Below is the minutes from the OCLC Union List of Serials User's Group
which met at ALA Annual Conference, Summer 1997. If you have any questions
please feel free to contact me. Posted to Serialst and ILL-L.  Sorry for
the duplication.

Thanks
Jane

Jane Tupin * tupin@lib.de.us
Delaware Division of Libraries * 43 S. DuPont Highway, Dover, DE 19901
(v) (302) 739-4748 ext. 151 * (f) (302) 739-6948

OCLC UNION LIST OF SERIALS USER'S GROUP
ALA Annual Conference June 30, 1997

OCLC Update -Ellen Caplan provided an update on the LDR updating pilot
project.  The service will provide maintenance of  holdings information.
LDRs are accessible through FirstSearch, ILL, and Union List.   When
available, library data must conform to standards at level 3 or 4 and be
able to provide holdings in USMARC.  Summary holdings are at copy level
and institution level.  Technical Specifications are available at URL:
http://www.oclc.org/oclc/specs/batch.htm

The Pilot Project is using data from 3 libraries and the project should
conclude in Dec 1997.  The Product will hopefully be introduced in the
second quarter of 1998.  Watch for the Technical Bulletin.  Libraries
will have the same options (FTP, tape, cassette) that they have for
batchload.
NOTE:  since ALA OCLC has decided that a Planning Guide would be more
appropriate than a Technical Bulletin to help you prepare for batch LDR
updating.

NISO Standards Update -Marjorie Bloss, Center for Research Libraries
The NISO standard for Union List is in final revision.  It should be
distributed to NISO soon.  Voting should take place near the end of the
year.  For electronic serials, if a library "has control" over a serial,
then holdings should be reflected. Holdings for papers and electronic
serial may look different. Holdings for electronic serials may be put on
record for paper ed.

Discussion of Union listing -Collette Mak, OCLC
OCLC is conducting a series of structured discussion on union listing
with various groups as a way to help understand the pressures and
challenges facing union listing and how OCLC can help provide libraries
with the services and tools they need to meet those challenges.

Traditional Union listing is changing.   Libraries are forming small,
less structured groups for resource sharing.   The new environment may
mean the end of the large formal union list groups.   At the same time,
the group sees OCLC's custom holdings for union list to be a very
positive move.   They understand the value to ILL, perhaps more than ILL
does.   Problems for traditional ILL such as license agreements and
full-text on-line are also threats to union listing.   OPACs and open
access to systems is a threat to the standards they follow; when forced
to choose between standards for union listing and their OPAC displays
libraries abandon the standards.

Users of UL data.
ILL Borrowing is the primary user of UL data.  They have always been the
primary user and will continue to be the primary user.   Other users of
UL data are collection development, reference and all end-users
(internal and external).   The group made a clear distinction between
consumers of UL data and providers of UL data.  They asked for a user
heading called 'maintenance' users and included union list agents and
technical services.

Problems solved by UL
ILL borrowing needs--who has what.  Lenders are also served by UL
because when borrowers use UL data lenders don't waste time on requests
they can't fill.  Paper union lists are still useful--paper is portable
and doesn't require there be a terminal and telecom at every desk.
Paper union lists also provide convenience and ease of use (everyone
knows how to flip pages).   Union lists (any format) combine information
and avoid having to search OPAC-by-OPAC.   Union lists are also used for
collection development, end-users, finding what has been microfilmed.
A particular advantage of  paper union lists is that, after the initial
purchase, there are no other costs to use.

Changes effecting UL
OPACs and the web have had a major impact on union listing.  Library
groups are forming on less formal lines than before because it's easier,
libraries also joining multiple groups.  Funding for the large formal
groups is less secure, when libraries are asked to pick up funding they
often leave the group.   OPACs often show serials holdings information.
Libraries often choose to support end-user 'standards' rather than the
formal serials standards--no one wants to double key information.
End-user expectations for information have changed, they expect to be
able to point and click to get to almost any kind of information.
OCLC's move to the new platform has helped union listing.  Custom
Holdings for union lists has made union list information much more
accessible to ILL.

The Future
Standards, license agreements, web access, funding will all be critical
to the future of union listing.  Full-text is often not really
'full'--not all issues and articles are covered.   Ownership and access
is no longer an accurate description, it's materials under local control
vs. materials accessed without local control.

Libraries need to:
Upgrade hardware and software, get more and better equipment.  Staff
needs to know about the technologies--they often know less than the
students.  The license agreement problem needs to be solved so libraries
can continue to share as they have.   Union Listers need to find ways to
make union listing " make union listing 'easier, safer, more
approachable" for librarians, union listers and end-users

OCLC needs to:
Reduce the costs of participation in union listing.  Offer batch
updating as soon as possible and support more formats for output.
Profiling should be faster and easier, forms should be simpler and
offered on the web.