Tales around cataloging electronic books on Alma: New collections, legacy collections, and sustainability

Abstract

In July 2015, Kansas State University Libraries migrated from Voyager to Alma. The migration meant a number of changes in how we approached our electronic books cataloging, both for new and legacy collections. With the change in systems, additional options were available for the records. What were the differences between community zone records, OCLC WMS records, and other vendor-supplied records? What did the new options mean for existing legacy electronic book collections? How might we handle the accompanying database maintenance? With fewer staff and our continuing preference for the purchase of electronic books over printed materials, which cataloging methods made sense in terms of sustainability? This presentation will focus on the decisions surrounding record source choices, including impacts.