HIT: Centralized Book Processing

[Dawn Hays <jHays@SURF-ICI.COM>]

I recently posted a brief questionnaire regarding centralized book
processing. I received 31 responses from throughout the United States.
These included public and private school districts and public library
systems. The system sizes varied from 1 library to 89 libraries. Four
responses did not specifically address the questionnaire, so are not
included in the totals, but their comments are included in the discussion
of Question 4.

1. Does your school district employ a cataloger whose primary
responsibility is to catalog and process new books for all of the schools?
Yes (23)   Part time (1)   No (3 all small systems)

2. Does centralized book processing save the school district money in the
long run?
Yes (17)     No  (0)    Don't Know (10)

3. Would centralized book processing result in more uniform Marc records
from one media center to another and, therefore, make combining into a
union catalog more easily feasible?
Yes (23)   No  (0)   Maybe (4)  One person cataloging and classifying would
make for more consistency, but as we have had more than one lots of little
discrepancies creep in.

4. What disadvantages do you see for having one person cataloging all new
materials?
Takes longer to get your books ( 7 responses or 25%)
Don't know your own collection as well.
The cataloging isn't done the ways you would do it.
One person may get swamped.
Getting agreement among the libraries as to the cataloger's priorities. Is
it more important to do a little for each of the three libraries or to
concentrate for a month or two just on one library's materials?
We will be in trouble if our catalog expert leaves!
We have been buying our books primarily from XXXX and use their processing.
However I find that close to twenty percent need some change in order to
keep consistency between the schools and in the union catalog.
If the person is not in a school, he/she is usually not familiar with how
subject matter is taught. We went through this...with a cataloger who did
it "her" way and was not very open to suggestions. Also, you need to have
good lines of communications open so that changes in DDC and subject
headings are discussed and agreed upon.
Get tired of cataloging
No student or teacher really understands the value of someone sitting at
her desk cataloging and processing books.
Perhaps they would catalogue them wrong or make changes without consulting
the library staff that actually has to use them.

Other Advantages (Not included in questionnaire)
The cost is not only in professional cataloguing but in time taken away
from the students and teaching. (4 responses)

NOTE: This questionnaire was focused toward disadvantages of centralized
processing. The consensus of responses was overwhelmingly in favor of this
method, despite the responses to Question 4.

I received lots of great discussion and advice that is too lengthy to
include here. Thanks so much for all your help!

Dawn


                 Dawn L.Hays
  @    @    @    Information Specialist      @    @    @
 \|/  \|/  \|/   McClelland Elementary      \|/  \|/  \|/
===============  Indianapolis, IN          ================
                 email: jhays@surf-ici.com
                 School Fax:  (317)484-3123
                 Home Fax:  (317)887-9572