CONSER

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CONSERS Publication Pattern Initiative why is
it important and whats in it for you?
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Todays presentation

• Background on the CONSER initiative
• What is the problem and what is CONSER doing
  about it?
• What CONSER has achieved to date and still hopes
  to accomplish
• A brief review of MARC 21 holdings
• How patterns are added to CONSER records
• New initiatives
• Experience at my institution
• Whats in it for you and your library

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The Challenge

• The MARC 21 Holdings Format was created in the
  1980s as a means to communicate holdings data.
• It is now for the first time being widely used by
  integrated library systems (ILSs)
• Part of the holdings format is the inclusion of
  fields that include publication patterns that
  allow the ILS to predict the future issues of a
  serial
• This is a time-saver for check-in, but creation
  of the patterns is often time-consuming

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The Challenge

• However, most ILSs have not fully implemented the
  format
• Each ILS handles predictive pattern data
  differently forcing time-consuming and costly
  pattern creation in many libraries
• Pattern data can be shared by ILS customers but
  not with users of other ILSs
• And sharing an initial load does not help with
  ongoing maintenance
• If a library decides to migrate to a new ILS down
  the road, the check-in data will have to be
  recreated

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The Solution

• A pattern should be created once and shared with
  all others who own the serial (like bib records!)
• If each ILS would fully implement the MARC 21
  Holdings Format, check-in data could be shared
  and migrated, just as we now do with
  bibliographic records

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CONSERs Efforts

• Patterns and dates/numbers associated with the
  beginning pattern are being added to CONSER
  records on OCLC in field 891 (distributed to RLIN
  in fields 853/863)
• CONSER is sharing this data to
• share the intellectual effort of pattern creation
  and
• to promote conformance with the standard

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CONSER Publication Pattern Initiative

• Began in 1999 to experiment with the addition of
  patterns to CONSER records on OCLC
• Experiment was determined a success in 2001 and
  declared an ongoing part of CONSER
• This has been the first group to really test the
  holdings format
• Task force members have contributed proposals to
  MARBI to enhance and improve the standard

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CONSER Initiative

• Key goal involves working with ILS vendors to
  promote improvements
• Pattern participants have partnered with
  different ILSs to propose changes and promote
  cooperation
• CONSER has also promoted documentation and
  training to spread awareness and increase skills
• Documentation on the CONSER Pub Pattern Web site
  http//www.loc.gov/acq/conser/patthold.html
• SCCTP Holdings Workshop

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Accomplishments

• CONSER/OCLC database currently has over 50,000
  patterns
• Many of these were created by Harvard and contain
  captions but not always pattern data
• Participants have input over 10,000 patterns
• Currently 19 participating institutions
• New participants continue to join
• Mentoring program developed for new institutions

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Accomplishments

• ILSs have responded
• VTLS has always been able to load patterns
• III has developed a pattern loader
• Endeavor has promised full compliance in the
  future
• Most major vendors send representatives to CONSER
  task force meetings at ALA
• But its slow going nonetheless!

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Accomplishments

• Other accomplishments include
• Improvements to the MARC 21 Holdings format
• Free availability of documentation
• Training opportunities
• Outreach via discussions at ALA and NASIG and
  meetings such as this
• Raising awareness that non-compliance with
  standards is unacceptable!

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A brief overview of the holdings format

• MFHD uses paired fields 853 and 863
• 853 carries the captions and patterns
• 863 carries the enumeration and chronology of the
  holdings that relate to that pattern
• Captions and patterns
• Caption the word, phrase, or abbreviation that
  the publisher uses to indicate the issues or
  parts of a serials or multipart (e.g., volume,
  issue, number, jahrgang)
• Pattern includes the frequency, regularity, and
  number of issues or parts this is the part that
  makes prediction work

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Example of 853 fields

• Monthly serial des. by vol., no. year, and month
• 853 a v. b no. u 12 v r i (year) j
  (month) w m x 01
• a and b 1st and 2nd levels of enumeration
• u numbers per volume (used to determine when
  1st level will increase)
• v numbering repeats with each volume (1-12)
• i and j 1st and 2nd levels of chronology
• w monthly frequency
• x calendar changes with the first month
  (January)

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Example of 863 field

• Serial begins with vol. 1, no. 1 in January 2002
• 863 a 1 b 1i 01 j 2002
• a 1st level of enumeration
• b 2nd level of enumeration
• i 1st level of chronology
• j 2nd level of chronology

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Pattern for this serial in a CONSER record on OCLC

• 853 and 863 fields are imbedded in 891 fields in
  9
• Indicators apply to 853 and 863
• 8 links the 853 and 863 fields
• 891 20 9 853 8 1 a v. b no. u 12 v r i
  (year) j (month) w m x 01
• 891 41 863 8 1.1 a 1 b 1i 01 j 2002

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Pattern for this serial as it appears in RLIN

• Records are exported using MARC fields and 852
  field with universal pattern
• 852 Universal pattern
• 853 20 8 1 a v. b no. u 12 v r i (year)
  j (month) w m x 01
• 863 41 8 1.1 a 1 b 1i 01 j 2002

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Relation to Holdings

• These are the fields used locally to create
  detailed holdings statements
• The primary difference is in field 863
• In CONSER, only issues noted are first and last
  to which pattern apply
• Locally, more complete holdings statement is
  given, including gaps, non-published issues, etc.

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More on MFHD

• Fields 854/864 are used for supplements
• Fields 855/865 are used for indexes
• Fields 866/867/868 are used for textual data
• Usually used for back holdings
• Not used for predictive check-in
• For more information and examples, see
  http//www.loc.gov/acq/conser/patthold.html

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How are Patterns Added to CONSER Records?

• Participants use a macro designed by Robert
  Bremer (OCLC) on Passport and CatME
• The macro makes use of data in the bibliographic
  record to create a pattern in seconds
• For simple patterns, the macro works great
• For more complex patterns, additional data is
  added or corrected
• Works well for new patterns, but not subsequent
  patterns

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New Initiatives
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Universal Holdings Record

• Two CONSER task groups
• Diane Hillmann (Cornell) is heading a CONSER task
  group on the definition and uses of a universal
  holdings record
• Linda Miller (LC) is chairing a group looking at
  the long-term storage of pattern data and the
  technical aspects of a universal holdings record

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Universal Holdings Record what is it? What are
its uses?

• The complete record of what has been published,
  not what is held by any one institution
• Could exist on OCLC (or RLIN?) in association
  with the bibliographic record
• Potential uses
• Building local holdings records
• Collections development, digital archiving,
  preservation, etc.
• Supporting union listing
• Sharing creation of holdings data rather than
  each institution doing it locally

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Patterns and Electronic Serials?

• Yumin Jiang is chairing CONSER Task Force
• Charge is to explore current use of holdings
  data, explore potential uses for pattern data and
  role of ILSs, and consider needs for the future
• Recently issued and completed a survey

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Patterns and Electronic Serials

• Most responses say that this level of detail is
  not needed for electronic serials
• Most libraries currently use summary holdings
  only
• However, consider the following
• Uses of pattern data for potential self-checkin
  of e-journals
• Uses for archiving and document delivery
• Need for more detailed data if print is
  discontinued
• Use for claiming broken links or undelivered
  issues

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Other activities

• Working with subscription agents to determine
  whether data from them could be used to create
  patterns
• OCLC is exploring a pattern subscription and
  notification service

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How does this affect me/my library?

• Your library may be able to use the patterns in
  CONSER records
• Are you using MARC holdings?
• Does your ILS have the capability to download
  this data? (Talk to your vendor!)
• Look at the Publication Patterns Workflow FAQ
  document at http//lcweb.loc.gov/acq/conser/pattho
  ld.html

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How does this affect me/my library?

• If you are using MFHD, you will have new
  capabilities when ILSs implement new coding that
  has been approved by MARBI
• If you are using MFHD, CONSERs documentation and
  training will be useful to you in better
  understanding the standard you are using

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How might this affect me/my library in the future?

• Hopefully your ILS will have fully implemented
  MFHD
• You will then have the capability of downloading
  patterns from CONSER records
• This will save time from in-house pattern
  creation
• Pattern data related to electronic serials could
  enable automatic check-in by the journals
  themselves!

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How will this affect me/my library in the future?

• When your library decides it is time to go to a
  new ILS, you wont have to recreate all of your
  check-in data!

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My institutions experience
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Can I participate?

• Yes! Requirements are
• Ability to work directly on OCLC
• Ability to contribute a minimum of 75 new or
  revised patterns a year
• CONSER is recruiting more libraries to contribute
  pattern data as CONSER Enhance libraries
• CONSER Enhance libraries receive credits from
  OCLC and are mentored by an existing participant
• Interested? Contact Les Hawkins (lhaw_at_loc.gov)

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Where Can I Learn More?

• CONSER Publication Pattern Web page
• http//www.loc.gov/acq/conser/patthold.html
• Or contact
• Carlen Ruschoff, Chair, CONSER Publication
  Pattern Task Force (ruschoff_at_deans.umd.edu)
• Les Hawkins, CONSER Coordinator (lhaw_at_loc.gov)