Forwarded with the permission of Mark Watson
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 25 May 2006 12:43:32 -0700
From: Mark Watson <mrwatson@UOREGON.EDU>
To: PCCLIST@LISTSERV.LOC.GOV
Subject: [PCCLIST] PCC Statement on LC Series Authority Record Change
"The Program for Cooperative Cataloging is an international cooperative
effort aimed at expanding access to library collections by providing useful,
timely, and cost-effective cataloging that meets mutually-accepted standards
of libraries around the world."
The Program for Cooperative Cataloging (PCC) has been and continues to be a
successful and dynamic program. Its achievements are based on the
voluntary cooperation of member libraries that range from small to large to
very large, including the Library of Congress. All of these libraries agree
to adhere to established standards when creating records that will be
stamped with the imprimatur of the PCC. While each member library is
expected to meet a certain threshold of production each year, there is no
expectation that every record produced will conform to PCC standards. This
is a vital and important point. Each PCC library is accorded the freedom
and the right to determine its own internal policies and procedures and the
level to which its total cataloging output will conform to PCC conventions.
There is nothing in the PCC guidelines to abrogate a member's flexibility to
contribute nationally as well as to accommodate local needs and practices.
In recognition of this fundamental aspect of PCC participation, the PCC
Policy Committee (PoCo) formally recognizes and supports the right of the
Library of Congress (LC) to make cataloging decisions in its own best
interest. In this regard, PoCo is treating LC the same as it would any
other member library and is unwilling to take a stand against LC's decision
to discontinue series authority control. Taking this position may sound
strange to some given the consternation expressed by segments of the library
community; however, the stance makes sense given the type of organization
that PCC strives to be. Were a poll to be conducted, it would not be
surprising to find nearly as many different opinions about the series
decision as there are PCC trained catalogers. Therefore, if consensus
exists, it does so only on the point that all PCC members participate at a
level that works for them.
That said it is impossible to ignore the fact that this particular change in
LC cataloging policy has widespread ramifications-especially in a context
where, until now, there has been a one-to-one correspondence between LC and
PCC standards. Over the past several weeks, many thoughtful documents have
detailed the potential impacts of the decision, sparking debate about
end-user interest in controlled series access, the cost/benefit of providing
it, the amount of additional effort that may be required to perform series
work that LC will no longer be doing as well as developing policy and
maintaining needed documentation. These are issues that will continue to
engage the PCC and the bibliographic community at large for some time to
come. Several meetings at the upcoming ALA Annual Conference in New
Orleans-the ALCTS Forum on the Library of Congress Series Authority Record
Decision (Friday, 6/23, 4:00 p.m.) and the PCC Participants Meeting (Sunday,
6/25, 4:00 p.m.), will be devoted to continuing the dialogue on these
topics.
For the moment, PoCo wants to make it clear that PCC series policy remains
unchanged. Member libraries that believe value is derived from series
authority control are encouraged to continue this work in accordance with
established guidelines and procedures. The Policy and Operations groups,
along with the three standing committees, will continue to work together
with the PCC Steering Committee, including the Library of Congress as it
executes its role as the PCC Secretariat, in order to facilitate this
transition to a future without LC series control.
Submitted by Mark R. Watson, Policy Committee Chair, 2005/06 on behalf of
PoCo(mrwatson@uoregon.edu).
