[MinervaCats] Attendance Policy

[Katherine R. Morgan]

Hi Minerva Catalogers
     The cataloging standards committee has revised the attendance  
policy (the revisions are set in quotes). This policy will go before  
the Executive Committee at their November meeting for approval. The  
committee would like feedback before sending the policy to the  
Executive Committee. The cataloging committee needs to hear from  
everyone by October 14. The attendance is below

thanks
Katherine, chair

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."


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