Susan WynneGUGM 16 May 2013

Streamlining Quality Control of Shelf-Ready Records with checkmarc

checkmarc quick facts• Developer: Chad Nelson• Inspired by University of Florida’s

CatQC program• Programming language: Python• Runs on a MARC file• Current version has predefined

“checks” of fixed and variable field data that may signal errors/problems

Audience poll• Who’s using shelf-ready services?–What’s your approach to quality control?

• Who’s considering shelf-ready services?–What are your concerns about setting up

shelf-ready services or workflows?

About Georgia StateFall 2012 Enrollment

~32,000

University Library Holdings

~1.5 million volumes

Photo credits: Georgia State University Media Relations

Current cataloging staffParaprofessional Catalogers• Copy cataloging• Original cataloging• Authority work/database

maintenance• Physical processing• And more….

2

MLIS Cataloger• Original cataloging• Training• Documentation• Metadata consultant• And more…

1

Some cataloging statsFY13 through March 31

Average Titles/Month* 996Average Items/Month* 1009Average # of Shelf-Ready Records/Month

833

% Titles Received Shelf-Ready**

83.6%

% Items Received Shelf-Ready**

82.5%*Newly cataloged print monographs only**Some shelf-ready materials need attention in-house

Outsourcing helps us to…• Avoid a backlog of purchased

materials• Maintain a cleaner database

(especially access points)• Catalog more unique or complex

resources, especially…– Special Collections materials– Scores, DVDs, other special formats

• Upgrade minimal master records in WorldCat

• Have more time to learn RDA

Shelf-ready workflow (before)

• Began in January 2010• YBP Approval plan and slip orders only– Books– No special formats– Any encoding level or cataloging source

• “Exceptions” identified by vendor or during unpacking cataloging staff

• Non-exceptions stacks– Cataloging staff hold vendor slips for manual

checking

“Shelf-ready exceptions”• No spine label• Volume numbers readily apparent• Accompanying material• Call numbers beginning with Z

Quality control (before)• Exceptions workflow• Vendor slips• Manual

Common errors found manually• empty/incomplete 300

• partial call numbers• 2 050 fields• mismatch between bib & MFHD call

number• serials cataloged as monographs

Common errors found manually

• 490 1st indicator 0• discrepancies between dates in 26X,

call no., fixed field• CIP records• volume sets not identified

What to do?• Abandon quality control?– Still finding errors that affect access

• Maintain status quo?– Too much time spent for the number of

errors found– Defeats the purpose of outsourcing

What to do?• Use WorldCat Cataloging Partners

reports for quality control?– Identify encoding levels, record source,

missing labels

What to do?• Find a way to automate?– University of Florida’s CatQC program– Another institution’s Perl scripts for

cross-matching bib data– Terry Reese’s MarcEdit

Develop a new program?

checkmarc criteria• Type of record not “a”– Scores, cartographic material, etc.

• BLvl not “m”– Serial records

• Encoding levels 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, E, J, K, or M – Alerts us to minimal, prepub, and less-

than-full• 040 ‡b other than “eng”– Non-English language of cataloging

checkmarc criteria• Presence of ‡n or ‡p in 245– Clue to a part of a multi-volume work

• Numerals in 245 ‡a or ‡b – Clue to possible serial, but leads to

some false positives• Keywords in 245: “annual” or

“biennial”– Clue to possible serial

checkmarc criteria• 300 ‡a begins with p. or v. – Clue to incomplete 300 and some multi-volume

records, but leads to some false positives• Presence of 300 ‡e – Accompanying material

• 490 with 1st indicator 0– Untraced series

• Records lacking at least one 6XX with 2nd indicator 0– No LC subject headings present

Testing# Records

% of File

% of checkmarc Results

Flagged by checkmarc 52 39.4% 100%

Already fixed (probably SREs)

24 18.2% 46.2%

Required manual attention

14 10.6% 26.9%

False positives 8 6.1% 15.4%

Flagged as Elvl 8 but OK

6 4.5% 11.5%

Errors missed by checkmarcError # Notes050 with two ‡a

1 Not in current programmingOften a signal of call no. mismatch

Multiple 050 fields

1 Flagged by checkmarc for another criteriaOften a signal of call no. mismatch

490 0 1 Found by checkmarc, but title didn’t display in report (bug reported)

Typo in publisher name

1

Diacritic errors in contents note

1

Record with multiple issues

1 Misplaced ‡c in 245Inadequate subject headings

Demo• Run a MARC file• Display and discuss report– False positives– Other items to consider skipping

• Correct errors manually

Shelf-ready workflow (after)• Began in January 2010• YBP Approval plan and slip orders

only• “Exceptions” identified by vendor or

during unpacking cataloging staff

• Non-exceptions stacks– Cataloging staff hold vendor slips for

manual checking only to identify the MARC file

Quality control (after)• Exceptions workflow• Cataloging staff run checkmarc

on the MARC file – Scan reports– Check selected records in Voyager– Fix errors in Voyager as needed–~1 hour on a typical file (not

including time to retrieve any items from stacks)

What checkmarc can’t find/do

• Mismatches between the call no. in MFHD and the spine label

• Information not matching the item in hand• Typos, misspellings, etc.• Incorrectly formed subject headings• Errors in application of cataloging rules• Missing fields or information other than the

criteria described earlier• Fix the problems directly in the Voyager

database

Desired enhancements• Change 300 ‡a begins with p or v to

300 ‡a begins with p or contains v or volume?– E.g, 300 ‡a 2 v.

• Presence of multiple ‡a in one 050 field

• Presence of multiple 050 fields– And both 050 + 090 in the same record

Current explorations/future directions

• Start running checkmarc 1.0 on e-book approval files– E-book approvals began January 2013• Part of “mainstreaming” e-workflows

• Consider possible changes to criteria for RDA data

• Customizable version under development– Select your own criteria to look for– No timetable for availability

How can I use checkmarc?• GSU has no plans to host on our servers

for public use• Options…– http://serene-scrubland-6954.herokuapp.com/• Disclaimer

– Set up on your machine– Have your system administrator deploy it on

a local server– Find another hosting option for public use?– Let’s talk!

Selected readingJay, M., Simpson, B., & Smith, D. (2009). CatQC and Shelf-Ready Material: Speeding Collections to Users While Preserving Data Quality. Information Technology & Libraries, 28(1), 41-48.

Vinh-The, L. (2005). Quality Control Issues in Outsourcing Cataloging in United States and Canadian Academic Libraries.Cataloging & Classification Quarterly, 40(1), 101-122.

Walker, M., & Kulczak, D. (2007). Shelf-ready books using PromptCat and YBP: Issues to consider (An analysis of errors at the University of Arkansas). Library Collections, Acquisitions, & Technical Services, 31(2), 61-84.

Acknowledgements• Chad Nelson, former GSU programmer

– creator of checkmarc• Hannah Grant & Christine Cooney, cataloging staff

– collaborators on checkmarc criteria– Christine is the primary current user of checkmarc

• Cliff Landis, Web Services Librarian• Eric Willoughby, Web Programmer• Bill Walsh, Dept. Head, Technical Services• Michael Jay, Betsy Simpson, & Doug Smith,

Creators of University of Florida’s CatQC program• Lai-Ying Hsiung told me about CatQC and shared

some info on shelf-ready workflows

Questions/Discussion

Contact me

Susan WynneCataloging & Metadata

Librarianswynne@gsu.edu

404-413-2729http://gsu.academia.edu/SusanWynne