This survey is intended to collect information on cataloging projects for pre-1976 U. S. Government publications. The GODORT Cataloging Committee, at its 1998 Midwinter meeting, reviewed projects and issues involved in completing pre-1976 retrospective cataloging projects. (See for information about the January 1998 Cataloging Committee meeting and program.)
Completing the survey does not obligate your institution to participate in any future projects. The intent is a needs assessment to determine progress made in this endeavor. If your institution has done no pre-1976 federal documents recon, and has no interest in future projects, you need not return this survey.
Respondents are urged to complete the survey via the web by July 15, 1998, by connecting to
If unable to complete the survey via the web, or for further information, contact the address below. Depository libraries will also be receiving a paper copy of this survey through GPO depository shipments. Summary results are posted at the web site.
Co-Sponsors:
American Library Association, Government Documents Round Table Cataloging
Committee, Survey Work Group
Betsy Richmond, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (richmoeb@uwec.edu)
Tim Byrne, University of Colorado (byrnet@spot.colorado.edu)
Jill Vassilakos-Long, Claremont Colleges (jvlong@rocky.claremont.edu)
Arlene Weible, Cataloging Committee Chair, Willamette University (aweible@willamette.edu)
Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC), Government Publications Task
Force, represented by Carolyn Kohler, University of Iowa Libraries (carolyn-kohler@uiowa.edu)
1. Has your library done any significant cataloging of pre-1976 U.S. Government publications?
___a. Yes
___b. No
If yes, please continue with Project Scope and Description
questions.
If no, please go to Future Projects questions (Questions
10-14)
Project Scope and Description:
2. Please briefly describe what has been cataloged. Please include agency
names, SuDoc stems, etc. ______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Provide an estimate of the number of titles cataloged.______________________________
3. Between your library's depository designation date and 1977, can you estimate your average depository item selection percentage? If your library is a Regional, make estimate for years preceding regional designation.
___a. 75%-100%
___b. 50%-75%
___c. 25%-50%
___d. 0% -25%
___e. Don't know
4. What percentage of those items which you acquired through the depository program have since been weeded from the collection?
___a. 75%-100%
___b. 50%-75%
___c. 25%-50%
___d. 0% -25%
___e. Don't know
5. Did you use a bibliographic utility?
___a. OCLC
___b. RLIN
___c. WLN
___d. Other/local (which one?)
6. Are your records full MARC?
___a. Yes
___b. No
7. How were publications chosen for cataloging? (please check all that apply.)
___a. By agency
___b. By year
___c. High usage publications
___d. Low usage publications
___e. Other (Please specify)
8. Did your project include (check all that apply)
a. Original cataloging ___Yes ___No
b. Copy cataloging ___Yes ___No
c. Classification numbers added to the records? ___Yes ___No
d. Depository item numbers added to records? ___Yes ___No
e. Enhancing OCLC master records (updating OCLC’s record)? ___Yes ___No
9. Where are the records available?
___a. Locally
___b. National utility
___c. Other? (Please specify, listing URL or card catalog location)
10. If a multi-library project for retrospective cataloging were to be organized, would your library be interested in contributing? (This contribution could vary between cataloging an entire agency to doing a limited amount of original cataloging for an agency of your choosing, or year-by-year.)
___a. Yes
___b. No
11. Would you be willing to volunteer staff time to catalog documents owned by other institutions?
___a. Yes
___b. No
12. Would your library be willing to catalog selected documents in your collection which have been identified as needing original cataloging?
___a. Yes
___b. No
13. Please identify one person at your institution that would be willing to serve as a contact to those seeking further information about your recon activities and willingness to participate in future collaborative projects. If listing more than one person is necessary, please indicate what type of information can be provided by each contact. (While this information will be posted with the survey results, you are NOT obligated to participate in any future projects)
Institution:________________________________________________________
Name(s): ________________________________________________________
Phone:___________________________________________________________
Email:____________________________________________________________
Internet address for online catalog:_______________________________________
Comments:________________________________________________________
14. Do you know of any other libraries that have done significant retrospective
cataloging of federal publications that we might wish to contact if they
do not respond to or know about this survey? If so, do you have a contact
name, email address and/or phone number? ______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Thank you for your time.