From Lai’s to LC : an account of experience on HKU Libraries’ reclassification exercises

1. From Lai’s to LC : an account of experience on HKU Libraries’ reclassification exercises Annabelle Pau & Peter Sidorko

2. Part 1Reclassification at HKU Libraries The why?

3. The previous practice • HKU Libraries: • DDC • Others: • Moys for Law; • Black for Dentistry; • Sequential numbers for microform; • Degree code for HKU theses; • Cutter system for HK gov doc, • In-house classification schemes.

4. The previous practice • Fung Ping Shan Library: • Lai Yung Xiang (Modified); • Modified DDC; • Doo Ding U Classification Scheme; • Sequential number for microform, etc

5. The why? • International standard for classification • Collocation of materials • Saving on Resources • Conforming with local libraries

10. Views of cataloguing staff • “The general sentiment … was that the current FPS Classification Scheme, being a hybrid and mixture of elements from several schemes, is difficult to apply and often results in a great deal of inconsistency in application. There was a general agreement that the current status cannot continue.”

11. Views of FPSL cataloguing staff • Among the existing classification schemes*, which do you consider the most appropriate for FPSL? • 1st choice: Library of Congress Classification (12) • 2nd choice: Lai Yung Xiang (23) • 3rd Choice: Chinese Library Classification (30) * DDC scheme was ruled out because of its extremely inadequate treatment of Chinese language materials ** lowest scores indicate top choice

12. Views of Cataloguing Department • If FPSL decide to adopt another classification, should the rest of the University Libraries also change? • Re-classifying to achieve uniformity: 11 • Maintaining separate classifications: 3

13. Views of Dept/Section Heads(Main Library and Branches) • If FPSL decide to adopt another classification, should the rest of the University Libraries also change? • Re-classifying to achieve uniformity: 6 • Maintaining separate classifications: 3

14. Decisions • Given the current situation and condition of classification in the FPSL, it would be in the best interest of the Library to reclassify its collection. • In spite of its imperfections and bias, the Library of Congress Classification emerges as the top candidate to replace the FPSL Classification Scheme. • While, in principle, the staff favors a unified approach to classification for the entire library system, should the issue of re-classifying the rest of the library come up in the future, it should be carefully re-examined in view of the FPSL experiences and any new developments in bibliographic control and technology and take into consideration users’ reactions to the prospect of re-classifying the entire collections at the point of decision making.

15. Part 2Reclassification at HKU Libraries The how?

16. FPS re-labeling project • Result of consultants’ recommendations • Special committee formed in 2002 for the implementation of the project • After considering various factors, it was decided that: • Reclassification of FPS materials started with the re-labeling of items of which LC numbers can be downloaded from external sources • Materials in closed stack and remote storage were given lowest priority in re-class. • All items required manual re-class remained un-touch until all items with LC numbers downloaded were done.

17. Project progress • Project became Operational Priority 4.1 after the 2004 annual library retreat with the setting up of project team • Large scale de-selecting and relocating exercise was carried out prior to start of project because: • No decanting areas for the re-labeled materials. • less used FPS materials have to be relocated to vacate shelf space for subsequent reshuffle of shelving for the re-labeled materials.

18. Project scope • 159,730 items with LC numbers downloaded were waiting to be re-labeled on 5/F & 6/F of the FPS library when the project officially kicked off in September 2004 • These items included: • FPS general collection • FPS Large Book • FPS Large Reference • FPS Taiwan Collection • FPS Reference Collection

19. Logistics planning • Factors which affected logistics plan and work flow of the re-labeling project: • Space available • Human factors • labor available • people’s prefer way of operation - smooth workflow enable efficient productivity in a labor-intensive work environment

20. Space available • No extra floor space can be used as decanting areas for the re-labeled materials • Workflow designed must ensure the least moving around of items for the convinence of users, helpers and shelvers

21. Work area of the Re-labeling team

22. Labor available • When project team set up we hired 3 temporary helpers specifically for the project • Retrieval and re-labeling of items – mainly 3 helpers • Re-shelving, compacting and shuffling of re-labeled materials – relies on Access Services Department colleagues • Design of workflow need to consider reducing any duplication of retrieving & re-shelving efforts of the 3 re-labeling helpers and ASD colleagues

23. Logistics • Re-labeling team decided that basic logistics for relabeling to be: • Items came off shelves in Lai’s • Items went back to shelves in LC • Former Systems Analysis, Mr. William Ko, first retrieved from INNOPAC all items that got LC numbers downloaded • Sort them in alphabetical sequence and transformed to EXCEL format • ALL A class items finished re-labeling before moving onto B class and so on and so forth.

24. Each LC class were again sorted in original Lai’s sequence within each EXCEL files before label printing • Facilitate re-labeling helpers to retrieve items from shelves efficiently which was arranged in original Lai’s sequence before any re-labeling done

25. With very large LC class such as P class (50387 items in total) – more analysis within each sub class e.g. from P, PA to PZ need to be done in order to enable ASD colleagues to have a clearer idea on what to expect in shelving and reshuffle of items

26. Large .txt files contained original barcode range 3 helpers being assigned each day which were converted to text format • Small .txt file contained the re-labeled item barcodes scanned by helpers each day • Every day scanned barcode from the 3 helpers will be saved as .txt file and merged together as one file called SMALL.TXT with date as file name • Original barcode range assigned to them were converted and named LARGE.TXT again with date stamped

27. Script which William put on INNOPAC compared the two .txt files and identified those missing or out on loan items on INNOPAC needed re-labeling • Script marked those items identified in LARGE.txt but not in SMALL.txt on INNOPAC item message field to alert ASD colleagues about any missing or returned items to be returned to re-labeling team • Script also replaced ORIGINAL Lai’s number with LC in call number field with item barcode found in both large and small.txt

28. Items not found on shelves and scanned by re-labeling helpers (e.g. those out on loan or missing) but contained in the original EXCEL files (LARGE.txt) will then be marked with an item message “Return to Annabelle” by the script – items would be shipped for re-labeling upon its returning to library

29. These item messages would then be removed or leave blank by the script on INNOPAC after label changed and barcode scanned as .txt files.

30. Statistics • Statistics of FPS items when project team disbanded on 15th of November 2005 • 155,528 FPS items relabeled since project started September 2004 – an average of 3500 items being re-labeled on a 5 daysworking week basis in not more than a year • 1, 887 FPS items NOT on loan NOR can be found on shelves (missing?) • 895 FPS items with NO barcodes i.e. title & call nos. found on spine labels and on INNOPAC but no barcodes were being supplied in the barcode field of the III item records • 36,027 titles or 43,236 volumes of FPS items needed manual re-class

31. Recommendations on follow up actions: • For the 1,887 items in category C were to declare missing after searching done • ASD colleagues searched if items really missing • If confirmed – considered whether replacements are necessary • If not replacing – TS colleagues need to remove/suppress bibliographical records from OPAC so as not to confuse users • For the 895 items without barcode • Replace the barcode on items • Update the records on INNOPAC • Recommend to be followed up by TS. • For the 1,036 items out on loan – either: • To call back all 1036 items for re-labelingOR • To re-label each one as they come back each day if they can’t be back before re-labeling team disband

32. Achievements: • Thorough stock take of CJK materials • Relegate of less used materials • Great uniformity of the CJK collections • An easier classification systems for users • Re-labeling project finished way ahead of the original estimated time because of faster processing speed (In the original project plan it was estimated each day 7 trolleys of books were being done i.e. @90 books x 7 = 630 books)