe the following represents our "consensus" view (not unanimous). All bib records should be uploaded to the central catalog IF there is a note, preferably in the LIB HAS box, that clearly states the limits on it's availability. In short, if full text access is only available at Akron, this should be so stated in the Lib Has Box.
     Burying a note within the bib record is not sufficient. Notes do not necessarily appear on the first screen; and patrons rarely read them. For that matter, I suspect librarians only read them when they are desperate to solve a problem.
     The following record for "Change" at Hocking College is an example of a clear record that provides concise and precise access info. Although this is not a record for an e-journal, it would seem to me that the LIB HAS statement could provide similarly precise info re access or lack thereof to the OhioLINK patron.

TITLE     Change
Hocking College
SUMMARY HOLDINGS
³
1 Periodicals      PAPER/FULL TEXT ON POWER PAGES
    Lib Has: Retains current year.

Action:     Review Laura's comments in light of the LIB HAS: workload; check with TSC to see if they agree.