SUNCAT: an introduction for the MRC libraries

1. SUNCAT: an introduction for the MRC libraries SUNCAT: the Serials Union Catalogue for the UK www.edina.ac.uk/suncat MRC, 14 June 2005

2. Background • UKNUC Feasibility Study - 2001 • Serials Report: Tony Kidd, Rob Bull • SUNCAT Scoping Study - 2002 • Information Power Ltd. • JISC & RSLP funded • Purpose - to develop a UK Serials Union Catalogue • Phase 1 – February 2003-December 2004 • Phase 2 – January 2005-December 2006 • Partnership between the University of Edinburgh, through EDINA, & Ex Libris • Associate Partners - Cambridge, Glasgow, National Library of Scotland, Oxford MRC, 14 June 2005

3. Project Management • EDINA Co-directors of SUNCAT Project Peter Burnhill Christine Rees • Ex Libris Julie Booth Dominic Nast • Steering Group (Chair Derek Law) • Advisory Group (Chair Peter Burnett) • Bibliographic Quality Advisory Group (BQAG) MRC, 14 June 2005

4. Work Packages • Systems librarian: • Morag Macgregor (EDINA) • Bibliographic Work Package: • Natasha Aburrow-Jones (EDINA) • Moira Whitson (EDINA) • User Requirements Work Package • Zena Mulligan (EDINA) • Liz Stevenson (Edinburgh University Library) • Advisor: Tony Kidd (Glasgow University Library) MRC, 14 June 2005

5. SUNCAT aims • SUNCAT: primary aims • Location of serials, including information about access • Source of high quality bibliographic records for downloading to local catalogues • Additionally - to raise consciousness of the importance of quality serials information among UK researchers and librarians MRC, 14 June 2005

6. British Library National Library of Scotland National Library of Wales Imperial College, London London School of Economics Manchester Metropolitan University Queens University, Belfast University of Birmingham University of Bristol University of Cambridge University College, London University of Durham University of Edinburgh University of Glasgow University of Leeds University of Manchester University of Newcastle University of Nottingham University of Oxford University of Southampton University of Wales, Cardiff University of Warwick Contributing Libraries: Phase 1 MRC, 14 June 2005

7. User requirements - interface • User requirements – display and functionality • Accessibility and Usability • Aleph 500 already deployed for other union catalogues • Dialogue with California Digital Library, and review of other Union Catalogue OPACs • User testing • Focus group - Librarians • Individual sessions - Researchers & Academic staff • Extended testing – Phase 1 Libraries MRC, 14 June 2005

8. Electronic journals • Increasing proportion of holdings are electronic • Growing archives of back files • Preliminary survey of current practice • Single or separate records • Access and holdings: subscription information • Research undertaken MRC, 14 June 2005

9. SUNCAT Phase 2 • Pilot service launched January 2005 • Coverage extended to include a further 60 libraries • Range of library types extended to include special libraries, research collections • Research and development work: ejournals • Testing and development of interface MRC, 14 June 2005

10. MRC, 14 June 2005

11. SUNCAT: How does it work? • Centralised union catalogue • Records stored in one large database • Records deduplicated to view using Aleph functionality • Records merged “on the fly” MRC, 14 June 2005

12. How does SUNCAT obtain records? • Dialogue between library and SUNCAT project team • Contributing library ftps a file to SUNCAT • Data specification is drawn up by the team, and approved by the contributing library • Data is converted according to data specification • Data is loaded into SUNCAT MRC, 14 June 2005

13. SUNCAT: Phase 1 contributing libraries’ LMS • Aleph • Endeavor Voyager • GEAC Advance • Innopac • Innovative • Talis • Unicorn MRC, 14 June 2005

14. SUNCAT: what is the matching process? • Deduplicated union catalogue • Complex matching algorithm • Preferred record display • 3 stage selection process for matching • List of Common Titles (LOCT) • Matching above format MRC, 14 June 2005

15. How does SUNCAT work?Matching 1. Matching algorithm • identification of candidate pool • algorithm applied, with points threshold for a match 2. Selection of preferred record for display • different points system determines which record is preferred 3. Composition of display record • the preferred record has holdings elements from non-preferred records added for display MRC, 14 June 2005

16. SUNCAT: The Librarian’s Interface • Download • Assisted matching MRC, 14 June 2005

17. SUNCAT: Other developments • Updates • Notifications MRC, 14 June 2005

18. SUNCAT standards • Entry standard • Upgrading standard MRC, 14 June 2005

19. SUNCAT: Entry Standard • From all data specifications: Reject records which do not contain the following: Leader cp 7 =s 008 245$a 852 Reject records which do contain the following: Leader cp 5=d (initial load only) MRC, 14 June 2005

20. SUNCAT: Conclusions • “One-stop shop” for researchers and librarians • Researchers – single tool for location of serials • Librarians – central source of high-quality bibliographic records available for download; locate function for ILL MRC, 14 June 2005

21. SUNCAT SUNCAT pilot service www.edina.ac.uk/suncat SUNCAT Project www.suncat.ac.uk Natasha Aburrow-Jones natasha.aburrow-jones@ed.ac.uk Zena Mulligan zena.mulligan@ed.ac.uk MRC, 14 June 2005