Skip Navigation Links

The Ohio State University

www.osu.edu

  1. Help
  2. Campus map
  3. Find people
  4. Webmail

Ohio State University logo University Libraries arrow Technical Services Division header

Cataloging Department Retreat: July 2000

Summary

The Ohio State University Libraries Cataloging Department held its third annual retreat on July 20, 2000. Seventeen members of the Department attended this one-day event. It was held at the Westin Great Southern Hotel in downtown Columbus and was facilitated by Maddy Weisz, from the University Office of Organization and Human Resources Development.

The objectives of the retreat were to:

·       Celebrate successes that have taken place in the last year

·       Analyze data gather from the survey sent to internal customers in the library system

·       Prioritize project initiatives for the coming year. Develop Action Steps

·       Link these to improved relationships with other departments and Administration

·       Develop Action Steps

·       Define and examine a sense of community in Cataloging

·       Relax and enjoy the day

The Structure of the Retreat

Prior to the retreat, the Cataloging Department sent out a brief survey to its customers. The objective of this survey was to determine if its customers had had their needs met more efficiently in the past year. This survey consisted of these two questions that provided positive and actionable feedback:

The retreat components were based on the objectives:

·       To build community, the group got involved in energizers through out the day. The energizers were geared to enhance the communication styles of the participants and build community.

·       We generated a list of successes for the past year.

·       Discussing the results and themes of the 2000 survey provided a springboard for developing project initiatives for the coming year as well as forming links with other departments.

·       Using survey data, list and prioritize project initiatives for the coming year

·       Discussed ways to build community within the Department

Survey Results

A survey was sent to liball and we received 14 responses.  This number is a very small number given that we have 150+ employees in the library and 45 collection managers.

The main themes were:

·       The Cataloging Department has become more customer service oriented.

·       There is a need for clarity around what department and who does what tasks (e.g. serial cataloging and analytics).

·       The Cataloging Department should continue to work on analytics and cataloging of APA journals.

·       The Cataloging Department should move forward on cataloging special collections.

·       The labeling process could be improved.

Specific Customer Responses

What improvements have you seen in the past year?

With all the reorganizations and vacancies, it is difficult to know who is doing what and when!  For example, who is now responsible for serial cataloging and analytics?  Your department or Trisha's.  I know I can go to the web page and find out and would, if I absolutely had to, but... In short, I am always grateful for the support and help you and your staff provide.  Being me, I am usually always looking for something more!

A. During the past year the Department has been successful in two key areas: (1) it has continued to process the regular flow of materials it receives at an impressive rate and (2) it has been able to open to door the processing of different projects that have lay dormant for years. All this has been accomplished while the department has maintained approximately the same number of FTEs. 

B. Last year the Cataloging Department made a valiant effort at creating a consistent and orderly process of documenting its procedures. With the aid of web-based technology we made a significant effort in making our documentation available to all parties in an accurate and timely fashion.

C. Perhaps more significant the Department has slowly began to receive a measure of recognition outside of technical services. Publicly and privately the department's hard work has been acknowledged and praised.  Little recognition, however, comes from the Library’s administration. I think your department and the works it does it too often taken for granted.

It seems to me that most of the cataloging is not being done in the Cataloging Dept. any more.  I guess Cataloging is mostly involved in clean up of retrocon records such as the major microforms.  With the removal of serial and electronic resources cataloging and the new monographs that are done in MAD, what is cataloging doing?  

I can speak for Western Languages section only.  Even while Dept. Libraries sent quite a bit of their backlogs to be cataloged we still managed to keep our            own backlog under control. We were and still are working on analytic retrocon and it will be a great improvement for the Libraries records once the short bibliographic records will be replaced by full bib records.

I have been very happy with the cataloging of my big microfilm series on cinema and the rapidity with which the dept. has cataloged the thousands of titles in the Flory collection.  Too your willingness to publicize your priorities for projects is very helpful as is your willingness to analyze certain titles and to recognize that some of us have our own priorities. This willingness goes a long way to diffusing anger and disappointment. The positive and willing attitude of the staff is very much appreciated

What services do you feel the Cataloging Department should focus on in the coming year?

1. Continue the work of the cataloging of APA journals. 

2. Analytics, Analytics, Analytics. 

3. Let us bring our special collections cataloging projects to you; e.g. collections of mental health advocacy newsletters, etc.  For 4+ years, there has always been a reason not to process this collection. Again, thanks for asking and thanks for all that you do accomplish.

A. During the coming year the department should continue and expand on the cataloging of special projects that are tailor made to different libraries/individuals in the library system. This approach yields two advantages: (1) it personalizes the department and creates personal relations with our colleagues throughout the system; (2) it gives the department a sense of accomplishment as new (and usually short term) projects are quickly completed.

B. The importance of web based technology cannot be minimized. We should take full advantage of all its features. To do so shows a department that's fully engaged with the new technologies.

I have been very impressed with the Cataloging Dept.'s ability to keep the

Backlog at a minimum.

I am particularly interested in getting analytics into OSCAR, including (and especially) those that collection managers identify.  I have several sets that need to be analyzed but have not been able to forward those titles to Cataloging for handling. Thanks for asking!!

I would like to see work on new analytics.  These are important and I feel more important than cataloging web pages.  I realize that it is "fun" to be involved with what is new - like CORC and web pages, but serial analytics have been requested for years now and we still aren't moving through the list very fast.   


I have two areas that I would like to see improved. 

  1. The cataloging of videotapes and DVDs.  They often take too long and unfortunately by the time we get them some have gotten stolen or went missing.  I really think months and months is not acceptable.  Also when they arrive in Labeling no security is established which encourages theft. I know they lock them in shipping to us but it is the interim step that is the problem.
  1. The cataloging of gift serials.  We send first copy over and it seems to take so long to get them back.  We sent many titles over as part of the Flory collection and someone from the Serials Department worked on some (all?) but we haven't seen a one back.  In fact, even when they appear cataloged in Oscar, the first issue doesn't arrive at all or in a very untimely manner.  Actually the Flory materials were not a gift but were handled that way.  I send no serials over that I haven't decided should be cataloged and would hope that they receive the recognition they deserve. 

Ways to Grow Energizer

To start the day, the group brainstormed ways they could grow throughout the retreat and beyond.


Successes

The group brainstormed the past year’s successes:

 

Brainstormed Project Initiatives

The group developed and prioritized this list of projects. The prioritized projects with action steps follow this list.


Action Steps

These are the prioritized projects with timeframes for implementation.

Website

Workflow

Define MOD, S/ER, Accounting

Define e-journals, Promptcat

Language and Area Studies

 (make proposal by September 1, 2000)

 (develop plan by November 1, 2000; CAT coordinators)

Electronic resources

What are electronic resources? Clarify definitions and workflow for electric resources cataloging (develop a proposal for Administrator by mid-August)

CD ROMS for monographs, e-books (e.g. ITKnowledge; netLibrary)

Electronic monographic analytics

Electronic thesis and dissertations

DVD cataloging by cataloging and music

Evolvement in CORC website cataloging???

Keeping current


Marketing

1.     Define cataloging functions and responsibilities – send to liball, website, NewsNotes, and paper mailing.  (Information in a concise form to liball by August 1, 2000. Others by December 31, 2000)

2.     Create a guide of what, by whom, and disseminate in same manner

3.     Brown bag with specific topics

4.     Open house – invite library staff (luncheon)

5.     One to one tours for new people

6.     Announce specific activities in department to liball

7.     Monthly report – make more readable – highlight and send to liball

8.     Contact person for projects (project manager)

9.     Send catalog representative to go to other department meetings

10.  Individual accomplishments recognized (publicized)

11.  Publicize specific projects we do voluntarily

(Proposal by spring 2001 for marketing projects)

Analytics

Ensure collection managers that these are done.  (Ongoing)

Current analytics become part of workflow

Completing analytic requests from collection managers

Completing analytics from tracing file (Proposal by Spring 2001)


Sustaining and Restraining Forces

 Possible Solutions and Improvements

 

The group brainstormed and discussed ways to build community in the Department and extend this outward.

Restraining Forces

Sustaining Forces

Internal and external Communication

Objectives/Solutions

This site is best viewed with 1024 x 768 monitor resolution with high or true color settings. If you have questions or comments about any portion of this site or need the information in an alternative format, please contact Henry Griffy at griffy.2@osu.edu, or (614) 247-4663.


Technical Services Home     |