To:  Joan Swanekamp, Chief Catalog Librarian & Head, Catalog Department
From:  Catalog Department Web Planning Group
Date:  December 15, 2000

Introduction

In September 2000, the ad hoc Catalog Department Web Planning Group was formed and charged with: 1) developing an organizational plan for the "Cataloging at Yale" website; 2) assessing the need for team web pages; 3) identifying appropriate content for team web pages; and 4) developing an implementation plan and task list.  This document summarizes the Group's deliberations and presents its recommendations.

Background

All cataloging staff in the Yale University Library require access to extensive documentation.  For many years, this documentation, which includes standards, guidelines, policies, procedures, memos, and training materials, was mostly issued in printed form.  However, in the mid-1990s, library staff began to recognize that the World Wide Web offered a more flexible and economical means of publishing cataloging documentation.  A group of catalogers interested in learning how to create local web resources and how to provide access to the many external web resources then being developed at the Library of Congress and elsewhere, began the "Cataloging at Yale" website.  Over the years, this website has expanded dramatically but unsystematically.  In its present state of development, it is far from ideal.  Much of our locally-produced web documentation is incomplete or out-of-date.  Some of the documentation intended for general use is found buried on subpages and is not easily accessible.  The various cataloging units scattered throughout the library are not clearly identified, making it difficult to understand the administrative structure underlying our cataloging activities.  Likewise, the various cataloging committees that exist in the library are not clearly represented, making it difficult to identify the cataloging-related initiatives currently being pursued.  It is clear that a more structured approach to developing the website is needed.  The imminent transition to a new Library Management System, which will generate additional documentation, makes this need even more pressing. 

In evaluating the "Cataloging at Yale" website, the Web Planning Group has identified two major categories of shortcomings: content and organization.  The Group proposes that both of these areas needed to be addressed if the site is to be successful.  The Group also recognizes that various audiences have reason to use the site, including: Yale cataloging staff needing to consult documentation, staff in other Yale units needing to identify appropriate contact persons, candidates considering open cataloging positions at Yale, and colleagues at other institutions seeking information on Yale cataloging practices.  Finally, the Group recognizes that any plan for improving the site will necessarily involve improving the web skills of cataloging staff.  The Web Planning Group has tried to take all of these issues into consideration in making its recommendations.

Recommendations

1.  A standing committee should be created to maintain the "Cataloging at Yale" website.  A draft of the suggested charge for this committee, is appended.  A generic name, the "Cataloging Web Committee," has been used in the draft charge, but a more informative name should be selected in the final charge, given that the generic one could imply a committee concerned with the cataloging of websites.

2.  The "Cataloging at Yale" website should be split into three main navigational pages.   These pages should include a revised "Cataloging at Yale" page, a new "SML Catalog Department" page, and a new "Tools & Resources" page.  URLs for drafts of these three main pages are appended.

The "Cataloging at Yale" page should provide: links to Yale cataloging documentation that pertains to all cataloging units throughout the library; links to the web pages of cataloging committees that represent librarywide efforts; and links to the web pages of the various cataloging units that exist throughout the library.

The "SML Catalog Department" page should provide: links to Yale cataloging documentation that pertains to the SML Catalog Department only; and links to the web pages of departmental committees.

The "Tools & Resources" page should provide: links to external resources deemed useful to all cataloging staff; and links to miscellaneous locally-created web pages that function more as "cheat-sheets" than policy or procedure documents.

4.  Each standing cataloging committee should maintain its own web page.  Recommended content: a list of committee members and an official charge if one exists.  Other appropriate content: committee minutes, annual reports, and other reports issued by the committee.  The recording and publishing of minutes for meetings of the Cataloging Coordinating Committee, the main policy-making body for cataloging at Yale, is especially encouraged.  Committee chairs are responsible for delegating responsibility for web page maintenance. 

5.  All cataloging documentation should be published in web form.  Such documentation includes standards, guidelines, policies, procedures, official memos, and training materials.  Publication in "web form" is intentionally broad language that implies any file format accessible using a web browser (e.g., HTML, PDF, XML, etc.).  Existing documentation, especially current documentation, should be converted to web form whenever possible.  E-mail text and word-processed documents should not be relied upon as the sole means of issuing official documentation.  All web documentation should include the following as required elements: the name of the person or group promulgating the documentation, the intended audience, the date of issue and/or revision, and any other elements required by the library's Web Advisory Group (e.g., copyright statement, URL, contact person).  Documentation should be easily printable.  Draft documents should be clearly marked as such.  The development of blank templates for use by staff is especially encouraged; such templates would facilitate the creation of cataloging documentation and give the documentation a uniform appearance.  Sample draft blank templates are appended.  Archived web documentation should be clearly marked as such and placed in separate directories so as not to be confused with current documentation.

6.  All professional cataloging staff should take responsibility to develop their own web skills.  The ability to produce a document in web form should be considered a necessary professional skill, no different than the ability to produce a document using a word processing application.

Respectfully submitted,

Catalog Department Web Planning Group 

Steven Bernstein, co-chair
Pina Scalzo, co-chair
Steven Arakawa
Matthew Beacom
Dajin Sun
Manon Théroux

The Cataloging Web Committee is charged to provide guidance, support, and coordination on the use of the World Wide Web for managing access to work-related documents across all cataloging units in the Library.  The Committee is not responsible for creating policy, procedure, training, or other working documents for any cataloging unit or committee.  Production of such documents in standard web format is the responsibility of cataloging units, committees, and other appropriate groups.  The Committee will assist in the expeditious promulgation of cataloging documents and will coordinate its activities with the units or groups that create the documents.  The Committee will investigate how cataloging documents are created, authorized, distributed, and publicized, and suggest methods of facilitating these activities.

The Cataloging Web Committee is specifically charged to implement, develop, and maintain a newly designed "Cataloging at Yale" website in early 2001, using as its starting point the redesign of the site made by the Catalog Department Web Planning Group in December 2000.  This redesign features three related navigation pages: a "Cataloging at Yale" page, a "Tools and Resources" page, and a "Catalog Department" page.  The Committee will organize and maintain the URLs within these three navigation pages.  The Committee will organize the directory structure within the website and resolve any questions pertaining to directory and file names.  The Committee may delegate particular tasks to subgroups of its members (e.g., maintenance of the "Catalog Department" page should be the responsibility of members of the Catalog Department serving on the Committee).

The Cataloging Web Committee will have 5 to 7 members, drawn from both C&T and M&P staff, serving two-year staggered terms.  At least 3 members should be from the Catalog Department; the remaining members should be from other cataloging units in the library.  The members should select their own chair, or co-chairs, on a rotating basis.  The Committee will report to the Chief Catalog Librarian.  The chair, or co-chairs, will meet quarterly with the Chief Catalog Librarian and will deliver a written annual report.

Cataloging at Yale
http://www.library.yale.edu/cataloging/cat@yale.htm

SML Catalog Dept
http://www.library.yale.edu/cataloging/catdept.htm

Tools & Resources
http://www.library.yale.edu/cataloging/tools.htm

Appendix 3.  Drafts of Blank Templates for Creating Cataloging Documentation:

Sample Blank Templates for Draft Documentation

http://www.library.yale.edu/~dsun/temp_draft.html
http://www.library.yale.edu/~dsun/temp_draft2.html

Sample Blank Templates for Approved Documentation

http://www.library.yale.edu/~dsun/temp_official.html
http://www.library.yale.edu/~dsun/temp_official2.html