REPOR TRESUMES ED 017 280 LI 000 063 SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA PROCESSING CENTERFEASIBILITY STUDY. FINAL. REPORT. PENNSYLVANIA STATE LIBRARYMONOGRAPH NO. 4.. BY- VANN., SARAH K. PENNSYLVANIA STATE LIBRARY,HARRISBURG PUB DATE 67 EDRS PRICE MF -$1.25 HC411.60 268P. UESCRIPTORS- *BOOK CATALOGS, *CENTRALIZATION,*LIBRARY ACQUISITION,. *LIBRARY MATERIAL SELECTION, *LIBRARYTECHNICAL PROCESSES, CATALOGING, CLASSIFICATION, FEASIBILITYSTUDIES, LIBRARY COOPERATION, PUBLIC LIBRARIES, BLACKGOLD COOPERATIVE . LIBRARY SYSTEM, PENNSYLVANIA, PHILADELPHIADISTRICT LIBRARY CENTER, THIS STUDY IS CONCERNED WITH CENTRALIZED PROCESSING -- NAMELY, THE ORDERING, CATALOGING,CLASSIFICATION, .AND 'PHYSICAL PREPARATION OF LIBRARYMATERIALS, WHATEVER THE FORMAT, IN THE LIBRARIES OF THE PHILADELPHIALIBRARY DISTRICT. DATA FROM QUESTIONNAIRES SENT TOTHE LIBRARIES OF THE DISTRICT WAS ANALYZED TO DETERMINE THEFEASIBILITY OF ESTABLISHING A CENTRALIZED PROCESSING CENTER INSOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA. IN ADDITION, APPRAISAL WAS MADE OFSEVERAL EXISTING PROGRAMS AND SUCH-CENTERS IN OTHERSTATES. VISITS WERE MADE.TO FOURTEEN OJT-OF -STATE CENTERS AS WELL AS THE DXSTRICT. LIBRARIES. THE STUDY CONCLUDES THAT ACENTRALIZED PROCESSING CENTER FOR THE PHILADELPHIA LIBRARYDISTRICT SHOULD NOT BE CREATED AND RECOMMENDS THAT APLAN FOR STATE -WIDE CENTRALIZED CATALOGING ANDCLASSIFICATION PROGRAM FOR PUBLIC LIBRARIES SHOULD BE INITIATED.APPENDIXES INCLUDE (A) DATA COLLECTED FOR THIS STUDY, (B)DESCRIPTION OF CENTRALIZED PROCESSING PROGRAMS AND/OR CENTERSIN THE UNITED STATES, AC) AGREEMENTS/CONTRACTS RELATING TOSUCH PROGRAMS, ID) DETAILED OPERATION OF THE BLACK GOLDCOOPERATIVE LIBRARY SYSTEM PROCESSING CENTER, AND FINALLY,(E) COST DATA ON BOOK CATALOGS. A SUMMARY OF.THIS REPORT APPEARS IN"LIBRARY RESOURCES AND TECHNICAL SERVICES," FALL, 1966,PAGES 461 -478. (PTY. immumeamp!"'"-17."----77 LT000 +0(:)3 002204 CO r-i O LLI SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA PROCESSING CENTER by SARAH K. VANN PENNSYLVANIA STATE LIBRARY MONOGRAPH No. 4 '.7.-_Atiktev_emaro.-ykt,wmoce*,r,1-1.7 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION & WELFARE OFFICE OF EDUCATION THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRODUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVEDFROM THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIGINATING IT.POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONS STATED DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT OFFICIAL OFFICEOF EDUCATION POSITION OR POLICY. SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA PROCESSING CENTER FEASIBILITY STUDY FINAL REPORT Sponsoredk by the Philadelphia District Library Center (Free Library of Philadelphia) by Sarah K. Vann COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION PENNSYLVANIA STATE LIBRARY. 1967 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION & WELFARE 1 OFFICE OF EDUCATION THIS DOCUMENT HAS SEEN REPRODUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM THE PERSON OR 016AWIATION ORIGINATING I!.POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONS STATED DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT OFFICIAL eina OF EDUCATION POSITION OR PUY. ADVISORY COMMITTEE Miss Dorothy Bendix Miss Helen D. Hutchinson Associate Professor Deputy Director Graduate School of Library Science Free Library of Philadelphia Drexel Institute of Technology Philadelphia Miss Mary Linn McCulloch Librarian (Resigned) Miss Margaret C. Brown Abington Library Society Chief, Processing Division Jenkintown Free Library of Philadelphia Miss Evelyn Hensel Mr. A, Hunter Rineer, Jr. Assistant Librarian Executive Director Pennsylvania State University Lower Merion Library Association University Park Ardmore Mr. Donald A. Riechmann Secretary Coordinator of District Services Free Library of Philadelphia Miss Eleanor Campion Chairman Director, Union Catalogue of Philadelphia Metropolitan Area EX-OFFICIO Mr. Ernest E. Doerschuk, Jr. Mrs. Miriam Hearne State Librarian Director Harrisburg Chester County Library West Chester Mrs. Pearl Frankenfield Mrs. Meredith R. Smith Director Director Norristown Public Library Bucks County Free Library Doylestown Mr. Emerson Greenaway Director Free Library of Philadelphia ACKNOWLEDGMENTS It is my pleasure toacknowledge my indebtedness tothe following, each of whom contributed in a special wayto the completionof the Study: To the Directors and/orAdministrators of the centralizedprocessing centers and/or programs who generouslyshared, with disarmingfrankness, their documents, time, and thoughts. To Mr. Charles O'Halloran,State Librarian, Missouri StateLibrary, who gra- ciously permitted the use ofthe responses to the Missouriquestionnaire, "Survey of Processing Centersin the United States." To the Philadelphia Districtlibrarians who, through theirinterest and coop- eration, provided much of thedata for Part I. To the Advisory Committeewhose responsive encouragementfurthered the development of the Study. To the Free Library ofPhiladelphia, particularly Miss MargaretC. Brown, Chief, Prolcessing Division, forher perceptive insight andguidance and to Mr. Emerson Greenaway,Director, for sharing his inspirationalvision of the district library concept. To Mr. Donald A. Riechmann,Coordinator, District Library Services,Free Library of Philadelphia, for thesecretarial services of his Office,for the distribution of the inquiries, and forhis infectious optimismthroughout all phases of the Study. To Miss Wilma W. Waite,University of California, Berkeley,for her interest, encouragement, andstatistical and editorial assistance duringthe final stages of the Study. SAXAH K. VANN TABLE OF CONTENTS PART I.CENTRALIZED PROCESSINGFOR THE PHILADELPHIA LIBRARYDISTRICT Page Chapter I.CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 1 II. THE DISTRICT' LIBRARY IN THEPENNSYLVANIA LIBRARY PRO- 2 GRAM The Program Centralized Processing Within the State Within District Centers Observations III. THE PHILADELPHIA LIBRARYDISTRICT 8 The District Library Center The District Libraries From annual reports Within the libraries IV. TOWARD A BOOK CATALOG F O R THEPHILADELPHIA DISTRICT .. 18 Titles from District Libraries Representation of Titles in the Catalog ofBooks Variations in Cataloging and Classification CONCLUSIONS OF THE FEASIBILITY STUDY 26 PART II. CENTRALIZEDPROCESSING: AN APPRAISAL OF SOME EXISTING PROGRAMSAND/OR CENTERS V.CENTRALIZED PROCESSING: TOWARD REALITY 27 Introduction Re-evaluation In Missouri In New York In other states VI.CENTRALIZED PROCESSING: CENTERS ANDSERVICES BY TYPE .. 33 The Autonomous Structure The Neo-Departmental Structure Within a local library Within a county library. Within a state library The Multiple Service CenterEncompassing Processing Summary Comment ha TABLE OF CONTENTSContinued Chapter Page VII.CHARACTERISTICS: LEGAL AND FINANCIAL 39 Legal Structure and Governing Bodies Financial Structure Income from members Income from subsidies Expenditures and Cost Studies VIII.CHARACTERISTICS: INTERNAL ORGANIZATION AND ACTIVITY 46 Administrative Organization Staff Membership and Volumes Processed IX.CHARACTERISTICS: MEMBERSHIP 57 Types of Member Libraries Including schools Including other types The future Book Budgets of and Books Processed for Member Libraries Distance of Member Libraries from Centers Participant Satisfaction Agreements Signed by Member Libraries X.CHARACTERISTICS: PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT 62 Location, Quarters, and Floor Plans Equipment Observations and recommentiations Toward automation XI. FROM THE CENTER: BOOK SELECTION GUIDANCE 74 Kinds of Selection Book Selection Sources Within state libraries Within the New York Systems Within member libraries Similarities of lists Book Selection Service from Centers Selection in the Wayne County Library System, Michigan Selection in the Pioneer Library System, New York Observations and Recommendations XII. WITHIN THE CENTER: ORDERING 83 Introduction Types of materials to be ordered through the centers Types of materials not generally ordered through the centers Orders from Member Libraries Single title ordering Concurrent title ordering vi TABLE OFCONTENTSContinued Page Chapter Order Forms Ordering ProceduresWithin Centers Some Special Aspectsof Ordering Observations andRecommendations CENTER: CATALOGING ANDCLASSIFICATION POL- XIII. WITHIN THE 97 ICIES ANDPROCEDURES Descriptive Cataloging Subject Cataloging Classification Cutter Numbers CENTERS AND MEM- XIV. CATALOGING ANDCLASSIFICATIONS: WITHIN 105 BER LIBRARIES Introduction Custom cataloging Standardized cataloging Cataloging Within Centers Cataloging Within MemberLibraries Commercial Processing andProcessing Center Services The Card CatalogWithin Member Libraries Toward the Book Catalogfor Member Libraries In California In New York State In North Carolina Cost of book catalogs Observations andRecommendations XV. WITHIN THECENTER:PROCESSING (PHYSICALPREPARATION) 117 OF MATERIALS Introduction Processing Procedures Cost of processingwithin centers Variations in processingpermitted Processing Within MemberLibraries Observations and Recommendations 121 XVI. FROM THE CENTER:DELIVERY AND BILLING Delivery Costs of delivery Observations and recommendations Billing Billing to member libraries Observations and recommendations 127 SUMMARY COMMENT Vii TABLE OF CONTENTSContinued Page APPENDIXES A.Southeastern Pennsylvania Processing Center Feasibility Study 131 B.Centralized Processing Programs and/or Centers in the United States 155 C.Centralized Processing Programs and/or Centers in the United States: Agreements/Contracts 165 D. Black Gold Cooperative Library System Processing Center. 245 E.Book Catalogs: Cost Data 261 7*.40VP.'cr. PREFACE Library and to repre- had as its major purpose"to 4.Visits to the District Center The Feasibility Study sentative District Libraries. consider acquisition andcentralized Processing spe- cifically in terms of service tothe PhiladelphiaLibrary 5. Two