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Technical Services Standing Committee

Web site support for the Technical Services Standing Committee, a part of the FLVC Members Council for Library Services.

Project List for FLVC

Background

The TSSC channels projects from the colleges and universities to FLVC. A project comes to TSSC for various reasons:

  • It requires coordination or consensus because it affects both colleges and universities.  Example: Aleph password changes
  • It directly affects just colleges or universities, but it significantly impacts the FLVC resources available to all. Example: Update Y for the universities
  • The universities or colleges are the genesis for the project, but it has utility for both systems.  Example: PDA01 for PDA/DDA/UDA/etc. discovery records

When the TSSC was established in August 2013, it inherited the Shared Bib Priorities from the old SUS Shared Bib Task Force. One of its early acts was to approve these as FLVC projects. More recently, the TSSC has received the CAM Response to the Shared Bib Problems and Issues Task Force to act on. The committee examined the existing projects, the CAM projects, and an additional list of projects to create a revised priority list for FLVC.

FLVC Projects from the "CAM Response to Shared Bib Problems and Issues Task Force"

The following projects are the numbered projects recommended for FLVC action in the CAM Response. They're listed in the priority order as assigned by CAM after polling the SUS main, law and health libraries. 

Cleanup of existing records: work with FLVC to identify non‐OCLC record sets with OCLC numbers in the 035.

FLVC comment: This likely is a long-term, ongoing project. FLVC will need to work with the SULs to identify sets of records where the 035 (OCoLC) should be flipped to a 599. There may be overlap with project number 3.

FLVC identified two phases to this project: records with holdings for just one SUS library, and records with holdings for multiple SUS libraries.

Phase 1: multiple 035 fields, single holding

FLVC staff would identify the bibs with multiple 035s with OCLC numbers and non-OCLC numbers, but a holding for just one library. We then would analyze the records for patterns and identify subsets for cleanup. Working with SUS library staff, we would identify the criteria for record cleanup. If further analysis identifies records as OCLC records, the non-OCLC 035 would be moved to another tag or deleted. If records are non-OCLC records, the OCLC 035 would be moved to a 599 field. This process would be repeated for each identified subset of records.

Phase 1 total elapsed time: 19 weeks

9/1/15 update: Work began in mid-March 2015. Around 290,000 bibs were identified initially for cleanup. As of 9/1/15, around 420,000 bibs have been cleaned up. This number includes multi-holding records for some vendor sets. A new report run in late August identified about 149,000 records remaining for Phase 1 cleanup, bringing the total number of identified records to nearly 569,000. Projected completion date: late September or mid-October 2015

10/12/15 update: Nearly 460,000 bibs have been cleaned up.

11/9/15 update: 473,056 bibs have been cleaned up. FLVC is targeting the end of 2015 to complete this phase. We will move immediately into work on Phase 2.

Phase 2: multiple 035 fields, multiple holdings

FLVC staff would identify the bibs with multiple 035s with OCLC numbers and non-OCLC numbers and holdings for multiple libraries. We then would analyze the records for patterns and identify subsets for cleanup. Working with SUS library staff, we would identify the criteria for record cleanup. If further analysis identifies records as OCLC records, the non-OCLC 035 would be moved to another tag or deleted. If records are non-OCLC records, the OCLC 035 would be moved to a 599 field. This process would be repeated for each identified subset of records. Further analysis would be performed to determine if additional phases are needed.

Phase 2 total elapsed time: 42 weeks

9/1/15 update: As mentioned in the Phase 1 report, multi-holding records for some vendor sets are being cleaned up under Phase 1. The records are in well-defined sets, such as Marcive, where it’s clear how the 035 fields should be handled for everyone. Analysis of the multi-holding sets is underway. Around 490,000 records with multiple holdings have been identified for cleanup. The cleanup of some sets may not be feasible, primarily more recent ebook records where it’s not clear which vendor was the source of the record. These records overlap with Project 3 (holdings on incorrect record). Projected completion date for the feasible cleanup: spring-summer 2016

4/5/16 update: Phase 2 cleanup was launched in February 2016. 97,236 bibs have been cleaned up as of 4/5/16.

Create centralized clearinghouse for vendor loads done by the SULs.

FLVC comment: Technically not difficult. It's a matter of setting up a Google spreadsheet or some other framework that can be updated by library staff. Initial population can possible be done using the spreadsheet of approved GenLoad profiles.

FLVC would obtain specs from SUS library staff on the fields and columns required for the spreadsheet. We would then create and post a Google spreadsheet pre-populated with historical data for SUS library staff to use. Once the prototype was approved by the TSSC, the spreadsheet would be released to SUS library staff with instructions for use.

Total elapsed time: 10 weeks

9/1/15 update: The CAM Bibliographic Control and Discovery Subcommittee is working on a partial solution

If possible, identify those holdings incorrectly attached to vendor records based on the presence of the OCLC number and move holdings to an appropriate OCLC record.

FLVC comment: Likely another long-term, ongoing project. Some of this work may already be done by FLVC as part of the regular database maintenance. This work may require too much human intervention to do in batch, which will make it slow-going.

9/1/15 update: This would be a difficult project and have a low return on the time and effort invested. This is a long-term project that can be done after migration to the new ILS. Recommend tabling this project, at least until after migration.

Work with FLVC to document progress on centralized batch load records

FLVC comment: Technically not difficult. This likely can be done by FLVC staff with less-specialized skills (not the same staff who would work on 1-3, 5)

FLVC staff would work with SUS and FCS library staff to identify the parameters needed for the report, e.g. fields and filters for examining groups of loads. We would develop a mechanism to output data about batch loads for a new database/spreadsheet of information about the batch loads that could be used for reporting. The permanent solution would update the database/spreadsheet automatically. Until that project was complete, FLVC staff would update an interim spreadsheet manually.

9/1/15 update: Phase 1 of the TSSC approved project to better communicate to the libraries the bib records loaded by FLVC is in place. The spreadsheet has been created and is manually updated on a daily basis. For phase 2, we are considering how to automate the population of the spreadsheet.

Explore possibilities for adding constraints to matches (e.g. requiring matches to be made only against records with the same format as the incoming record).

FLVC comment: Unclear how difficult this would be. Much depends on how good the incoming records are and the functionality available in the Aleph loaders.

FLVC staff would consult with Harvard and Ex Libris about an Aleph mechanism developed for Harvard that includes format and other data elements in data load matching. We would implement and test the changes. If successful, the solution would be moved to production Aleph.

9/1/15 update: The Harvard solution does not meet FLVC needs. Problem has been lessened by loading PDA discovery records into PDA01, and by the Project 1 cleanup (OCLC numbers in vendor records). Implementing a format check during loading has been made more complex by the current mix of AACR2 and RDA records, which encode format in different fields.

Other Projects

Change 85641 to 85640 for licensed e-resources for the colleges
9/1/15 update: FCS fields with 85641 were changed to 85640 in April 2015. For new records, the data load programs were modified to change 85641 to 85640 at the time of loading.
Clean up HOLs converted from DRA to Aleph for the colleges
9/1/15 update: FLVC is reviewing methods for accomplishing this task. This will be an ongoing process for the next few months.
Clean up old ACQ-CREATED and CIRC-CREATED records for the colleges
9/1/15 update: ACQ-Created record cleanup is wrapping up. There is one remaining college that has just finished reviewing their report, and has begun their clean-up.
 
Consistent treatment of e-resources across FCS and SUS
9/1/15 update: Consistent treatment of eResources across FCS and SUS requires information-gathering, discussions, and consensus-building as well as technical solutions. Staff who would work on this are working on higher-priority cleanup projects. No estimated start or completion date.
Consistent definition of format types in bibs (e.g. streaming video, e-resources) across FCS and SUS
9/1/15 update: A subcommittee of TSSC is continuing to work on suggestions for merging the format types in the SUS and FCS systems. FLVC is currently testing these recommendations to see if they will work properly in each environment.
Clean up copy data in item record enumeration fields
9/1/15 update: By April 2015, FLVC had identified and fixed approximately 90,000 item records that seemed to be causing improper information to display when a user places a request using UBorrow. FLVC will continue to identify records that are incorrect and make batch changes when necessary.

FLVC Projects Tabled per TSSC Meeting 2/16/15

The following are the current, active projects transmitted from TSSC to FLVC or submitted as cases to FLVC on behalf of a CSUL committee. Source of the project is in parentheses. This report was presented to the TSSC at the 12/10/2014 meeting (see 12/10/2014 TSSC Minutes). Work on the projects was suspended as of the 2/16/15 TSSC meeting.

  • Centralized link-checking for the SUS (Shared Bib Priorities)
  • Transfer local fields and notes from records in UXU10 to corresponding records in LCA10 (Shared Bib Priorities)

WAS:LCA10 editing -- Authorities Subcommittee cancelled this request for library staff permissions to transfer local notes from UXU10 to LCA10 records. FLVC staff will do this work instead.

  • p_File_90 and GenLoad changes (SBTF PDA Task Group Report) (Shared Bib Priorities)
  • FLVC should reconfigure the File-90 match and merge routines so that print records do not match electronic records.
  • ISBNs (ebrary, Coutts) (Shared Bib Priorities)
  • Change 035_9 to 035__ CAS-48635-T3R4 submitted by FSU on behalf of CAM
  • Change 85641 to 85640 for licensed e-resources CAS-45120-L4R1 submitted by FSU on behalf of CAM; changes in progress

FLVC Project tabled per TSSC meeting 4/13/15

Optimal use of FAST headings in Aleph and Mango CAS-34358-Q8J9 submitted by UF on behalf of TSSC

FLVC Project Analysis 2/11/15

The FLVC library support work group met on 2/11/15 to discuss the TSSC list of projects. We analyzed the steps to accomplish each project, estimated the staff required to work on each step (both FLVC and library staff), and estimated the time required to do the work. All of this is summarized in FLVC Cleanup Projects Report for TSSC dated 2/13/2015.

Be aware that the time given is elapsed time, i.e. time from start to finish. It’s not clock time spent on each step. The assumption is that the FLVC staff working on a project would still be doing their regular library support work and would not spend 100% of their time each day on the project.

Completed Projects

The following are TSSC projects that have been completed or cancelled.

  • RDA implementation in Aleph and Mango - In production
  • LCA10 editing - Authorities Subcommittee cancelled this request for library staff permissions to transfer local notes from UXU10 to LCA10 records. FLVC staff will do this work instead.
  • UPD Y implementation - In production 9/19/14. Project information on the UPD Y Implementation page
  • FLVC should devise a method of excluding discovery records from the file-90 match & merge routines. - In production 3/31/14. PDA01 PDA01 for discovery records was implemented in production Aleph 3/31/14. On day 1, PDA01 contained all FCS discovery records and the shared SUS PDA discovery records. All new PDA/DDA/xDA plans load into PDA01 (first priority for PDA01 projects). Discovery records for older plans are migrated to PDA01 as FLVC resources are available (second priority for PDA01 work).
  • Delete old, invalid NetLibrary eBook records for the colleges and universities CAS-49127-V3B4 submitted by FIU on behalf of the FLVC Collection Management & E-Resources Standing Committee - Completed 1/28/15.
  • Enhanced Aleph login security - Completed 4/14/15.