By Rosario Garza
OCLC has announced the availability of the OCLC Cataloging Express service
(CatExpress), an easy-to-use, World Wide Web-based copy cataloging service.
CatExpress was developed specifically for small public and school libraries that
acquire less than 2,000 titles annually.
Libraries can purchase CatExpress individually or as members of a consortia. Annual
CatExpress subscriptions are based on a library's anticipated level of cataloging
activity, so staff will know what their cataloging costs will be at the beginning of each
year. Libraries will be billed annually for the service.
During CatExpress pilot projects in Missouri, Nebraska and Ohio, many librarians
reported cataloging hit rates that approached 99 percent. The CatExpress service
allows a library to find records in WorldCat (the OCLC Online Union Catalog), attach
its holding symbol and add local information and download the records to its local
system. CatExpress users will have access to all 41 million records in WorldCat.
Original cataloging is not supported in CatExpress.
CatExpress users need a current generation Web browser, such as Netscape Navigator
4.0 (or higher) or Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 (or higher), running on any
workstation with Internet access. There are no direct OCLC telecommunications
charges. All OCLC charges are included in the annual Cat Express subscription rate.
Prior knowledge of MARC format is not required for CatExpress users. Once a user
finds the bibliographic record that matches the material, the user is able to add a
limited amount of information: a holding library code (049 field), price information to
the ISBN field (020), a call number (090, 092 or 092 field), edit or add notes (500,
505, 520 and 590 fields) and add location/ holdings information (852 field).
When a CatExpress user adds holdings to a record, the records get compiled into a
single file that is available the next day for loading into the library's local system.
Libraries can also use CatExpress to delete holdings.
Pricing for CatExpress is based on the number of titles acquired by individual
libraries:
| Up to 500 titlesOCLC | | $ 450 per year |
| Up to 1,000 titles OCLC | | $ 900 per year |
| Up to 2,000 titlesOCLC | | $1,575 per year |
Libraries that do not currently have an OCLC symbol will also incur a one-time $65
fee for profiling. Libraries that already use OCLC as selective, union listing or
FirstSearch will not incur the profiling fee.
Group pricing also is available. Interested libraries should contract BCR's Rosario
Garza.
Current OCLC member libraries may also find that CatExpress meets some of their
basic copy cataloging needs. The new Web interface is available to current OCLC
cataloging members at the same prices they now pay for the OCLC Online Cataloging
service.
For more information about CatExpress, contact Rosario Garza at
BCR.
