Cataloging Statistics Using ALEPH and MIstaT

Abstract

Selina Wang, Associate Head of Cataloging and Metadata Services, MIT; Christine Moulen, Library Systems Manager, MIT.

It is challenging to create cataloging statistical reports from ALEPH. There is a rich source of raw data available in the ALEPH database, but there are few options to produce convenient and flexible cataloging statistics. This session demonstrates how the MIT libraries created a variety of customized reports, charts, and graphs to produce flexible, visually interesting statistical displays. We extracted ALEPH data using a combination of SQL and batch services, and analyzed it with a custom program ("MIstaT"). Many views of the data are possible, including cataloger activity by Item Type, Sublibrary, Cataloging Source, and many others. Statistical breakdowns by discipline are also possible. Activity from the ALEPH catalog can be integrated with activity from OCLC Connexion to provide comprehensive reports.