CCC Series Authority Record Task Group (Jane Ciacci) Ann Ercelawn 02 Jun 1994 16:32 UTC
Date: Thu, 02 Jun 1994 10:37:38 -0500 (CDT) From: katherine jane ciacci <kjc2@MIDWAY.UCHICAGO.EDU> Subject: CCC Series Authority Record Task Group Please reply to one of the addresses at the end of this message, not to SERIALST. Thanks--ed. ____________________________________________________________________ A MESSAGE FROM THE COOPERATIVE CATALOGING COUNCIL SERIES AUTHORITY RECORD TASK GROUP This message is being posted to a large number of technical services and public services lists. We apologize for the inevitable and tiresome duplication; however, with this strategy, we hope to receive reactions from a very broad spectrum of the library community. THE COOPERATIVE CATALOGING COUNCIL The Cooperative Cataloging Council is responsible for developing and implementing a new national cooperative cataloging program. Since its founding in January 1993, the Council has appointed a number of task groups to investigate issues of critical importance to cooperative cataloging. The work of earlier task groups has contributed to the development of a Strategic Plan for Cooperative Cataloging, and new task groups have recently begun to work on the issues delineated in that plan. In addition, the Program for Cooperative Cataloging has been established under the direction of Sarah Thomas, Director for Cataloging at the Library of Congress. Documentation of the work of the Cooperative Cataloging Council is available from the LC Marvel gopher. From the Marvel menu, select: 4. Libraries and Publishers (Technical Services) 1. Cataloging at LC 1. Cooperative Cataloging Programs at LC 2. Cooperative Cataloging Council THE SERIES AUTHORITY RECORD TASK GROUP The Cooperative Cataloging Council Series Authority Record Task Group is charged to define the content and functional uses of series authority records in the national authority file. This task is associated with Goal 2.1 of the Program for Cooperative Cataloging Five-Year Strategic Plan: 1994- 1999: Goal 2.1: Develop standards that will support wide use of records in a cost-effective manner. The Task Group is reviewing a variety of available documentation which includes information about the contents and function of series authority records in the national authority file: reports of previous CCC task groups, the LC Series Report and reactions to it, the CCC Strategic Plan, and material from current library literature. In the next three months, we will be posting various messages requesting comment from the library community. We will then make recommendations to the CCC, on the basis of our analysis of the input we receive. In doing this work we are making several assumptions which may interest others: 1. Everyone is interested in finding the most efficient way to do work, because of budget problems, shortages of staff, and lack of expertise to deal with specific formats. 2. The imperative toward more cooperation will continue. 3. The environment is electronic, not manual. We should not just be automating the manual mode of doing things. 4. To be successful, a cooperative cataloging program must leverage local efforts. That is, the more the national contribution can be a byproduct of what an institution would do locally anyway, the more attractive contribution will be. 5. Provision of *useful* user access to information resources is fundamental to library service. Our programs must be based on definition and enhancement of useful access. Very shortly you will see a posting from us asking for your input on the functional uses of series authority records in the national authority file for technical services and public services. We will also be interested in hearing your views about the current vs. future functions of series authority records in the light of the assumptions we have made above. Please send any comments, questions, etc. to: ccc-sar-tg@stax.lib.uchicago.edu rather than to the list where you read this. or to: Jane Ciacci Cataloging Department, Room 172 University of Chicago Library 1100 East 57th St., Chicago, IL 60637 Tel: (312)702-8739 Thank you Karen Calhoun (OCLC), Jane Ciacci (University of Chicago, chair), Mechael Gago (Indiana University), Cecily Johns (University of California at Santa Barbara), Judy Kuhagen (Library of Congress), Linda West (Harvard) 2 June 1994 Bitnet: uclkjc2@uchimvs1 Internet: kjc2@midway.uchicago.edu