Database Management Policy

Statement of Purpose

The Cooperative Computer Services' bibliographic database is a shared resource created for and by the members of the consortium. Through it the CCS libraries realize two goals:

To maintain a reliable and current union catalog of their holdings

To provide consistent, specific and detailed access to the full intellectual substance of those holdings

The successful maintenance of this database necessitates a consortium-wide commitment to these goals. Member libraries must agree on common cataloging standards and practice common data entry procedures. In return they enjoy the benefits of cooperation, which include

Distribution of responsibility, effort and cost

Large pool of talent and resources

Cost savings under a shared OCLC profile

Opportunities, e.g. training, advocacy, which generally accrue to larger libraries

The CCS Bibliographic Database Management Model (BDMM) is founded on that commitment to shared goals and is, in turn, the foundation on which consensus is built. Specifically, the BDMM:

Describes basic responsibilities of each library

Describes the functions of the Database Management Department

Acknowledges CCS's reliance on OCLC as the primary source of records

Outlines the means for assuring quality in the database

While the BDMM provides a framework of responsibilities, each library is free to meet its obligations using the staff, budget, workflow and technological tools which best suit its situation.

The current BDMM updates an earlier version of the CCS Database Management Model (3/95) and includes portions of the documents Procedures for Achieving Compliance with the CCS Database Management Model (7/89), Organization for the Development of the CCS Database (1/90) and Authority Control in the CCS Database (5/96). The current BDMM supersedes the older documents.

Responsibilities of Member Libraries

Each CCS member library

1. Will comply with the Bibliographic Database Management Model, the CCS Cataloging Manual and other adopted standards for the CCS bibliographic database

2. Will employ a full time librarian with competencies in technical services to supervise the library's bibliographic data creation and entry. These competencies should include a graduate degree in library science or equivalent experience, working knowledge of AACR2, MARC bibliographic format, Library of Congress subject headings, and OCLC

3. Will ensure that all the library's database maintenance staff are trained to the level required by the CCS-defined core requirements for the work they do

4. Will have a connection to OCLC and be authorized as a user under the shared JED profile

5. Will have approved means, e.g. CCS vendor software, OCLC software, third party software, to

view and edit existing MARC bibliographic records and item records in the CCS bibliographic database

acquire bibliographic records from OCLC, edit and transfer them to the CCS bibliographic database

view the CCS headings indexes

enter locally created bibliographic and item records into the CCS database

6. Is responsible for activities that are not directly related to the creation and maintenance of full bibliographic records in the database, including acquisition of materials, entering and maintaining item information, assigning local call numbers, producing catalog cards, and physical processing of materials

7. Is responsible for acquisition and maintenance of database management equipment not covered by any consortium contract and ongoing training of its staff in the use of that equipment

8. Will keep accurate statistics as required and pay its portion of shared expenses

9. Will send a representative to meetings of the Catalogers Technical Group and other required or applicable CCS workshops or programs

10. Will encourage, support and provide continuing education beyond the core requirements for its database maintenance staff

11. Will provide its share of staff time to perform database projects agreed upon by the CCS membership

Database Management Department

The CCS Database Management Department is charged with coordinating and overseeing the creation and maintenance of the bibliographic database as a whole. In particular the Department has responsibility for functions that require or benefit from centralization. These include

quality control of the bibliographic database as a whole

authority control

The Database Management Department acts as liaison between the CCS libraries and the consortium's system vendor in matters related to the bibliographic database. The Department is responsible for reviewing and recommending all outside sources of MARC records.

Specific responsibilities of the Database Management Department, as listed here, should be reviewed periodically by the Database Management Task Force to ensure that the benefits of centralization are maximized.

The Database Management Department

1. Will temporarily transfer final edited bibliographic records into the database for those libraries that are unable to do so

2. Will supervise the loading of bibliographic and item data for new CCS member libraries

3. Will advise member libraries about methods for acquiring, editing and inputting bibliographic and item records

4. Will monitor the quality of the bibliographic data in the database and coordinate cooperative or third party database revision projects as needed

5. Will train new library staff members in core requirements when requested

6. Will, with the Catalogers Technical Group, identify continuing education needs and provide continuing education as needed or when requested

7. Will, with the Catalogers Technical Group, draft local standards and maintain the written record of those standards

8. Will coordinate and monitor the creation and maintenance of a CCS authority file

9. Will coordinate CCS participation in cooperative cataloging programs outside of CCS

10. Will coordinate the use of the OCLC shared cataloging profile

11. Will recommend to the Governing Board sources of bibliographic and authority records

12. Will coordinate the use of CCS system vendor's products for database

13. Will have a connection to OCLC with authorization levels appropriate for CCS participation

14. Will have approved means, e.g. CCS vendor software, OCLC software, third party software, to

view and edit existing MARC bibliographic records and item records in the CCS bibliographic database

acquire bibliographic records from OCLC, edit and transfer them to the CCS bibliographic database

view the CCS headings indexes

enter locally created bibliographic and item records into the CCS database

Database Manager

The Database Management Department is supervised by the Database Manager who coordinates the activities of the Department. The Database Manager:

is a full-time professional librarian

is employed by Cooperative Computer Services

is responsible to the CCS Administrator

requests and receives guidance from the Database Management Task Force

has working knowledge of standard cataloging documentation including AACR2 Rev., Library of Congress Rule Interpretations, US MARC Formats and Library of Congress Subject Headings

has experience with OCLC and is familiar with OCLC documentation

is familiar with CCS documentation including the Cataloging Manual, minutes of Catalogers Technical Group meetings and CCS Bylaws and Policies

is familiar with CCS system vendor products and documentation

Authorities Librarian

Authority control in the CCS bibliographic database is coordinated by the Authorities Librarian. The Authorities Librarian:

is a full-time professional librarian

is employed by Cooperative Computer Services

is responsible to the CCS Database Manager

has working knowledge of standard cataloging documentation including AACR2 Rev., Library of Congress Rule Interpretations, US MARC Formats and Library of Congress Subject Headings

has experience with OCLC and is familiar with OCLC documentation

is familiar with CCS documentation including the Cataloging Manual, minutes of Catalogers Technical Group meetings and CCS Bylaws and Policies

is familiar with CCS system vendor products and documentation

Other Personnel

In order to fulfill the responsibilities of the Database Management Department the Database Manager may hire support staff as required and approved and may allot departmental duties to this staff. This staff may comprise professional librarians, paraprofessionals and/or clerical personnel depending on the need.

Sources of Bibliographic Records

Bibliographic records may be created locally in the CCS database or imported from an approved outside source. The guidelines for locally created records are found in the current OCLC contract and in the CCS Cataloging Manual.

Outside sources include bibliographic utilities, other bibliographic databases and vendors of bibliographic data. Currently the only approved outside source of bibliographic records is OCLC. CCS libraries observe certain obligations to OCLC regarding original cataloging, reporting holdings and use of bibliographic records. These obligations are documented in CCS's Illinet/OCLC Services Program Terminal Agreement (7/86) and regular renewal contracts, in Guidelines for the Use and Transfer of OCLC-Derived Records (11/87) and the OCLC Principles of Cooperation (5/96). The CCS Governing Board at the recommendation of the Database Manager will approve the use of other outside sources of bibliographic records.

Costs associated with acquiring bibliographic records will be apportioned by the determination of the Governing Board, and each library will be notified of its share of the costs. Under the current contract with OCLC Cooperative Computer Services is categorized a processing center, and CCS activity is identified with a single shared code, JED. OCLC costs are billed to CCS as a unit.

Authority Control Procedures

Catalogers who wish to contribute authority records to the CCS database have two options for doing so:

1. Send the Authorities Librarian a list of needed authority records or a file of needed authority records to load. The Authorities Librarian will be responsible for loading them as soon as possible.

2. Load the authority records themselves, as long as they have the approval of the CCS Authorities Librarian and meet the certain criteria:

Thorough knowledge of Unicorn authority wizards and demonstrated experience and competency in loading authority records.

Attendance at the CCS Catalogers Technical Group meeting and workshops which discuss authority issues.

Catalogers hired after March 15, 2007 can arrange to receive training by the Authorities Librarian and can be provisionally allowed to load authority records for a probationary period until granted full permission by the Authorities Librarian.

Additional criteria that may be needed will be subject to Governing Board approval.

The cataloger loading authority records must use a supervisor's login. The CCS Authorities Librarian will maintain a list of authorized authority record loaders. If any problems arise and the cataloger fails to adhere to the rules and regulations, the privilege of loading authority records may be rescinded.

Quality Control in the CCS Bibliographic Database

The goal of database quality control is to ensure that an adequate amount of necessary information is provided as consistently as possible. Necessary information is any information that is used by more than the inputting library for internal functions. To achieve the desired levels of completeness and consistency three things are required. There must be a reasonable set of core requirements understood by all libraries; there must be thorough and ongoing training in those requirements; and libraries must have staffs that are able and willing to satisfy the requirements.

Core Requirements

Core requirements for bibliographic data are

Reasonable

Achievable by every CCS library

Recorded in writing

Measurable

Objective

Adequate for the purposes for which the data is used, e.g. identification of works, OPAC searching, reports

Core requirements for the CCS database are developed, reviewed and amended by the Catalogers Technical Group, its Standard Cataloging Rules and Practices (SCRAP) committee and the Database Management Department. They are recorded in the CCS Cataloging Manual. Individual CCS libraries are encouraged to exceed the core requirements.

Training

To ensure database quality all database maintenance staff must satisfy the core requirements associated with his/her job. Each library assumes responsibility for training its staff members in the core requirements of their jobs. Each library will review the work of its trainees until the library is certain that the trainees can satisfy the core requirements. When necessary the Database Management Department, rather than individual library personnel, will be responsible for training. The Department will review the work of trainees until they are capable of meeting core requirements. The Database Management Department will do training and review

For libraries that are new to CCS

For CCS libraries that lack qualified trainers

Under other circumstances as necessary

Identification of Work

CCS libraries will identify the bibliographic records they add to the database.

Monitoring

The Database Manager should be advised when core requirements are not being met. He/she will address the problem by

Discussing the matter directly with the library

Conducting individual training sessions

Conducting group training

Ask for a volunteer mentor library to assist

Continuing Education

Libraries are encouraged to allow their staffs to develop beyond core requirements. The Catalogers Technical Group, its SCRAP committee and the Database Management Department will sponsor or conduct training sessions and workshops in areas of cataloging and database maintenance that are of interest to the CCS membership.

Enforcement of Compliance

If it becomes apparent that a library does not adhere to CCS core requirements the following procedures will be observed in increments:

1. The Database Manager will inform the CCS Administrator

2. The CCS Administrator will bring the problem to the attention of the library's administrator

3. The chair of the CCS Database Management Task Force and the CCS President will be asked to intervene

4. The matter will be brought before the CCS Executive Committee, which may make a recommendation to the Governing Board.

Note: The CCS bylaws deal specifically with the responsibility of members in Article IX, Section 6. Article XI covers Enforcement Procedures.