Streamlining Quality Control of Shelf-Ready Records with checkmarc

1. Streamlining Quality Control of Shelf-Ready Records with checkmarc Susan Wynne GUGM 16 May 2013

2. checkmarc quick facts • Developer: Chad Nelson • Inspired by University of Florida’s CatQC program • Programming language: Python • Runs on a MARC file • Current version has predefined “checks” of fixed and variable field data that may signal errors/problems

3. Audience poll • Who’s using shelf-ready services? • What’s your approach to quality control? • Who’s considering shelf-ready services? • What are your concerns about setting up shelf-ready services or workflows?

4. About Georgia State Photo credits: Georgia State University Media Relations

7. Current cataloging staff

8. Some cataloging statsFY13 through March 31 *Newly cataloged print monographs only **Some shelf-ready materials need attention in-house

9. Outsourcing helps us to… • Avoid a backlog of purchased materials • Maintain a cleaner database (especially access points) • Catalog more unique or complex resources, especially… • Special Collections materials • Scores, DVDs, other special formats • Upgrade minimal master records in WorldCat • Have more time to learn RDA

10. Shelf-ready workflow (before) • Began in January 2010 • YBP Approval plan and slip orders only • Books • No special formats • Any encoding level or cataloging source • “Exceptions” identified by vendor or during unpacking cataloging staff • Non-exceptions stacks • Cataloging staff hold vendor slips for manual checking

11. “Shelf-ready exceptions” • No spine label • Volume numbers readily apparent • Accompanying material • Call numbers beginning with Z

12. Quality control (before) • Exceptions workflow • Vendor slips • Manual

14. Common errors found manually • empty/incomplete 300 • partial call numbers • 2 050 fields • mismatch between bib & MFHD call number • serials cataloged as monographs

15. Common errors found manually • 490 1st indicator 0 • discrepancies between dates in 26X, call no., fixed field • CIP records • volume sets not identified

16. What to do? • Abandon quality control? • Still finding errors that affect access • Maintain status quo? • Too much time spent for the number of errors found • Defeats the purpose of outsourcing

17. What to do? • Use WorldCat Cataloging Partners reports for quality control? • Identify encoding levels, record source, missing labels

19. What to do? • Find a way to automate? • University of Florida’s CatQC program • Another institution’s Perl scripts for cross-matching bib data • Terry Reese’s MarcEdit Develop a new program?

20. checkmarc criteria • Type of record not “a” • Scores, cartographic material, etc. • BLvl not “m” • Serial records • Encoding levels 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, E, J, K, or M • Alerts us to minimal, prepub, and less-than-full • 040 ‡b other than “eng” • Non-English language of cataloging

21. checkmarc criteria • Presence of ‡n or ‡p in 245 • Clue to a part of a multi-volume work • Numerals in 245 ‡a or ‡b • Clue to possible serial, but leads to some false positives • Keywords in 245: “annual” or “biennial” • Clue to possible serial

22. checkmarc criteria • 300 ‡a begins with p. or v. • Clue to incomplete 300 and some multi-volume records, but leads to some false positives • Presence of 300 ‡e • Accompanying material • 490 with 1st indicator 0 • Untraced series • Records lacking at least one 6XX with 2nd indicator 0 • No LC subject headings present

23. Testing

24. Errors missed by checkmarc

25. Demo • Run a MARC file • Display and discuss report • False positives • Other items to consider skipping • Correct errors manually

28. Shelf-ready workflow (after) • Began in January 2010 • YBP Approval plan and slip orders only • “Exceptions” identified by vendor or during unpacking cataloging staff • Non-exceptions stacks • Cataloging staff hold vendor slips for manual checking only to identify the MARC file

29. Quality control (after) • Exceptions workflow • Cataloging staff run checkmarc on the MARC file • Scan reports • Check selected records in Voyager • Fix errors in Voyager as needed • ~1 hour on a typical file (not including time to retrieve any items from stacks)

30. What checkmarc can’t find/do • Mismatches between the call no. in MFHD and the spine label • Information not matching the item in hand • Typos, misspellings, etc. • Incorrectly formed subject headings • Errors in application of cataloging rules • Missing fields or information other than the criteria described earlier • Fix the problems directly in the Voyager database

31. Desired enhancements • Change 300 ‡a begins with p or v to 300 ‡a begins with p or contains v or volume? • E.g, 300 ‡a 2 v. • Presence of multiple ‡a in one 050 field • Presence of multiple 050 fields • And both 050 + 090 in the same record

33. Current explorations/future directions • Start running checkmarc 1.0 on e-book approval files • E-book approvals began January 2013 • Part of “mainstreaming” e-workflows • Consider possible changes to criteria for RDA data • Customizable version under development • Select your own criteria to look for • No timetable for availability

34. How can I use checkmarc? • GSU has no plans to host on our servers for public use • Options… • http://serene-scrubland-6954.herokuapp.com/ • Disclaimer • Set up on your machine • Have your system administrator deploy it on a local server • Find another hosting option for public use? • Let’s talk!

35. Selected reading Jay, M., Simpson, B., & Smith, D. (2009). CatQC and Shelf-Ready Material: Speeding Collections to Users While Preserving Data Quality. Information Technology & Libraries, 28(1), 41-48. Vinh-The, L. (2005). Quality Control Issues in Outsourcing Cataloging in United States and Canadian Academic Libraries.Cataloging & Classification Quarterly, 40(1), 101-122. Walker, M., & Kulczak, D. (2007). Shelf-ready books using PromptCat and YBP: Issues to consider (An analysis of errors at the University of Arkansas). Library Collections, Acquisitions, & Technical Services, 31(2), 61-84.

36. Acknowledgements • Chad Nelson, former GSU programmer • creator of checkmarc • Hannah Grant & Christine Cooney, cataloging staff • collaborators on checkmarc criteria • Christine is the primary current user of checkmarc • Cliff Landis, Web Services Librarian • Eric Willoughby, Web Programmer • Bill Walsh, Dept. Head, Technical Services • Michael Jay, Betsy Simpson, & Doug Smith, Creators of University of Florida’s CatQC program • Lai-Ying Hsiung told me about CatQC and shared some info on shelf-ready workflows

37. Questions/ Discussion

38. Contact me Susan Wynne Cataloging & Metadata Librarian swynne@gsu.edu 404-413-2729 http://gsu.academia.edu/SusanWynne