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Minutes of the PLA Cataloging Needs of Public Libraries Committee

ALA Midwinter Conference
New Orleans, LA
January 20, 2002

The meeting began at 9:00 a.m.

1. Approval of the Minutes from ALA Annual meeting, June 18, 2001
   The minutes were approved as submitted.
   
   
2. Reports from Liaisons
   
   
1. Winton Matthews reported for Library of Congress
   The full report can be seen at www.loc.gov/ala; click on "LC Highlights".
   Mail at LC has been affected by the anthrax situation. Best way to contact staff at LC now is by email, fax or phone. All materials sent to LC will soon be delivered offsite and put through a rigorous testing before it can be delivered.
   Minimum level cataloging has been approved for any material that has been on hand for more than 2 years.
   Copy cataloging from OCLC and RLIN is to be preferred to MLC.
   In the Subject Headings Weekly List #46 from 2001 changes were made to subject authority records that include the word "Handicapped" The new heading is "People with Disabilities".
   Authority records will be accessible using staff browse capabilities but only a Latin I character set is supported.
   LC Classification Additions and Changes is now being published weekly on the CPSO homepage. The Dewey section is losing three people from their staff, including the Chief of the Division.
   
   
2. Margaret Shen reported on activities of CC:DA
   Margaret explained that CCDA approves rule changes for cataloging. These changes then go to a Joint Steering Committee and then to IFLA before being implemented. Some of the changes approved include changing the GMD from "computer file" to "electronic resource"; conference headings can be made a main entry and the use of titles in delimiter c in name authority records. Chapter 3 on Maps has been revised; Chapter 12 on Serials is in revision. Joint Steering Committee asked for consistency in terminology throughout the rules; CC:DA appointed a task force to address this.
   
   
3. Wei Jeng-Chu's written report on activities of MARBI (submitted after the meeting)
   
   MARBI (Machine-Readable Bibliographic Information) is an interdivisional committee of the American Library Association (ALA) consisting of ALCTS (Association for Library Collections and Technical Services), LITA (Library and Information Technology Association and RUSA (Reference and User Services Association).
   The MARBI meetings are attended not only by its committee members, but also are attended by the representatives from US national libraries, the National Library of Canada, the large bibliographic networks, library associations, and library system vendors. Proposals for changes to the MARC 21 format may originate from any user. Since the Library of Congress maintains the MARC 21 formats for Bibliographic, Authority, Holdings, Classification, and Community Information data, so their staff will write, review, and/or edit proposals and distribute them electronically. The documents are available for comment on the electronic forum for approximately two months before actual meetings are held twice a year at ALA. Only MARBI committee members can conduct actual formal votes; however, the Library of Congress and the National Library of Canada has the final authority on changes.
   
   Nine proposals and seven discussion papers were discussed in this Mid-Winter. You may find this information at http://www.loc.gov/marc/marbi/mw2002_age.html. Only one proposal is rejected, but seven out of nine proposals are approved, and one needs more revision. The approved proposals are listed below:
   
   
1. A new subfield $p will be added in fields 853-855 to cover cases where multi-part titles are issued in a specified frequency.
2. In fields 853-855 holding format, under subfield $y add a value of "c" for combined issue. Also under subfield $y add a code "e" as an Enumeration Code to provide those serials that use only enumeraton for sequencing. Define subfield $n as a Pattern Note.
3. In an authority record, define a subfield $u in field 670 to provide a link to information accessed electronically as a reference resource.
4. Several subfields are defined in field 046 (Special Coded Dates) of the MARC 21 Bibliographic and Community Information Formats:
   
   
• subfield $j (Date modified) (NR)
• subfield $k (Date created) (NR)
• subfield $m (Beginning of date valid) (NR)
• subfield $n (End of date valid) (NR)
• subfield $2 (Source of date) (NR)
• Make field 046 (Special Coded Dates) repeatable for dates recorded using different schemes
  
  
5. Second indicator values 0 through 6 are added to field 655 (Index/Term --Genre/Form) as defined in the 600-651 Subject Added Entry fields in the Bibliographic Format.
6. Allow for the recording of variable length degree formats in field 034 (Coded Cartographic Mathematical Data) by removing the restriction of the data being eight characters in length of subfields $d, $e, $f, and $g.
7. Make the first indicator value 0 (U. S. Dept. of Defense Classification) obsolete in field 052 of the MARC 21 Bibliographic and Authority Formats.

There is one discussion paper worth of mentioning here. It's the OCLC FAST subject headings. The intention of developing a subject vocabulary, FAST, is for easier application and can be used by non-catalogers. The Committee suggested this paper to come back as a proposal in the next ALA meeting.


4. Old Business
   1. 2002 Program report: Joanne Gilmore
      The Committee will be sponsoring a program at 2002 ALA. The program title is "Cataloging Using the Internet" The program will be held on Saturday, June 15, 1:30-3:30 p.m. A panel of speakers will talk about WebDewey, Catalogers DeskTop, EZCat and other resources for catalogers. Assistance was requested for greeting, and receiving evaluations.
      
      
5. New Business
   
   
   1. Program for 2003
      • Catalogers: Why do we need them? Where will they come from?
      • Target Audience: Administrators, catalogers; trustees
      • Vivian Bordeaux from Bridgeport Public Library will be program chair.
      • Suggested speakers include Louise Sevold, Cuyahoga County Public Library; Arlene Taylor form Pittsburgh; a trustee from Indian Trails library system; and a representative from Baker and Taylor.
      • Could seek co-sponsorship from LAMA, ALCTS, Trustees group.
        
        
   2. Preconference for 2003
      • ALCTS requested co-sponsorship of preconference on Dewey Decimal Classification, Edition 22
      • Approved; will get information to PLA that we recommend co-sponsorship
      • Michele Zwierski will be program chair.
        
        
   3. Programs for 2004 PLA Conference
      • Request to sponsor preconference on Dewey Decimal Classification, Edition 22 at PLA conference. Originally presented by ALCTS in 2003. Michelle Zwierski will be program chair.
      • Suggested repeat of program on Cataloging Using the Internet at PLA, 2004. Joanne Gilmore will be program chair.
      • Both of these will be submitted as program suggestions for the 2004 PLA conference.
        
        
   4. WebPage
      Bob Hall (Concord PL) has created a draft web page for the committee. Joan Clark, PLA Liaison, announced that PLA will have a template for all committees to use. Once we have more information on that, we will let Bob know how to proceed.
      
      
   5. Change in Committee's Charge
      Requested action at PLA Executive Board meeting to change the Committee's charge to: To implement the goals of the Public Library Association as they relate to cataloging in public libraries; to advance the professional interests of public librarians in technical services; to provide forums for issues in these areas; to cooperate with and to represent PLA with other units of the ALA and with other national and international organizations in these areas.
      
      
   6. Liaison for Cataloging of Children's Material
      Michelle Zwierski has agreed to be a liaison to the Cataloging of Children's Material committee of ALCTS' Cataloging and Classification Section.
      
      
   7. Committee Succession
      Since Joanne Gilmore will have been chair for two years, a new chair will be appointed to begin after the 2002 Annual Conference. Heeja Chung has agreed to serve in this capacity, if appointed.
      
      
   8. Comments about the All-Committee format of the meeting
      Format seemed to work okay for Mid-winter Allowed for some immediate answers to questions Allowed for attendance and information from our PLA Liaison Conflicted with a number of ALCTS committees which our members are also involved with Because of our previous meeting time late in the conference, we were usually able to hear reports from various committees. Few of these reports were able to occur.

Minutes submitted by Joanne Gilmore, Columbus (OH) Metropolitan Library

In attendance:
Joanne Gilmore, Columbus (OH) Metro Library
Vivian Bordeaux, Bridgeport (CT) Public Library
Wei Jeng-Chu, Indian Trails (IL) Public Library District
Margaret Shen, Cleveland (OH) Public Library
Penny Ginn, Baker & Taylor
Joan Clark, Cleveland (OH) Public Library (PLA Liaison)
Michele Zwierski, Nassau (NY) Library System
Winton E. Matthews, Jr., Library of Congress
Heeja Chung, Westchester (NY) Library System
Bryan Baldus, Quality Books