SUNCAT: the Central Source of Serials Information in the UK

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SUNCAT the Central Source of Serials Information
in the UK

• SUNCAT the Serials Union Catalogue for the UK
• Natasha Aburrow-Jones
• Zena Mulligan
• http//edina.ac.uk/suncat/

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Background

• UKNUC Feasibility Study - 2001
• Serials Report Tony Kidd, Rob Bull
• SUNCAT Scoping Study - 2002
• Information Power Ltd.
• JISC RSLP funded
• Purpose - to develop a UK Serials Union
  Catalogue
• Phase 1 February 2003-December 2004
• Phase 2 January 2005-December 2006
• Phase 3 2007 onwards
• Partnership between the University of Edinburgh,
  through EDINA, Ex Libris
• Associate Partners - Cambridge, Glasgow, National
  Library of Scotland, Oxford

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UKNUC Feasibility Study

• When users were asked how often they would wish
  to use a UKNUC for various different purposes,
  the idea of locating all journals in a particular
  subject area achieved the highest score among
  most groups of researchers, with support ranging
  from 72 to 95, the highest score reached in
  response to this question. This is a definite
  indication of the need and support for a Serials
  National Union Catalogue.
• UKNUC Feasibility Study, April 2001

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Background

• UKNUC Feasibility Study - 2001
• Serials Report Tony Kidd, Rob Bull
• SUNCAT Scoping Study - 2002
• Information Power Ltd.
• JISC RSLP funded
• Purpose - to develop a UK Serials Union
  Catalogue
• Phase 1 February 2003-December 2004
• Phase 2 January 2005-December 2006
• Phase 3 2007 onwards
• Partnership between the University of Edinburgh,
  through EDINA, Ex Libris
• Associate Partners - Cambridge, Glasgow, National
  Library of Scotland, Oxford

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Project Management

• EDINA
• Co-directors of SUNCAT Project
• Peter Burnhill
• Christine Rees
• Ex Libris
• Julie Booth
• Dominic Nast
• Steering Group (Chair Derek Law)
• Advisory Group (Chair Peter Burnett)
• Bibliographic Quality Advisory Group (BQAG)

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Work Packages

• Project Manager
• Fred Guy (EDINA)
• Systems Librarian
• Morag Macgregor (EDINA)
• Bibliographic Work Package
• Natasha Aburrow-Jones (EDINA)
• Moira Whitson (EDINA)
• Nicola Osborne (EDINA)
• User Requirements Work Package
• Zena Mulligan p/t (EDINA)
• Liz Stevenson p/t (Edinburgh University Library)
• Advisor Tony Kidd (Glasgow University Library)

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SUNCAT aims

• SUNCAT primary aims
• For researchers, a single tool for the location
  of serials, including information about access
• For librarians, a central repository of high
  quality bibliographic records for downloading to
  local catalogues and a location tool for ILL
• Additionally - to raise consciousness of the
  importance of quality serials information among
  UK researchers and librarians

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Contributing Libraries Phase 1

• British Library
• National Library of Scotland
• National Library of Wales
• Imperial College, London
• London School of Economics
• Manchester Metropolitan
• University
• Queens University, Belfast
• University of Birmingham
• University of Bristol
• University of Cambridge
• University College, London

• University of Durham
• University of Edinburgh
• University of Glasgow
• University of Leeds
• University of Manchester
• University of Newcastle
• University of Nottingham
• University of Oxford
• University of Southampton
• University of Wales, Cardiff
• University of Warwick

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SUNCAT Phase 2

• Pilot service launched January 2005
• Coverage extended to include a further 60
  libraries
• Range of library types extended to include
  special libraries, research collections
• Development of interface
• Liaison with libraries
• Research and development work ejournals

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Contributing Libraries Phase 2

• Aberdeen University
• Birkbeck College, University of London
• Bolton University
• British Film Institute
• British Geological Survey
• British Medical Association
• CCLRC
• Courtauld Institute of Art
• Cranfield University
• Edinburgh College of Art
• Essex University
• Exeter University
• Hull University
• IEE
• International Institute for Strategic Studies
• Kent University
• Kings College London
• Lancaster University
• Leeds Metropolitan University

• Natural History Museum
• Reading University
• Royal Botanic Gardens. Kew
• Royal College of Nursing
• Royal Geographical Society
• Royal Institute of British Architects
• Royal Northern College of Music
• Royal Society
• Royal Society of Medicine
• School of Oriental African Studies, University
  of London
• Sheffield University
• Sheffield Hallam University
• Society of Antiquaries of London
• Stirling University
• Sussex University
• University of Central Lancashire
• University of East Anglia
• University of London Research Libraries
• University of Ulster

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Changes to SUNCAT interface

• Links to library websites
• Links to records in Library OPACs
• Holdings display
• Testing

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New holdings display
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Liaison with Libraries

• User satisfaction survey
• SUNCAT Newsletter
• SUNCAT mailing list
• Articles in press
• www.suncat.ac.uk

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AIMSS Automating Ingest of Metadata on Serial
Subscriptions (1)

• Based on work carried out in Phase 1
• ONIX for Serials formats
• Partnership with Serials Solutions
• Funded by JISC PALS Metadata Interoperability
  Projects 2
• Autumn 2005 to Summer 2006
• Transmitting information serials information from
  publishers/aggregators to participants in chain

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AIMSS Automating Ingest of Metadata on Serial
Subscriptions (2)

• Use of ONIX to update SUNCAT with holdings
  information from participating libraries
• Develop capability for EDINA to accept ONIX for
  Serials messages (Serials Online Holdings)
• Map ONIX for Serials fields to MARC21 fields
• Investigate how to upload the data received into
  SUNCAT records
• Develop and disseminate expertise to libraries
• Encourage wider use of ONIX for Serials format
• www.jisc.ac.uk/index.cfm?nameproject_aimss

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SUNCAT How does it work?

• Centralised union catalogue
• Records stored in one large database
• Records deduplicated to view using Aleph
  functionality
• Records merged on the fly
• Complex matching algorithm
• Preferred record displayed
• Matching above format

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How does SUNCAT obtain records?

• Dialogue between library and SUNCAT project team
• Contributing library ftps a file to SUNCAT
• Data specification is drawn up by the team, and
  approved by the contributing library
• Data is converted according to data specification
• Data is loaded into SUNCAT

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SUNCAT contributing libraries LMS

• DS Ltd. CALM for Libraries
• Endeavor Voyager
• EOSi GLAS
• Ex Libris Aleph
• Fretwell-Downing OLIB
• GEAC Advance
• Innovative Millennium / Innopac
• Liberty 3
• Sirsi Unicorn
• Talis
• and more for addition into SUNCAT in the
  future!
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  non-MARC

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SUNCAT Streamlining

• Why streamline?
• Much time spent on data conversion is involved in
  summary holdings statements. This is not
  scaleable for the number of libraries in Phase 2
• How to streamline?
• Include locations in all libraries
• Include summary holdings statements where
  straightforward
• Develop link to library catalogue record for
  up-to-date information
• Outcome of streamlining
• More libraries added to SUNCAT, offering a more
  comprehensive national union catalogue

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SUNCAT Updates

• Each library to supply regular update files
• To include
• New records
• Changed records
• Deleted records
• Applies to both bibliographic records and
  holdings records (where appropriate)
• Full file / partial file loads
• To maintain the currency of SUNCAT

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SUNCAT what is the matching process?

• Deduplicated union catalogue
• Complex matching algorithm
• 3 stage selection process for matching
• Preferred record display
• List of Common Titles (LOCT)
• Matching above format

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Matching the SUNCAT ID

• What is it?
• The SC-ID is a unique identifier at a work
  level
• What does it do?
• It links records for the same title together,
  improving the current matching processes
• How does it do this?
• By storing a number in the 049 a field, and
  extra processes being run before every file is
  loaded into SUNCAT to assign a SC-ID
• What are the results?
• Improved matching
• An identifier which can be used outwith SUNCAT,
  if so desired

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SUNCAT standards

• Entry standard
• Deliberately set low, to allow as many records as
  possible to be included in SUNCAT
• Upgrading standard
• Only records which are verified unique by the
  library, or are the preferred record need to be
  upgraded by the library
• SUNCAT upgrading standard is very similar to the
  CONSER minimum level standard

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SUNCAT the Librarians Interface

• What is the Librarians Interface?
• A new development, which will allow Contributing
  Libraries to
• Download records
• Access reports regarding non-matched records
• Notify the SUNCAT project team of mismatches or
  records that should have matched into a set
• To customise notifications reports

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SUNCAT the Librarians Interface (II)

• Downloading
• Via z39.50
• Via download from the web (currently in
  development)
• Via save / email function

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SUNCAT the Librarians Interface (III)

• Assisted matching (currently in development)
• Will allow the contributing library to
• Verify unique records
• Match poor quality records to the appropriate set
  by the contributing library, chosen from a pool
  of records selected by SUNCAT
• Notify the SUNCAT team of mismatches, and / or
  records or sets that should match together

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SUNCAT the Librarians Interface (IV)

• Notifications
• To be developed?
• Changes in the preferred record, tailored to
  individual libraries

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Full Service

• Launch August 2006
• Workshops Autumn 2006
• Belfast
• Cardiff
• Edinburgh
• London
• Manchester
• Promotional and training material
• Website
• Print

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Phase 3 The Future of SUNCAT

• Stable service
• Regularly updated
• High quality records for downloading
• More libraries
• More unique titles
• Improved geographic coverage
• Different union views
• Linking with related services

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SUNCAT

• SUNCAT Pilot Service
• www.edina.ac.uk/suncat
• SUNCAT Project Website
• www.suncat.ac.uk
• SUNCAT Team
• suncat_at_staffmail.ed.ac.uk
• Natasha Aburrow-Jones
• natasha.aburrow-jones_at_ed.ac.uk
• Zena Mulligan
• zena.mulligan_at_ed.ac.uk

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DEMO

• SUNCAT