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October 1995, vol. 27, no. 10
by Ralph W. Manning, Acquisitions and Bibliographic Services
This article is adapted from a presentation given at the Canadian Library Association conference in Calgary in June 1995.
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"The last decade has been a challenging and exciting one in the library world, one which has seen an explosion in publishing, major changes in technology, and a vast expansion of information needs. The information requirements of researchers have become more complex, the speed with which information must be made available has increased, and there has been a drastic increase in the rate at which information becomes obsolete. As modern telecommunications have drawn the world closer together, libraries have become more interdependent. This has forced librarians to a basic rethinking of the role of libraries and information centres." 1 These words, written in 1972 as the introduction to the report of the Canadian Task Group on Cataloguing Standards, seem to have as much relevance 23 years later, and demonstrate that change is perhaps the only thing that has remained constant. In the late 1980s the National Library of Canada underwent an intensive program of organizational renewal, encompassing a wide-scale review of its program objectives and strategic direction as well as its management practices and planning process. At about the same time, the Library was preparing a submission for funding for a new information system. As a result, potential improved efficiencies were identified. The Library entered a detailed renewal process by confirming its mission and priorities and by developing a set of values to be shared by all staff. The next logical step was a reevaluation of the library's fundamental work practices.
"Re-engineering" was identified as a potential means of helping the Library to cope with the significant changes that were expected. A number of re-engineering projects were initiated, including a pilot in serial records. The re-engineering project in cataloguing was the third such project undertaken by the National Library.
Preliminary discussions centred on an approach to re-engineering the cataloguing process. It became apparent, however, that a broader view was required to do justice to the overall subject, and it was therefore decided that the project would undertake a high-level review that would take into account the need to provide bibliographic access to Canadiana and the Library's other collections as well as the Library's role in facilitating bibliographic access throughout Canada (see "Reengineering Bibliographic Access: BART Goes Back to Basics", National Library News, vol. 26, nos. 8-9, August/September 1994, pp. 1,3).
Recognizing these two distinct roles meant that the Bibliographic Access Reengineering Team (BART) needed to review both cataloguing in the traditional sense and the broader role of the National Library in supporting Canadian libraries and in preserving Canada's cultural heritage. This involves many activities that are not traditionally part of a library's mandate, such as developing and maintaining national bibliographic standards, maintaining a national union catalogue, and assigning international standard numbers.
"Principles function as underlying assumptions, predetermined policies or prescribed modes of action guiding an organization's way of operating." 2 With this statement as a base, seven guiding principles provided the context for improving the Library's bibliographic access activities.
It was recommended that the Library develop a stronger end-user focus in the provision of products and services related to bibliographic access. To this end, a number of focus groups were organized during the spring of 1994 and a user questionnaire was developed. A report on the findings of these efforts has been developed and is now being studied.
Cataloguing levels and priorities emerged as a major focus of the review, and it became apparent that there was unnecessary and possibly counterproductive complexity in the current processes. In addition, changing user needs, the increased volume of published material, and shrinking resources, all indicated a need to increase productivity and decrease the time between the receipt of an item and the availability of the item and the accessibility of the related record. A discussion paper on some of these questions was subsequently prepared. The severity of budget cuts in the 1995 federal budget have added a new urgency to these recommendations, and further work is now being done in conjunction with the findings of the user focus study.
Among other specific recommendations, it was recommended that there be improved interaction between the collections, acquisitions and cataloguing areas as well as between the public service and technical service areas of the Library. A joint council of Research and Information Services and Acquisitions and Bibliographic Services was created shortly after the completion of the project and has dealt with issues of common concern. A review of the Library's collecting guidelines will be initiated shortly.
Perhaps BART'S most dramatic conclusion was that significant benefit would be derived from re-ordering the cataloguing process in tandem with a reorganization. It was hoped to decrease the processing time by reducing complexity and process delays. Other potential benefits were an increase in productivity, the empowerment of staff through job enhancement, increased authority for cataloguing decisions, expanded participation in determining task assignments, and increased organizational flexibility to permit adjustment to varying workloads and changing priorities.
It was recommended that the previously separate standards, descriptive cataloguing, subject analysis and editorial functions be merged into groupings based on material formats. The result is the creation of teams that are responsible for carrying out the functions previously performed in separate divisions, along with the establishment of a Standards and Support Division based on a matrix management concept that will include coordination of cross-team responsibilities. Specialists from the teams or Standards and Support will fulfill a number of roles primarily related to communication and coordination. The objective is the consistent application of standards and guidelines to the work of all teams while permitting the greatest degree of flexibility possible.
Although much remains to be done, a great deal of progress has been made. Further refinement of the new organization will be necessary once enough experience has been gained and when final recommendations on cataloguing levels and priorities are implemented. The ongoing cooperation and collaboration of all staff has been fundamental to the success of this re-engineering project, and we are confident that improved service and greater productivity will be the result, thus benefitting everyone.
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1 Cataloguing Standards: The Report of the Canadian Task Group on Cataloguing Standards (Ottawa: National Library of Canada, 1972), p. 1.
2 Bibliographic Access Re-engineering Project: Report, submitted by the Bibliographic Access Re-engineering Team (Ottawa: National Library of Canada, Acquisitions and Bibliographic Services Branch, 1994), p. 18.
Copyright. The National Library of Canada. (Revised: 1995-12-01).