Below is the minutes from the OCLC Union List of Serials User's Group which met at ALA Annual Conference, Summer 1997. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me. Posted to Serialst and ILL-L. Sorry for the duplication. Thanks Jane Jane Tupin * tupin@lib.de.us Delaware Division of Libraries * 43 S. DuPont Highway, Dover, DE 19901 (v) (302) 739-4748 ext. 151 * (f) (302) 739-6948 OCLC UNION LIST OF SERIALS USER'S GROUP ALA Annual Conference June 30, 1997 OCLC Update -Ellen Caplan provided an update on the LDR updating pilot project. The service will provide maintenance of holdings information. LDRs are accessible through FirstSearch, ILL, and Union List. When available, library data must conform to standards at level 3 or 4 and be able to provide holdings in USMARC. Summary holdings are at copy level and institution level. Technical Specifications are available at URL: http://www.oclc.org/oclc/specs/batch.htm The Pilot Project is using data from 3 libraries and the project should conclude in Dec 1997. The Product will hopefully be introduced in the second quarter of 1998. Watch for the Technical Bulletin. Libraries will have the same options (FTP, tape, cassette) that they have for batchload. NOTE: since ALA OCLC has decided that a Planning Guide would be more appropriate than a Technical Bulletin to help you prepare for batch LDR updating. NISO Standards Update -Marjorie Bloss, Center for Research Libraries The NISO standard for Union List is in final revision. It should be distributed to NISO soon. Voting should take place near the end of the year. For electronic serials, if a library "has control" over a serial, then holdings should be reflected. Holdings for papers and electronic serial may look different. Holdings for electronic serials may be put on record for paper ed. Discussion of Union listing -Collette Mak, OCLC OCLC is conducting a series of structured discussion on union listing with various groups as a way to help understand the pressures and challenges facing union listing and how OCLC can help provide libraries with the services and tools they need to meet those challenges. Traditional Union listing is changing. Libraries are forming small, less structured groups for resource sharing. The new environment may mean the end of the large formal union list groups. At the same time, the group sees OCLC's custom holdings for union list to be a very positive move. They understand the value to ILL, perhaps more than ILL does. Problems for traditional ILL such as license agreements and full-text on-line are also threats to union listing. OPACs and open access to systems is a threat to the standards they follow; when forced to choose between standards for union listing and their OPAC displays libraries abandon the standards. Users of UL data. ILL Borrowing is the primary user of UL data. They have always been the primary user and will continue to be the primary user. Other users of UL data are collection development, reference and all end-users (internal and external). The group made a clear distinction between consumers of UL data and providers of UL data. They asked for a user heading called 'maintenance' users and included union list agents and technical services. Problems solved by UL ILL borrowing needs--who has what. Lenders are also served by UL because when borrowers use UL data lenders don't waste time on requests they can't fill. Paper union lists are still useful--paper is portable and doesn't require there be a terminal and telecom at every desk. Paper union lists also provide convenience and ease of use (everyone knows how to flip pages). Union lists (any format) combine information and avoid having to search OPAC-by-OPAC. Union lists are also used for collection development, end-users, finding what has been microfilmed. A particular advantage of paper union lists is that, after the initial purchase, there are no other costs to use. Changes effecting UL OPACs and the web have had a major impact on union listing. Library groups are forming on less formal lines than before because it's easier, libraries also joining multiple groups. Funding for the large formal groups is less secure, when libraries are asked to pick up funding they often leave the group. OPACs often show serials holdings information. Libraries often choose to support end-user 'standards' rather than the formal serials standards--no one wants to double key information. End-user expectations for information have changed, they expect to be able to point and click to get to almost any kind of information. OCLC's move to the new platform has helped union listing. Custom Holdings for union lists has made union list information much more accessible to ILL. The Future Standards, license agreements, web access, funding will all be critical to the future of union listing. Full-text is often not really 'full'--not all issues and articles are covered. Ownership and access is no longer an accurate description, it's materials under local control vs. materials accessed without local control. Libraries need to: Upgrade hardware and software, get more and better equipment. Staff needs to know about the technologies--they often know less than the students. The license agreement problem needs to be solved so libraries can continue to share as they have. Union Listers need to find ways to make union listing " make union listing 'easier, safer, more approachable" for librarians, union listers and end-users OCLC needs to: Reduce the costs of participation in union listing. Offer batch updating as soon as possible and support more formats for output. Profiling should be faster and easier, forms should be simpler and offered on the web.
