The Incredible Shrinking Cataloguer meets The Spaghetti Junction Automation Robot. Gary Green (Technical Librarian, Surrey C.C. Library Service)

The Incredible Shrinking Cataloguer meets

The Spaghetti Junction Automation Robot.

Gary Green(Technical Librarian, Surrey C.C. Library Service)

What’s It About?

• Change in cat. & class. processes

• Workload shift• Fewer staff• Increased automation • Automated & manual processes

working together• Maintaining accuracy/quality of

catalogue

The Incredible Shrinking Cataloguer

• In-house cataloguing team– Reduced size– Move from in-house cataloguing

to supplier records– Day to day work• amend/check data to meet in-

house needs• Small % of local cataloguing &

retrospective work

Automating Processes

• Increase in automated processes– Cataloguing & classification– Less manual editing– Complexities of different data

provided by different suppliers

– Data manipulated & fed into other areas of LMS

Spaghetti Junction Data!

• Catalogue data links into/from other LMS modules

• Ties in with:– Electronic ordering (EDI)– Servicing– Shelving– Circulation

• Balance data quality & throughput

Options For Automating

• Ask record suppliers to provide us with bespoke data to meet local cataloguing & classification needs

• Ask LMS provider to map data as it was downloaded into our catalogue

Chosen Solution

• Ask LMS provider to map data as it was downloaded into our catalogue– Cataloguing team created rules

for mapping– LMS supplier set up mapping via

scripts– Had to set up in stages

• It was complex• Had to do it for a number of

suppliers

Outcomes / Successes

• Cut down on work team could automate

• Helped council/library service save money

• Helped cataloguing team keep up with workload

• Improved consistency/quality of data

Issues / Lessons Learned

• New suppliers = new mapping• Changes to supplier data &

processes need mapping changes• Broken mapping has knock on

effect elsewhere• Complex mapping difficult to

untangle• Manual input & supervision still

needed to ensure smooth running

Future Plans / What Next?

• Need to update automation processes– Some external data has

changed– Some internal processes

have changed• Do we use same automation

method or do it differently?• Can we reduce complexity,

but maintain quality?

The Incredible Shrinking Cataloguer meets

The Spaghetti Junction Automation Robot.

Gary Green(Technical Librarian, Surrey C.C. Library Service)

Image Credits

• Untitled © milena mihavlova / Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/minchki/4061225640/sizes/z/

• Riding My Dog © fisheye.at / Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/27052570@N03/3465851167/sizes/m/

• Cup of robots © striatic / Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/striatic/1276095/sizes/m/• Spaghetti Junction © Highways Agency / Wikimedia

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bd/Spaghetti-Junction-Crop.jpg• A dilemma © Julia Manzerova / Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/julia_manzerova/2757851927/sizes/m/• Tentacled Robot © Kapungo / Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/82581848@N00/420266868/• Day 208/365 - Peanut Butter Jelly Time © Great Beyond / Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/26104563@N00/3763379229/• Danbo Mini: Jigsaw puzzle © skyfish81 / Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/skyfish81/5146550848/sizes/l/in/photostream/• 153737255_16997ffc11_o copy © RogueUnit / Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/46036020@N06/4227021402/sizes/m/in/set-72157622972562065/