We would like to convene some funded community groups to look at issues and possible interventions that might be made to enhance the quality and efficiency of library bibliographic and holdings data.
As well as being of broad sectoral benefit, the objective of these groups will be to work on a set of structured challenges that will help to make the NBK data processes more efficient and the data in the NBK more effective. The challenges would build on the recently published ‘Understanding Collections Overlap’ report and the groups will be expected to creatively determine their own approaches and responses to relevant data issues.
In all areas the groups would be required to work closely and collaboratively with NBK service staff but it is anticipated that the issues in question will be ones that individual libraries will want to make progress on for their own benefit – as well as for the purpose of improving the quality and effectiveness of data across the sector and within the NBK.
A modest level of grant funding will further incentivise libraries to participate and will also ensure that Jisc is correctly positioned to use the outcomes as exemplars for the sector and to exploit the body of work as an NBK-related community resource.
Structured Challenges
The groups would be expected to coalesce around the following challenges:
- How to optimise descriptive library metadata to most accurately describe collections for the purposes of the NBK?
- What tools or support could Jisc provide to help a library identify, assess and upgrade records? (e.g. where there are inaccuracies, where they reflect older standards, or are incomplete)
- What are the implications and conditions for libraries to accept a consolidated and enhanced ‘master record’ back into their local library catalogue?
- How to work most effectively with different LMS systems in relation to the NBK and what is required in terms of information for vendors and peer support for solving technical issues?
- What interventions would be most effective to optimise serials data for inclusion into the NBK?
- How should the NBK toolkit/manual take shape and how should it be designed in terms of content and format so that it is most useful for the community?
Funding Available
Groups will be invited to bid for a grant that will go some way towards defraying the cost of participation – probably using a fairly low standard day rate. These grants will be negotiable depending on the number and nature of the groups proposed but would most likely be in the range of £10k – £20k per group.
Register your interest in participation
If you are interested in leading or participating in one or more of these groups, please send an email to: nbk.copac@jisc.ac.uk
The closing date for expressions of interest is: Friday 19th January 2018
The Task Groups kick off meeting will be held in London (venue to be confirmed) on Tuesday 13th February 2018
It would be helpful if you could state your role and affiliation and very briefly describe any specific interests you have in tackling library data quality issues. Please also insert “NBK Community Data Groups” in your subject line so that we can easily identify the nature of the message.
More details available here. (Clicking this link will download a Word document from the Jisc repository)
