Management of the Videotape Collection

in the CERN Library

Accessing multiple virtual collections

from a unique bibliographic record

Project: August 2001-May 2002

Maywenn Haldimann and Ingrid Geretschläger ^(*)

Abstract

Quick cataloguing as well as poorly controlled importation of bibliographic records from a variety of sources made the videotape collection in the CERN Library difficult to use. We describe the working processes for the complete rearrangement of the collection, which have allowed for simpler searches and more precise results, clearer records, dynamic links on the Web, and links among the documents related to the videos.

History

In 1995, the CERN Audiovisual Unit started to produce VHS videotapes of lectures given at CERN. The Library decided to make them available to the users in a dedicated room. At first these videos were mostly lectures given at CERN in the Academic Training Programme and the Summer Student Lectures. Later, other types of lectures were also filmed: seminars, general staff meetings, visits. At that time, it was decided to catalogue each videotape separately and independently of the transparencies of the lectures. The Library catalogue was not yet available on the Web and links among related documents were not even in our minds.

Videotapes in the U-matic⁽¹⁾ format were still kept by the CERN Audiovisual Unit, so that a VHS video could be produced on request. To allow users access to all videotape records, both U-matic and VHS, from a single bibliographic search, the FileMakerPro database, produced by the Audiovisual Unit, was imported into the Library catalogue.

By the year 2000, the library held almost 4000 videotapes, often in separate parts for a single lecture series with additional records for the accompanying transparencies. Moreover, the videotapes were often very similar, since each year some lectures are repeated with only slight changes. The bibliographic search therefore became quite confusing.

By 1996, the Library catalogue was accessible on the Web, but the catalogue records for the videos and their transparencies were not linked together. There was, as yet, no advantage in using the new technological features.

Reflection

This situation was unacceptable and it became urgent to rethink the whole procedure: to offer a clear and precise bibliographic search for the users, with unambiguous results and dynamic links between records, particularly as the library catalogue is visible on the Web from everywhere in the world.

We decided to unify and harmonize the full collection of lectures, to which transparencies, videos and webcasts could be attached. The content was the important parameter, not the format. The result should be a unique bibliographic record.

Method

We chose to first process the most recent bibliographic records and then to move back in time to the older ones. We retrieved the records from the 'Videotape' and the 'Transparencies' databases and identified duplicate copies of the same lecture series. We then had to group them into a unique record for each lecture series.

For each annual lecture series, we also created a 'master' record for each academic or calender year, to which all the lectures in that series were linked using a dedicated bibliographic field: the 'Link Record' (LKR). This allows users who retrieve a single lecture, to follow links in the Web OPAC to all lectures given in the same cycle, independently of the medium in which they were produced (videotape, transparencies, webcast).

To offer multiple search access to the users, we therefore added special fields to each record to define virtual collections, for example 'Academic Training Programme' or 'CERN Summer Student Lectures'.

Procedure

It was not feasible to recatalogue the 4000 records by hand according to the ISBD (International Standard Book Description - Non monograph material). We therefore developed an acceptable method, depending on the type of record.

Nevertheless, we were obliged to do manual corrections for records that had errors in the holdings module to which these were attached, for example, sometimes the shelf number of the lecture had been confused with the running number of the videotape. This was because our Library software, Aleph300, only allows rudimentary programming within modules other than the bibliographic module: it is impossible to extract information from the bibliographic record to display in the holdings fields. This is a quite limiting factor in the use of Aleph300.

Therefore 375 records had to be corrected by hand leaving 3625 records, to which we applied the following three procedures:

• -   Firstly, we worked with utility programs existing in Aleph 300. These programs are able to extract bibliographic information from a large number of records at once. We were able to extract the incorrect data and process them by year of publication. We added temporary internal fields, and replaced these automatically with an indicator field (with catalogue code IN) used to define the virtual collections, a special note (code NO1) to link the lecture to the webcast and a linking field (code LKR) to connect the lecture series to the individual lectures).

• -   Following this, we made extensive global changes in UNIX files extracted from Aleph300.

• -   Once these files were corrected, we imported the modifications to Aleph300, using the 'Uploader' program⁽²⁾.

Conclusion

The project took 10 months to carry out, during which time 4000 records were merged into 1000 new records. Taking advantage of technological features available in the CERN Library we now offer users a much simpler retrieval tool for videotapes. We have added value to the records through dynamic web links, multiple access via virtual collections, and unambiguous search results.
The videotape collection can be consulted at http://cdsweb.cern.ch/

Appendices

Comparison of the previous and new cataloguing:

BA	25
IN	VIDEO
LN	eng
YR	1983
SW	$$s n $$ w199911
TI	LANDAU as a Scientist, a Teacher and a
	Man. $$s videotapes
AU1	E M Lifshitz
CA	CERN. Geneva
IM	$$p Geneva $$d 17 03 1983 $$c videotape ;
	62:00 $$n CERN
NO	Temporary1->IN
NO	Temporary2->IN
NO	Temporary3->NO1
NO	Temporary4->LKR
ME	U-Matic
ME	VHS
SR	Academic Training Lecture
RN	CERN-VIDEO-C-17-a
SN	Pal
AB	Biography of the Russian professor LANDAU
	from one of his student and good friend,
	the Russian professor LIFSHITZ.

BA	13
IN	VIDEO
IN	ACAD
IN	REPORT
LN	eng
YR	1983
SW	$$s n $$w 200206
TI	Landau as  a scientist, a teacher and
	a man
AU2	Lifshitz, E 
CA	CERN. Geneva
DI	$$w EP
IM	$$p Geneva $$n CERN $$d 17 Mar 83
	$$c presentation
NO1	CERN Main Auditorium $$d 17 Mar 1983
	$$l 62:00
ME	U-Matic
ME	VHS
SR	Academic Training Lecture
RN	CERN-VIDEO-C-17-A
SN	Pal
LKR	$$b 2288784 $$d cern820901 $$e PR
	%%cpresentation
AB	Biography of the Russian professor LANDAU
	from one of his student and good friend,
	the Russian professor LIFSHITZ.

New cataloge record

This example is a fusion of all fields found in the new bibliographic records including the changes to fields BA, IN and LKR

BA	13
IN	ACAD
IN	VIDEO

IN	REPORT
LN	eng
YR	1994

SW	$$s n $$w 200150 $$y a1993

TI	Introduction to Particle Accelerators
AU2	Wilson, E J N
CA	CERN. Geneva
DI	$$w TH
EXT	$$x http://preprints.cern.ch/cgi-bin/setlink?base=AT&categ=Academic_Training&id=AT00000022
	$$n Transparencies, pt.1
EXT	$$x http://preprints.cern.ch/cgi-bin/setlink?base=AT&categ=Academic_Training&id=AT00000023
	$$n Transparencies, pt.2
EXT	$$x http://preprints.cern.ch/cgi-bin/setlink?base=AT&categ=Academic_Training&id=AT00000024
	$$n Transparencies, pt.3
SR	Academic Training Lecture $$n 295
LKR	$$b 2289588$$d cern830901 $$e PR %%cpresentation
RN	CERN-VIDEO-C-220-A
RN 	CERN-VIDEO-C-220-B
RN	[…]
ME	U-Matic
ME	VHS
SN	Pal

Explanation:

Former appearance of Web catalogue records:

These were individual entries for the videos and transparencies of a single lecture series held from 1 to 11 March 1994 at CERN.

New appearance of Web catalogue records

Introduction to Particle Accelerators/Wilson, E J N. - CERN, Geneva : 1 - 11 Mar 1994
Transparencies, pt.1, Transparencies, pt.2, Transparencies, pt.3
(Academic Training Lecture ; 295)
CERN-VIDEO-C-220-A ; CERN-VIDEO-C-220-B ; CERN-VIDEO-C-220-C ; CERN-VIDEO-
C-220-D ; CERN-VIDEO-C-220-E ; CERN-VIDEO-C-220-F ; CERN-VIDEO-C-220-G ; CERN-
VIDEO-C-220-H ; CERN-VIDEO-C-220-I ; CERN-VIDEO-C-220-J ; CERN-VIDEO-C-220-K.
Presentation given during the Academic Training Lectures, CERN, Geneva, Switzerland, 1 Sep 1993 - 30 Jun 1994

Author Details

Maywenn Haldimann
Address:
CERN
ETT-SI-DM
CH 1211 Genève 23
Email: maywenn.haldimann@cern.ch
Apprentice at CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) in the 3^rd year « Assistant(e) en Information Documentaire, Certificat Fédéral de Capacité »
From September 2002 onwards:
Address:
Institut suisse de droit comparé (ISDC)
Dorigny
CH-1015 Lausanne
Email: Maywenn.Diallo@isdc-dfjp.unil.ch
Librarian at the Library Division (periodicals)

Ingrid Geretschläger
Address:
CERN
ETT-SI-DM
CH 1211 Genève 23
Email: ingrid.geretschlager@cern.ch
Head of the Document Management section, CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research)

Notes

(1) Professional broadcast format; today replaced by the beta sp format.
(2) The 'Uploader' program was created by Martin Vesely (ETT-DH). Further detail about how 'Uploader' is used can be read in: Automated treatment of electronic resources  in the Scientific Information Service at CERN / Pignard, N ; Geretschläger, I ; Jerdelet, J. - In : High Energy Physics Libraries Webzine, 3 (2001) http://webzine.web.cern.ch/webzine/3/papers/3/