Text Capture and Electronic Conversion
Background
Members of the Cataloging Directorate at the Library of Congress are
experimenting with ways of doing more cataloging with fewer resources, trying
to get more out of an aging computer input- update system than the system can
provide, and exploiting the new bibliographic workstation (BWS) that is being
installed on the catalogers' desks. To those ends, we have created a package
of utilities known as Text Capture and Electronic Conversion (TCEC). These
utilities allow cataloging staff to take electronic information in various
formats and convert that data to useable LC MARC records which are then
cut-and-pasted into the LC computer catalog.
Equipment: Bibliographic Workstation
The Library of Congress is in the process of installing the BWS on catalogers'
desks to replace the aging dumb terminals currently in use. The BWS is both an
input/update terminal for the Library's computer catalog files as well as a PC
capable of performing many work-related tasks (WordPerfect, Internet access).
All BWSs run with 16 MB RAM under OS/2 version 2.1 and TCP/IP for OS/2 version
2.0 with screen resolution of 1024 x 768 with 256 colors. The machine
configurations are:
IBM PS/2 model 70
386 33MHz 110 MB hard drive 8514 video adapter
IBM PS/2 model 70
386 33MHz 160 MB hard drive XGA video adapter
IBM PS/2 model 77
486DX2 66MHz 203 MB hard drive XGA-2 video adapter
The BWS is an off-the-shelf personal computer that is loaded with off-the-shelf
software to carry out most of its functions. To do the cataloging work,
however, special software had to be written to enable use of the full ALA
extended character set. Data Connections, a company in England, was hired to
write the OS/2 program to enable input/update functions on the BWS as well as
the extended character set. This is custom software written specifically for
the Library's BWS and mainframe interaction. Also, custom keycaps were created
for the Library. These keycaps replace the standard keycaps on an otherwise
ordinary keyboard. These keycaps contain the normal character set as well as
the ALA extended set. They are also designed to reduce glare, which was a
problem with the dumb terminals. Also written for the Library was a program to
enable the use of macros in cataloging. The catalogers can create
approximately 100 macros for use in their work. Currently the macro capability
is limited to actual keystroke types of commands. Future improvement requests
to the macro capability include the ability to read the date from the PC and
insert it into the MARC record where needed for tracking purposes, the ability
to print out a cataloger's macro package, the ability to chain macros together,
and the ability to create even longer macros than are now possible.
Electronic CIP (E-CIP):
The Electronic CIP experiment started in April of 1993 with the idea of having
publishers use the Internet (FTP) to submit manuscripts for books to be
cataloged. In November 1993, the University of New Mexico Press submitted the
first title to be cataloged. Since that time, the Library has received 102
manuscripts for cataloging from the 7 participating publishers-- University of
New Mexico Press, University of Arizona Press, University of South Carolina
Press, University of Tennessee Press, Utah State University Press,
HarperCollins (adult division) and HarperCollins (children's division).
Using TCEC techniques, the cataloger supplies ISBD punctuation in the text,
highlights the information to be included in one MARC field (e.g. the 245
title, subtitle, and author statement), then tells the machine what that data
represents by clicking on a MARC tag button (i.e. the 245 button). The
program instantly creates the appropriate MARC field in LC MARC format and
displays the field in a window at the bottom of the screen. The cataloger
continues and creates all of the descriptive cataloging fields possible from
the manuscript text, creating most of the descriptive elements of a MARC
record. The resulting record is then cut-and-pasted into an LC record
creation screen and the cataloger simply presses the ENTER key to get the
record into the LC system.
The program is also capable of creating a name authority record based on the
manuscript and the MARC record created if the cataloger needs to make a name
authority. The name authority creation routine creates the heading, source
citation, and reference structure if needed.
[An expanded explanation of this as well as graphics on the procedures are
available on the World Wide Web for review at
http://sscd2.loc.gov/ecip/onmarc.htm
(note .htm not .html as is customary).]
Internet as a source for cataloging:
The same program that is used to create the E-CIP records can be used for any
type of text in electronic form from any source. Experiments and
demonstrations have shown that it is possible, using OS/2 and the OS/2 Gopher
client, to go out on the Internet, search an OPAC for bibliographic data, use
the OS/2 window text highlighting capability to define an area of text, copy
that text into memory in the OS/2 clipboard, exit the OPAC, and then retrieve
the text into the E-CIP cataloging program. Since library OPACs frequently
present their data in card format or with ISBD punctuation present, the
cataloger simply highlights the data elements and tells the machine what they
are and builds a MARC record based on that OPAC screen image. The resulting
MARC record can be used as the basis for a catalog record.
Preassigned card numbers:
The CIP Division runs two programs, the CIP program where full cataloging data
is supplied and printed in the book, and the Preassigned Card Number (PCN)
program where publishers can get a Library of Congress Card Number (LCCN) to
print in their book. With the PCN program, an experiment is underway to enable
publishers to fill out an electronic form on the World Wide Web. Publishers
fill out the form, click on a SUBMIT button, and the data they supply is
converted to a file that is saved on a server at LC. PCN staff then call up a
program which scans this file and creates 2 products: a preliminary cataloging
record and an electronic mail form letter. These products are then
cut-and-pasted into the LC catalog system and the Email system and processed.
Both of these products use information that was retrieved from the file.
Obviously the cataloging record gives the title, publisher, ISBN, etc. but also
the form letter uses data such as the requestor's name and address, the title
of the book, and the LCCN which was provided to the computer by the CIP staff.
These elements are stored in variables in the computer and used as often as
needed for the various products being generated. This experiment dramatically
shows the keystroke savings between the preliminary record and the electronic
form letter that are produced.
Other efforts:
While the Electronic CIP project is the most visible project that uses TCEC
techniques, there are other efforts underway that involve TCEC developments.
Two efforts involve name authority records. The British Library is submitting
name authority records to LC on paper. These authorities are scanned and
converted to electronic format. After this, they are converted into LC name
authorities by character recognition routines and then are cut-and-pasted into
the name authority file. This procedure eliminates the re-keying of the data
and is more accurate.
Another name authority project involves LC's Overseas Offices. Some of the
overseas offices create name authorities on a PC-based cataloging package
called Minaret. Minaret creates MARC records in U.S. MARC format. These
records are exported to disk in MARC format, sent to Washington, read into a
program and converted into LC MARC format records. Once again the person
creating the name authority uses a cut-and-paste operation to copy the record
into the LC authority file.
Both of these projects have shown that electronic processing can indeed speed
up the process of getting name authorities into the LC system as opposed to
re-keying the records. Particularly with the overseas office NARs, if the
inputter is unfamiliar with the language involved, these techniques can provide
a more accurate record than re-keying.
Other projects are still in the experimental stages but also rely on programs
that manipulate electronic data and produce an LC MARC record which can be
cut-and-pasted into the LC system. All of these projects reduce the keystrokes
required to complete cataloging tasks and also save time. They are also very
accurate, assuming the original text was accurate.
David Williamson
Senior Descriptive Cataloger
Romance Languages Team
Social Sciences Cataloging Division
Library of Congress
Washington, D.C. 20540
(202) 707-6424
dawi@loc.gov or
williams@mail.loc.gov
Team OS/2
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