Acquisitions: Monograph Ordering
The ordering function is an area where it's more possible to imagine an integrated environment than many other technical services functions because of the nature of an order as opposed to actually handling a physical piece. For example, Columbia could order books for Cornell, and have them delivered to Cornell, especially when we arrive at the place where we use the same library management system.
Issues to explore:
- Might Cornell be able to use its corporate Amazon account to order materials for Columbia?
- Might Columbia selectors be able to better streamline the ordering process by making better use of the POOF interface?
- Might the two institutions be able to share one ordering specialist for more difficult/challenging-to-obtain items?
Acquisitions: Monograph Receiving
- Meet and discuss findings with the other relevant working groups (Ordering, Copy Cataloging, Batch Processing).
- Explore points of "harmony" and "discord" revealed in Phase 1.
- Critical issues to explore:
- Shelf ready
- Cataloging upon receipt
- University accounting restrictions
Acquisitions: Print Serials
Because the requirements of print serials are so distinct and dependent on the organizational structures, we have found potential shared activities rather limited. It is hard to see how staff at the two organizations could effectively substitute for each other. However, making the organizational structures more similar (e.g., re-centralizing checkin at Columbia, discontinuing series and sets orders at Columbia) might lead to greater similarity in staff expectations and procedures. With the changes in Cornell's handling of binding tasks, Columbia may also want to reconsider where responsibility for binding and adding is located.
The team considers ongoing exchange of information about serials in general and specific serial problems as beneficial to both institutions. Perhaps both staffs could utilize a blog or Facebook page for problem and solution sharing. Changes in handling print serials at each institution should be shared with the other.
There may also be some possibility of combining the title lists from both institutions which might result in more desirable service charges, and broader collection development cooperation.
Cornell's documentation (certainly in the area of print serials) is notably more robust than Columbia's, and sharing documentation and its upkeep would be very useful, although there are limits to what can be standardized between the two institutions.
Automation & Technology: Batch Processing
To investigate and learn what batch functionalities and record load features are built in to ALMA and see how easily existing record load workflows at Cornell and Columbia can be expected to migrate.
Leaving established workflows in place, jointly experiment implementing MARC services with new vendors where practicable.
Explore the use of WorldShare Metadata Collection Manager to identify record harvesting for HathiTrust and other record sets.
To make a joint data map/dictionary of terms and MARC fields used in conjunction with record identifications for extracts between the two CULs.
Work with other 2CUL TSI groups in areas of functional overlap to coordinate phase II efforts.