Speakers and descriptions are provided below this brief listing. The schedule is also available now.
PLEASE NOTE: The preconference, poster session, and reception are in-person only; there will be no virtual attendance. All workshops, sessions, keynote session, and closing session and other events on the schedule will be available virtually and in-person.
Preconference (jump to description):
Keynote (jump to description):
Workshops (jump to description):
Sessions (jump to description):
This in-person, day-long workshop (Monday, 7 October 2024, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.) will principally focus on developing communication strategies for technical services workers to engage with organizational leaders, donors, and users. Communication strategies will include drafting an “elevator pitch,” developing prompts for engaging with leaders and donors, and exploring how to make advocacy for professional descriptive work actionable and effective. Participants will also collaborate on a poster presentation on the aforementioned topics for the OLAC 2024 poster session.
Learning objects for participants will include:
Preconference registration is $70 and is limited to 30 attendees (in-person only).
Leonard (Leo) Martin is the Interim Head of Resource Management and Metadata at the University of Houston Libraries. He holds an undergraduate degree in Music Education and a master's degree in Library and Information Science from the University of North Texas. Leo is an active member of the Music Librarian Association (MLA), Music OCLC Users Group (MOUG), and the Association of Recorded Sound Collections (ARSC) and is the SACO Music Funnel Coordinator (2022-2027).
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with Treshani Perera, Community Coordinator for Library Initiatives with the Big Ten Academic Alliance
Diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) continue to be a priority in libraries. Topics on DEIA continue to appear in professional discourse in technical services areas. This keynote addresses the crucial role that DEIA plays in knowledge organization systems used in libraries. Through a comprehensive exploration of current challenges and opportunities, the keynote will delve into strategies for integrating DEIA principles and cultural concepts into cataloging practices. By fostering dialogue and action, this keynote aims to empower audiovisual catalogers to advance DEIA initiatives, ensuring that cataloging and technical services truly reflect and serve diverse communities in an increasingly interconnected world.
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with Teressa M. Keenan, Head Collections & Metadata Services, University of Montana, Mansfield Library
Our libraries provide access to resources that are usable and accessible for all users. But can our users find those resources? And can they do it independently? Accessibility of library catalogs goes beyond software and its compliance with WCAG checklists. Do our catalogs accurately describe resources that have accessibility features and hazards? If so, are these features highlighted with well-labelled displays and filters? Unfortunately answers to these questions are often no. This session will share a few of the exciting things currently happening with accessibility metadata, some of the challenges being faced from a cataloger’s perspective and what you and your library can do with accessibility metadata to make your catalog more accessible.
with Katie Yeo, Catalog Librarian at the Brigham Young University Library
Many solo librarians want to engage in critical cataloging projects to make collection materials more inclusive and accessible for patrons. However, due to time and manpower constraints, undertaking large-scale cataloging projects is often unsustainable in the long term. Instead, solo librarians can learn to incorporate a few simple steps into their daily workflows to more seamlessly integrate catalog revision into existing library processes, to eventually facilitate instinctual and effortless catalog enhancement over time. Solo librarians struggling with small budgets and a heap of other responsibilities can still benefit from reparative cataloging, as even small efforts to make collections more inclusive also ultimately make them more usable.
with Stefanie Dennis Hunker, Browne Popular Culture Library, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio
Cataloging graphic novels can be fun, but it can also be challenging. This workshop will discuss various kinds of graphic novels and things to consider before cataloging, such as: national cataloging standards, who are your users, what kind of library are these a part of, etc. Bring along an example (or just keep one in mind) and we can discuss some issues together as we go along
with Paige Andrew, Cartographic Resources Cataloging Librarian and Emeritus Distinguished Librarian (retired), Pennsylvania State University Libraries
This workshop will be given over two two-hour sessions. The primary objective of this workshop is to give the participant a basic knowledge level, and needed skills to create accurate, high-quality bibliographic records for sheet maps or be able to work successfully with bibliographic record copy. We will start with an overview of the map as a unique information format and learn several principles related to describing a map or other related cartographic resource. Basic skills that will be taught include: how to decide which title to choose when more than one appears on a map and providing access to other forms of a single title; recording scale information correctly when provided or determining a scale when it is not, and the proper techniques for measuring a map(s) and how to record that, and other, physical description information. Hands-on activities as part of the workshop will include how to use the Natural Scale Indicator to determine an approximate scale when it is not formally presented on the map and using a tape measure to determine dimensions for one or more main maps. It is assumed that the participant is already conversant in using the MARC21, AACR2 and OCLC; it would be helpful if they have used the RDA Toolkit, but it is not necessary.
with Stacie Traill, Discovery and Metadata Systems Lead at the University of Minnesota Libraries
Tina Gross, Metadata Analyst at the University of Minnesota Libraries
Elissah Becknell, Cataloging & Metadata Education Librarian at Minitex
This hands-on workshop introduces MarcEdit, a software that can create, manipulate, and transform library metadata in a variety of MARC formats and standards. This workshop will be delivered in a hybrid format, but is not a passive experience. Participants will be using MarcEdit and learning how to work with data with an instructor.
This workshop will start with the layout, display, and features of MarcEdit. Then proceed to working with different MARC file types, MARC encoding, and character encoding in MarcEdit. We’ll learn how to profile our data, creating various reports to get an overview of a MARC file. We’ll locate simple errors and use shortcuts to fix them. Then, we’ll progress to more advanced techniques for manipulating fixed and variable fields within MARC records. Participants can expect to learn the basic functionality and use of MarcEdit. Exercises will be focused on A/V cataloging problems and needs.
This workshop is based on the Library Carpentry MarcEdit curriculum. It has been adapted to the needs of A/V catalogers and the schedule of the OLAC conference.There are no prerequisites to join this workshop. A basic knowledge of MARC records and interest in learning how to do more with data is all that you need.
with Andrew Le, Information Services & Cataloging Librarian, Jefferson County Library District
with Kelley McGrath, Metadata Management Librarian, University of Oregon
This session will cover the basics of assigning subjects, genres and forms to describe all types of audiovisual materials, including moving images, audio, objects, images and electronic resources. Historical context about the use of subject, genre and form terms for audiovisual materials will be provided. Topics will include distinguishing subject from genre and form, best practices for assigning subject and genre-form terms and where to find relevant documentation. The focus will be on LCSH and LCGFT, with brief overviews of some other vocabularies.
with Junghae Lee, E-Resources Metadata Librarian, University of Washington Libraries
This session will introduce video game cataloging using Original RDA, based on the OLAC Unified Best Practices Guide. It will address both tangible and online formats, covering features and issues specific to video games.
with Jeannette Ho, Cataloging/Metadata Librarian, Texas A&M University Libraries
This workshop will continue where the Basic workshop left off for DVDs and Blu-rays, and also introduce cataloging rules and OLAC best practices relating to streaming video. It will begin with an introduction to cataloging streaming videos including the PCC Provider-Neutral guidelines, and how practices differ from Blu-rays and DVDs regarding fixed field/007/006 coding, sources of information, 264 (Publication, etc. information), fields 33x (Content/Media/Carrier Types), field 300 (Extent, Duration, Sound and Colour Content), and technical details (34x). Other topics covered will include recording of the 245 field (Title and Statement of Responsibility) for both tangible and online videos that are single and multi-part, fixed field/041/546 (Language of Content), and 041/341/532 (Accessibility Content). Finally, it will cover authorized access points for works, expressions, and related agents/works, and identifiers.
Keywords: BIBFRAME; cataloging; linked data
This session will be a basic overview of BIBFRAME, including its place among current cataloging standards, a detailed look at its structure and vocabulary, and relevant Library of Congress and library vendor developments. The session will also provide hands-on BIBFRAME cataloging exercises using both the Sinopia and Marva BIBFRAME editors. Given time limitations, there will be no opportunity to address specific media cataloging practices in BIBFRAME; however, at least one of the session exercises will be an AV resource, and session packets will include plenty of additional resources for further learning. Attendees can expect to come away with a solid grasp of what day-to-day BIBFRAME cataloging could involve; namely, the practical differences between BIBFRAME cataloging and MARC cataloging, and the growing number of systems and tools available to potential BIBFRAME adopters. For the best possible learning experience, attendees should have some familiarity with conventional MARC cataloging, RDA (original or new versions), and FRBR/LRM.
Keywords: OLAC Unified Best Practices, Official RDA Toolkit
The Task Force on Unified Best Practices using Official RDA Toolkit launched in October 2022 and has investigated the processes for creating application profiles, policy statements, and metadata guidance documents in the Official RDA Toolkit using OLAC Unified Best Practices (UBP) document. In this presentation, we will introduce UBP mapping guidance, which will be available through the Toolkit, as well as cataloging workflows by formats. The UBP mapping guidance will also be available outside of the Toolkit for those who do not have access to it.
Keywords: Streaming video; Provider neutral cataloging; Accessibility
Streaming video is one of the newest additions to library collections. They provide more accessible viewing options for patrons and incorporate additional learning tools. To maximize access and provide reliable usage states, quality streaming video records are essential. However, because streaming video resources are newer and more complex than other library resources, there is less standardization in cataloging procedures. Records found in shared repositories may not include accessibility information to best serve users or they may not be provider neutral to best serve catalogers. To address these challenges, Peterson created a policy on cataloging streaming video at the University of Iowa. In this presentation, she will share the highlights of this policy and discuss implementation. Audience members can expect to gain ideas that improve the cataloging of streaming materials in their library.
Keywords: Mentorship, mentoring, mentor
Ann Kardos organized the OLAC mentorship program beginning in 2022. For the current round of mentorship, there were very few applicants and Kyla Jemison and Beth Fogler agreed to be partnered together. In this mini-panel, we will talk about the program and our experience thus far as a way of encouraging other members to participate. Ann will talk about the program in general and Beth and Kyla will talk about their experience as a mentorship pair, discussing career growth, management, and opportunities to help grow cataloging and management skills on a budget.
Keywords: realia, access, surveys
Jefferson County Library District maintains a collection of weird, odd, and wonderful (WOW) realia. Puzzles, American Girl dolls, soldering irons, and more are checked out and requested from the WOW collection in high volumes. Each WOW item or kit is cataloged to the same standard as circulating monographs. But what is the impact of this cataloging? To understand this, JCLD initiated a 6-month user survey tailored to identify user behavior and search strategies with the goal of improving discoverability. Although respondents generally favored non-catalog approaches to searching, catalog searches utilized keyword searching over specific fields. Respondents also submitted suggested terms and phrases for future cataloging practices.Keywords: Subject analysis; LCSH; Moving images
This presentation will discuss principles for assigning subject headings to moving images using case studies. The presenters provide a digital metadata-inspired approach to subject heading assignment guided by a graphic organizer. With systematic consideration of personal, class of persons, topical, geographical, chronological, and form/genre facets, catalogers may improve subject access to moving image materials. Drawing upon actual examples, presenters will deal with topics such as specific versus broader headings, pre-coordinated and post-coordinated approaches, commonly omitted facets, and misinterpretations of subject and subdivision usage. The focus will be on Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) following the Subject Headings Manual and instructions found in LCSH authority records. Library of Congress genre-form terms (LCGFT) will be discussed to the extent that they relate to assigned LCSH. Best practices may also be applied to subject analysis using other subject thesauri.
Keywords: Cataloging, artificial intelligence
Attempts so far in using artificial intelligence for cataloging have been greeted with amusement if not downright hostility. But will AI get to the point in the future where it will be acceptable for cataloging?If that day comes, I maintain that all is not lost for catalogers, especially those working with audiovisual materials. AI may be able to produce good enough records for basic monographic materials, but how would it handle cataloging the three-dimensional objects (realia) that OLAC members deal with?
It's these kinds of "weird" materials that can guarantee future employment for catalogers. I will show this with examples taken from the University of South Florida Special Collections, showing how a human would deal with the materials versus the AI approach.(jump back to the top)