Greetings from New Mexico State Library Technical Services Bureau!
Reporting by Margaret Van Dyk and Joseph Angelo, Documents Catalogers, NMSL
Our catalogers are recently certified in BIBCO cataloging. As BIBCO participants, we contribute original bibliographic records and enrich already existing ones, following RDA standards. This is the Library of Congress’ program for cooperative cataloging of bibliographic records for monographs. We include access points, notes, subject headings, classification numbers, and appropriate encoding with the goal of sharing quality linked data. This increases the utility of the records both locally and worldwide. We also contribute name authority records to the Library of Congress, making state documents, in particular, linked, richer and more accessible.
Accepted in mid-July, we are members of the Library of Congress’ Cataloging in Publication Program. We offer cataloging services to the following local presses: University of New Mexico Press, Museum Press of New Mexico and Rio Grande Books. Before the works are even off the press, library catalog records will be ready and waiting. The information from the bibliographic record we create will also be printed on the verso of the title page when the work is published. This program is a three way partnership with the Library of Congress, local book presses and the state library.
Here is our very first cataloging in publication (CIP) record submitted to the Library of Congress: https://lccn.loc.gov/2019042719!
We’ve also been working on our CONSER certification and are currently under review. CONSER is yet another cooperative cataloging program, this one for serials. It operates under the auspices of the Library of Congress’ Program for Cooperative Cataloging (PCC). Mary Grenci, Electronic Resources Team Leader at Knight Library, University of Oregon is our reviewer. Mary has been cataloging serials for many years. Her expert review is invaluable. This process is increasing our knowledge and skill level in the creation and maintenance of serial records
According to the CONSER manual, “Participant authentication begins with the review of the contents of a record. All essential elements must be present in the record (as determined by the level of cataloging expressed in the encoding level). These elements must be technically correct, adhering to the appropriate rules, interpretations, and coding guidelines. The record as a whole must also conform to the agreed-upon practices outlined in this manual”.
Lastly, Technical Services Bureau Chief Bradley Carrington, as procurement manager, is working on a Request for Proposals (RFP) process to investigate potential migration to a new widely shared Integrated Library System (ILS). SALSA consortium members’ and Rural Services staff input has been taken. Potential additional consortium members have been contacted and invited to participate in the process. In March, 2020, an evaluation team will review proposals and make the choice. If we migrate to a new system, the target date for testing/implementation will be next April-May.