Outsourcing of Slavic cataloguing at the Ohio State University libraries: evaluation and cost analysis
| Pages | 325-329 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/01435120210432291 |
| Date | 01 September 2002 |
| Published date | 01 September 2002 |
| Author | Magda El‐Sherbini |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science |
OutsourcingofSlavic
cataloguingatthe
OhioStateUniversity
libraries:evaluation
andcostanalysis
MagdaEl-Sherbini
Introduction
Anearlierpaperprovidedacasestudyofcopy
cataloguersandtheirchangingrolesatthe
OhioStateUniversityLibrary(El-Sherbini,
2001).Thispaperwasdevelopedfroma
presentationbytheauthorattheOhio
LibraryCouncilAnnualMeetingheldin
Columbus,OhioinNovember2000.
In1994,theOhioStateUniversitylibraries
conductedastudyontheviabilityof
outsourcingoftheoriginalcataloguingof
Slavicbooks.Theresultsofthisstudywere
analysedinanarticleentitled``Contract
cataloging:apilotprojectforoutsourcing
Slavicbooks''(El-Sherbini,1995).Atthat
timetheSlavicbacklogconsistedof
approximately25,000titlesinallformats.
Basedonthisanalyticstudy,whichprovedat
thattimethattheoutsourcingwasmorecost
effectivethanhiringanMLScataloguer,the
decisionwasmadetocontractouttheoriginal
cataloguingofthisSlavicbacklog.Aftersix
yearsoftheSlavicoriginalcataloguingbeing
undertakenbythevendor,itisnowtimeto
evaluatetheprocesstodetermine:
.ifitisstillcosteffective;
.ifthereareotheroptionsavailable;
.ifthereisnewin-housefundingfor
cataloguing;
.ifthelibraryisnotsatisfiedwiththe
vendorservice;
.ifthelibrarydevelopedin-house
expertise;and
.ifthelibraryhasreorganisedits
operationsandfoundawaytoutilise
expertisefromotherdepartments.
Hence,thispaperexaminestheoutsourcing
ofSlavicoriginalcataloguingattheOhio
StateUniversitylibraries.Itreviews:
.therationaleforsodoing;
.theevaluation;
.theadvantagesanddisadvantages;and
.whatwehavelearned.
Rationale
Inapreviousstudy(El-Sherbini,1995),the
rationaleforcontractingouttheSlavic
originalcataloguingwassummarisedinthe
followingpoints:
.resignationoftheSlaviclanguages
originalcataloguerinApril1993;
Theauthor
MagdaEl-SherbiniisAssociateProfessorandHeadin
theCataloguingDepartment,OhioStateUniversity,
Columbus,Ohio,USA.
Keywords
Academiclibraries,Cataloguing,
Organizationalrestructuring,Costbenefitanalysis
Abstract
ExaminestheoutsourcingofSlavicoriginalcataloguingat
theOhioStateUniversitylibraries.Itincludes:the
rationalefordoingso;theevaluationandcostanalysis;
theadvantagesanddisadvantages;andwhatwehave
learned.
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http://www.emeraldinsight.com/researchregisters
Thecurrentissueandfulltextarchiveofthisjournalis
availableat
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325
Library Management
Volume 23 .Number 6/7 .2002 .pp. 325±329
#MCB UP Limited .ISSN 0143-5124
DOI 10.1108/01435120210432291
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