Register for 2021 Virtual Interest Group Week

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About the Group
The Cataloging Norms Interest Group offers a forum for the exploration, communication, and exchange of ideas on the dynamics and evolution of cataloging/metadata norms and workflows. We encourage and seek out participation from anyone with an interest in cataloging – from public, academic, school or special libraries – regardless of experience level or training.

Presentations

“Accurately Representing Diverse Human Experiences in a Rapidly Changing Vernacular” presented by Emory LaPrade
The LGBTQ+ acronym has gained many more letters over the last few decades due primarily to terms’ invention or promotion on the vast platform of the internet. These changes happen rapidly, while adapting the LCSH and LCNAF is a slow and Sisyphean task. This presentation examines ways to balance being respectful of LGBTQ+ identities with vocabulary that may not always be the most representative of those experiences.

“A cataloging platform that significantly reduces the cost & complexity of bibliographic cataloging within public libraries and supports interlibrary exchange of public-domain bibliographic records” presented by Tris Shores
An experimental cloud-connected software cataloging platform (PredictiveBIB) that uses predictive-algorithms and crowdsourced-metadata to simplify & accelerate creation of bibliographic records. The core innovation is the use of algorithms to process bibliographic metadata in order to predict subject headings for the item being cataloged. PredictiveBIB connects to an experimental cloud repository that allows sharing of bibliographic records containing a record-level CC0 statement (optional). This technology promotes equity, inclusion, and innovation by supporting creation, enrichment and exchange of public-domain bibliographic records between public libraries.

“Evaluating different sources for providing missing series information” presented by Graeme Williams
If you’re willing to abandon the rule that the 490 field is transcribed, you can help your patrons by filling in missing series information. For Science Fiction and Fantasy, isfdb.com provides a convenient downloadable copy of their database, but how good is the data? I looked at 2,000 records for SF&F books. Isfdb.com provided series information for 97 records without a 490 field. Hand-checking showed that the accuracy was fair but not good enough. I ran the author & title from the 97 records against both Novelist and Goodreads. Novelist provided almost no series data, but the series data from Goodreads was excellent — good enough for automatic remediation. I’ll explain the methodology, summarise the data, and discuss what good enough means.

Learn more about the Cataloging Norms Interest Group.
Contacts: Susan Martin (susan.martin@mtsu.edu); Alexander Whelan (aw3195@columbia.edu)

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Presented by the Linked Data Interest Group.

When accessing or referencing linked data resources, catalogers or metadata librarians may encounter statements that seem incorrect. Sometimes linked data authorities for entities, particularly individuals and organizations, contain factual errors. How can these potential issues be assessed? Can individuals provide constructive feedback to the organization that hosts the authority record(s)? This session will discuss these issues, and how best practices may differ for different platforms and data sources.

Panelists

• Paul Frank, NACO/SACO Coordinator, Cataloging Policy Specialist, Library of Congress
• Jonathan Ward, Senior Editor, Getty Vocabulary Program, Getty Institute
• Nathan B. Putnam, Director, Metadata Quality, Global Product Management, OCLC

Moderators

• Annamarie Klose and Benjamin Riesenberg, LDIG co-chairs (moderators)

Learn more about the Linked Data Interest Group
Contacts: Benjamin Riesenberg (ries07@uw.edu); Annamarie Klose (klose.16@osu.edu)

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View the books recommended by the group during the discussion

The Imagineering Interest Group focuses on science fiction and fantasy books. Join us for a mix of book talk and future dreams for the IG.

Learn more about the Imagineering Interest Group.
Contact: Athina Livanos-Propst (alivanospropst@pbs.org)

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The session will consist of an extended presentation by three members of the University of Washington Libraries’ Cataloging and Metadata Services Unit.

Using RDA in Sinopia

As a cohort institution in the LD4P2: Pathway to Implementation project, staff members in the University of Washington Libraries’ Cataloging and Metadata Services unit created bibliographic descriptions in the Sinopia Linked Data Editor. The project team selected entities and properties from the Resource Description and Access (RDA) data model when designing the templates required for use of the Editor. Team members will discuss their motivations for implementing RDA in Sinopia, what the implementation process was like, challenges in converting the resulting RDA data to BIBFRAME, and prospects for interoperability between these two models.

Speakers

• Theodore, Gerontakos, Head, Metadata and Cataloging Initiatives Unit, Cataloging and Metadata Services, University of Washington Libraries
• Jian Ping Lee, Chinese Cataloging & Metadata Librarian, Tateuchi East Asia Library, University of Washington Libraries
• Benjamin Riesenberg, Metadata Librarian, Cataloging and Metadata , University of Washington Libraries

Learn more about the Bibliographic Conceptual Models Interest Group.
Contacts: Thomas Dousa (tmdousa@uchicago.edu); Elizabeth Baus (eebaus@umn.edu)

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The Technical Services Managers in Academic Libraries Interest Group (TSMALIG) features roundtable discussions on topics of interest to technical services managers and practitioners. The subjects come from the members’ own experiences, and it’s a chance to meet people and share some practical ideas about the challenges we’re all facing.

Learn more about the Technical Services Managers in Academic Libraries Interest Group.

Contact: Lauren DeVoe (led2150@columbia.edu); Greg Ferguson (greg.ferguson@nyu.edu)

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Join your ebook colleagues from throughout the industry – librarians, publishers, distributors, authors, experts – for our inaugural discussion in our new home in the Core Division. Co-conveners Stephen Spohn of Ocean State Libraries (RI) and Michael Blackwell of St. Mary’s County Library (MA) will facilitate a discussion of the purpose of the group, updates from attendees and 2021 goals for ebooks. All are welcome!

Learn more about the Ebooks Interest Group.
Contact: Stephen Spohn (sspohnjr@gmail.com)

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Join a discussion on intersecting interests between publishers, vendors, and libraries and how we can work together to promote better communication and collaboration. We will also consider ideas for topics of upcoming ALA programs.

Discussion Leaders: Ellen Amatangelo and Ajaye Bloomstone

Learn more about the Publisher-Vendor-Library Relations Interest Group.
Contacts: Ellen Amatangelo (ellen_amatangelo@byu.edu); Ajaye Bloomstone (llajaye@lsu.edu); Beverly D. Charlot (bcharlot@nccu.edu); Carolyn Morris (carolynm95@yahoo.com)

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Presented by the Metadata Interest Group.

Faced with campus closures, a University of Houston Libraries team developed plans to engage student employees in creating closed captions for hundreds of archival videos on the Libraries’ Audio/Video Repository. Panelists will describe the project and address unique challenges related to transcribing archival content, including dated and offensive content.

Presenters

• Emily Vinson, Audiovisual Archivist at University of Houston Libraries
• Andrew Weidner, Digitization Operations Coordinator at University of Houston Libraries

Learn more about the Metadata Interest Group.
Contacts: Darnelle Melvin (darnelle.melvin@unlv.edu); Anne Washington (awashin8@central.uh.edu)

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LC update for 2020
Presented by Janis Young
Policy, Training, and Cooperative Programs Division
Library of Congress

The regular update from the Library of Congress.

PCC WikiData Pilot Project: Fun ‘n’ Learning: A report
By Jesse A Lambertson
Metadata & Digital Resources Librarian
D’Angelo Law Library (UChicago)

A few librarians from University of Chicago joined the PCC WikiData pilot project to learn: how Wikidata might help UChicago’s collection metadata, how to enhance LCNAF entries with WikiData IDs, about the WikiData community generally, and whatever else could not be planned for in advance. This short presentation will detail these goals as they were applied to the UChicago Library’s Middle East Photograph Archive metadata.

Learn more about the Authority Control Interest Group.
Contact: Melanie Polutta (mpol@loc.gov)

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The New Core Preservation Administration Interest Group will discuss where we go from here now that ALCTS is part of Core. Bring your ideas on how we fit into Core, how we distinguish our group within this new division, and who we might collaborate with for Annual/Midwinter meetings. We are open to anyone in ALA who is interested in preservation issues in libraries. You do not need to be a member of Core to join us.

Learn more about the Preservation Administration Interest Group.
Contacts: Beth Doyle (b.doyle@duke.edu); Sabrena Johnson (sjohnso6@tulane.edu)

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TSWEIG’s charge is to provide a forum to exchange information and discuss techniques in workflows associated with the evaluation, selection, acquisition, and discovery of library resources.

As we explore these topics during 2021 Core Interest Group Week, TSWEIG is excited to feature two presentations:

Michael P. Williams, Head of Global Studies Technical Services, University of Pennsylvania Libraries & Beth Picknally Camden, Patricia and Bernard Goldstein Director of Information Processing, University of Pennsylvania Libraries present Batch is the New Bespoke: Integrating Web Scraping, Batch Metadata Tools, and Streamlined Cataloging Workflows into Technical Services. The Global Studies Technical Services unit has adopted tools and processes that get metadata into records in batch and put resources in the hands of users as quickly as possible. Internally, this involves adopting web-scraping tools using Google Sheets’ various capabilities; and, externally, we have worked with technology experts at other libraries to test, improve, and integrate their tools into our workflows. These batch tools, plus others, have transformed cumbersome copy-and-paste transactions into holistic activities that support library catalog metadata through its lifecycle and provide diverse and inclusive language data. By embracing efficient tools and emphasizing product over process, we have begun to create sustainable procedures that will clear backlogs and ensure our diverse users find what they are looking for.

Jennifer M. Eustis, Metadata Librarian, University of Massachusetts Amherst will present Collaborations, Consortia, Conundrums, where she will talk about the different types of collaborations necessary to ensure that the migration to FOLIO, their consortium’s new library service platform, is as successful as possible. The University of Massachusetts Amherst is part of the Five College Consortium, where as a consortium they will migrate to the open source library service platform FOLIO.

Learn more about the Technical Services Workflow Efficiency Interest Group.
Contacts: Jesse Lambertson (lambertson@uchicago.edu); Sarah Cruz (sarah.cruz@library.gatech.edu)

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Deep Learning for Librarians presented by John Hessler

This short talk hosted by the Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Libraries Interest Group will provide an introduction to deep and machine learning for librarians and offer information on the upcoming plans as this new interest group starts its first year of work and programming.

Learn more about the Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Libraries Interest Group.
Contacts: Jay Forrest (jay.forrest@library.gatech.edu); John Hessler (jhes@loc.gov)

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Presented by the Catalog Management Interest Group

Presentations

“Keep calm and migrate on: Getting Buy In for Consortial Changes During a Migration” presented by Jennifer M. Eustis, Metadata Librarian, UMass Amherst
Library systems migrations are disruptive. Cleanup projects start sometimes years in advance. Workflows and processes are reviewed and often are changed. There might be staff who remember the last migration with not so fond memories of it. Other staff might be afraid of how their workflows are changing and if those changes will upend years of work. Others might push for more radical changes making those who don’t want changes even more nervous. There are numerous working parts and gears. All too often communication becomes an issue. How, when, and what to communicate to which groups is not always evident. Imagine this at the consortial level. In this presentation, I will share how the Five College Consortium has adapted and built on a grassroots approach to communication and decision making called open houses for our migration project.

“OCLC Data Sync Reports with Python” presented by Colin Bitter, Head of Cataloging and Metadata, R. Barbara Gitenstein Library, The College of New Jersey
OCLC’s data sync program within Collection Manager allows OCLC member libraries to synchronize their holdings in WorldCat. While the service is convenient and easy to use, the post processing reports delivered by OCLC need to be examined in order to consistently align data between a local ILS/LSP and WorldCat. What to do with each report can be confusing, particularly in light of OCLC’s updates to the program in summer 2020; indeed, as many as eight reports can be generated for each file of records sent to OCLC. What should be done with upgraded OCLC numbers? Do newly created bibs in WorldCat need attention? Do all reports require attention? This presentation will show how to simplify the processing of data sync reports using Python and OCLC’s Metadata API.

“Public Notes to the Rescue! Connecting Resources, Services, and Practices in the Library Catalog” presented by Rebecca Hunnicutt, Collections Management Librarian, and Jeffrey M. Mortimore, Discovery Services Librarian, Georgia Southern University
Communicating connections between library resources, services, and practices is challenging, especially via the catalog. How do we help researchers find special collection items, locate finding aids, and schedule viewings? How do we communicate that demand-driven ebooks are briefly available, but then must be requested for purchase? To use resources effectively, patrons need to be aware of related services and practices but relaying that information can be difficult. What if the catalog is the patron’s only point of contact?
During this presentation, we will share examples and simple techniques for leveraging public notes to make connections between resources, services, and practices. Specifically, we’ll look at how HTML formatting enhances notes to engage patrons with these services and practices. In doing so, we will consider how technical and public service librarians can work together to develop effective notes.

Learn more about the Catalog Management Interest Group.
Contacts: Jianying Shou (jianying.shou@duke.edu); Elizabeth Miraglia (emiraglia@ucsd.edu)

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Presented by the Role of the Professional Librarian in Technical Services Interest Group

Presentations

A Holistic Approach to the Planning and Implementation of Metadata Inclusiveness
Charlene Chou, Head of Knowledge Access, New York University Libraries

For effectively coordinating and implementing metadata inclusiveness, the Authorities Working Group, reporting to the Metadata Policy & Implementation Committee, was reconfigured to create and maintain holistic policies around authority control and identity management, ensuring that we center the values of inclusion, diversity, belonging, and equity in our work with metadata. Since summer 2020, the Working Group has collaborated with diverse stakeholders such as collection development or research services, for better communications and holding special events, e.g. “Change the Subject, etc.”

The Working Group membership consists of cataloging/metadata librarians as well as processing archivists. A use case will be presented to illustrate how to use a local approach for using correct terms, adopted by the user communities, for an archival collection and documenting our local descriptive decisions. On the other hand, the cataloging librarians will propose new and revised LC subject headings for related terms. The Working Group will use both agile and hybrid approaches to implement various projects in phases. For instance, we will develop local approaches for using specialized controlled vocabularies and thesauri and plan the upcoming LC authority training programs with strategic priorities.

Creating the SSDN Inclusive Metadata & Conscious Editing Resources List
Elliot Williams, Digital Initiatives Metadata Librarian, University of Miami Libraries

As did many library groups in 2020, the Sunshine State Digital Network (SSDN) Metadata Working Group felt compelled to do better at incorporating anti-racism and EDI into our work. As a statewide network of cultural heritage organizations who manage and share digital collections, SSDN strives to make diversity and inclusion a core part of its activities. To further that work, the Metadata Working Group created a public resources list of research, best practices, and examples of inclusive metadata & conscious editing. In this presentation, I will introduce the SSDN Inclusive Metadata & Conscious Editing Resources List, describe the creation of the list, and discuss how this list relates to other EDI efforts in SSDN and in the metadata and cataloging field. I will also give some reflections on the role and limitations of resource lists such as this as part of incorporating EDI principles into metadata work.

Forming a Working Group to Address EDI Issues in the Library
Annamarie C. Klose, Metadata Initiatives Librarian, The Ohio State University Libraries

In the Ohio State University Libraries, an informal working group was formed within Acquisitions & Discovery to learn about EDI issues related to controlled vocabularies and description practices. This work was seen as a corollary to EDI work elsewhere in the library. This group included archivists, catalogers, and non-MARC metadata creators who reviewed a variety of literature on this topic. This session discusses how the group was conducted and learning outcomes.

The Creation, Enrichment and Exchange of Public-Domain Bibliographic Records Between Public Libraries
Tris Shores, Founder of the Open Bibliographic Exchange project

Each year, publicly-funded libraries create large quantities of publicly-funded bibliographic records that are funneled into cooperative or consortium databases without first being dedicated to the public-domain and made accessible to all public libraries. Creating public-domain bibliographic records, marking them as such, and making them accessible to all public libraries supports equity, inclusion, and innovation. The ALA itself states “that ALA encourage programs and developments that facilitate access to bibliographic records by all members of the library community.”

Classification and Cataloging of LGBTQAI+ Material in the Elementary School Library
Linda Garrison, Doctoral Candidate, Texts and Technology, University of Central Florida

The LGBTQAI+ community includes a rich matrix of gender and sexuality experiences, further diversified by race, religion, age, culture, ethnicity, and social class. Just as feminist researchers understand that there is not a single “women’s experience;” we also accept that there is not a monolithic LGBTQAI+ experience. Library activists who adopted this multi-faceted understanding of their patrons were instrumental in changing the classification and cataloging practices in the 1960s. I believe that contemporary catalogers can continue to apply gender and cultural theories to their work, creating and improving finding systems which empower intersectional identities.
LGBTQAI+ persons, particularly those who are transgender, are identifying as such as young as elementary school age. Further, school librarians are uniquely placed within the educational system, not only because we select the material that populates the library catalog, but also because we have the opportunity to provide formal instruction in information literacy. We can explain how and why we make cataloging and classification decisions; we can invite questions; and we can observe our students as they search, offering help when needed. Unfortunately, because of censorship threats, budget concerns, or personal feelings, school librarians – if they include LGBTQAI+ material at all – will sometimes deliberately underrepresent these resources. It is also possible that the materials exist in the collection but are not discoverable due to either inadequate cataloging and classification tools and practices or the librarians misunderstanding of these tools. My research addresses how elementary school librarians in west central Florida manage their LGBTQAI+ collections.

Learn more about the Role of the Professional Librarian in Technical Services Interest Group.
Contacts: Christine Davidian (davidian@rowan.edu); Sai Deng (sai.deng@ucf.edu)

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The Library Storage Interest Group is for librarians who manage library storage facilities, for librarians and administrators who are planning or expanding a library storage facility, and for the vendors and professionals who make this happen. This session will be a welcome and relaunch of the former LLAMA Storage Discussion Group.

Learn more about the Library Storage Interest Group.
Contact: Jay Forrest (jay.forrest@library.gatech.edu)

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The Competencies & Education for a Career in Cataloging Interest Group’s session features the Cataloging Ethics Steering Committee, who will present on and take questions about the final version of the Cataloguing Code of Ethics document, completed in January 2021.

Learn more about the Competencies & Education for a Career in Cataloging Interest Group.
Contacts: Karen Snow (ksnow@dom.edu); Emily Baldoni (emily.baldoni@georgetown.edu)

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With the ongoing disruption to library operations caused by COVID-19, technical services managers are facing challenges to continue processing library materials while taking precautions to create a safe working environment for the staff. In this informal and interactive discussion forum, we invited our colleagues from four institutions with a diverse size of cataloging units. They will share their experiences managing cataloging staff and coordinating cataloging workflows, including tips and tools during the pandemic.

Panelists

• Jeanette Norris, Manager, Monographic Cataloging Latin Script Unit, Technical Services, Yale University Library
• Lia Ryland, Cataloging and Metadata Coordinator/Catalog Librarian, Collection Management Services, San Francisco State University
• Rebecca Belford, Technical Services Librarian, Oberlin Conservatory Library
• TJ Kao, Head of Metadata Creation, Content Support Services, Peter J. Shields Library, University of California, Davis

Learn more about the Copy Cataloging Interest Group.
Contact: Nerissa Lindsey (nlindsey@sdsu.edu); Tachtorn Meier (tachtorn.meier@yale.edu)

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So you’ve moved into the big chair in the unit director’s cube, the library director’s office, or the dean’s suite? Have you discovered few peers in your institution for a discussion, some counsel, or just a good shoulder to cry on? Core has created a discussion group for new directors across all library spaces as a forum to share best practices, to query counterparts at other institutions, and network from the safety of your new corner office. Anyone can join and the group hopes to benefit from the experience of some seasoned leaders as well as the rest of us newbies!

Learn more about the New Directors Interest Group.
Contact: Erik Nordberg (enordber906@gmail.com)

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The Core Creative Ideas in Technical Services Interest Group (CITSIG) presents a virtual spin on its standard discussion group format: two presentations on timely topics will each be followed by a chance for attendees to engage in lively, informal discussions.

Featured discussion topics:

As libraries strive to represent diverse points of view in their collections, we need to have an accurate picture of where we are now. By looking at metadata and assessing which aspects of the collection are the strongest we can then decide whether to build on existing strengths or spend money and time on less robust subject areas.

We decided what aspects of the collection we wanted to view (age of material, place of publication, format, gender (for smaller groups)). Using this data we experimented with visualizations to convey information on the collections’ age/format/place of publication.

It is important to remember that there is a difference between difference in the creators and publishers and differences in thought. Also analysis depends on reliable metadata. Incomplete or erroneous metadata will impact findings.

Presenters: Sarah Theimer, Catalog and Metadata Librarian, University of New Hampshire; Jay Colbert, Metadata and Discovery Librarian, University of New Hampshire

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It’s no secret that technical services and librarianship in general is in flux with many long-term employees departing their institutions due to retirement, furloughs, or layoffs. Meanwhile, critical technical services positions are lost through attrition, departmental procedures remain in binders and the information that they contain are lost, and few new technical services experts are brought in to keep departments afloat. Supervisors may be unaware of the consequences of loss without rehiring, and should they rehire into these positions, how do they know what to look for?

Contingency planning, succession planning, and bench strength may be the answer to this conundrum. While not new to the business world, this growing trend in librarianship can help properly organize essential documents, start new hires on the right path, allow retiring professionals to advocate for experts “from the grave”, so to speak, or even advocate for refilling vacant positions.

The introductory presentation for this discussion will include key definitions, examples of what technical services planning may look like, and provide a brief example of a technical services contingency plan in action. This presentation is appropriate for all librarianship types, all technical services specializations, and all employee levels within a technical services team.

Presenter: Elizabeth Szkirpan, Director of Bibliographic Services, McFarlin Library, University of Tulsa

Learn more about the Creative Ideas in Technical Services Interest Group.
Contacts: Sarah Hovde (sehovde1@gmail.com); Susan Martin (Susan.Martin@mtsu.edu)

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This 45-minute session will be an open discussion where we examine how library facilities and operations are adjusting to COVID-19 and what lessons can be learned through the unintended consequences. Please feel free to submit one or more questions that you would like to ask the community or a trend or observation you would like to hear the group discuss. We are all ears!

Learn more about the Library Facilities and Interiors Interest Group.
Contacts: Gili Meerovitch (gmeerovitch@pfeifferpartners.com); Dick Waters (rlwaters@godfreysassociates.com)

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The Catalog Form and Function Interest Group will host two presentations.

1. Harnessing the power of MARC data to improve discoverability of accessible materials, presented by Teressa Keenan, University of Montana

“Libraries are just buildings full of books I can’t read” – or are they? It’s not enough for libraries to purchase accessible materials; students need to know if the titles they find in the catalog are available in a usable format. This presentation will provide an overview of some of the ways in which the Mansfield Library at the University Of Montana has used bibliographic data in MARC fields containing accessibility information to make it easier for students to find accessible resources. The main focus is on physical books and media. Specific MARC tags include: 532 – Accessibility Note, 341 – Accessibility Content, 008 23 – Form of item, and some local fields we created in Alma/Primo.

2. Highlighting diversity in our collections: one solution to identify and make titles discoverable, presented by Josh Hutchinson, Cynthia Johnson and Kelsey Brown, University of California-Irvine (UCI) Libraries

The UCI Libraries wanted to highlight the collections’ diverse materials but faced the following problems: how do we define diversity and how do we determine whether a specific title should be highlighted to patrons? Also, once we identify materials, how do we make them discoverable? Our solution: we tried two processes using the built-in functions in Ex Libris’ Primo VE and Alma systems. The first process used Primo VE’s user-generated tagging feature and involved the following workflow: identify lists of award-winning titles and add tags to the records in Primo VE. The second process used Primo VE’s Collection Discovery feature to highlight each of the book lists. This second workflow added the award information to the catalog record which allowed us to create a set in Alma and then create a collection that displays in Primo VE.

Learn more about the Catalog Form and Function Interest Group.
Contacts: Jim Hahn (jimhahn@upenn.edu); Bela Gupta (bgupta@umassd.edu)