Next Generation Cataloging

During the past several years the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) noted increasing concern from the library community regarding the future of cataloging. In response to this concern and to the rapidly changing metadata environment, OCLC is taking steps to further a paradigm shift toward early acquisition of metadata in WorldCat directly from the entities responsible for content purchased by libraries—chiefly the publisher supply chain. This shift in thinking requires the acknowledgement that metadata is dynamic and will change over time and relies upon the automated capture of metadata early in the publishing cycle as well as automated processes to help make the early metadata “good enough.”     

Congress as Publisher: The magic of the U.S. Congressional Serial Set

A major part of Congressional publishing, though not the whole conspectus of it, is the U.S. Congressional Serial Set. After a quick review of the history of the Serial Set, the formal categories of publications are discussed with their statistical breakdown followed by salient examples from some of the various genres of Serial Set publications.     

Partners in Collaborative Cataloging: The U.S. Government Printing Office and the University of Montana

Collaboration is a necessity in the current library environment where time, money, and resources are limited. This is particularly noticeable for institutions housing federal government documents. In addition to keeping up with the influx of current publications, federal depository libraries must address historical documents for which bibliographic records are not readily available. This report discusses how the United States Government Printing Office and the University of Montana Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library are working together to increase access to pre-1976 United States Forest Service publications and gray literature within the same subject area.     

A framework for interpreting social media interactions in the public sector

Social media applications are extending the information and communication technology landscape in the public sector and are used to increase government transparency, participation and collaboration in the U.S. federal government. The success, impact and performance of these new forms of bi-directional and networked interactions can provide insights to understand compliance with the mandate of the Open Government Initiative. Many government agencies are experimenting with the use of social media, however very few actively measure the impact of their digital interactions. This article builds on insights from social media directors in the U.S. federal government highlighting their current lack of measurement practices for social media interactions. Based on their articulated needs for measurement, existing rules regulating the extent of measurement practices and technological features of the main social media platforms, a framework is presented that traces online interactions to mission support and the resulting social media tactics. Implications for both researchers and practitioners are discussed.     

Human Trafficking in the United States. Part II. Survey of U.S. Government Web Resources for Publications and Data

This second part of a two-part series is a survey of U.S. government web resources on human trafficking in the United States, particularly of the online publications and data included on agencies’ websites. Overall, the goal is to provide an introduction, an overview, and a guide on this topic for library staff to use in their research and instruction services, as well as to benefit new researchers, students, government agencies, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), social service providers, and others exploring this topic.     

Verification

At Vanderbilt University Library attempts to coordinate pre-order and pre-cataloging OCLC searching guidelines were only partially successful until the Verification Unit became part of the Monographic Services (i.e., cataloging) Department. With Verification's reporting to the head of cataloging and with the department head's more immediate awareness of verification procedures, closer coordination between verification and cataloging followed quickly. In two years, production in the LC Copy Catalog Unit increased 104%.