November 2008 Archives

Last Thursday, November 13, Virginia and I drove up to Century College and met with Jane Young (Director), Randi Madisen (Electronic Resources Librarian), Bonnie Oldre (Reference Librarian), and Cathy Adams (Reference/ILL Tech). Our discussion covered several topics including MULS, OCLC ILL, WorldCat Registry and WorldCat Collection Analysis. The staff was particularly interested in OCLC statistics, so we showed them the available reports,

Century College has a brand new library, and Jane gave us a tour. It was quite impressive with dark wood furniture, a fireplace, artwork, and plenty of natural light. It also has several group study rooms, a spacious, well-equipped computer classroom, and a large work area for the staff.

After our meeting Virginia, Jane, and I went to lunch nearby at Betty’s Pies. The food was good and the pies were incredible. I highly recommend it.

Here's some pictures of the new library.

The colorful Circ Desk

and the equally colorful Ref Desk.

Here's the Reading Room

and the Library's Frog (lower right).

WEDNESDAY

Preconference: Cataloging Cartographic Resources
Wednesday, Nov. 19, 8:00 -11:30 a.m.
This preconference will give a brief introduction to cataloging cartographic (map) resources, focusing on sheet maps and atlases. The session will cover the key elements of description and subject access for cartographic materials and will attempt to demystify the use of MARC fields specific to maps. It is intended for the cataloger who is comfortable cataloging book and/or other formats, but would like to learn more about cataloging maps.
Presenter: Stacie Traill, Cartographic, Electronic Resources, and Project Cataloger, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

Introduction to RDA/FRBR
Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2:00 - 3:15 p.m.
If RDA is the answer, what was the question? This session will present an update on Resource Description & Access, the new set of cataloging rules being prepared, and an introduction to FRBR (Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records), a model used in these new rules. It will consider the road ahead for RDA and its users, including such questions as these: How do RDA and FRBR relate to the current environment for libraries? What benefits can we expect from them? What will we need to implement them successfully?
Chew Chiat Naun, Principal Cataloger Technical Services, University of Minnesota Libraries

New Directions for OCLC and MINITEX
Wednesday, Nov. 19, 4:00 - 5:15 p.m.
Come and hear about new OCLC products and services (such as WorldCat Local), changes in OCLC governance structure, and new training opportunities for OCLC and MINITEX member libraries. Bring your OCLC questions to this session.
Sara Ring, Coordinator of Bibliographic and Technical Services, MINITEX

THURSDAY

Rethinking Tech Services
Thursday, Nov. 20, 8:00 - 9:15 a.m.
Are you thinking that it may be time to revisit how your technical services area functions at your library? This session will feature a panel of staff from libraries that have recently undergone a technical services workflow analysis. They will discuss the process, point out the pros and cons of the process, the end result, explain how it impacted their current work, and answer questions from the audience.
Thursday, Nov. 20, 8:00 – 9:15 a.m.
Presenters: Angi Faiks, Associate Director, Macalester College Libraries; Bobby Bothmann, Electronic Access Catalog Librarian and Leslie McPhail Peterson, Minnesota State University, Mankato, Virginia Dudley, MINITEX (speaking on behalf of Ardell Bengston, Dakota County Library System)

Technical Services Section (TSS) Business Meeting
Thursday, Nov. 20, 11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Another announcement with details about the TSS Business Meeting will be sent out very soon.

For a list of other TSS sponsored sessions, see page 34 of the MLA Annual Conference Program.

During the Rage Against the Workflow Tour (better known as the 2008 MINITEX/OCLC User Group meetings), I promised the Dakota sessions that I would post photos of our new unit mascots (my kids were bats for Halloween).  See below...

But in case you are interested in the more serious stuff, like the updated presentation from the R2 fellows, it can be found on the MINITEX web site, here.

Thanks to all who attended the User Group sessions - we hope the material was thought-provoking.

Bat #1: Marshall

Bat #2: Colin