Catalog Maintenance and Authority Control in Discovery Systems

With the implementation of discovery systems, cataloging maintenance and authority control activities need to be re-evaluated. The online survey product Qualtrics™1 was used to solicit completion of only one survey per library (275) who has adopted a discovery system. Questions about changes in tasks and staffing before and after implementation of commercial discovery systems (AquaBrowser®2, EBSCO Discovery Services™3, Encore™4, Primo®5, Summon™6, and WorldCat®7 Local) were central to the survey. Ninety-eight libraries responded with usable surveys (36% response rate). Results indicated that there were no significant differences between maintenance and authority control tasks before and after discovery implementation. Although the length of time since implementation compared to workflow changes indicates that change decreases over time, effects of the discovery system may not yet have reached maintenance and authority control staff. Cataloging staff were also surveyed to measure their awareness on how local holdings in the new discovery environment are presented to the public. Results also indicate that significantly more survey respondents anticipate that their legacy OPAC will persist alongside their discovery system.