OCLC Union List Users Group
Midwinter 1996
San Antonio, Texas
January 22, 10:30-11:30

Welcome and introductions:  Dave Iverson (chair) was unable to attend.
 Attendees gave their names and institutions.  Collette invited those
interested in chairing the group after summer ALA to contact herself or Dave
Iverson.

Dave:  (515) 271-2958  e-mail  david@lib.drake.edu
Collette:  (800) 848-5878  e-mail  makc@oclc.org

OCLC Update:  (Collette Mak)  Custom Holding displays will be extended to
union lists in 1996.   Custom holdings will allow ILL staff to create their
own, custom, union lists.  Displays will include both symbols with LDRs and
those with just three letter symbols.   Spring 96 OCLC will begin a
feasibility study, in partnership with two libraries, for batch updating of
LDRs for libraries that can provide output in USMARC Holdings Format (or
very like) and, have adhered to NISO standards for content.  Once built, the
process will be expanded to accommodate additional libraries.  The partner
libraries will be chosen based on technical considerations.   OCLC has just
completed a study of holdings information and its effect on ILL fill rates;
the data showed that LDR data was the single most critical piece data
necessary for ensuring high ILL fillrates.  OCLC plans to post the results
to its listserv and hopes to publish the study in the library literature.

NISO Update:  (Myrtle Myers)  Ellen Rapport was unable to attend.
Work on the combined serial and non-serial holdings standard is progressing.
 ISO has passed a holdings standard at the summary level that is easy to
read and understand.  The committee is using that document as a starting
point and is in the process of  adding detailed holdings information and
making changes where the ISO standard differs from the ANSI/NISO standards.

Enhancements for Union List of Serials: (Myrtle Myers)  Serials Union List
Offline Products--OCLC is making progress on correcting filing errors (e.g.
USA Today).   Myrtle said *I*ve seen reports with USA filing correctly but
the process that creates the union lists is very complex--we need to make
sure that we didn*t break anything in the process of fixing this!*

OCLC is looking for suggestions on how to improve the online union list
system to make your work easier.  If you have any ideas for enhancements,
contact Myrtle Myers at (800) 848-5778 or myersm@oclc.org.

Union listing electronic journals:  (group) What is an electronic journal?
 Does that mean CD ROM as well as online? Do we put e-format journals in our
OPACS (a few-yes, most--no)   CD ROM coverage isn*t consistent; some
libraries listed them but had to take them out because it caused  problems
for users.  If you union list, you may get requests but be unable to supply
because of license agreements.  But, union listing might be very
important--the title could be a joint purchase and everyone in the group
needs to have access to the holdings information.  Everyone is facing the
same problems but no one has answers yet--needs further discussion.

Future topics for OIUG: (group)  The Union List User Group will offer a
speaker to the OCLC ILL User Group.   An overlapping meeting with the ILL
group could foster communication and provide a forum to discuss topics
of mutual interest.

 Collette will carry the suggestion back to the ILL User Group.  Please send
your suggestions for future topics to Dave Iverson or Collette Mak