Cornell University Library
CRL-OPAC Task Force
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Accessing CRL Holdings Through the Local Online Catalog
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ACTION DOCUMENT
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Submitted: 22 February 2001
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Members of the Task Force: Julie Copenhagen, Ali Houissa (Chair), Fred M. Muratori, Carrol E. Tavelli
Executive Summary
The Task Force investigated and identified options for making the bibliographic records of the Center for Research Libraries (CRL) holdings accessible to Cornell University Library users through the Online Public Access Catalog. At an early stage, we solicited and received feedback from colleagues in other university libraries with past experience in accessing and handling CRL Records. Some have acquired and loaded CRL records into their local catalogs; many more had either considered that option and rejected it or loaded the records and later removed them from their files.
Options identified by the Task Force are: 1) Loading CRL records into the CUL Catalog; 2) Loading CRL records into a separate database; 3) Direct linking to CRL from the OPAC screen.
Loading records into the CUL Catalog will change the scope of the CUL database, and may confuse users expecting immediate access to an item found in the Cornell catalog. The direct loading will also interfere with cataloging, authority control, recon, and other database maintenance processes resulting in multiple review and analysis. Moreover the cost of acquiring the CRL bibliographic file (520,000 records), headings maintenance and the tape loads (initial and updates) can be as high as $900,000. The current Technical Services Support Unit staff (TSSU in CTS) would be unable to keep up with the enormous database management workload.
Loading CRL records into a separate database would not be as costly or confusing as integrating the records into the CUL catalog ($10,200 initial cost & $600 per annual supplement). But it would necessitate a simultaneous search feature that is capable of eliminating duplicate displays in OPAC (CUL record v. CRL record). Again, CTS-TSSU would not have the staff or time to maintain headings in this separate database.
Direct linking to CRL from the OPAC screen, however, would require a small investment of time and effort. The link would be relatively prominent to all users who click on the CU Catalog link from the Gateway-with some explanation added as to why patrons would want to use CRL. Recently, CRL has introduced a consolidated web-based guide to its collections called CRL Quick Search. This Web page provides one click access to all the major tools used to gather information about CRL's holdings, including the CRL online catalog.
WebVoyage allows the creation of a menu screen from which external Z39.50 or remote WebVoyage connections can be made. The interface looks like WebVoyage, allowing Guided Keyword and Command Searching, but not browsing, left-anchored searches or relevance searching. In theory, this option would allow patrons to perform keyword searches in CRL through the WebVoyage search interface; records displayed would look just like Cornell records. The Databases would also permit simultaneous searching of both CRL and the Cornell catalog, as well as a "hook to holdings" feature in CRL.
The best course of action the Task Force can recommend is to go forward with Web-based Internet linking rather than load the CRL tapes into Voyager.
With the available Internet protocols and interfaces, access to remote catalogs has become easy and effective. Enhancing network access to the CRL catalog solves the original problem of providing access to the CRL collection, without the negative impact of a CRL record-load to CUL Voyager.
I. Background
II. Impact of CRL Load In Other Institution
III. Access Possibilities to CRL Records
A. Linking to the CRL Database
B. Loading And Maintaining CRL Records
1. Cost of Loading CRL Records v. Other Linking Methods
2. General Considerations on Impact of Loading CRL Records
a. Loading them into the CUL Catalog
b. Loading them into a separate CUL database
c. Potential Problems with CRL records
IV. Recommendations
V. APPENDICES
&
NOTES
Introduction
The Task Force was put together by the Deputy University Librarian, Ross Atkinson, in November 2000 at the recommendation of the OPAC Committee. Its stated purpose is to look at the options for making CRL records more visible and accessible to users, with the possibility of including them somehow in OPAC search results.
This Task Force builds on the work and recommendations of The Task Force On Evaluating Cornell's Membership in The Center for Research Libraries (CRL) whose final report was submitted on 20 January 2000. The report evaluated the benefits of Cornell University Library's membership in the Center for Research Libraries and provided data, empirical evidence and reasons to justify continuation of CUL membership. One of the report's recommendations was to "Raise the degree of awareness of CRL's collections among the Library's users, preferably through full integration of CRL's online records into our OPAC."
The Center for Research Libraries is a depository library that collects materials rarely held in North American libraries. Cornell, a voting member of CRL, borrows materials from its collection through interlibrary loan. CUL customers currently have access to the CRL catalog via the Gateway and the Web.
The general assumption is that to justify the $56,700 annual membership fees Cornell pays to belong to the Center CRL holdings must be viewed as an extension of our own. One can speculate that having CRL records in Voyager would maximize the investment made in CRL membership over the years by getting readers directly to records for materials that complement CUL collections. One issue of concern, in this respect, is whether users will want search results for materials that are not immediately accessible on campus--even though the interlibrary loan services of CRL are generally efficient. Users currently search the public catalog expecting to find materials located in the Cornell University Library system. Moreover, adding non-Cornell data to the online catalog, might introduce a new level of complexity to the public interface.
II. Impact of CRL Load In Other Institutions
In order to gain a general sense of how different university libraries offer access to CRL online records we solicited and received input from colleagues in institutions of comparable size to CUL. Some have acquired and loaded CRL records into their local catalogs; many more have either considered that option and rejected it or loaded the records and later removed them from their files. The following is a summary of their experiences:
U.C. Berkeley: CRL records appear in "Melvyl," (catalog of the UC system, etc.) but not in GLADIS (the UC Berkeley Online Catalog). "These are materials which are not owned by Berkeley, but are available through our membership in CRL. Since the membership was expensive … a greater effort should be made to publicize these materials, but the confusion which would probably result by adding the records to GLADIS would outweigh the benefit to patrons."
Columbia University: loaded the CRL records into their Online Public Catalog, CLIO, in the early 1990's (use increased 30 percent). The CRL records were loaded into a separate processing unit. CRL records on CLIO displayed a CRL location and directed interested readers to the Interlibrary Loan Office. "Readers and staff found the CRL records on CLIO to be confusing and frustrating. Readers in particular were not happy to discover that the materials they wanted were not locally owned. In 1994, at the request of public services staff, the Columbia University Libraries pulled the CRL records out of CLIO."
Emory University: links to CRL records via the Internet only. "The possibility was contemplated at one time to load CRL records but it was found to be somewhat problematic due to differences in authority control and maintenance."
Harvard University: integrated CRL records into the local online catalog (Example: [App. 2]). Prior to online catalogs they used to file cards into their catalogs with a special CRL location symbol.
Indiana University: investigated the possibility and rejected the idea of loading CRL records. Currently it simply links to the CRL online catalog from the main search IUCAT/databases page (<http://www.indiana.edu/~libfind/>, then to link labeled Catalogs, Encyclopedias, Dictionaries, Images & Online Texts <http://www.indiana.edu/~libfind/oliolist.html> where CRL catalog link is in alphabetic order)
University of Michigan: at one point loaded the CRL records in their online catalog "mixed among the records of UM holdings, with CRL location code. This caused hopeless and unending confusion for users." CRL records were removed from the UM proper catalog and placed in their own separate file. Access is also provided directly to the CRL online catalog (web and telnet interface).
Ohio State University: used to have the CRL records available in their OPAC. Their experience was described as "a mixed blessing: Use of CRL skyrocketed and patrons really benefited, especially in areas where the library's collections are poor (e.g. South Asia); but patrons thought CRL was a branch library like any other and were often disappointed when told they would have to wait a week or so to get the material." CRL records have been loaded into the OhioLINK Central Catalog, and were finally deleted from the OPAC.
ORBIS (a union catalog that combines information from 18 academic libraries in the Northwest): contains all CRL online records. "The central system examines incoming CRL bibliographic records using the same record-matching algorithm and priority table used for all records coming to the union catalog. When a match is identified, CRL holdings will be added to the record in ORBIS; the CRL record will not overlay another record already in the union catalog, unless the CRL record has a higher encoding level code" (completeness of cataloging).
III. Access Possibilities to CRL Records
A. Linking to the CRL Database
Link from the OPAC Introductory Page
Changes in the WebVoyage 2000.1 searching interface have made some screen space available on the OPAC introductory screen. A hypertext link to the CRL catalog could be added, along with some very brief text explaining or describing the resource. The link could point to either the standard CRL catalog (http://crlcatalog.uchicago.edu/) on the Web or its telnet version (crlcatalog.uchicago.edu; IP: 128.135.73.2); or it could point to the CRL Quicksearch page. Quicksearch provides links to the CRL OPAC, special collections databases, and written descriptions of uncataloged holdings (http://wwwcrl.uchicago.edu/info/quicksearch.htm).
Direct linking to CRL from the OPAC screen would require a small investment of time and effort from someone on the OPAC Team. The link would be relatively prominent to all users who click on the CU Catalog link from the Gateway, and there is enough space on the page to add some explanation as to why patrons would want to use CRL, though it is somewhat limited. The link from this page could instead point to an intermediate page which would contain more detailed information about CRL's collections, services and value to the Cornell community [App. 3]. This intermediate page could contain a direct link to the CRL catalog as well as a link to Cornell's interlibrary loan system, ILLiad. Writing and designing this additional page would require some Library staff time and effort.
Link from the "Databases" Menu Screen of WebVoyage
WebVoyage allows the creation of a menu screen from which external Z39.50 or remote WebVoyage connections can be made. The interface looks like WebVoyage, allowing Guided Keyword and Command Searching, but not browsing, left-anchored searches or relevance searching. The Databases page can contain a single menu or multiple menus (e.g., for periodical databases by subject, other library catalogs, etc.). This function is not being used at present, though it was tested during the Voyager implementation phase.
In theory, this option would allow patrons to perform keyword searches in CRL through the WebVoyage search interface; records displayed would look just like Cornell records. The Databases would also permit simultaneous searching of both CRL and the Cornell catalog, as well as a "hook to holdings" feature in CRL.
There are also some disadvantages to this approach. Access would require our adding a button to the top line on each screen of WebVoyage -- something subject to discussion and implementation by the OPAC Team -- and although we could choose a name for it (a very brief one), there would be no way to provide an immediate explanation of its function. Patrons would have to click on it to discover its function. Setting up the Databases screen would be fairly labor-intensive. It would involve writing some explanatory text; creating a menu (or more than one, if we wanted to include the local CU Catalog and/or RLIN and OCLC for simultaneous searching with CRL); establishing a Z39.50 or WebVoyage set-up for the Citation Server; creating search keys in SYSADMIN; mapping MARC bibliographic and holdings fields for OPAC displays; and hook-to-holdings and simultaneous search set-ups in SYSADMIN. The WebVoyage searching functionality would extend to the keyword options only; configurations for left-anchored and browse (call number, name, and subject heading) searches will not work reliably, if at all.
B. Loading and Maintaining CRL Records Locally
1. Cost of Loading CRL Records vs. Other Linking Methods
The estimated cost for purchasing all the records (ca. 520,000), which includes heading processing for authority by CRL is as follows:
-loading the entire database: $5,200 (for 520,000 bibliographic records);
-the annual supplements between $500-$600 (depending on the number of titles cataloged that year).
These estimates, per a memo [App. 4] from Adriana Pilecky-Dekajlo, Head of Cataloging at CRL, are projections as of mid-February 2000 by Auto-Graphics (N.B.: Purchase cost per member will depend on the number of members who want to purchase).
The following table assesses the cost to CUL of different access methods based on the above estimates and cost of past similar projects undertaken by TSSU (Technical Services Support Unit, CTS):
2. General Considerations on Impact of Loading CRL Records
a. Loading them into the CUL Catalog
b. Loading them into a separate CUL database
c. Potential Problems with CRL records
Holdings. Item-level holdings for monographs and serials are not always available or complete. Patrons interested in requesting a multi-volume monograph without holdings information for specific volumes will need to request the title; CRL will process the request and send available items, or will send the first volume with a note to re-request additional volumes if needed.
Headings & access fields. A number of the records are not complete cataloging records; while the author and title information and bibliographic description may be accurate, subject headings and classification numbers may be missing.
Materials not in the catalog. Over half of the CRL collection is uncataloged, and not accessible in its online catalog. "Records for titles in comprehensive collections that are not cataloged by policy" [<http://wwwcrl.uchicago.edu/info/crlcat.htm>] include: foreign dissertations, college catalogs, U.S. State documents, and textbooks. Materials to be cataloged: additional newspaper holdings, archival materials in microform, and records for some South and Southeast Asian monographs in non-Roman languages. CRL provides information about the materials in these uncataloged collections through other means, and maintains separate databases for some. For more information see the CRL documents about the CRL catalog [<http://wwwcrl.uchicago.edu/info/crlcat.htm>] and databases [<http://wwwcrl.uchicago.edu/DBSearch/Search.html>].
The Task Force identified 3 options for making the CRL bibliographic records accessible to Cornell University Library users:
1) Loading CRL records into the CUL Catalog;
2) Loading CRL records into a separate database;
3) Direct linking to CRL from the OPAC screen.
Initially, most of the Task Force thought the ideal way to offer CRL's resources to patrons would be to load its records into Voyager so that CRL would appear as an "offsite facility" requiring interlibrary loan. We suspected this would be very expensive and set about exploring the costs. In addition to the exorbitant amount of almost $1,000,000 (includes purchasing the records, cleaning them up and maintaining them), we were particularly unsettled by the negative comments of the peer institutions who had tried it. Although, on the positive side, CRL use increased, many patrons were annoyed to find out that the records listed were not immediately available. It became a public services problem.
Loading CRL records into a separate database would not be as costly or confusing as integrating the records into the CUL catalog ($10,200 initial one-time cost & $600 per annual supplement). But it would necessitate a simultaneous search feature that is capable of eliminating duplicate displays in OPAC (CUL record v. CRL record). TSSU would not have the staff or time to maintain headings on this separate database.
Another option explored was to offer a choice at the top of each Voyager screen which would bring the patron directly to either CRL's original catalog or a version of CRL's catalog which looked like Cornell's Voyager. It seems that there were two negative points to this: the buttons would have to be at the top of every single Voyager screen and there would be no way to offer any description of CRL. On the positive side, it would be much less expensive than actually loading the records.
The best course of action the Task Force can recommend is a Web-based direct link to CRL from the OPAC .
The link would be relatively prominent to all users who click on the CU Catalog. Recently, CRL has introduced a consolidated web-based guide to its collections called CRL Quick Search. This Web page provides one click access to all the major tools used to gather information about CRL's holdings, including the CRL online catalog.
This offers the positive benefits of patron instruction and no extra costs: There would be a choice on Voyager's initial welcome screen worded "Online Catalog of the Center for Research Libraries (CRL)." By clicking, the patron would get to an explanatory page [App. 3]describing the benefits of CRL, the general scope of its holdings, and how to access the material through Cornell's Interlibrary Services department. A choice at that point would bring the patron to CRL Quick Search, a screen with links to the CRL catalog and the various collections by subject. This option would cost Cornell only the staff time to set it up.
[App. 1]
-Charge: "The purpose of this task force will be to identify and consider options for making the records of CRL holdings accessible to local users through the CUL OPAC. Such options might include, for example, loading CRL records directly into the Voyager database, loading the records into a separate CUL database that would be accessible through the OPAC, or linking from the OPAC to the CRL catalog. There may well be other possibilities. The task force should produce a report that will (a) list the options, (b) describe the utility of each option from the user perspective, (c) summarize the costs and work necessary to implement each option, and (d) recommend one of the options. The report will then be forwarded to the appropriate public services, technical services and collection development groups for input."
A Harvard CRL record as displayed in OPAC
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ANC5596 /ser
TITLE: Majallah-'i Bayaz.
PUB. INFO: Vol. 1, no. 1 (June 1977)-
Dihli [India] : Anjuman-i Farsi,
DESCRIPTION: v. ; 22 cm.
LINKING NOTES: Continues: Bayaz
SUBJECTS: *S1 Persian literature--India--Periodicals.
*S2 Persian language--Periodicals.
*S3 India--History--Periodicals.
LOCATION: Widener: Harvard Depository
C2 - Enter DISPLAY C2 for circulation information
NON-HARVARD
LOCATION: CRL (Chicago):
Center's holdings begin with: Vol. 2, no. 1/2, published in
1982.
Prototype of the OPAC Introductory Page With Link To CRL Guide
![[Image]](pict5.jpg)
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[CRL Guide]
[SHORT VERSION]
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The Center for Research Libraries (CRL)
A Guide
The Center for Research Libraries (CRL) is an international not-for-profit consortium and depository library of colleges, universities and libraries that makes available scholarly research resources to users everywhere. It collects materials rarely held in North American libraries. Cornell University Library, a voting member of CRL, borrows materials from its collection through interlibrary loan. CRL sets no limit on the amount of material it will lend and provides for a much longer loan period than the typical interlibrary loan. CUL customers currently have access to the CRL catalog via the Gateway and the Web. You can link to
(Search CRLCATALOG by: Author - Title - Words in the title - OCLC control no. ISBN/ISSN - Subject - Call Number - LCCN/PL480 Number )
and find out more about its Collections and Services:
(Providing Quick Access to Information about the Collections of the Center for Research Libraries:
*General Search Tools
*Special Collection Databases
*Collection Highlights
*CRL Digital Collections
*Borrowing Materials From CRL )
Cornell University Library Interlibrary Loan
Click to request any material you would like to borrow from CRL
[LONG VERSION - (Cont. SHORT VERSION)]
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To learn more about CRL, its collections and programs
Describing the collection components, details the parameters of the uncataloged collections, and lists significant sets in a subject arrangement.
CRL databases for materials not individually listed in the CRL online catalog: These databases provide additional means of access
that are not available in CRLCATALOG. For example, the CCC Camp newspapers allows you to search by the name of the camp, title of the camp
newspaper or camp location (273 matches for Oregon, 204 for Washington). The Foreign newspaper database allows you to search by language or
country of publication or give a range of dates that you'd like to find what newspapers are available.
c.1934 - 1942. The database contains over 5,000 titles, the entire collection has been filmed.
Center.
Area Study Microform Projects are included.
contains more than 2,000 titles.
CRL administers and coordinates the activities of six area studies microform projects: Cooperative Africana Microform Project (CAMP), Latin American
Microform Project (LAMP), Middle Eastern Microform Project (MEMP), Slavic and Eastern European Microform Project (SEEMP), South Asia
Microform Project (SAMP), and Southeast Asia Microform Project (SEAM). Each project has its own governance, by-laws, and fees.
Correspondence with Mary Wilke of CRL RE quotes & information
X-Sender: wilke@crlmail.uchicago.edu
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To: Ali Houissa <ah16@cornell.edu>
From: Mary Wilke <wilke@crlmail.uchicago.edu>
Subject: Re: Fwd: Re: Acquiring CRL Bib File
In-Reply-To: <4.2.0.58.20001218141404.00a6d200@postoffice.mail.cornell.edu>
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Please call me Mary. I would like to apologize for CRL not having all the information at our fingertips. Presently we have a quote from Auto-Graphics dated from mid-February 2000. The quote includes the following parts:
-Setup & Data Loading
-Authority Control
-Database Output
Each of the parts has a price tag. In the past, when BNA still did this, I know the total cost was divided up between the libraries which wanted to participate in this. The number of libraries who wanted to do so determined the individual cost per library (the more libraries, the lower the cost). From what I gather by the papers I have inherited, CRL was in the middle of determining the number of libraries that still wanted to partake in this.
In answering the memorandum that Adriana Pilecky-Dekajlo sent out to members to poll them on this question, she estimated the costs as follows:
-loading the entire database - $5,200 (for 520,000 bibliographic records)
-the annual supplments - between $500-$600, depending on the the number of titles cataloged that year
These estimates were based on the quote from mid-February 2000 from Auto-Graphics. I will meet with Auto-Fraphics at Midwinter to go over their quote, see what parts are actually necessary, determine if the quote needs revising, etc. I also know the actual cost is dependent on the number of participating libraries and many of the responding libraries qualified their answers with specifics. Unfortunately, Adriana left before she could investigate the issues raised by libraries qualifications. I have only recently been assigned this and have yet to fully familiarize myself with all the questions and issues.
I would like to ask you for help in understanding the process. Do you know if Authority control work is necessary? The specific things mentioned in this part of the quote are: Machine authority control, including database cleanup, standard data normalization.
Anyway I am meeting with Auto-Graphics at Mid-Winter to review everything with them. There I will also find out about the qualifications of some libraries, since whether or not they would be interested is dependent upon whether or not there concerns are real or not. At that point I am hoping to determine what an individual cost per library would be. Until then I would use the estimate Adriana used of $5,2000 for the whole file and the $500-$600 for annual updates. I hope this will help. Please accept my apologies for not being more up-to-date than this.
Sincerely,
Mary
Mary I. Wilke
Special Assistant to the President
Center for Research Libraries
6050 S. Kenwood Ave.
Chgo. IL 60637
Tel:(773) 955-4545 (x 351)
Fax:(773) 955-4339
E-mail: wilke@crlmail.uchicago.eduHttp://wwwcrl.uchicago.edu
X-Sender: wilke@crlmail.uchicago.edu
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To: Ali Houissa <ah16@cornell.edu>
From: Mary Wilke <wilke@crlmail.uchicago.edu>
Subject: Re: Acquiring CRL Bib File
In-Reply-To: <4.2.0.58.20010129105505.00b0e750@postoffice.mail.cornell.e du>
References: <3.0.6.32.20010104111431.008e19e0@crlmail.uchicago.edu>
<4.2.0.58.20010103152818.00a75b30@postoffice.mail.cornell.e du>
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Dear Ali:
I am preparing a letter I hope to have go out at the end of next week detailing the costs. The cost this time would be for purchasing all the records including the heading processing for authority records (ca. 520,000). We then plan to offer subsequent tapes on either an annual basis or perhaps more frequently if members are interested. These subsequent loads would be for new records after the point where autographics capture our OPAC records to begin processing this year.
The letter is not yet complete because I am waiting for one more bit of information from Autographics. Once I have that a letter will go out to all members who expressed interested. As the final purchase cost per member will depend on the number of members who want to purchase. Price is a consideration for some who expressed interest. I am hoping that we get firm commitments from those interested so we can determine the exact cost per purchasing member. The letter will also contain the name and contact information for a person at Autographics who will either be able to answer questions from the members or will be able to forward the question to someone at Autographics who can answer any questions. As CRL members use a variety of Integrated Library Systems, Autographics (rather than CRL) will be better able to handle technical questions. We will be able to offer the records in either tape format for loading, of FTP files (there is no difference in cost between the two methods of delivery). Individual purchasing members can then choose which method works best for them.
The records would be for the records in our OPAC. In the past when we used BNA to produce the tapes we sold, the records came from our records inOCLC. This time we are choosing to use the records in our OPAC which include more records than we have in OCLC (or RLIN for that matter). Since 1995 when CRL purchased the acquisitions module from III, we have bib records for items that we did not catalog by policy. (The III system does not allow you generate an order without having a bib record.) So while CRL did not catalog foreign doctoral dissertations purchased on demand, our OPAC had bib records for these items. Additionally since September 2000, CRL's circulation is totally automated for all items (not just hardcopy monographs as before September 2000). This means if we are circulating a traditionally uncataloged by policy item, a skeletal K-level record is being created in our OPAC. (But since we are a CONSER and BIBCO library we have not been putting these records into OCLC/RLIN.)
Two of the databases one can access from the Quick Search Page actually have records in them that are not found in our OPAC or in OCLC/RLIN. The CCC Camp papers database have records for individual items, while in our OPAC there is only an umbrella record for the whole set. This database grew out of a database used to manage our sales of copies of this material. As orders were usually for individual titles rather than a copy of the whole set, we needed a database that could manage and track the sales information.
Additionally the foreign doctoral dissertation database has many records in it that are not in our OPAC or OCLC/RLIN. This database grew out of my concern that CRL was only adding to the backlog of uncataloged doctoral dissertations when we merely added to our collection the items newly received from our deposit and exchange partners. I set up the database to record dissertations arriving in shipments from such exc hange partners as the Sorbonne, or St. Gallen's University, or University of Zurich, etc. Then I worked with our systems person to put the database up on the web and have it capable of being searched by patrons. We now have a procedure set up to record all newly deposited dissertations or those received on exchange. Because we can set defaults when entering new records, we can enter between 5 - 9 records in the database for every 1 MARC record created either in our OPAC or on OCLC. However as we are creating catalog records in our OPAC for anything that circulates if someone requests a title found in the dissertations database, and a record does not already exist in our OPAC, one is being created. Additionally, I am creating a management lists for dissertations that circulate and adding that information to the database. Furthermore, the old manual order records for demand purchase dissertations are being reconned into the dissertation database. I am working with a cataloger now to explore using LC's MARCMAKER to create MARC records from the records in the dissertation database that are not in our OPAC. I know it sounds complicated but the dissertation database allowed CRL to create more records for foreign doctoral dissertations than if we tried to catalog them. It's the reason we were able to get 15,000 records in the dissertation database in less than a year with no additional staff or money.
I hope this helps answer your question below. If my answer regarding dissertation records is confusing, I'm sorry. Please feel free to ask any more questions that would help clarify what is happening.
-Mary
**********************************
Mary I. Wilke
Special Assistant to the President
Center for Research Libraries
6050 S. Kenwood Ave.
Chgo. IL 60637
Tel:(773) 955-4545 (x 351)
Fax:(773) 955-4339
E-mail: wilke@crlmail.uchicago.edu
Http://wwwcrl.uchicago.edu
MEMORANDUM
TO: CRL MEMBERS
FROM: ADRIANA PILECKY-DEKAJLO, HEAD CATALOGING
DATE: 31 AUGUST 2000
RE LOADING CRL BIBLIOGRAPHIC FILE INTO LOCAL OPACs
For a number of years, the Center for Research Libraries contracted with Blackwell North America (BNA) for processing tapes of CRL's bibliographic records, putting these records out to tape or cassette, and providing them at cost to libraries interested in loading the records in their local OPACs. A couple of years ago, BNA sold their technical processes to OCLC however OCLC no longer provides the same services as BNA once did. Consequently, it is necessary to identify another vendor who can provide these services.
I have recently had positive discussions with Auto-Graphics regarding tape loading capabilities. Of course the technology has now changed so that sending records via FTP is feasible in addition to the earlier tape products. The purpose of this memo is to ask how many libraries would be interested in this service. To answer some questions…
Why should my library be interested in loading CRL's bibliographic file?
A number of libraries that have loaded CRL's bibliographic records (either as a separate database appearing on their menu screen or integrated in with the library's records) have noticed an increase in CRL requests. Loading CRL's bibliographic records leads to greater use of the CRL collection; hence a more effective use of an institution's membership dollars.
How frequently will I receive the records?
In the past, annual supplements were issued once the initial file was loaded. Because FTP-- ing the record is now a definite option, it is easier to increase the frequency of distributing the records.
How much will it cost?
This depends on how many libraries subscribe to the file. The method or determining costs is to divide them among the purchasing libraries. The more libraries subscribing to this service, the lower the cost.
Although the prices will be different with Auto-Graphics than they were with BNA, using BNA's figures, the cost for loading the entire database would be approximately $5,200.00 (for 520,000 bibliographic records); the annual supplements were between $500-600, depending on the number of titles cataloged that year. In addition to asking whether you are interested in purchasing CRL's bibliographic file, I would also like a sense of direction regarding how much would you be willing to pay for this service. Are the above prices within reason? Are they too high?
I would appreciate hearing from you by the end of September so I can get a sense of whether or not to move this project forward. Please feel free to contact me with your responses or any further questions you may have, by mail, fax, telephone, or e-mail (dekajlo@crlmail.uchicago.edu). Also, please note that expressing an interest in this service does not commit you to subscribing to this service at this time.
If you are not the appropriate person to review this decision, please pass this letter to the one on your staff who is.
Thank you for your help and consideration.
