StaffNotes2Call031308

Thursday, March 13

Draft Notes Conference call March 13th.

Attendance:

• Smithsonian: Suzanne, Keri, Erin

• MBL/WHOI: Matt, Diane, John F., Jen

• MCZ: Joe

• NYBot: John M.

• MoBot: Doug and Michelle

Recorders: Suzanne and Diane with editing help from everyone

1) Monograph DeDuping (John F.)
John F. has identified some problems with the testing that was conducted over the last couple of weeks - the data sets are empty. One potential problem could be lacking columns. Everyone should include all columns even if they are not populated. NYBot is not using OCLC numbers since they are not part of the Z39.50 fetch. DeDuping will still work on one of the other comparison queries. Keri noted that the lists did work once but she then pulled down her list and uploaded again and it didn’t work. John M. thought he could see that the list was there but John F. stated that actually the list was empty. A new feature is for the tool to show the entire lists. Each list needs to be “named” so that it can be found and manipulated.

• Action Item: Everyone is going to send to John F. what Excel version they are using, what platform (Mac or PC etc.), and a copy of the picklists for him to trouble shoot (everyone being Joe, John M, and Keri.)

• Action Item: John F. will edit the documentation to be clear about blank columns. Everyone should make sure that the core columns are present, even if the contents is blank.

• Action Item: John F. will investigate the ability to delete item by item and keep the current deletion of entire lists as a feature.

• Action Item: Doug and Michelle of MoBot will work with John F. to get him a list of all the monographs they have already scanned to have in the De-duping tool for others to compare with.

• Action Item: John F. and Doug will discuss the potential enhancement of getting automatic information regarding what has been uploaded either through the BHL portal or IA’s interface.

Workflow is turning into the model of shelf pulling and creating a list, loading the list for de-duping, then editing carts of pulled material to reject duplications. The packing list of actual, real titles that are sent to IA is regenerated. Smithsonian will probably do some hybrid workflow. MBLWHOI is loading their lists twice – the first time to identify the duplicates before the cart is shipped, and the second time to indicate what was actually scanned after the carts are returned. When the second list goes up, the first comes down.

NYBot is tweaking their workflow and might have a two stage listing. They are using the circulation module of Millenium to generate the lists after the titles are ‘checked out’ to the scanning stations.

NYBot is only doing serials right now.

2) WonderFetch (Keri T.)
Background on WonderFetch: Grew out of a conversation with Chris, Martin and IA’s Steve the Programmer. Scanners needed to pull bibliographic information (Z39.50 fetch) into the IA’s Biblio software. BHL needed to add to the metadata at IA the volume, issue and copyright information (permissions and due diligence etc).

WonderFetch pushes information to the scanning station that includes the Z39.50 bibliographic data fetch and more information, plugging in volume, issue and copyright data into the right fields all through a URL. Basic thing we need to be able to supply scanners with an electronic list with a URL that they click that will populate form.

Smithsonian and London have been able to start using this. The hardest part is knowing what IA calls the various fields and having the spreadsheet work since IA uses Open Office.

Keri has put on the wiki the WonderFetch description and instructions that describes all the variables. There are spread sheet examples and the break down the URL piece by piece. Some of the data fields are optional. Her fear is that she overkilled on the detail making it seem harder than it is.

It was clarified that this works for monograph series and serials. And that if there was a spread sheet line for each scanning volume then the URL would be created for each scanning volume. The URLs can be generated for divides and joins as well.

The URL needs to be in either an Email or Webpage instead of a physical sheet. SI is still using a packing list more for an invoice or verification for items on the carts. Scanner is using the web list for fetching the bibliographic data and other things.

• Action Item: Diane and team at MBL WHOI has done extensive amount of Stanford database searching for out of copy right material and is ready to test. They will test the creation of the URL and then will contact Boston about implementing WonderFetch.

Concerns were raised regarding the workflow for monographic de-duping and the spreadsheets being sent: how and when to do what.

Discussion topic for next call after people have tested the WonderFetch and their workflows. Will Wonderfetch eliminate packing lists? If so, what would happen to the monographic deduping tool?

• Action Item: John M. is going to work on his exports from the Millenium system and see how he might be able to generate the lists needed for De-duping and the URLs for the Wonderfetch.

3) Shipping Best Practices (Those who have shipped for those who are beginning to think about shipping- John M., Diane/Matt)
Topic Postponed.

4) Partner scanning projects - keeping track and issue related (Suzanne, Matt, and Erin)

Erin introduced herself as just getting acquainted with the project and has had one initial meeting with Tom G. She expects to meet with him again in early April to find out the duties associated with keeping track of the permissions that BHL receives. She is not sure what her role will be on actually bidding on titles etc.

Matt reported that he has been working with Tom G. on a specific permissions granted project and was recently asked to report on the status. It needs to be made clear to Tom G. and the other BHL directors that there is a significant workload associated with these agreements; especially when there are problems with a run, basic rejection issues, missing volumes, etc. Permission granting and then getting titles scan is a workflow that needs to be examined and established. A separate workflow will need to deal with the BHL accepting digitized material.

• Action Item: Erin will report back to this group the status of her role once she has worked out the details with Tom G. The working group will help Erin with our individual workflows to accommodate the special requests that come in from the BHL executives.

• Action Item: The group will continue to examine the needs of the two workflows generated by 1) permissions to scan and 2) acceptance of digitized files.

5) Follow up on action items from previous discussion:

• Everyone should start trying to keep some workflow numbers for analysis. GOAL: Let administration know the staff drain in hard numbers for potential shuffling of priorities of staff and/or support for more staff.

• At MBL/WHOI Diane is central collector and asks staff to report data at the end of the week. People with specific tasks have a clear idea while others estimate.
• Each unit of the BHL should SKIP other member’s publications. Everyone is to do their own titles.

• MCZ has bid on their material. SI needs review to bid on titles.
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• Matt will contact Bernard about bidding on titles that you own vs all the “duplicate” titles of the one you are going to scan. Smithsonian has been bidding differently than the others. Suzanne will contact Bernard about getting a report of some sort to see what Smithsonian has a bid on to correct. (Matt and Suzanne)
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• Matt discussed with Bernard the serial bidding lists. Bernard is moving the serial union list/mashup to a more permanent mode. This will include a function for merging of duplicates found. The merging will be done by hand when bidding takes place. Stay tuned for more information after the migration has happened.
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• Other BHL units should review serial bidding procedures to see if they should also be checking series statements on monographs and bidding on serial run. (Round robin status)

• Others haven’t had time yet on to do list. MCZ recording series and keeping separate and have not scanned any monographic series. MCZ is having a lot of work involved in avoiding reprints.

• NYBot has not yet looked at monographic series but is thinking about it. NYBot is still only scanning serials.
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• BHL members should all begin to play with the Monographic DeDuping tool (Round robin status) See items above about Monographic DeDuping discussion

• Suzanne will contact MoBot for contact name and to find out if they can get data of already scanned items into the monographic dedup and to the serial bid list. (Doug and Michelle)

• Doug and Michelle have joined the group. They will begin to examine getting there already scanned lists up to the monographic deduping tool and the serial bid list.

• Suzanne will get in contact with Tom G. about additional scanning outside BHL what he needs and how he envisions the work being done. Suzanne will contact Tom G. about the amount of outside scanning titles, etc. coming in and assess work load to figure out who should be point person for these items being added to our deduping processes and workflow. Workload will need to be assessed. (Suzanne and see below)
  • Tom G. is going to be working with Erin Rushing (SIL Staff member) on permission tracking and acceptance.
  • Jstor negotiations are underway. Tom will work with Bernard to get titles bid on so that we will not pull these serials from our holdings. If Jstor does not give us the scans, the titles maybe "unbidded"
  • BioOne is in negotiations. They may give us rolling wall access to their scans. Probably will not effect our pulling of things in the normal work flow; but (!) will be as source of permission getting of older titles that BHL will agree to scan for BioOne members etc. Stay tuned.

If Boston Center is ready to test foldouts, Harvard could courier items there and MBL could do a special shipment.
5 pieces with foldouts have been hand delivered by MCZ. A shipment is ready to go mid week next week.

• Action item: Diane will check to see if Boston is ready for more foldouts from them and if they are ready to test WonderFetch.

Diane and Jen will post to the Wiki the types of problems they have found. (And update on the Robert Miller call.)
Internally need to review first and should be ready to share more details by next call. Bulk problems were with PDF derivatives and missing files. Finite time period there was an issue with the files derived. They might have to be rescanning. IA is doing further review. They do not need to rescan everything; but, there will be things that need scanning.

Files that were missing have to do with the derivative files that didn’t pass an IA quality review. Some items just got skipped. IA is examining their workflow of quality review. There might be files that can be “fixed” without rescanning.

Jen reported that books that were rejected are still showing. MBL needs to report to IA the titles for them to be removed.

NYBot started poking about in their stuff and found most okay. Some black and white PDFs quality is unreadable. The cause could be that the original might have yellow pages or a problem with contrast. John M. did want to report damaged material was returned by IA – pages had been torn from the book. Scan shows page was there but returned with damaged book. MBL has been okay. SI has not had any problem.

Does anyone know the status of the NY PL scanning center? NYBot has been asked to send a lot more material.

• Action Item: Diane and Jen will report back more details about errors and IA’s status of fixing and rescanning.
• Action Item: John M. will report back if he finds out more about the NY PL scanning center.
• Action Item: Smithsonian will begin a more systematic review to see about errors and quality.

Additional Items Discussed:

WorldCat Collection Analysis tool has finally begun except there has been some problems. MBL’s password wasn’t working. Jen can get in but can’t seem to use the collection analysis tool tab. Doug did have tab but hasn’t gotten further.

• Action Item: Doug with Connie will be the BHL point person for the OCLC Collection Analysis tool and let us know when we need to shift topics or focus of our scanning.
• Action Item: Each of the units needs to test the Collection Analysis tool to see if it is working. We could use the main discussion list to voice any problems to reach the wider BHL group.

BHL executive meeting and BHL architecture meeting is happening in Boston soon. There will also be a BHL presentation to the BLC. Various people on the call will be at various meetings.

• Action Item: Next call reports from meetings as appropriate.

Matt reported that he feels more of a shepherd (than a worker bee) moving his flock. Either a shepherd or someone lashed to a mast at it is tossed about the seas.

Next call the week of the March 31st /April 1st. Stay tuned for doodle alert for scheduling.