Present: Bob Alan, HOTS, Pat French, UCD, Crystal Graham, UCSD, Lynne Hayman, UCSB, Carol Hixson (recorder), UCLA 
Absent: Rebecca Doherty, CDL 

1.   Selection of chair or co-chairs  

Bob Alan convened the group. After brief discussion, Pat French and Lynne Hayman agreed to be co-chairs of the group. It was agreed that the co-chairs would set the agenda, convene the group, lead and moderate the discussions, and delegate assignments to other group members. Other group members indicated their willingness to take on various duties so that the burden on the co-chairs would not be onerous. Members will rotate responsibilities for taking minutes.  

2.   Develop plan for proceeding.  

It was decided that the TF would start with the original TFER report and develop guidelines, adding more dimensions to them. After guidelines are developed, the TF will then look at process issues and how to divide up the work. Weekly conference calls were scheduled through December.  

3.   Review charge and timetable 

It was agreed that the timetable was ambitious because of the holidays and ALA. The TF will try to meet the deadlines but will evaluate the feasibility of meeting them as work progresses. The most challenging part of meeting the deadlines is the mandated need to consult with other heads of  cataloging who are not represented on the TF and to consider local system functionality. UCLA is in the process of migrating to DRA’s TAOS system and UCD and UCSB are watching UCLA to see what happens. 

The group began to discuss the charge in depth. It was agreed that the guidelines (section 1 of the charge) need to be very detailed to be useful. There is a need to include fields and tags to minimize confusion about the placement of data. It was noted that there are several aspects that the guidelines will need to address: a) process - how records are contributed to Melvyl; b) details of cataloging these resources; and, c) how to handle resources acquired by the CDL and those acquired locally. 

TF members discussed the issue of centralized cataloging of CDL resources.  
Hayman noted that serial titles with print analogs are the predominant majority of CDL resources at this time and centralized cataloging seems advisable. For other types of materials and resources (such as special collections, databases, spatial data, etc.) it may or may not be best that these be cataloged by the central agency, because different libraries have focused cataloging resources and expertise in specific areas. Some members had heard in different forums that one or another location had already been chosen for or excluded from a role in cataloging the CDL resources. French noted that there had been ad hoc group charged by SOPAG to start identifying issues related to centralized cataloging. They didn’t get very far because they ran into the problem of so many unknowns. The ad hoc group felt that finalized cataloging guidelines were a prerequisite for coming up with a plan for centralized cataloging. Developments in Melvyl were also an issue. It was because the work of the ad hoc group was so tenuous that SOPAG appointed the TFER2 group to continue on with the work of the original TFER. French will send out the documents from the ad hoc group so that everyone has the same background for the discussion. She noted that they had discussed a lot of different options and felt that centralizing had more benefits in terms of cutting down on confusion and increasing accountability. None of the TF members was aware of their institution having been chosen to carry out the centralized cataloging. Graham noted that UCSD’s willingness to do the centralized cataloging hinges on the TF’s position regarding  single vs. multiple records. If the TF endorses the single record concept, UCSD would be very interested in being the agency chosen for centralized cataloging. Hayman noted UCSB doesn’t have the resources for serials cataloging and would not be able to function as the centralized cataloging agency for this reason. Hixson noted the UCLA might be interested in a role cataloging CDL resources.  

In discussing section 2 of the charge, it was agreed that the use of particular fields and subfields is what will impact the use of the guidelines locally. Hixson noted that UCLA had had some problem with the one-record approach in ORION1 because the 856 field does not display to the public (although it is kept in the record) and because of complications of the holdings display as it relates to the different holding libraries within UCLA. It is not yet known what will be possible in ORION2. There is also the issue of distributing separately-cataloged records centrally, as well as distributing centrally-cataloged records to individual institutions. Because local systems are currently a moving target, TF members decided to begin by focusing on the CDL resources first and how to get those distributed to individual institutions. 

The group discussed whether some issues can be worked on simultaneously. It was felt that the guidelines must come first. The distribution of cataloging responsibility and the single vs. multiple record issue need to be discussed simultaneously. 

It was agreed that the working principles of the original TFER report were an excellent starting place. The original TFER group members felt that their work should be guided by clear principles, rather than simple expediency. The current TFER2 members strongly endorse the working principles of the original TFER report. 

Regarding the principle that "the library catalog should continue to provide the user access to the full range of research materials in all formats", TF members discussed the developing CDL directory (http://www.dla.ucop.edu/dlaweb/databases.html)? that has been quickly developed independent of any cataloging. It was noted that the developer of that list stated that he had not intended to replace cataloging records, merely that he had been responding to a mandate to get something up in a very short time frame. TF members felt that the Web site was nice and could be used to complement cataloging records. Hixson mentioned sites she had seen that generated Web lists from data in cataloging records and hoped that such an approach could be explored for the CDL. The advantage of such an approach is that the list then becomes something dynamic that is automatically updated every time a new resource is cataloged.  This approach requires Web-based catalogs. Are all UC institutions using or moving toward Web-based catalogs? 

It's also important to consider the impact on local system resources that would arise from hosting a PURL server locally. It was suggested that CDL might host the database since they have more powerful computers than an individual campus has.  Another issue is whether it is appropriate/desirable to include local PURLs in the national record. 

The group also discussed how to make sure that other UC cataloging departments were included in key discussions. It was decided that we would set up a buddy system with each member of the TF taking responsibility for contacting and maintaining contact with an appropriate representative from another campus. another cataloging department head. Once the Web site is established, we can refer them to our minutes and other documents posted there for feedback. 

4. Action items 

Crystal Graham will look into using the existing TFER discussion list for this new group, with access to the listserv limited to current Task Force members.  

Hayman will investigate the possibility of hosting TF documentation on the UCSB Cataloging Department Website.  

TF members will make personal contact with an appropriate representative from the other campuses to discuss the issues raised by the group and to make certain that everyone had seen the initial TFER report. Graham will contact Santa Cruz, Alan will contact Riverside and San Francisco, Hixson will contact Irvine, Hayman will contact Berkeley. 

French will send out documents from the ad-hoc group to TF members. 

French and Alan will set up the next conference call (scheduled for December 4th at 10:00) and will send out the information to the TF members.