[MinervaCats] Minerva Cataloging two new policies

[Katherine R. Morgan]

Hello fellow catalogers,
     This e-mail contains two new policies for Minerva catalogers. The  
cataloging committee worked hard over the summer and wants to thanks  
all who gave their feedback to create the policies. As always please  
e-mail me if you have questions or comments.

thanks
Katherine, chair

      At the Executive Committee?s meeting on November 12, 2008 the  
cataloging committee presented two recommendations, the attendance  
policy and the application for using MARC 791 field, both were approved.

      The attendance policy goes into effect January 2009. The  
overview of the policy is that a library needs to send a cataloger to  
three meetings or view three taped meetings in one calendar year. If a  
library does not adhere to the policy then in the following year the  
library will lose its ability to create new records or bring in  
records from Z39.50. To regain the abilities lost, a library will need  
to attend three meetings or the equivalent. At the bottom of this  
e-mail is the full policy to read and/or print out. Catalogers are  
urged to bring this new policy to the attention of their library  
director. The committee feels strongly that with the budget cut for  
Millennium training, workshops, and cataloging consultant hours that  
attending the meetings is vital to keep up with current cataloging  
issues and standards, and with Millennium software updates. The dates  
for the 2009 meetings are still be decided, but two will be at MSL,  
Bangor, and two in the south.

      The application for using MARC 791 is for libraries that need to  
have special collections searchable in the OPAC. If your library needs  
to use MARC 791 field, you can get an application by e-mailing the  
chair, Katherine Morgan at norcat at norway.lib.me.us. The committee will  
then review the application for approval. This is not a change in how  
a library uses MARC 791 field. The current policy states that a  
library needs to apply to the cataloging standards committee to use  
the 791 field. The application is a necessity for the cataloging  
committee to use when a library ask for permission to use MARC 791.  
The application will help the committee to know why a library wants to  
use the field, and to keep a paper record.

Here is the attendance policy:
Minerva Cataloging Standards Committee

Attending the cataloging users group meetings
      Some catalogers and library directors have asked the committee  
to reconsider the requirement of attending three Cataloging Users  
Meetings per year.  They feel that travel time and expenses create a  
hardship.
      The committee believes that attending three meetings per year is  
necessary or the alternative, outline below, to ensure that catalogers  
are well informed of the need to keep the OPAC clean and in compliance  
with rules established by Anglo-American Cataloging Rules and  
standards set by the Minerva cataloging standards committee. In  
addition, with the FY 09 reduction of Maine InfoNet cataloging  
consultants? hours, and cataloging classes cancelled the committee  
feels that attending meetings is crucial to keeping the OPAC clean and  
keeping catalogers informed of what is happening in Minerva cataloging.
The committee understands the difficulties of travel and taking time  
away from work, but with two meetings each at Maine State Library,  
Falmouth, and Bangor, attending three meetings annually is feasible.   
For catalogers unable to attend due to staff, distance, and/or budget  
issues, they can request a tape of the catalogers? users meeting. A  
cataloging committee member will keep track of attendance and those  
requesting a tape to determine which libraries follow the attendance  
policy.
      The committee feels that a consequence is necessary to ensure  
that catalogers are getting important cataloging and Millennium  
software information. For those that are not adhering to the policy  
the committee chair will send out an e-mail to the cataloger and  
library director reminding them of the policy, and that DVDs are  
available. If the library fails to send catalogers to three meetings  
or requests DVDs in a calendar year the committee asks that the  
cataloger/library will lose the ability to create new record, and  
bring records from the Z39.50 database. To have the ability to import  
and create new records the cataloger/library will have to attend three  
meetings or the alternative equivalent.

Minerva Cataloging Attendance Policy

      Minerva catalogers need to attend three meetings per year or the  
alternative, view the taped meetings, to ensure that they are well  
informed about cataloging issues and solutions to keep the OPAC clean,  
and in compliance with rules established by Anglo-American Cataloging  
Rules and standards set by the Minerva cataloging standards committee.  
Catalogers unable to attend due to staff, distance, and/or budget  
issues, they can request a tape of the catalogers? users meeting. The  
cataloging committee will keep track of attendance and those  
requesting a tape to determine which libraries follow the attendance  
policy.
      If a library misses three meetings in a row, the chair will send  
an e-mail to the cataloger and library director reminding them of the  
attendance policy and that tapes are available upon request. The  
Executive Committee chair will receive a copy of the e-mail. If the  
library director does not reply then the library loses the ability to  
create new records and to bring records from Z39.5 by the end of the  
calendar year. The chair will inform Maine InfoNet staff and the  
Executive Committee this needs to be done. To regain the ability to  
create new records and bring in records from Z39.5 then the cataloger  
needs to attend three meetings to view three tapes. The attendance  
keeper will notify Maine InfoNet staff and the chair of that the  
cataloger has come to three meetings or viewed three tapes, and that  
they can have the ability to create new records and bring in new  
records from Z39.5.


Requesting tapes of cataloging meetings

      A cataloger can request taped meetings by placing a hold through  
Millennium.


Brief outline of the policy

1.	attend 3 meetings (preference)
2.	alternative is view 3 meetings
3.	committee will keep track of attendance
4.	if not three meetings in a row are missed an e-mail will be sent to  
cataloger and library director
5.	if not reply from library director than that library?s ability to  
bring in records from Z39.5 or create new records will be taken away  
for the next calendar year
6.	to regain the ability to bring records from Z39,5 or create new  
records the cataloger will need to attend three meetings or view three  
tapes


Katherine R. Morgan
Technical Services/Administrative Assistant
Norway Memorial Library
207-743-5309