CDL’s Shared Cataloging Program helps support alternative press/open access resource

SCP staff are constantly on the lookout for how their cataloging can be leveraged for the greater good. Such an opportunity recently presented itself with the licensing by CDL of 800 titles offered by Reveal Digital in their Independent Voices collection.  This collection is a cooperative effort by libraries across the country to fund the digitization of alternative press content from the 1960s through the 1980s on the Reveal Digital platform. When digitization is complete, and after a brief embargo period, all content will become open access.  As a result of CDL’s funding participation, UC has full access to the ever-growing database for cataloging purposes.  SCP is working on three fronts to supply cataloging metadata.

First and foremost, SCP will be supplying cataloging records to the ten UC campuses per usual.

Secondly, SCP is helping Reveal Digital meet their commitment to their funding libraries to provide them with MARC records. This task was tackled by Becky Culbertson from CDL’s Shared Cataloging Program (SCP) with the assistance of two student workers (Kristina Tran and Jairett Epperson). Eventually, Reveal Digital will work with OCLC to create a collection in the OCLC KnowledgeBase for the Reveal Digital Independent Voices titles. Once this collection is created in the OCLC KnowledgeBase, any WorldCat library that has access to the Reveal Digital Independent Voices collection will be able to get a set of records directly from OCLC.

On the third front, Becky has made an arrangement with the US ISSN Center for them to create CONSER records (if necessary) and perform a semi-automated assignment of ISSNs to all these serials. Once those ISSNs get assigned and gradually make their way into other knowledgebases such as the SFX knowledgebase, those services will be enhanced, allowing for more accurate delivery of content to our users.