**National Library of Medicine**

**Report of Activities**

**ALA Annual Meeting**

**June 2007**

**2007 edition of the *NLM Classification***

> The 2007 edition of the NLM Classification was released on April 19,
> 2007. It incorporates all additions and changes to the schedules and
> index from April 2006 through March 2007. The PDF version, originally
> launched October 2006 has been updated with 2007 classification data.
> The 2007 edition also includes a revised animated tutorial (Quick
> Tour) on searching the *NLM Classification*. For more detailed
> information see:
> <http://www.nlm.nih.gov/pubs/techbull/ma07/ma07_classification.html>

**Bibliographic Standards and Cooperative Cataloging**

> ***Resource Description and Access (RDA) Development***
>
> NLM continues to represent the Medical Library Association in the
> review of *Resource Description and Access* (RDA). Major activities
> included review of the draft of chapter 3. Overall we found the
> organization and structure of the chapter very difficult to follow,
> and that it did not meet its stated goal of being written in clear,
> plain language.
>
> ***CONSER standard record***
>
> After the date for implementation was left unresolved at the midwinter
> CONSER meeting, NLM went ahead with an early implementation of the
> CONSER standard guidelines on March 1, 2007. NLM did not contribute to
> or edit records in the CONSER database between March 1, 2007 and June
> 1, 2007, although all our serial records were made available in OCLC.
> Special coding in the records will allow OCLC to identify the records
> and add them to CONSER now that the community as a whole has adopted
> the new standard. According to the catalogers, the new rules were
> learned easily and quickly, and in general things have been going
> smoothly. Even seasoned catalogers did not feel that any essential
> information was lost, and that the new rules would cut back quite a
> bit on cataloging time, once everyone was comfortable with them,
> especially for original records. Decisions as to which fields to edit
> on copy cataloging are still somewhat problematic but not more so than
> the problems encountered with AACR1 records (of which there are still
> large numbers in OCLC).

**Cataloging Efficiencies**

> ***Title abbreviations***
>
> Rather than independently assigning title abbreviations for every
> indexed serial title, beginning March 1, 2007 NLM accepts the
> abbreviations assigned by the International Standard Serial Number
> (ISSN) Centre, with only slight modifications to conform to NLM
> standards. The ISSN key title abbreviation is stripped of all
> punctuation except for parentheses around a title qualifier. The first
> letter of each word is capitalized. Subfields are not included in the
> abbreviation. Because NLM uses a single record approach in its
> cataloging, ISSN qualifiers for specific formats are dropped.
>
> ***Discontinuation of 242***
>
> Starting March 1, 2007, NLM is no longer providing cataloger-supplied
> translated titles (MARC 242 field) in bibliographic records for
> materials written in Chinese, Japanese, and/or Korean. Chinese,
> Japanese and Korean are the only non-Roman scripts for which NLM has
> historically supplied translated titles. The ambiguity of
> transliterated titles in these languages is less of a problem now that
> users can view and search the vernacular scripts in LocatorPlus®.
> Translated titles in records created prior to March 1, 2007 will
> remain in the records.

**Medical Text Indexing (MTI) Experiment**

> NLM completed a pilot project to determine the feasibility of using
> the Medical Text Indexer tool (MTI) for subject cataloging. MTI has
> been used for article indexing since 2002. Rather than being a totally
> automated process, the tool provides indexers with a list of suggested
> subjects for an article, and the human indexer can select the
> appropriate terms. Because indexing and cataloging needs are somewhat
> different, the Cataloging Section worked with the Lister Hill
> programmers to adapt the default settings and best configure MTI for
> cataloging.
>
> The pilot project had two phases. The first looked at already
> cataloged records and compared the MTI suggested subjects with the
> ones that had been assigned by a cataloger. The second phase had two
> catalogers (one very experienced and one new) who were given new
> material to catalog along with the suggested headings from MTI. In
> both phases, it was found that MTI matched the headings selected by
> catalogers about 61% of the time. The study did not report how often
> MTI suggested headings missed by a cataloger in phase I, but in phase
> II both catalogers agreed that MTI sometimes included appropriate
> headings they had not considered. Both catalogers asserted that the
> headings supplied by MTI still needed human review, and subject
> analysis time was not necessarily shortened. The newer cataloger did
> feel he was exposed to more of the vocabulary available in MeSH that
> he otherwise might have known. Unsurprisingly, MTI did better with
> technical/clinical material than with social sciences or historical
> items. Somewhat surprisingly, including tables of contents and
> summary/abstract data for MTI analysis did not improve the results
> over using titles alone.
>
> NLM plans to continue its investigation of MTI as an assist to
> catalogers. Further work is needed to see if the product can be
> directly connected to Voyager for real-time subject assistance, rather
> than the batch processing mode that was used for testing. While we do
> not see fully automated subject analysis replacing human judgment, MTI
> is potentially a valuable training tool for new catalogers and an
> assist for experienced ones.

**Consolidation of Approval Plan for Eastern Europe and Former Soviet
Union**

> A major enhancement to the NLM approval plan for Eastern Europe and
> the former Soviet Union was implemented in early 2007. After many
> years of discussions, our current vendor East View Information
> Services has agreed to expand coverage to include Hungary, Czech
> Republic, Slovakia, and the nations of the former Yugoslavia. This
> means that NLM will be able to consolidate under a single vendor its
> acquisitions program for Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia
> and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia,
> Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia,
> Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia,
> Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan -- in sum, all of
> Eastern Europe with the exception of Poland for now. The result is
> expected to be greater efficiency in acquisitions with less selector
> time needed to identify publications from these countries and
> acquisition sources in this region and more timely acquisitions via
> the extensive resources of the vendor.

**Recompetition of Serials Subscription Contract**

> The RFP for the serials subscription contract, to be awarded for
> subscription years 2008-2012, was posted from April 23-May 29. The
> contract covers periodical subscriptions for the U.S, Canada, the
> U.K., Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand and selected other
> countries. The review process is underway.

**Journals Working Group**

> NLM has appointed a working group to address the increasing incidence
> of publications with differences between the electronic and print
> editions of journals. Differences include such things as additional
> articles in the online edition that are not included in the print
> edition, summary articles in the print edition with full articles only
> in the online edition, supplemental data only available in the online
> edition, publishing pattern variations, pagination differences for the
> same article and language differences. NLM is examining its role in
> helping users identify the differences in content as well as the
> potential impact on ILL practices and on NLM's mission to serve as an
> archive of biomedical literature.

**Electronic Resources Management System**

> NLM continued to review the fields available in Meridian and make
> final decisions about usage. In particular, a determination was made
> that the DLF ERMI data elements related to interlibrary loan are not
> sufficient to meet NLM's needs. Therefore, NLM decided to redefine
> several fields in Meridian in order to achieve the desired granularity
> on ILL rights. These local changes were documented and forwarded to
> the ERMI II group as a recommendation for enhancement of the ERMI
> standard. Version 2.0 of the Meridian software was recently installed
> on a test server. Planning is underway for additional licenses and
> titles to be added to the database after version 2.0 has been
> implemented in production.

**Voyager**

> NLM upgraded to Voyager 2006.2 at the end of March. This new release
> included a number of outstanding bug fixes for NLM. The final graphics
> created as part of the LocatorPlus Redesign project were implemented
> in LocatorPlus in the upgrade. An electronic link to WorldCat was also
> implemented in LocatorPlus records.

**Open WorldCat Participation**

> NLM is now a participant in Open WorldCat, and the LocatorPlus public
> interface has a link in each bibliographic record to allow users to
> "Find other libraries that own this."

**Digital Repository Planning**

> In January 2007, the NLM Digital Repository Working Group (DRWG)
> completed the development of functional specifications for an NLM
> Digital Repository and identification of policy and management issues
> related to the creation, design and maintenance of the repository. By
> identifying high-level functional requirements and policy
> considerations, the DRWG endeavored to outline an infrastructure and
> bring a standards-based approach to the management, preservation and
> access of NLM's existing and future digital resources. The NLM Digital
> Repository is needed for access to and preservation of digital content
> not covered by PubMedCentral and the NIH CIT Videocast project. A
> Digital Projects Technical Group has been established to coordinate
> the development of a digital repository and provide a technical review
> of LO digital projects. The requirements have been approved and the
> next step is an evaluation of commercial and open source software
> identified by the DRWG to identify a commercial system or open source
> software (or components of both) to be used for the repository.

**Disaster Planning**

> NLM has created a Library Operations Continuity of Operations Plan
> (COOP) Working Group charged to develop a plan to ensure the
> performance of essential functions during an emergency and to provide
> for resumption of normal operations when the emergency has ended. The
> plan will become a portion of the overall COOP plan for NLM and is
> being considered in terms of existing plans for collection emergencies
> and defined essential functions. From the technical services
> perspective, the components being considered include the receiving,
> storage and routing of library materials during processing
> interruptions and the tasks that support the indexing process. The
> continuity of indexing is one of the NLM responsibilities to provide
> systems and services to health professionals, researchers, educators,
> students and the public, as well as for the member libraries in the
> National Network of Libraries of Medicine. Technical Services staff,
> in cooperation with the Indexing staff, has already revised the
> procedures for the essential task of XML citation review to support
> indexing so that this task can be accomplished with a totally online
> workflow. Designated essential staff in TSD has been equipped for
> mandatory telework upon activation of emergency procedures. The
> working group has been charged to complete their Continuity of
> Operations Plan by December 31, 2007.

**PC Skills Assessment and Training**

> Technical Services Division developed and administered a PC Skills
> Assessment Survey. Supervisors and computer support staff had
> identified a core set of computer skills for all staff to master in
> order to do their tasks and keep up with changing technology. The
> survey asked staff to access their computer knowledge and expertise on
> a variety of computer tasks in various software packages with the
> intention of identifying and assessing PC skills training needs. The
> results were given to each supervisor and staff member and are being
> used to identify preferred training methods and resources for priority
> training.

**Personnel**

> The Technical Services Division has created a Systems Office in the
> Office of the Chief, under the direction of Jennifer Marill, Deputy
> Chief, TSD. Five systems librarians from the TSD sections (Cataloging,
> Selection & Acquisitions, and Serial Records) have been transferred to
> this centralized Systems Office. The Systems Office is responsible for
> managing the Voyager ILS, LocatorPlus, Meridian Electronic Resources
> Management System, Encompass IndexCat and other related systems. TSD
> systems librarians also support other Library Operations\' Divisions
> and functions, including indexing and interlibrary loan. Systems
> Office staff will also be involved in the development of the NLM
> Digital Repository. The integrated nature of these systems led TSD
> management and systems staff to determine that TSD and the Library
> would benefit from the formation of this new Office operating at the
> Division level. The new structure will provide improved coordination
> of systems needs and activities to help the Library meet the
> challenges we face in this changing digital environment.
>
> Alice Jacobs, Assistant Head of Cataloging, retired on March 31, after
> 31 years of service with NLM. NLM will be recruiting to fill this
> position in the near future.
>
> Over the past six months, the Selection Unit has been reduced by 50%
> with the retirements of four veteran selectors. We are currently in
> the process of recruiting for four selectors and are concentrating on
> individuals with the following language expertise: French, Russian,
> Japanese or Chinese. While the most recent vacancy announcement closed
> on June 7th, we plan to continue recruitment until all vacancies are
> filled.

The Serial Records Section is actively recruiting for two acquisitions
librarians.

> *Submitted by Dianne McCutcheon*