I've seen the messages earlier today about people being glad CONSER is
considering allowing non-participants to modify some records.  We've
been working on that pilot project since December, so I thought I'd
add a little to the discussion.

Our work on the project has been updating records for ceased publications
and title changes.  It's been very easy to work into our normal procedures,
and has made some of our work easier, particularly not having to wait
for records to be modified before we could download them.  Our shelves of
materials waiting for records to be updated have decreased considerably, to
almost nothing, now.  Our Serials Dept. includes cataloging, Central Serials
Records, and a public service unit that serves current, bound and microform
serials.  The staff at the public service desk have even noticed that
the more paid updating of records in our database has helped their work.

The scope of the pilot project was just expanded to allow us to also work
on records in cases of suspensions and resumptions, and to allow addition
of 246 fields in certain situations.

I've suggested to the project managers that we also be allowed to
update frequency information, as well as correct errors such as typos and
wrong tagging.  I'd also like to be able to replace unformatted 362 fields with
formatted ones when we can verify that information from our holdings.
Unfortunately, I didn't send in those suggestions till just after the April
CONSER meetings, so they didn't have a chance to consider them then.

I must also admit that it's kind of neat seeing your own 3-letter symbol
in the 040 field!

UC at San Diego, Vanderbilt, and a few other libraries are also
working with this project.  Would anyone from those institutions add
anything about it?

Steve Savage
University of Kentucky Libraries
Lexington, KY  40506-0039
Phone:  (606) 257-8387
Internet:  smsava01@ukcc.uky.edy