SUNCAT Workshop, September 20061 SUNCAT Workshops London, Edinburgh, Manchester SEPTEMBER 2006...

SUNCAT Workshop, September 2006 1

SUNCAT WorkshopsLondon, Edinburgh, Manchester

SEPTEMBER 2006

Programme

13.30 – 14.00 Registration and tea/coffee

14.00 – 14.05 Welcome

Peter Burnhill - EDINA

14.05 – 14.20 Introduction to SUNCAT

Zena Mulligan - EDINA

14.20 – 14.40 How SUNCAT can help researchers and librarians Zena Mulligan - EDINA

14.40 – 15.10 SUNCAT for cataloguers and contributing libraries Natasha Aburrow-Jones - EDINA

15.10 – 15.30 Contributing library perspective

15.30 – 15.50 Future developments Fred Guy/Peter Burnhill - EDINA

15.50 – 16.00 Questions and Answers

16.00 – 16.30 Tea/coffee and Hands-on

http://www.suncat.ac.uk


Introduction to SUNCAT

SUNCAT: the Serials UNion CATalogue for the UK

Research Community

Zena Mulligan

SUNCAT Project Officer

EDINA National Data Centre



Overview

• WHY SUNCAT was developed

• WHO is involved in SUNCAT

• HOW SUNCAT works • WHAT is included in and the scope of SUNCAT


Background

• UKNUC Feasibility Study - 2001

– Serials Report: Tony Kidd, Rob Bull


UKNUC Feasibility Study

“When users were asked how often they would wish to use a UKNUC for various different purposes, the idea of locating all journals in a particular subject area achieved the highest score among most groups of researchers, with support ranging from 72% to 95%, the highest score reached in response to this question. This is a definite indication of the need and support for a Serials National Union Catalogue.”

UKNUC Feasibility Study, April 2001


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

– Pilot Service January 2005

– Full Service August 2006

• Phase 3 – 2007 onwards

• Partnership between the University of Edinburgh, through EDINA, & Ex Libris

• Associate Partners - Cambridge, Glasgow, National Library of Scotland, Oxford


SUNCAT Management

• EDINA Co-directors of SUNCAT

Peter BurnhillChristine Rees

• Ex LibrisJulie BoothDominic Nast

• Steering Group (Chair Derek Law)

• Advisory Group (Chair Peter Burnett)

• Bibliographic Quality Advisory Group (BQAG)


SUNCAT Team

– Manager:• Fred Guy (EDINA)

– Systems Librarian: • Morag Macgregor (EDINA)

– Bibliographic Work: • Natasha Aburrow-Jones (EDINA)• Moira Whitson (EDINA)• Nicola Osborne (EDINA)

– User Requirements Work:• Zena Mulligan p/t (EDINA)• Liz Stevenson p/t (Edinburgh University

Library)


SUNCAT aims

• SUNCAT: primary aims– For researchers, a single tool for the location of

serials, including information about access– For librarians, a central repository of high quality

bibliographic records for downloading to local catalogues and a location tool for ILL

• Additionally - to raise consciousness of the importance of quality serials information among UK researchers and librarians


SUNCAT: How does it work?

• Centralised union catalogue

• Records stored in one large database

• Records deduplicated to view using Aleph functionality

• “Preferred” bibliographic record displayed with associated holdings


“Preferred” bibliographic record

Libraries’ holdings

Shelfmark

Summary holdings statement

Online?


What does SUNCAT Contain

"Serials" can be described as "... continuing resources, ... successively issued". They can include " ... integrating [resources] (e.g., updating loose-leafs, updating Web sites). A serial can also include "... the following categories of finite resources (i.e., those with a predetermined conclusion): resources that exhibit characteristics of serials, such as successive issues, numbering, and frequency, but whose duration is limited (e.g., newsletters of events); reprints of serials; and finite integrating resources.“

AACR2


What does SUNCAT contain?

• Whatever contributing libraries define as a serial in their local catalogues

• No article level information

• Antiquarian and current titles

• Print and electronic serials


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


Contributing Libraries: Phase 1

British LibraryNational Library of Scotland National Library of WalesImperial College, LondonLondon School of EconomicsManchester Metropolitan UniversityQueens University, BelfastUniversity of BirminghamUniversity of BristolUniversity of Cambridge University College, London

University of DurhamUniversity of EdinburghUniversity of GlasgowUniversity of LeedsUniversity of ManchesterUniversity of NewcastleUniversity of NottinghamUniversity of OxfordUniversity of SouthamptonUniversity of Wales, CardiffUniversity of Warwick


Contributing Libraries: Phase 2• Aberdeen University• Birkbeck College, University of London• Bolton University• British Film Institute• British Geological Survey• British Medical Association• CCLRC• Courtauld Institute of Art• Cranfield University• Edinburgh College of Art• Essex University• Exeter University• Hull University• IEE• International Institute for Strategic Studies• Kent University• King’s College London• Lancaster University• Leeds Metropolitan University• Liverpool University• London Business School• London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine• Manchester Public Libraries• Medical Research Council• Napier University• National Art Library• National Maritime Museum• National Museums & Galleries of Wales• National Museums of Scotland

• Natural History Museum• Reading University• Royal Botanic Gardens. Kew• Royal College of Nursing• Royal Geographical Society• Royal Institute of British Architects• Royal Northern College of Music• Royal Society• Royal Society of Medicine• School of Oriental & African Studies, University

of London• Sheffield University• Sheffield Hallam University• Society of Antiquaries of London• Stirling University• Sussex University• University of Central Lancashire• University of East Anglia• University of London Research Libraries• University of Ulster• University of Wales, Swansea• Wiener Library, Institute of Contemporary

History• Wellcome Library for the History &

Understanding of Medicine• Women’s Library, London Metropolitan

University• York University• Zoological Society of London


SUNCAT


Research Community



How SUNCAT Can Help Researchers & Librarians


Research Community



Overview

• WHO: potential users of SUNCAT

• WHY: the benefits of using SUNCAT

• WHAT: embedding SUNCAT into workflows

• HOW: promoting SUNCAT to your institution


Who can SUNCAT help?

• Researchers– Anyone seeking information about serials held in

libraries in the UK

• Library and information staff– Serials librarians– Inter-Library loan librarians– Reference and enquiry librarians– Liaison librarians– Collection management librarians– Cataloguers


Researchers

SUNCAT can help researchers to…

• Find where a particular serial is held in the UK

• Find what serials exist in their field of interest

• Tailor searches to specific geographic areas or libraries

• Save/email records for future reference


Fields to search

Limit to specific geographic area or library

Option to choose more advanced search or browse


Link to library websites

Save or email record

Library holdings


Demo for Researcher

Demo for Researcher


Library and Information Staff

• Serials librarians

• Inter-Library loan librarians

• Reference and enquiry librarians

• Liaison librarians

• Collection management librarians

• Cataloguers


Holdings from the British Library

Holdings details include

•Name of Library

•Shelfmark

•Summary holdings statement

•Online availability


Demo for ILL

Demo for ILL


Bibliographic details inc

•ISSN

•Start of publication

•Change of title


Demo for Serials Librarians

Demo for Serials Librarian


Promoting SUNCAT

• SUNCAT websitehttp://www.suncat.ac.uk

• Training guides

• Submitting queries

• Promotional material

• Linking to SUNCAT

• Institutional representatives


SUNCAT


Research Community


Zena Mulligan

[email protected]


Cataloguing: How will SUNCAT help? (I)

Problem: Serials cataloguing is of varying standards in the UK

Answer: SUNCAT offers high quality bibliographic serials records available for download by contributing libraries. SUNCAT includes the CONSER database, which is used as a benchmark for cataloguing standards. The ISSN database is also included, for the ultimate authority on ISSNs.


Cataloguing: How will SUNCAT help? (II)

Problem: How do I know that SUNCAT holds the record I want to download?

Answer: Try searching SUNCAT!SUNCAT holds serials records from about fifty libraries

to date, ranging from all the copyright libraries, through university research libraries, to specialist, societal libraries, covering a range of disciplines.


Cataloguing: How will SUNCAT help? (III)

Problem: How will SUNCAT help me search for serials records?

Answer: By being the serials national Union Catalogue for the UK, and holding the majority of UK serials titles in a single database.


Cataloguing: How will SUNCAT help? (IV)

Problem: I’m not a contributing library; how can I use SUNCAT for cataloguing?

Answer: Only contributing libraries will be able to download full records in MARC communications format. However, everyone will be able to search SUNCAT, and email individual records to themselves in a descriptive record format for information. SUNCAT is a useful reference tool for those who want to know if a serial title exists, with its associated title changes, etc.


Cataloguing: How will SUNCAT help? (V)

Problem: I can’t pay for access to any more databases; my cataloguing budget is overstretched as it is.

Answer: SUNCAT is free! It costs nothing to search, and download is free for

contributing libraries.


SUNCAT: What is involved for the contributing library? (I)

This is defined in a document sent out to all potential contributing libraries – our “Benefits and Expectations”.

Available on the SUNCAT website at:

http://www.suncat.ac.uk/librarians/Benefits-ExpectationsP2LibsMarch2006.pdf


SUNCAT: What is involved for the contributing library? (II)

• Supply answers to questionnaires

– Preliminary questionnaire– Data questionnaire– Updating questionnaire


SUNCAT: What is involved for the contributing library? (III)• Supply records to SUNCAT (initial load)

– All serials records in library catalogue– Sent via ftp to SUNCAT server


SUNCAT: What is involved for the contributing library? (IV)

• Agree data specification

– Data from contributing library needs to be manipulated into a form appropriate for loading into SUNCAT

– Data specification is drawn up by SUNCAT, with questions directed to the library

– Once approved, SUNCAT can start processing the contributing library’s data


SUNCAT: What is involved for the contributing library? (V)

• Check reports

– Rejected records reports– Character conversion error reports


SUNCAT: What is involved for the contributing library? (VI)

• To supply regular updates

- Regularity to be agreed with by library- Update files of serials records to include:

- New records- Changed records- Deleted records

(This applies for both holdings and bibliographic records, where appropriate)


SUNCAT: What is involved for the contributing library? (VII)

• Upgrade records to the SUNCAT upgrading standard

- Only records that are verified as unique or are the preferred record need to be upgraded by the library- SUNCAT upgrading standard is very similar to the CONSER minimum level standard(SUNCAT entry standard deliberately set low to allow as many records as possible into the database)

http://www.suncat.ac.uk/librarians/SUNCAT_bib_standards.pdf


Cataloguing: Benefits for contributing libraries• Access to over 4 million bibliographic records for

download (via z39.50 or through the web) in a variety of formats

• Inclusion of the CONSER Register and ISSN database, as well as bibliographic records from 50 contributing libraries

• Access to library-specific, tailored reports to help focus areas for cataloguing through the Librarian’s Interface

• SUNCAT is an invaluable aid for both current and retrospective cataloguing

• You can improve your own library catalogue and SUNCAT at the same time, thus benefitting the library community and beyond


Cataloguing: Benefits for all cataloguers

• Comprehensive search and locate facility for serials titles held in the UK

• Inclusion of the CONSER Register and 50 contributing libraries

• Ability to email details of bibliographic records (full and brief record)

• SUNCAT is an invaluable aid for both current and retrospective cataloguing


SUNCAT: Case studies

• See what some of our contributing libraries say:

http://www.suncat.ac.uk/librarians/casestudies.html


SUNCAT: the Librarians’ Interface

• What is the Librarians’ Interface?

• A new development, which will allow Contributing Libraries to:– Download records– Access reports regarding non-matched records– Notify the SUNCAT project team of mismatches

or records that should have matched into a set– To customise notifications reports


SUNCAT: the Librarians’ Interface (II)

• Downloading

• Via: z39.50• Via: download from the web (currently in

development)• Via: save / email function


SUNCAT: the Librarians’ Interface (III)• Assisted matching (currently in development)

• Will allow the contributing library to:– Verify unique records– Match poor quality records to the appropriate

set by the contributing library, chosen from a pool of records selected by SUNCAT

– Notify the SUNCAT team of mismatches, and / or records or sets that should match together


SUNCAT: the Librarians’ Interface (IV)

• Notifications:– To be developed?– Changes in the preferred record, tailored to

individual libraries


SUNCAT: what is the matching process?• Deduplicated union catalogue

• Complex matching algorithm

• 3 stage selection process for matching

• Preferred record display

• List of Common Titles (LOCT)

• Matching above format


Matching: the SUNCAT ID

• What is it?– The SC-ID is a unique identifier at a “work” level

• What does it do?– It links records for the same title together,

improving the current matching processes• How does it do this?

– By storing a number in the 049 $a field, and extra processes being run before every file is loaded into SUNCAT to assign a SC-ID

• What are the results?– Improved matching– An identifier which can be used outwith SUNCAT,

if so desired


Data quality

• Varying standards of data quality received from libraries, both in bibliographic and holdings information

• Matching algorithm does not match all bibliographic records for the same title successfully, due to paucity of data

• Results in some duplication of records on the database

• SUNCAT resolving this by:– Improving the matching algorithm– SUNCAT team matching / unmatching records to

appropriate sets through the Librarians’ Interface

– Asking contributing libraries to upgrade their preferred and unique records


SUNCAT: Central Source of Serials’ Information for the UK

Future Developments

Fred Guy

SUNCAT Project Manager, EDINA National Data Centre



Overview

1.Re-assess QUALITY (fit for purpose)• Coverage, Currency, Duplicates, (functionality &

performance)

2. Consider ADDED VALUE SERVICES

3. Review USERS’ REQUIREMENTS

4. Ensure GOVERNANCE & FUNDING

5. Outline DEVELOPMENT TIMESCALE

6. Questions …


Quality

1.Coverage

2.Currency

3.Duplicates 4. Functionality & performance


QUALITY: Coverage• Currently 49 largest UK research libraries

– 3 National libraries– 33 University libraries (inc. Oxford & Cambridge)– 3 Academic libraries (eg. Edinburgh College of Art)– 10 Special libraries (eg. Zoological Society of London)

General principles

• First obtain critical mass of titles and holdings √• Increase coverage to embrace specialist collections

– Definition? – Additional public libraries?

• Increase geographical spread of libraries– All university libraries?

Specific remit to be determined by JISC through the successor to SUNCAT Steering Committee


Quality: CoverageSUNCAT & Union Catalogues

SUNCAT

Union Cat. a

Union Cat. b

Z39.50; SRW:

Search/Retrieve Web Services etc.


QUALITY: Currency

General principles

• Aim for up-to-date information– New serials held– Updates to ‘preferred bibliographic record’

• ISSN assigment– Serials discontinued– Changes to holdings statement

• Establish cost-effective method– What should be held centrally– What changes rapidly

• Circulation status data best held locally– Holdings statement?


1. Re-assess QUALITY: fit for purpose

SUNCAT db

‘Serial Titles’, by matching Item records, ‘Preferred Bib. Record’ +

Holdings

CENTRAL DATABASE

Researchers’ user interface

Librarians’ user interface

Contributing Libraries

Bibliographical records

+ Item Holdings

Initial Load & Updating

OPACs

Downloading


QUALITY: Data

“A particular problem when considering the bringing together of serials records into a union catalogue is their variable quality. In many libraries, there has until recently been no tradition of creating or obtaining quality serials records, perhaps because these records were not as easily obtainable as for monographs but also because a simple finding list for serials was probably sufficient, given reliance on the services of the BLDSC”.

“Testing of serials union catalogues revealed not so much differences between physical and virtual architectures, as the dubious quality of much of the underlying data from local catalogues, including both the bibliographic record and the volume/year holdings information”.

Feasibility study for a National Union Catalogue. Final Report 25th April 2001


QUALITY: Matching & De-duplication

Ex Libris (using ALEPH 500)• Install a series of fixes to assist matching process

– Increase candidate pool size– Re-index (or rebuild) system

• Development of new secondary algorithm• Development of an API

EDINA• Computer-assisted matching; outside Aleph using API

Status: Under consideration but funding implications

Software DataData


Manual Intervention

QUALITY: Alternative Approach

Identification of Non-Matched records (report)

Identification of ‘mis-matched’ records

SUNCAT Team & Contributing Libraries

Use of Assisted Matching via Librarians’ Interface


QUALITY: Holding Statements

Currently data are displayed as submitted by CLs

Three possible approaches under consideration to improve currency, and to embrace e-journals:

1. Link, via SFX, to local holdings fields in OPACs

2. Manually register/amend holdings information

3. (for e-journals) Ingest holdings data from source• from PAMS, Publishers, Aggregators etc.• using ONIX for Serials for transmission

• AIMSS Project (JISC: EDINA/Serials Solutions)


SEARCH & DISCOVER

Search (by series of keys) Locate holdings libraries Identify specific holdings

SUNCAT

SUNCAT

REQUEST & DELIVER

ILLE-TOCDocument Delivery

Full Text

2. Consider ADDED VALUE SERVICES


3. Review USERS’ REQUIREMENTS

For researchers, librarians and other professionals involved with serials …

“Typically, library services are only seen by the audience which makes its way into the library Web presence and finds what they are looking for.

“The resources are not visible to the many other people who may find them valuable”.

Lorcan Dempsey. The (Digital) Library Environment: Ten Years after.

http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue46/dempsey/intro.html


SUNCAT

PRESENT

User initiated search

HTTP

SUNCAT

FUTURE

JISC Information Environment(OpenURL, RSS; E-mail alerts;

MyPortal; SAKAI; uPortal; Microsoft Research Pane etc, etc.)


4. Ensure Governance & FundingGovernance• Project.

– SUNCAT Steering Committee • Based on RSLP/JISC Project Committee• February 2003 – October 2006

• Service. – EDINA Board of Management

• Monitoring Unit– Steering & Advisory Groups

Funding– Currently to July 2007– Renewal following review


5. Outline Development Timescale

[1] Subject to extra funding being made available

Sept 2006 – March 2007 April 2007 – July 2008 months[1]

Quality Discussions on approaches to de-duplication (eg with Copac)

Install fixes

Reindex/rebuild

Implement Librarians’ Interface (for assisted matching etc.)

Develop new algorithm Develop API External matching (API) Registration of Holdings Notification of Changes Test links to OPACs via OpenURL (OpenURL Router & SFX)

Added Value Services

Discussions with Zetoc and others

Discuss/establish links to other services

Meeting users’ requirements

Evaluate requirements: JISC IE & Aleph capabilities

Governance and funding

JISC to resolve composition and remit of new Committee

Determine funding for August 2007 -


Questions welcome ..

1.Quality (fit for purpose)

2. Added Value Services

3. Users’ Requirements

4. Governance & Funding

5. Development Timescale

6. Other Issues

SUNCAT Workshop, September 20061 SUNCAT Workshops London, Edinburgh, Manchester SEPTEMBER 2006...

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Transcript of SUNCAT Workshop, September 20061 SUNCAT Workshops London, Edinburgh, Manchester SEPTEMBER 2006...