Notes from a presentation delivered June 23, 2000
at the Fifty-fourth Annual Conference of the
American Theological Library Association
by Eileen Crawford

New technologies are providing libraries with the opportunity to employ more innovative strategies for cooperation.  The following is a proposal designed to coordinate Technical Services' workflow in ATLA member institutions.

Objectives of the Proposal 

• More  quality cataloging available for downloading in local system
• Better  cataloging through training and access to updated documentation
• Faster  processing of material through contractual arrangments with publishers and through participation in LC's Program for Cooperative Cataloging
• Cheaper  processing costs as % of PCC titles in OCLC increases

Assumptions of the Proposal

The proposal assumes that there are common collection patterns among groups of  ATLA libraries. These patterns may be built around 

• similar degree offerings 
• denominational affiliations 
• formalized collection sharing arrangements with other institutions. 

It also assumes a shared struggle with 

• rising costs 
• the need for higher skill levels to operate in an increasingly technological environment 
• ongoing training issues.

Seven Components of the Proposal

• Create a Theological Technical Services Website. The primary purpose for the website would be to provide links to OPACs and to house documentation generated by the ATLA Technical Services Section. Documentation specific to the needs of ATLA catalogers would be created reflecting the expertise of individual members. In addition, links to more generalized cataloging documentation provides a single access point for simplified workflow. The prototype of the website has the following features:

  • Links to the online OPACs of ATLA institutional members providing the denomination, classification scheme, collection strengths, automated system 
  • Links to online technical services documentation
  • Serial notices which provide updates on serial title changes, cessations, frequency changes and numbering problems
  • Denominational material which provides information to help catalogers determine corporate headings and denominational relationships to institutions and publications
  • Conversion tables for Dewey and Library of Congress classifications (in process)
  • Sub-heading for Bible (other possibilities are denominational and liturgical)

• Create a TSS listserv where cooperative projects can be coordinated and information shared. A listserv specific to TSS would also create a means to ask very specific question and answers which are not currently shared on ATLANTIS.
  
• Coordination of original cataloging through an allocation of particular series titles or publisher titles. Collection development patterns would dictate the various levels or breakdowns of groups of titles. Individual institutions could make arrangements with publishers to receive new titles in a particular prearranged category as priority or rush orders. The responsible institution would then execute a streamlined workflow to input a cataloging record into OCLC. Other institutions would benefit from the assurance that a record would be in the OCLC database when their copy of the title was received and revise their workflows accordingly. The contributing institution in turn would benefit from a similar pattern of record input by other institutions. Examples of breakdowns could be an arrangement between a group of libraries that shared a common list of series standing orders. Another could be a denominational group that purchased all or most titles of a particular publisher.
  
• A refinement of no. 3 would be the commitment of the institutions to become participants of the Program for Cooperative Cataloging (PCC). ATLA has had a funnel PCC program for several years coordinated by Judy Knop at ATLA headquarters. She has offered NACO (name authorities) and CONSER (serial records) training each year in conjunction with the ATLA annual conference. Adding BIBCO (bibliographic records) training would allow the institutions responsible for expedited OCLC input of a group of titles to enter them with PCC status. A much larger number of titles in the area of theology and religion could then be added to the cost efficient LC copy workstream producing a significant cost savings for all of the ATLA institutions.  In addition, participants are beneficiaries of ongoing training and documentation updates.
  
• Coordination of electronic cataloging of Internet resources. CORC is OCLC's initiative to create a database of records which can be used as a powerful Internet search engine. A group of ATLA libraries could coordinate a pilot project to create records in the CORC database. Tags or identifiers could be placed on the ATLA CORC records that would allow ATLA libraries to easily identify and download this subset of records either for addition into their database or to create pathfinders as a reference resource. Non-inputting ATLA libraries could suggest titles to catalog in CORC through the TSS listserve. OCLC has integrated the CORC database and the OCLC database which allows all members easy access to records for downloading into their own OPACs.
  
• ATLA could become the broker for products such as Cataloger's Desktop, Keyboard Express (macro software), and the purchase of a subset of CORC records created by ATLA libraries. Technical support for these products could be provided by TSS members volunteering their expertise via phone, e-mail, or the TSS listserve. These volunteers could help libraries successfully launch a product and its updates through step by step instructions mounted on the website, and whenever necessary supply multiple versions of the instructions for different software environments.  
  Note: Cataloger's Desktop is an electronic resource replacing LC paper documentation. New versions are issued to dynamically incorporate revisions.   
  
• An important aspect of a TSS website and listserve would be the opportunities for coordination with libraries internationally.  LC-Dewey conversion tables, language documentation, links to OPAC's internationally would be beneficial to all libraries. An exchange of expertise would over time create valuable relationships from which new ideas for cooperation could develop.