[MinervaCats] Standards for Acceptable Cataloging in Minerva

[Karen Jones]

Thanks so much for posting this to the list!
Karen
 
 
 
Karen N. Jones      
Technical Services Librarian
Lewiston Public Library
200 Lisbon St.
Lewiston, ME  04240
kjones at ci.lewiston.me.us 
Voice:  (207) 513-3004 x3511
Fax:  (207) 784-3011
TTY:  (207) 513-3007
www.lplonline.org ( http://www.lplonline.org/ )

The City of Lewiston is an EOE.  For more information, please visit our
website at www.ci.lewiston.me.us ( http://www.ci.lewiston.me.us/ ) and
click on the Non-Discrimination Policy.


>>> "Ellen Conway" <econway54 at gmail.com> 5/18/2008 1:35 PM >>>
The following proposal was submitted by the Minerva Cataloging
Standards Committee to the Minerva Executive Board for consideration at
their meeting scheduled for Weds., May 21, 2008.  If you have any
comments regarding this proposal please post them to the MinervaCats
listserv.
 
Thanks,
Ellen
 

Establishing Standards for Acceptable Cataloging 
The Minerva Cataloging Standards Committee believes that the group must
establish what is meant by the term "acceptable cataloging".  The
official documents that outline the process for applying for membership
in Minerva do not define in any specific terms what is required in the
Bibliographic Record. 
The document titled "Thinking of Joining Minerva?  Consider the
Following" may currently be found in the Maine InfoNet webpages. Under
the heading "General Qualifications" it is stated that all "perspective"
[sic] members must show that they have "regular, permanent staff with a
comfort level and basic understanding of cataloging procedures and the
need for standards critical to a shared environment with different
library types:  public, academic, school and special." 
Furthermore, it is stated under the heading "2) Cataloging
Requirements", "All members must…have a least one staff member who is
capable of identifying acceptable catalog records before loading records
into the shared catalog [and] adhere to Minerva standards for old and
new records and agree that all incomplete records containing only author
and title will be suppressed in the OPAC." 
The Committee believes that the non-specific nature of the above
statements, along with other factors, has allowed an excessive number of
poor records to be loaded into the Minerva catalog.  To try to prevent
any further degradation of the catalog it is imperative that strict
guidelines to "acceptable cataloging" are established and enforced.   
To that end the Minerva Cataloging Standards Committee suggests that
the following proposal be considered and approved by the Minerva
Executive Committee. 
 
 
Acceptable Cataloging for Minerva Libraries  
Bibliographic records in the Minerva Catalog will conform to AACR2
rules except in special circumstances allowed by the Cataloging
Standards Committee. 
Records must be in correct MARC format and will include all appropriate
MARC tags, indicators, and subfields. 
The Fixed Fields section of the Bibliographic Record will be complete
with all required information, including correct Material Type,
language, non-filing characters, Location, language, country, input
library, and initials.  New records will have the cataloging date
entered. 
The MARC Leader will be complete with correct codes for Record Type,
Status, and Cat Form "a" (AACR2) in particular. 
The record will include all the following fields: 001 field, used for
OCLC numbers only.  (This is already an approved Minerva standard.)  001
fields containing non-OCLC numbers must be deleted.            
http://www.maine.gov/infonet/archives/minerva/cataloging/compStandards.htm**
010 field containing the LC control number if assigned.

 020 fields with ISBN if one has been assigned and it appears inside or
on the cover of the item, or ISSN in the 022.

 Nonprint, audiovisual material records will have a complete and
correct 007 field for physical description. 

 008 field with complete information including dates and country code.

 1XX field for the main entry if applicable, with correct indicators
and the correct LC authority record form of the entry.

 Title information will be entered in 245 field according to AACR2. 
Correct indicators and subfields will be present, and correct
punctuation will be observed.  GMD information will be entered in this
field according to the list approved by the Minerva Cataloging Standards
Committee.

 250 edition statement if applicable.

 260 field containing place of publication, publisher, and date, using
correct subfields.

 300 physical description field with pagination, illustration details,
and size in centimeters.  Information regarding additional materials
will be included as needed.

 440/490 fields for series information if applicable.

 500 or 538 note with system details for audiovisual materials, as
described in previously approved MCSC standard policy. ** 

 504 bibliography note (optional) will include pagination when
possible.

 520 field for summary note (optional field) will be not longer than 50
words in length.  Content should be objective and non-judgemental in
nature and should not include excessive plot detail.

 6XX subject access field will be entered with correct indicators and
subdivisions.  Library of Congress subject headings will be used except
where MeSH headings and GSAFD genre headings are required.  

 7XX added entry fields are included when applicable; the correct
authority form of names will be used.

 8XX series added entry fields are included when applicable.  URL links
to non- site specific resources are given in 856 notes.  

 
In addition to the specific requirements listed above, bibliographic
records will observe all previously approved Minerva Cataloging
Standards and practices, including those that detail the proper handling
of special formats and material types.   
When a new library is admitted to Minerva, its bibliographical records
must be examined and approved by the Maine InfoNet cataloging specialist
and/or representatives of the Cataloging Standards Committee before
loading. 
Any policies that are approved in the future must also be observed. 

-- 
Ellen M. Conway 
Maine InfoNet Cataloging Consultant
797-9464, cell ph. 329-5443 
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