Date: Fri, 24 Feb 1995 08:45:12 -0500 (EST)
From: "LINSLEY, LAURIE" <LLINSLEY@IPO.SEMINOLE.CC.FL.US>
Subject: OULUG Minutes

                     OCLC Union Lists Users Group [OULUG]
                American Library Association Midwinter Meeting
                   Monday, February 6, 1995, 11:30am-12:30pm
             Philadelphia Marriott Hotel, Grand Ballroom, Salon C

     Laurie S. Linsley, Chair, called the meeting to order and
     greeted attendees. Approximately 36 people were present.
     Each person introduced herself/himself and indicated
     involvement with union lists.

     OCLC REPORT: Collette Mak reported that the transition from
     First System to PRISM went very smoothly for PRISM UL and
     the Name-Address Directory (NAD) thanks to an excellent job
     by Myrtle Myers, Loreta Martindale, Beth Baran and the rest
     of the team.  One of the major constraints on the project
     was that the offline process that produces Serials Union
     List Offline Product (SULOP) not be negatively impacted.
     With Union Listing in PRISM, Union Listing will compete
     with Cataloging, the NAD and ILL for resources for
     enhancements (small development efforts, no training
     required, no impact on offline products like SULOP) and
     projects (larger development effort, may require formal
     training, may impact offline or pc-based OCLC products).
     Ideas and suggestions for enhancements to the online system
     are welcome and can be sent to Myrtle Myers at OCLC
     (myrtle_myers@OCLC.org) or to your OCLC-Affiliated Regional
     Network.

     ANNOUNCEMENTS:
     MINITEX: Cecelia Boone gave a report on MINITEX consortium
     activities. These libraries handled the move to PRISM
     successfully.  Boone noted the use of the Union List for
     collection development activities.

     ANSI Z39.44-1986: Linsley asked for a volunteer to
     summarize/digest the standard for Union List users.  Ellen
     Rappaport announced that ANSI Z39.44-1986 is currently
     out-of-print.  Union Listers were also referred to the
     chapter on this standard in the _OCLC Union List User
     Guide_; however, libraries should try to obtain a copy of
     the standard and read it.

     1996 OULUG Chair: If you are currently participating in
     union listing either at a union listing library or as an
     agent, and are interested in chairing the OULUG, please
     contact Laurie Linsley. (llinsley@ipo.seminole.cc.fl.us).

     AUTOMATED LOCAL DATA RECORD UPDATING: What should it look
     like? How often should it be done?  Records could be FTP'ed
     to OCLC and vice-versa.  Another option is tape load.
     Whatever method is selected, it should be quick, cheap, and
     simple to do, said the attendees.  Some libraries do not
     participate in union listing even though they think it's
     important because they cannot afford to double key
     information.  When asked how to solve the problem several
     attendees said "have OCLC implement USMARC Format for
     Holdings."  Only two libraries in the group currently use
     USMARC for holdings in their local systems,  two others
     said they would have it in a year or two.  Other issues
     are:  How do we resolve the differences in the ways we have
     recorded data?  How do we collapse local systems' issue
     level records into a level 3 statement?

     Libraries need to remember the difference between the
     USMARC Holdings Format and Z39.44-1986.  USMARC formats are
     communications formats that provide a machine-readable
     structure that allows systems to communicate with one
     another.  Z39.44-1986, like AACR2 for cataloging, provides
     the rules for the content of the information that will be
     communicated by the MARC formats. Libraries do not only
     have to have the MARC format but must have input the
     information in the standard.  LDRs in local systems and in
     OCLC may be based on Z39.42-1980, Z39.44-1986 and
     Z39.57.1989 (non-serial).

     Ellen Rappaport, co-chair of the Z39.71 committee reported
     that the proposed standard is intended to combine the
     serials and non-serials standards.  The standard failed in
     its first balloting.  ANSI is looking at how to resolve the
     out-of-print Z39.44-1986 issue.  Until Z39.71 is a reality,
     libraries should follow Z39.44.  The more diligent
     libraries are in following the Z39.44-1986, the easier it
     will be for systems to maintain consistency as information
     is passed back and forth.

     OFFLINE PRODUCTS: Attendees indicated that there is still a
     strong need for the paper versions of SULOP even in the age
     of electronic access.  Send suggestions for improvements to
     the current SULOP to Myrtle Myers at OCLC.

     STATISTICS: There are currently 7.2 million Local Data
     Records in OCLC.  Union listing is very heavily used by
     Interlibrary Loan staff.

     Thanks to Jane Tupin for taking notes at this meeting.

     Laurie S. Linsley
     Chair, OULUG
     Internet: llinsley@ipo.seminole.cc.fl.us