- Email: [email protected]
MEDOC: An index for the health sciences
Documents
Librarianship:
II
MEDOC: An index for the Health Sciences WAYNE j. PEAY, VALERIE FLORANCE, W. CLAY EPSTEIN, and A. MICHAEL THELIN
MEDOC
is an index
has been produced necessity
to U.S. government
documents
at the Eccles Health
Sciences
for such an index
self-supporting
subscription
technology
in the production
the factors
which
presented. including
influenced
The article
and its development service
the design
the development
with
sciences catalog
The application
is described.
A detailed
of the current
a description
of a system for maintaining
which
for over a decade.
from an in-house
is discussed.
of the index
concludes
in the health Library
version
of computer description
of
of MEDOC
is
of management subscriber
The into a
concerns,
records.
In 1970, the Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library became a selective depository for U.S. government documents. The not too surprising objective for gaining depository status was to obtain access to health sciences information found in the publications of the U.S. government. There was no hint that the library was about to begin a long-term adventure in publishing. The intent of this article is to describe the development of MEDOC: Index to U.S. Government Publications in the Medical and Health Sciences, the impact of technology on the production of the index, and the influence of MEDOC’s readers on the current status of the index.
BACKGROUND The library’s decision to become a depository was based on the assumption that a substantial number of documents distributed by the Government Printing Office (GPO) focus on Wayne J. Peay is Director, Valerie Florance is Head, Computer and Media Services, W. Clay Epstein is Systems Analyst, and A. Michael Thelin is Documents Assistant and Assistant Editor, MEDOC at Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library, University of Utah Building 89, Salt Luke City, UT 84112. Government Information Quarterly, Volume 2, Number 2, pages 193-205. Copyright 0 1985 by JAI Press, Inc. AU rights of reproduction in any form reserved. ISSN: 0740-624X
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topics in the health sciences.’ These documents are some of the most important publications found in health sciences libraries, but subject access to them has always posed a serious problem. As the library soon discovered, the subject headings used in the Monthly Catalog were not as precise as those used in traditional health sciences reference tools. In addition, the lag time between depository distribution and indexing in the Monthly Catulog of U.S. Government Publications was as much as two years for some items. Even today, with the Monthly Catalog employing Library of Congress subject headings, there are problems for health sciences libraries in subject access. Figure 1 displays citations from the Monthly Catalog and MEDOC for a recent title. Note the greater range of headings in MEDOC, which makes use of the National Library of Medicine’s Medical Subject Headings (MeSH).2 In confronting this subject access problem, the library considered two alternatives. Each document could be fully cataloged (which was out of the question), or the library could produce its own index to the documents collection. The latter option was selected as a result of circumstances that are hard to imagine today. At that time, the computer center at the University of Utah wanted the library’s business, and it provided extensive support, including computer program design and production assistance, to get that business. This kind of support, quite common when computer centers were trying to promote campus services, did not last long at the University of Utah or at other institutions. The library’s first computer-generated index to U.S. government publications in the health sciences was produced in 1970, made possible by the technology of the time, the 80-column punched card. Data for each document were coded, keypunched, verified, and processed by the university’s computer. The result was an index that listed documents
figure
1.
Comparison
of Monthly
E. 1.28:ORNL/EIS-
Catalog and MEDOC 197
Assessment of risks to human reproduction and to development of the human conceptus from exposure to environmental substances : proceedings of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-sponsored conferences, October 1-3, 1980, Atlanta, Georgia, and December 7-10, 1980, St. Louis, Missouri--Oak Ridge, Term. : Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Washington, D.C. : U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Health and Environmental Assessment ; Springfield, VA. : Available from National Technical Information Service, 1982. xi, 158 p. : ill. ; 23 cm. “Chemical Effects Information Center, Information Center Complex, Information Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory. ” “Work Sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., under interagency agreements no. 80-D-X101 1 and no. 81-D-X0453.” “Published: “ORNL/ February 1982.” Includes bibliographical references and index. “Contract no. W-74055eng-26.” 0 Item 429-T-4 (microfiche) EIS- 197. ” “EPA-600/9-82-001.” 2. Chemicals-Physiological effect--Congresses. 3. Poisons1. Human reproduction-Congresses. I. Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Chemical Effects Information CenPhysiological effects--Congresses. ter. II. United States. Environmental Protection Agency. Office of Health and Environmental Assessment. E 1.
28 : ORNLlEIS 197 ASSESSMENT OF RISKS TO HUMAN REPRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE HUMAN CONCEPTUS FROM EXPOSURE TO ENVIRONMENTAL SUBSTANCES/ ORNUEIS 197. OAK RIDGE TN: DOE, 1982. 158P. (MF) SOURCE: GPOD, GPO ITEM 0429-T-004. I. ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE 2. TERATOGENS 3. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH 4. PREGNANCY TOXEMIAS 5. FERTILITY
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by title, Superintendent of Documents classification (SuDoc) number, report/series number and MeSH subject heading. In 1971, the library conducted the first of a series of surveys relating to U.S. government publications in the health sciences. The 759 institutional members of the Medical Library Association were surveyed about how they were coping with government documents and their interest in subscribing to an index to government publications that was tailored to their needs. Of the survey responses, 86% expressed interest in our proposed index.
PUBLISHING
THE FIRST MEDOC INDEX
Recognizing the need for a health sciences government documents index, the library submitted a grant proposal to the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to provide support to modify its documents index for general publication. The grant was funded in 1974, and the first volume of the new publication, MEDOC, was sent to the printer in April 1975. This first issue of MEDOC covered 1968-1974. The original computer programs were modified so that data could be entered directly into the university’s computer through CRT terminals located in the library. In addition, the MEDOC record was expanded to include information that would make MEDOC useful for reference and acquisitions purposes. Finally, the production of the index was designed to run on a high quality printer at the university’s computer center, so the printed output could be easily photocopied. Half-way through the project, the computer center decided to replace the printer, necessitating a reconfiguration of the MEDOC production program. Although the final production configuration proved to be quite satisfactory, this problem turned out to be a preview of things to come. As an interim solution, the library took advantage of a system utility that made it possible to produce the printer’s copy of MEDOC on a dot-matrix printer in the library. The final proof copy for each page was 132 characters wide and 96 lines long. This large page was then photoreduced to an 8Y2 by 11 inch page and photocopied using equipment at the university’s printing service. The final result was something less than the quality found in a type-set publication, but it was satisfactory and was produced at a cost that made MEDOC affordable for most libraries. At the conclusion of the grant, the library conducted its second survey. This time the survey was limited to the 342 libraries that had purchased the first or second volume of MEDOC, and it was aimed at evaluating the success of the grant and at identifying useful additions to the publication. Respondents requested that the scope of the index be expanded to include documents not distributed by the GPO in its depository program, and that more source information be included to assist in the acquisition of the publications. Based on the responses, in 1977, we began an aggressive acquistions program to identify useful publications that were not handled by GPO. A new section, the Agency List, was added to the index. It is a current address list of the agencies issuing the documents which are included in MEDOC. Since the original grant proposal, financial stability has been an important goal for MEDOC. Using a formula common to government publishing, the library seeks to cover the actual costs of production, supplies and mailing, but not the full expense of intellectual creation. Since 1977, MEDOC has been a self-supporting publication in terms of production costs. Table 1 shows the production costs and income for MEDOC during the 1982 production year (January-December 1982). Income received beyond production expenses
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GOVERNMENT
Table
I.
INFORMATION
MEDOC Production and Income, 1982
QUARTERLY
Vol. ~/NO. L/1985
Costs
COSTS; Printing Postage Supplies Computer Time Renewal Letters Acquisitions TOTAL
$ 8797.34 874.32 293.39 1785.18 29.00 824.75 $12602.98
INCOME: Subscriptions Back Volume Sale BRS Royalties TOTAL
$15840.00 2315.00 217.01 $18372.01
is used to pay part of the Assistant Editor’s salary; the Editor’s salary is fully underwritten by the library. In 1980, a survey was planned to determine interest in a multi-year cumulation of MEDOC. It was decided to solicit subscriber evaluations of the index at the same time. Preparatory to the distribution of the survey, a comprehensive in-house review of MEDOC was performed, beginning with a critique of MEDUC by library staff. The respondents from this third survey favored a cumulation and offered substantive suggestions concerning the improvement of MEDOC. Immediately following the completion of the survey, the university computer center brought the production of MEDOC to a halt. With only two weeks notice to the library, the computer center made a major change in its system. The new system would no longer support the MEDOC computer programs and as a result all of the library’s programs used in the production of MEDOC had to be revised. This unexpected development stopped the pr~uction of the index for three months. While this was a painful experience, it acted as a catalyst. Clearly, to publish MEDOC on a dependable schedule, library control of the hardware required for production was essential. Rapid changes in the development of computers, specifically reasonably priced and powerful minicomputers, made this an option that the library had never before been able to consider. The logical extension of this idea was that this was an ideal time to make major changes in MEDOC. A grant proposal was submitted to the National Library of Medicine for the redesign of the index. Funded in December 198 1, this project had four objectives: (1) acquire the hardware and software configurations needed for more efficient and flexible production procedures, (2) redesign the basic bibliographic record to conform to current national standards, (3) develop programs capable of producing new, diverse products from the MEDOC database, including a multi-year cumulation, and (4) automate accounting procedures to make subsc~ption services more efficient. The award of the second NLM grant marked a major turning point, enabling the purchase of computer hardware and software that could be located in and controlled by the library. The system that was acquired consisted of: Hardware DEC PDP 11/23 with 128K words of memory l
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l
l l
l
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Two 1OMB Disk Drives CRT Terminal Dot-Matrix Printer Nine Track Tape Drive
Software RSX-11M version 4.0 Operating System FORTRAN-77 Programming Language RMS version 2.1 Indexed File System l l
l
REWRITING
THE MEDOC PROGRAMS
In addition to acquiring hardware and software, the library hired a computer science student to write new programs for MEDOC, under the supervision of a faculty member in the Department of Medical Biophysics and Computing. Four major programs evolved in the development of the new MEDOC routines; all were written in a modular manner, sharing a common library of FORTRAN-77 subroutines. The basic program, named Medoc, is the input module for creating each MEDOC record. Figure 2 shows a portion of the query-guided input sequence. The main MEDOC module provides the capability of insertion, deletion, and correction of records stored in an indexed file. “Indexed file” refers to the way in which the program stores and locates individual records in the database. This internal structure is transparent to the user but makes more efficient use of the hardware’s retrieval capability. A key feature of this program is a daily listing of records that have been added or changed. This list provides a printed backup which, along with the magnetic tape, protects us from data loss due to system failure. Two of the new MEDOC programs work with and upon data stored in the database created during the input cycle. The Search program is a “look-up” program. For use of the main Medoc module outlined above, the SuDoc number must be known; Search allows access to records in the database by title, keyword, and subject, and produces short lists or full bibliographies of items listed under the term provided. Figure 3 shows the input prompt for a keyword search.
Figure 2.
Input Sequence MEDOC
FROM THE LIST BELOW ENTER THE INDEX NUMBER TASK YOU WISH TO PERFORM. MTOP I-ENTER NEW RECORDS 2-DELETE A RECORD 3-LIST A RECORD BY SUDOC NUMBER “EDIT A RECORD 5-PRINT A BACKUP LOG OF THE RECORDS “PRINT AN EDIT LIST OF FULL RECORDS ENTER TASK NUMBER>
FOR THE
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GOVERNMENT
Figure 3.
INFORMATION
Keyword
KEYWORD
QUARTERLY Vol. ~/NO. 211985
Search
BIBLIOGRAPHY
This routine makes a letter-by-letter search of the first word in A4EDOC.c subject heading field, and prints a bibliography of all matches found. Enter the KEYWORD
or E for EXIT:
Do you want the output to go to: I-Screen 2-Data File (SUBJECT.DATl You may limit the search by MEDOC mput date. If you wish to search the entire MEDOC database, press return. (twice) Enter beginning date: Enter ending date:
(OI-JAN-801 (Ol-JAN-801
In addition to bibliographic searching, Search includes a statistical capability to count the number of documents added each month and the size of the file. It also counts current subscribers and subscriptions for the coming volume, drawing upon data stored in the subscriber management program described below. The third MEDOC program, Print, produces the final print copy, which is sent to the university’s printing service. The printed output is generated by reading the indexed file by various key values which, in turn, produces listings by title, author, subject, etc. These lists are then formatted for the printed page that appears in the published copy. The fourth program from the MEDOC redesign project is a subscription account database, a separate indexed file which contains the names, addresses and holdings of all current and past subscribers. Figure 4 shows a representative subscriber record.
REDESIGNING
THE
MEDOC
RECORD
The set of Medoc programs outlined above were developed between 198 1 and 1982. During that time, the programmer and library staff educated one another about their
Figure 4.
Subscriber
Record
RECORD NUMBER: 0027 KAISER FOUNDATION HOSPITAI MEDICAL LIBRARY - 20-08832 4867 SUNSET BLVD CA 00027 LOS ANGELES HOLDINGS: l-9, P.O.: J-31018097 CLAIMS: STATUS: AA LAST ISSUE: PAID: IO-OCT.83 VOL ORDERED: I I CHECK #: 104597 VENDOR: MAJORS
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specific needs and the capabilities of the system. The sequence outlined below only hints at the continuous process of education and negotiation which occurred. With the available hardware, software, and programming talent, the redesign of the record structure began. The first system requirement was MARC compatibility, so that in the future MEDOC tapes could be loaded as part of an online catalog. The second decision was that the MEDOC database should serve as an automated shelflist, replacing the typed card files then in use. With the full MARC record as a starting point, 22 fields were selected which would satisfy both our publishing needs and shelflist requirements, The old MEDOC record was relatively simple: Sudoc Number, title, issuing agency, year of publication, pages, price, series number, level, and a maximum of five subject headings. The expanded record included six additional fields for index production: place of publication, personal author, series statement, GPO item number, GPO stock number, and non-MeSH keywords. Another seven fields were added to satisfy shelflist needs: source, format, location in building, copy information, actual holdings, bibliographic history, and local notes. Once the fields were selected, we approached the more difficult task of determining the size each should have in the record. The old MEDOC record stored a maximum of 625 characters in eleven fields. Having all that new machine space to ourselves made it appear that restricting the number of fields and/or their size would not be necessary. Limits for each mandatory or optional field were established by identifying the longest possible example of each data element and allocating space accordingly. For instance, the longest Table 2.
Field Descriptions
for the MEDOC Field Sudoc Number Title Serials Title Publisher Place Date Source Pages Format Price Subject Headings Keywords Location in Bldg Copy Information Actual Holdings GPO Item Number Report Number Personal Author Frequency Series Statement Bibliographic History Local Notes GPO Stock Number Level
Record
Old Size 30 155 07 04 04 04 400 13 03 01
New
Size
40 660 240 IO 20 04 06 05 27 06 480 240 10 20 600 20 30 180 05 180 480 360 I8
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distinctive title which was found in the Monthly Catalog contained 585 characters; 75 extra characters were added to that for the title field, making the new title field longer than the old MEDOC record. Table 2 gives an idea of the grandiose nature of the results. It did not take long to reach the limits of the computer’s capacity given the size of our record and evergrowing non-MEDOC demands for time and space. In the next round of program refinements, the initial record creation process was restructured by transferring shelflist-specific fields to a separate program package. This removed 1470 characters from the record, leaving a comparatively svelte 2186 characters per record. The creation of the old MEDOC record was a duplicative effort: the required information was typed onto a catalog card in standard library format. These cards were used as prompts for building large data files stored in the computer center’s mainframe. These files were later run through the Medoc programs to produce the printed copy. After the input cycle, the typed cards were filed in the documents shelflist. The new Medoc system provides a menu-driven input module, which allows entry of all information directly from the document in hand. Subject headings are assigned, using the most recent edition of the National Library of Medicine’s Medical Subject HeadingsAnnotated Alphabetic List. This may be done at the time of record creation or later, using the editing subroutine to call up the record again. The data files created are available at any time for editing or printing proof copies. During the final editing cycle for each issue, series titles, Sudoc number conflicts, and other problems are verified and resolved. Simple search routines by Sudoc number, title, or subject/keyword allow online access to all current records in the database, eliminating the need for a manually-maintained shelflist.
REDESIGNING
THE MEDOC PRINT COPY
As attention turned to redesigning the print product, the first task was to assemble a list of new features, deletions, and other enhancements suggested by past and present subscribers and library staff. The working list of suggestions included the following: . . . . . . . . . .
Add a keyword section Add a series title index Add a personal author index Include more complete ordering information Expand topical coverage Define the scope Improve the graphics Provide full titles in all sections Do a multi-year cumulation Provide more complete bibliographic information
has been a primary objective of MEDOC. To From its inception, “user friendliness” that end, the original print format remained as simple and self-explanatory as possible. During the redesign project, it was decided that making the print format conform to the style and arrangement of other indexes might advance this objective. Keeping in mind MEDOC’s diverse audience, printed indexes from several areas were studied for their content and presentation of information on the page: the Monthly Catalog of U.S. Govern-
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ment Publications, Government Reports Announcements and Index, Energy Research Abstracts, Index Medic-us, Resources in Education, NLM Current Catalog, American Statistics Index, INIS Atomindex
and GPO Publications Reference File. Each section of the redesigned MEDOC shows the results of this effort. The full citations, listed in the “Documents Index,” were reformatted so data elements appear in the same order as Monthly Catalog main entries. Punctuation and a blend of upper- and lower-case type were used to accentuate the visibility of important elements. The dotted lines which separated entries in old MEDOC were eliminated to make a cleaner-looking page. Figure 5 displays the old and new “Documents Index” sections. The need to provide more complete bibliographic and ordering information also guided the restructure of the MEDOC main entry. The goal was to provide sufficient information to enable an interested party to write for a free copy from the issuing agency, order from a sales agency, and/or borrow from another library. Besides providing GPO and NTIS stock numbers and prices, the availability of a title in the depository program was included for interlibrary loan purposes. The “Title Index” was also refashioned along Monthly Catalog lines, with alphabetic indicators dividing the entries. In response to requests from our own reference librarians, series titles were interfiled with distinctive titles in the “Title Index.” Figure 6 shows the old and new “Title Index” sections. Unlike the other sections, the “Subject/Keyword Index” was modelled upon Zndex Medicus; main headings are aligned at the left margin, with subheads indented beneath them. As in the “Documents Index,” upper/lower case type highlights differences, because bold type and other printer capabilities were not available with existing equipment.
figure
5.
Comparison
of MEDOC MEDOC Document
Document
Number HE 20.3852:SE5
Index Formats.
(Old Format) Number
Title (Subjects Appear Below Tit/e) PROGRESS DEMENTIA TYPE
Documents
REPORT ON SENILE OF THE ALZHEIMER’S
index
Price Year
Page
1981
UP
Series
LVL
Number
$.OO
NIH 81-2343
Agency NIA
ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE DEMENTIA, SENILE MfDOC
(New Format)
Documents
Index
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR BASIS OF DISEASE PROGRAM; ANNUAL HE 20.3452 : C 331983 REPORT FY 1983, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF GENERAL MEDICAL SCIENCES/ BETHESDA MD; NIGMS, 1984. 55 p. SOURCE: GPOD, GPO ITEM 0497-C-001. 1. RESEARCH SUPPORT-trends 2. CYTOLOGY-trends 3. MOLECULAR BIOLOGY-trends 4. GOVERNMENT AGENCIESKEYWORDS: ANNUAL REPORTS organization and administration
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Figure
6.
Comparison
INFORMATION
of MEDOC
MEDOC
Title
QUARTERLY Vol. ~/NO. 211985
Index Formats.
(Old Format)
Title Index Title
Document
INEFFECTIVE THERAPIES FOR GENITAL HERPES INFECTIONS INFORMATION ON LITHIUM INFORMED CONSENT; NLM LITERATURE SEARCH NO. 82-14 MEDOC
Number
HE 20.7002:G28 HE 20.8102:L71/3 HE 20.3614/2:82-09
(New Format)
Title Index -IIN VITRO FERTILIZATION, HE 20.361412: 83-33 IN VIVO CANCER MODELS: 1976-82, HE 20.3152 : V 831976-82 INCIDENCE RATE CALCULATING PART 1: FIVE FACES OF ATTRIBUTIVE HE 20.7002 : IN 2IPT. I
figure
7.
Comparison
of MEDOC
MEDOC
Subject Index Formats
(Old Format)
Subject
Index Level
Jde
Subject
Document
Number
GA I. I3:GGD82-6
STREET DRUGS-LEGISLATION AND JURISPRUDENCE
STRONGER CRACKDOWN NEEDED ON CLANDESTINE
STRESS-IN ADOLESCENCECONGRESSES STRESS, PSYCHOLOGICALADVERSE EFFECTS-BIBL.
ADOLESCENCE AND STRESS, REPORT OF AN NIMH ONCOLOGY OVERVIEW; SELECTED ABSTRACTS ON T MEDOC
RISK,
L
2
HE 20.813l:AD7
2
HE 20.3173/3:OK-078103
(New Format)
Subject
Index
STREET DRUGS adverse effects INHALANTS, HE 20.8202 : IN 41983 IMITATION CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES ACT OF 1983.
Y
4.L1114: S.HRG.
93-310
STREPTOCOCCUS FAECALIS isolation and purification MEDIUM DEPENDENT ZONE SIZE DISCREPANCIES ASSOCIATED WITH SUSCEPTIBILITY TESTING OF GROUP D STREPTOCOCCI AGAINST VARIOUS CEPHALOSPORINS. 20.7002 : ST 812 HE
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Although the MeSH subject headings used in MEDOC are familiar to experienced health sciences librarians and researchers, many MEDOC subscribers asked that subject indexing be expanded to include keywords or Library of Congress headings. Rather than add a new section, keywords were merged into the “Subject Index,” undifferentiated in any way from the MeSH headings. The old and new versions of the “Subject/Keyword Index” are displayed in Figure 7. Index Medicus was also used as a guide for the format of names in the new “Personal Author Index.” This new section represents another space compromise: entries are made under the first author, with no cross references to joint authors. Other than reshaping it to match the author listing, no changes were made to the “Report Number Index.”
REDESIGNING
THE SUBSCRIPTION
MANAGEMENT
PROGRAM
While the redesign of MEDOC was the principal objective of the grant project, it also provided an opportunity to upgrade the procedures for managing subscriber information. The objective was to replace a semi-automated system with an online interactive one. Like the Medoc input module, the new subscriber management program is menu-driven, with seventeen different options for entering, editing, deleting, and printing records. Information is stored in an indexed file, which provides data for the execution of all program options. The fiscal record itself consists of six elements: l l
l
l
l l
Subscriber Name, Address, Purchase Order Number Check Number Date of Payment Volume Ordered Vendor (optional field)
and Status
Space was also provided in each individual record for notes on which volumes the subscriber had received, the last issue mailed, and claims received for missing issues. Records are maintained for current subscribers and for subscribers who have cancelled their subscriptions. The Subscriber database is used for the generation of mailing labels, which are employed in regular mailings, renewals, and special promotions.
PRINTING
AND DISTRIBUTION
OF MEDOC
Since 1975, the production and distribution of MEDOC have been a local effort. Printing and binding have been done by the university’s printing service, and the mailing of the index has been handled through the campus mailing bureau. While this approach has helped limit costs, it has not always limited the stress. Timeliness is a major objective in the production of MEDOC, and yet every effort is made to make the index affordable. To that end, MEDOC is mailed fourth class, which allows seven to twelve days for the index to reach the subscriber. Seeking to have MEDOC in the subscriber’s hands within the month following its publication (i.e., the Jan-June issue should be mailed in July), our production schedule is tightly structured. This fact has not always been appreciated by the printer. Insufficient paper, lost or misprinted pages, and surprise increases in printing charges have all contrib-
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uted to the stress of being a publisher. Nevertheless, there are decided advantages to using campus facilities. It is physically convenient, and requires a minimum of hauling and offcampus deliveries. In addition, the graphic artists available on campus have provided invaluable assistance in the design of the cover, title page, stationery, promotional brochures, and display ads.
REEVALUATING
THE REDESIGNED MEDOC
In 1983, the MEDOC programs were reassessed and several areas were identified for modification. Storage limitations made it impossible to maintain more than a single year of MEDOC online. Once more, the size of the MEDOC record was trimmed, deleting another 800 spaces from the record. The structure of the file was changed and flexibility was introduced in the record to make storage more efficient. Scrutiny of the printed copy also suggested changes. The tiered form of the “Subject/Keyword Index” looked fine when the number of titles was small. However, by the end of the year, the multitude of levels and indentations appeared quite confusing. Rather than try to rewrite the print program, we made a policy change in our indexing technique to alleviate the confusion, sacrificing the third-level subheadings in favor of clearer, larger groupings. Originally, keywords were not included in the redesigned full citation. However, the virtual elimination of form subheads from the MeSH headings brought this decision up for reevaluation. To reintroduce some of the precision lost in the indexing policy change, a printed Keywords field has been added to the main entry in the “Documents Index.”
SUMMARY
AND CONCLUSION
Along with the continual technological modifications, the scope and the indexing policy of MEDOC have subtly changed. The original index contained only publications received through the GPO depository system. The library developed an active acquisitions program for other agency-produced materials at the request of subscribers. Subscriber requests have also shaped the topical scope, expanding coverage to include occupational health and safety, environmental hazards, health services administration and management, and behavioral science as it relates to health. Selected research reports available through govemment clearinghouses are also listed, as are library-related technical materials. As MEDOC's coverage has become more diverse, so has the indexing. More headings are assigned to each document, providing both general and specific index terms. Standard form headings (bibliography or popular works, for example) are assigned to create special content groupings in the “Subject/Keyword Index.” The addition of keywords allows more precision, particularly for new popular topics that have not yet been assigned MeSH headings. The redesign of MEDOC is an ongoing process. Several of our original objectives are still on the horizon. Quality of print is still an issue; even the best dot matrix printer does not provide the readability of a typeset page. The capability to print offset type directly from computer data would make a qualitative difference in the appearance of the print index, but presents a problem in terms of cost control. Hardware limitations and the difficulty of translating old data to fit the new programs have thus far stymied our plan to compile a multiyear cumulation of past MEDOC volumes. The production of specialized
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bibliographies and other subsets of the Medoc database has also been deferred, partly because users did not express significant interest in the project. MEDOC tapes have not been made available to purchasers to load for their own online access programs. The production and publication of MEDOC has had a significant impact on the library. It has certainly resulted in improved access to the library’s government documents collection. Moreover, the effort to make MEDOC useful to a variety of libraries has improved the collection, since the acquisition of documents is not restricted to local areas of interest. MEDOC has also been an important focus for the library’s automation efforts. MEDOC has provided the library with the opportunity to make an ongoing contribution to the library community, which in itself has been a source of satisfaction to us for nearly a decade. Clearly, the impact of MEDOC has extended beyond the library community. The index has brought into focus the value of government publications in the health sciences. It has also served a unique role in helping the library to promote public awareness and use of government information.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The development of MEDOC was supported in part by NIH grants NLM-EP (1 GO8 LM 01834-01) and (1 GO8 LM 03864-01) from the National Library of Medicine.
NOTES 1. 2.
This assumption proved accurate; the library selects between 15% and 30% of all items available through the depository program. In medical cataloging, the 22,OCKl Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) developed at the National Library of Medicine am the recognized standard. MeSH headings reflect the very different terminology that is required in the health sciences. Most major indexes in the health sciences use MeSH rather than Library of Congress Subject Headings.
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MEDOC: An index for the Health Sciences WAYNE j. PEAY, VALERIE FLORANCE, W. CLAY EPSTEIN, and A. MICHAEL THELIN
MEDOC
is an index
has been produced necessity
to U.S. government
documents
at the Eccles Health
Sciences
for such an index
self-supporting
subscription
technology
in the production
the factors
which
presented. including
influenced
The article
and its development service
the design
the development
with
sciences catalog
The application
is described.
A detailed
of the current
a description
of a system for maintaining
which
for over a decade.
from an in-house
is discussed.
of the index
concludes
in the health Library
version
of computer description
of
of MEDOC
is
of management subscriber
The into a
concerns,
records.
In 1970, the Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library became a selective depository for U.S. government documents. The not too surprising objective for gaining depository status was to obtain access to health sciences information found in the publications of the U.S. government. There was no hint that the library was about to begin a long-term adventure in publishing. The intent of this article is to describe the development of MEDOC: Index to U.S. Government Publications in the Medical and Health Sciences, the impact of technology on the production of the index, and the influence of MEDOC’s readers on the current status of the index.
BACKGROUND The library’s decision to become a depository was based on the assumption that a substantial number of documents distributed by the Government Printing Office (GPO) focus on Wayne J. Peay is Director, Valerie Florance is Head, Computer and Media Services, W. Clay Epstein is Systems Analyst, and A. Michael Thelin is Documents Assistant and Assistant Editor, MEDOC at Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library, University of Utah Building 89, Salt Luke City, UT 84112. Government Information Quarterly, Volume 2, Number 2, pages 193-205. Copyright 0 1985 by JAI Press, Inc. AU rights of reproduction in any form reserved. ISSN: 0740-624X
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topics in the health sciences.’ These documents are some of the most important publications found in health sciences libraries, but subject access to them has always posed a serious problem. As the library soon discovered, the subject headings used in the Monthly Catalog were not as precise as those used in traditional health sciences reference tools. In addition, the lag time between depository distribution and indexing in the Monthly Catulog of U.S. Government Publications was as much as two years for some items. Even today, with the Monthly Catalog employing Library of Congress subject headings, there are problems for health sciences libraries in subject access. Figure 1 displays citations from the Monthly Catalog and MEDOC for a recent title. Note the greater range of headings in MEDOC, which makes use of the National Library of Medicine’s Medical Subject Headings (MeSH).2 In confronting this subject access problem, the library considered two alternatives. Each document could be fully cataloged (which was out of the question), or the library could produce its own index to the documents collection. The latter option was selected as a result of circumstances that are hard to imagine today. At that time, the computer center at the University of Utah wanted the library’s business, and it provided extensive support, including computer program design and production assistance, to get that business. This kind of support, quite common when computer centers were trying to promote campus services, did not last long at the University of Utah or at other institutions. The library’s first computer-generated index to U.S. government publications in the health sciences was produced in 1970, made possible by the technology of the time, the 80-column punched card. Data for each document were coded, keypunched, verified, and processed by the university’s computer. The result was an index that listed documents
figure
1.
Comparison
of Monthly
E. 1.28:ORNL/EIS-
Catalog and MEDOC 197
Assessment of risks to human reproduction and to development of the human conceptus from exposure to environmental substances : proceedings of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-sponsored conferences, October 1-3, 1980, Atlanta, Georgia, and December 7-10, 1980, St. Louis, Missouri--Oak Ridge, Term. : Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Washington, D.C. : U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Health and Environmental Assessment ; Springfield, VA. : Available from National Technical Information Service, 1982. xi, 158 p. : ill. ; 23 cm. “Chemical Effects Information Center, Information Center Complex, Information Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory. ” “Work Sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., under interagency agreements no. 80-D-X101 1 and no. 81-D-X0453.” “Published: “ORNL/ February 1982.” Includes bibliographical references and index. “Contract no. W-74055eng-26.” 0 Item 429-T-4 (microfiche) EIS- 197. ” “EPA-600/9-82-001.” 2. Chemicals-Physiological effect--Congresses. 3. Poisons1. Human reproduction-Congresses. I. Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Chemical Effects Information CenPhysiological effects--Congresses. ter. II. United States. Environmental Protection Agency. Office of Health and Environmental Assessment. E 1.
28 : ORNLlEIS 197 ASSESSMENT OF RISKS TO HUMAN REPRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE HUMAN CONCEPTUS FROM EXPOSURE TO ENVIRONMENTAL SUBSTANCES/ ORNUEIS 197. OAK RIDGE TN: DOE, 1982. 158P. (MF) SOURCE: GPOD, GPO ITEM 0429-T-004. I. ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE 2. TERATOGENS 3. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH 4. PREGNANCY TOXEMIAS 5. FERTILITY
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by title, Superintendent of Documents classification (SuDoc) number, report/series number and MeSH subject heading. In 1971, the library conducted the first of a series of surveys relating to U.S. government publications in the health sciences. The 759 institutional members of the Medical Library Association were surveyed about how they were coping with government documents and their interest in subscribing to an index to government publications that was tailored to their needs. Of the survey responses, 86% expressed interest in our proposed index.
PUBLISHING
THE FIRST MEDOC INDEX
Recognizing the need for a health sciences government documents index, the library submitted a grant proposal to the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to provide support to modify its documents index for general publication. The grant was funded in 1974, and the first volume of the new publication, MEDOC, was sent to the printer in April 1975. This first issue of MEDOC covered 1968-1974. The original computer programs were modified so that data could be entered directly into the university’s computer through CRT terminals located in the library. In addition, the MEDOC record was expanded to include information that would make MEDOC useful for reference and acquisitions purposes. Finally, the production of the index was designed to run on a high quality printer at the university’s computer center, so the printed output could be easily photocopied. Half-way through the project, the computer center decided to replace the printer, necessitating a reconfiguration of the MEDOC production program. Although the final production configuration proved to be quite satisfactory, this problem turned out to be a preview of things to come. As an interim solution, the library took advantage of a system utility that made it possible to produce the printer’s copy of MEDOC on a dot-matrix printer in the library. The final proof copy for each page was 132 characters wide and 96 lines long. This large page was then photoreduced to an 8Y2 by 11 inch page and photocopied using equipment at the university’s printing service. The final result was something less than the quality found in a type-set publication, but it was satisfactory and was produced at a cost that made MEDOC affordable for most libraries. At the conclusion of the grant, the library conducted its second survey. This time the survey was limited to the 342 libraries that had purchased the first or second volume of MEDOC, and it was aimed at evaluating the success of the grant and at identifying useful additions to the publication. Respondents requested that the scope of the index be expanded to include documents not distributed by the GPO in its depository program, and that more source information be included to assist in the acquisition of the publications. Based on the responses, in 1977, we began an aggressive acquistions program to identify useful publications that were not handled by GPO. A new section, the Agency List, was added to the index. It is a current address list of the agencies issuing the documents which are included in MEDOC. Since the original grant proposal, financial stability has been an important goal for MEDOC. Using a formula common to government publishing, the library seeks to cover the actual costs of production, supplies and mailing, but not the full expense of intellectual creation. Since 1977, MEDOC has been a self-supporting publication in terms of production costs. Table 1 shows the production costs and income for MEDOC during the 1982 production year (January-December 1982). Income received beyond production expenses
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Table
I.
INFORMATION
MEDOC Production and Income, 1982
QUARTERLY
Vol. ~/NO. L/1985
Costs
COSTS; Printing Postage Supplies Computer Time Renewal Letters Acquisitions TOTAL
$ 8797.34 874.32 293.39 1785.18 29.00 824.75 $12602.98
INCOME: Subscriptions Back Volume Sale BRS Royalties TOTAL
$15840.00 2315.00 217.01 $18372.01
is used to pay part of the Assistant Editor’s salary; the Editor’s salary is fully underwritten by the library. In 1980, a survey was planned to determine interest in a multi-year cumulation of MEDOC. It was decided to solicit subscriber evaluations of the index at the same time. Preparatory to the distribution of the survey, a comprehensive in-house review of MEDOC was performed, beginning with a critique of MEDUC by library staff. The respondents from this third survey favored a cumulation and offered substantive suggestions concerning the improvement of MEDOC. Immediately following the completion of the survey, the university computer center brought the production of MEDOC to a halt. With only two weeks notice to the library, the computer center made a major change in its system. The new system would no longer support the MEDOC computer programs and as a result all of the library’s programs used in the production of MEDOC had to be revised. This unexpected development stopped the pr~uction of the index for three months. While this was a painful experience, it acted as a catalyst. Clearly, to publish MEDOC on a dependable schedule, library control of the hardware required for production was essential. Rapid changes in the development of computers, specifically reasonably priced and powerful minicomputers, made this an option that the library had never before been able to consider. The logical extension of this idea was that this was an ideal time to make major changes in MEDOC. A grant proposal was submitted to the National Library of Medicine for the redesign of the index. Funded in December 198 1, this project had four objectives: (1) acquire the hardware and software configurations needed for more efficient and flexible production procedures, (2) redesign the basic bibliographic record to conform to current national standards, (3) develop programs capable of producing new, diverse products from the MEDOC database, including a multi-year cumulation, and (4) automate accounting procedures to make subsc~ption services more efficient. The award of the second NLM grant marked a major turning point, enabling the purchase of computer hardware and software that could be located in and controlled by the library. The system that was acquired consisted of: Hardware DEC PDP 11/23 with 128K words of memory l
Documents
l
l l
l
Librarianship:
197
II
Two 1OMB Disk Drives CRT Terminal Dot-Matrix Printer Nine Track Tape Drive
Software RSX-11M version 4.0 Operating System FORTRAN-77 Programming Language RMS version 2.1 Indexed File System l l
l
REWRITING
THE MEDOC PROGRAMS
In addition to acquiring hardware and software, the library hired a computer science student to write new programs for MEDOC, under the supervision of a faculty member in the Department of Medical Biophysics and Computing. Four major programs evolved in the development of the new MEDOC routines; all were written in a modular manner, sharing a common library of FORTRAN-77 subroutines. The basic program, named Medoc, is the input module for creating each MEDOC record. Figure 2 shows a portion of the query-guided input sequence. The main MEDOC module provides the capability of insertion, deletion, and correction of records stored in an indexed file. “Indexed file” refers to the way in which the program stores and locates individual records in the database. This internal structure is transparent to the user but makes more efficient use of the hardware’s retrieval capability. A key feature of this program is a daily listing of records that have been added or changed. This list provides a printed backup which, along with the magnetic tape, protects us from data loss due to system failure. Two of the new MEDOC programs work with and upon data stored in the database created during the input cycle. The Search program is a “look-up” program. For use of the main Medoc module outlined above, the SuDoc number must be known; Search allows access to records in the database by title, keyword, and subject, and produces short lists or full bibliographies of items listed under the term provided. Figure 3 shows the input prompt for a keyword search.
Figure 2.
Input Sequence MEDOC
FROM THE LIST BELOW ENTER THE INDEX NUMBER TASK YOU WISH TO PERFORM. MTOP I-ENTER NEW RECORDS 2-DELETE A RECORD 3-LIST A RECORD BY SUDOC NUMBER “EDIT A RECORD 5-PRINT A BACKUP LOG OF THE RECORDS “PRINT AN EDIT LIST OF FULL RECORDS ENTER TASK NUMBER>
FOR THE
198
GOVERNMENT
Figure 3.
INFORMATION
Keyword
KEYWORD
QUARTERLY Vol. ~/NO. 211985
Search
BIBLIOGRAPHY
This routine makes a letter-by-letter search of the first word in A4EDOC.c subject heading field, and prints a bibliography of all matches found. Enter the KEYWORD
or E for EXIT:
Do you want the output to go to: I-Screen 2-Data File (SUBJECT.DATl You may limit the search by MEDOC mput date. If you wish to search the entire MEDOC database, press return. (twice) Enter beginning date: Enter ending date:
(OI-JAN-801 (Ol-JAN-801
In addition to bibliographic searching, Search includes a statistical capability to count the number of documents added each month and the size of the file. It also counts current subscribers and subscriptions for the coming volume, drawing upon data stored in the subscriber management program described below. The third MEDOC program, Print, produces the final print copy, which is sent to the university’s printing service. The printed output is generated by reading the indexed file by various key values which, in turn, produces listings by title, author, subject, etc. These lists are then formatted for the printed page that appears in the published copy. The fourth program from the MEDOC redesign project is a subscription account database, a separate indexed file which contains the names, addresses and holdings of all current and past subscribers. Figure 4 shows a representative subscriber record.
REDESIGNING
THE
MEDOC
RECORD
The set of Medoc programs outlined above were developed between 198 1 and 1982. During that time, the programmer and library staff educated one another about their
Figure 4.
Subscriber
Record
RECORD NUMBER: 0027 KAISER FOUNDATION HOSPITAI MEDICAL LIBRARY - 20-08832 4867 SUNSET BLVD CA 00027 LOS ANGELES HOLDINGS: l-9, P.O.: J-31018097 CLAIMS: STATUS: AA LAST ISSUE: PAID: IO-OCT.83 VOL ORDERED: I I CHECK #: 104597 VENDOR: MAJORS
Documents
Librarianship:
199
II
specific needs and the capabilities of the system. The sequence outlined below only hints at the continuous process of education and negotiation which occurred. With the available hardware, software, and programming talent, the redesign of the record structure began. The first system requirement was MARC compatibility, so that in the future MEDOC tapes could be loaded as part of an online catalog. The second decision was that the MEDOC database should serve as an automated shelflist, replacing the typed card files then in use. With the full MARC record as a starting point, 22 fields were selected which would satisfy both our publishing needs and shelflist requirements, The old MEDOC record was relatively simple: Sudoc Number, title, issuing agency, year of publication, pages, price, series number, level, and a maximum of five subject headings. The expanded record included six additional fields for index production: place of publication, personal author, series statement, GPO item number, GPO stock number, and non-MeSH keywords. Another seven fields were added to satisfy shelflist needs: source, format, location in building, copy information, actual holdings, bibliographic history, and local notes. Once the fields were selected, we approached the more difficult task of determining the size each should have in the record. The old MEDOC record stored a maximum of 625 characters in eleven fields. Having all that new machine space to ourselves made it appear that restricting the number of fields and/or their size would not be necessary. Limits for each mandatory or optional field were established by identifying the longest possible example of each data element and allocating space accordingly. For instance, the longest Table 2.
Field Descriptions
for the MEDOC Field Sudoc Number Title Serials Title Publisher Place Date Source Pages Format Price Subject Headings Keywords Location in Bldg Copy Information Actual Holdings GPO Item Number Report Number Personal Author Frequency Series Statement Bibliographic History Local Notes GPO Stock Number Level
Record
Old Size 30 155 07 04 04 04 400 13 03 01
New
Size
40 660 240 IO 20 04 06 05 27 06 480 240 10 20 600 20 30 180 05 180 480 360 I8
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distinctive title which was found in the Monthly Catalog contained 585 characters; 75 extra characters were added to that for the title field, making the new title field longer than the old MEDOC record. Table 2 gives an idea of the grandiose nature of the results. It did not take long to reach the limits of the computer’s capacity given the size of our record and evergrowing non-MEDOC demands for time and space. In the next round of program refinements, the initial record creation process was restructured by transferring shelflist-specific fields to a separate program package. This removed 1470 characters from the record, leaving a comparatively svelte 2186 characters per record. The creation of the old MEDOC record was a duplicative effort: the required information was typed onto a catalog card in standard library format. These cards were used as prompts for building large data files stored in the computer center’s mainframe. These files were later run through the Medoc programs to produce the printed copy. After the input cycle, the typed cards were filed in the documents shelflist. The new Medoc system provides a menu-driven input module, which allows entry of all information directly from the document in hand. Subject headings are assigned, using the most recent edition of the National Library of Medicine’s Medical Subject HeadingsAnnotated Alphabetic List. This may be done at the time of record creation or later, using the editing subroutine to call up the record again. The data files created are available at any time for editing or printing proof copies. During the final editing cycle for each issue, series titles, Sudoc number conflicts, and other problems are verified and resolved. Simple search routines by Sudoc number, title, or subject/keyword allow online access to all current records in the database, eliminating the need for a manually-maintained shelflist.
REDESIGNING
THE MEDOC PRINT COPY
As attention turned to redesigning the print product, the first task was to assemble a list of new features, deletions, and other enhancements suggested by past and present subscribers and library staff. The working list of suggestions included the following: . . . . . . . . . .
Add a keyword section Add a series title index Add a personal author index Include more complete ordering information Expand topical coverage Define the scope Improve the graphics Provide full titles in all sections Do a multi-year cumulation Provide more complete bibliographic information
has been a primary objective of MEDOC. To From its inception, “user friendliness” that end, the original print format remained as simple and self-explanatory as possible. During the redesign project, it was decided that making the print format conform to the style and arrangement of other indexes might advance this objective. Keeping in mind MEDOC’s diverse audience, printed indexes from several areas were studied for their content and presentation of information on the page: the Monthly Catalog of U.S. Govern-
Documents
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201
II
ment Publications, Government Reports Announcements and Index, Energy Research Abstracts, Index Medic-us, Resources in Education, NLM Current Catalog, American Statistics Index, INIS Atomindex
and GPO Publications Reference File. Each section of the redesigned MEDOC shows the results of this effort. The full citations, listed in the “Documents Index,” were reformatted so data elements appear in the same order as Monthly Catalog main entries. Punctuation and a blend of upper- and lower-case type were used to accentuate the visibility of important elements. The dotted lines which separated entries in old MEDOC were eliminated to make a cleaner-looking page. Figure 5 displays the old and new “Documents Index” sections. The need to provide more complete bibliographic and ordering information also guided the restructure of the MEDOC main entry. The goal was to provide sufficient information to enable an interested party to write for a free copy from the issuing agency, order from a sales agency, and/or borrow from another library. Besides providing GPO and NTIS stock numbers and prices, the availability of a title in the depository program was included for interlibrary loan purposes. The “Title Index” was also refashioned along Monthly Catalog lines, with alphabetic indicators dividing the entries. In response to requests from our own reference librarians, series titles were interfiled with distinctive titles in the “Title Index.” Figure 6 shows the old and new “Title Index” sections. Unlike the other sections, the “Subject/Keyword Index” was modelled upon Zndex Medicus; main headings are aligned at the left margin, with subheads indented beneath them. As in the “Documents Index,” upper/lower case type highlights differences, because bold type and other printer capabilities were not available with existing equipment.
figure
5.
Comparison
of MEDOC MEDOC Document
Document
Number HE 20.3852:SE5
Index Formats.
(Old Format) Number
Title (Subjects Appear Below Tit/e) PROGRESS DEMENTIA TYPE
Documents
REPORT ON SENILE OF THE ALZHEIMER’S
index
Price Year
Page
1981
UP
Series
LVL
Number
$.OO
NIH 81-2343
Agency NIA
ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE DEMENTIA, SENILE MfDOC
(New Format)
Documents
Index
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR BASIS OF DISEASE PROGRAM; ANNUAL HE 20.3452 : C 331983 REPORT FY 1983, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF GENERAL MEDICAL SCIENCES/ BETHESDA MD; NIGMS, 1984. 55 p. SOURCE: GPOD, GPO ITEM 0497-C-001. 1. RESEARCH SUPPORT-trends 2. CYTOLOGY-trends 3. MOLECULAR BIOLOGY-trends 4. GOVERNMENT AGENCIESKEYWORDS: ANNUAL REPORTS organization and administration
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Figure
6.
Comparison
INFORMATION
of MEDOC
MEDOC
Title
QUARTERLY Vol. ~/NO. 211985
Index Formats.
(Old Format)
Title Index Title
Document
INEFFECTIVE THERAPIES FOR GENITAL HERPES INFECTIONS INFORMATION ON LITHIUM INFORMED CONSENT; NLM LITERATURE SEARCH NO. 82-14 MEDOC
Number
HE 20.7002:G28 HE 20.8102:L71/3 HE 20.3614/2:82-09
(New Format)
Title Index -IIN VITRO FERTILIZATION, HE 20.361412: 83-33 IN VIVO CANCER MODELS: 1976-82, HE 20.3152 : V 831976-82 INCIDENCE RATE CALCULATING PART 1: FIVE FACES OF ATTRIBUTIVE HE 20.7002 : IN 2IPT. I
figure
7.
Comparison
of MEDOC
MEDOC
Subject Index Formats
(Old Format)
Subject
Index Level
Jde
Subject
Document
Number
GA I. I3:GGD82-6
STREET DRUGS-LEGISLATION AND JURISPRUDENCE
STRONGER CRACKDOWN NEEDED ON CLANDESTINE
STRESS-IN ADOLESCENCECONGRESSES STRESS, PSYCHOLOGICALADVERSE EFFECTS-BIBL.
ADOLESCENCE AND STRESS, REPORT OF AN NIMH ONCOLOGY OVERVIEW; SELECTED ABSTRACTS ON T MEDOC
RISK,
L
2
HE 20.813l:AD7
2
HE 20.3173/3:OK-078103
(New Format)
Subject
Index
STREET DRUGS adverse effects INHALANTS, HE 20.8202 : IN 41983 IMITATION CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES ACT OF 1983.
Y
4.L1114: S.HRG.
93-310
STREPTOCOCCUS FAECALIS isolation and purification MEDIUM DEPENDENT ZONE SIZE DISCREPANCIES ASSOCIATED WITH SUSCEPTIBILITY TESTING OF GROUP D STREPTOCOCCI AGAINST VARIOUS CEPHALOSPORINS. 20.7002 : ST 812 HE
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/I
203
Although the MeSH subject headings used in MEDOC are familiar to experienced health sciences librarians and researchers, many MEDOC subscribers asked that subject indexing be expanded to include keywords or Library of Congress headings. Rather than add a new section, keywords were merged into the “Subject Index,” undifferentiated in any way from the MeSH headings. The old and new versions of the “Subject/Keyword Index” are displayed in Figure 7. Index Medicus was also used as a guide for the format of names in the new “Personal Author Index.” This new section represents another space compromise: entries are made under the first author, with no cross references to joint authors. Other than reshaping it to match the author listing, no changes were made to the “Report Number Index.”
REDESIGNING
THE SUBSCRIPTION
MANAGEMENT
PROGRAM
While the redesign of MEDOC was the principal objective of the grant project, it also provided an opportunity to upgrade the procedures for managing subscriber information. The objective was to replace a semi-automated system with an online interactive one. Like the Medoc input module, the new subscriber management program is menu-driven, with seventeen different options for entering, editing, deleting, and printing records. Information is stored in an indexed file, which provides data for the execution of all program options. The fiscal record itself consists of six elements: l l
l
l
l l
Subscriber Name, Address, Purchase Order Number Check Number Date of Payment Volume Ordered Vendor (optional field)
and Status
Space was also provided in each individual record for notes on which volumes the subscriber had received, the last issue mailed, and claims received for missing issues. Records are maintained for current subscribers and for subscribers who have cancelled their subscriptions. The Subscriber database is used for the generation of mailing labels, which are employed in regular mailings, renewals, and special promotions.
PRINTING
AND DISTRIBUTION
OF MEDOC
Since 1975, the production and distribution of MEDOC have been a local effort. Printing and binding have been done by the university’s printing service, and the mailing of the index has been handled through the campus mailing bureau. While this approach has helped limit costs, it has not always limited the stress. Timeliness is a major objective in the production of MEDOC, and yet every effort is made to make the index affordable. To that end, MEDOC is mailed fourth class, which allows seven to twelve days for the index to reach the subscriber. Seeking to have MEDOC in the subscriber’s hands within the month following its publication (i.e., the Jan-June issue should be mailed in July), our production schedule is tightly structured. This fact has not always been appreciated by the printer. Insufficient paper, lost or misprinted pages, and surprise increases in printing charges have all contrib-
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uted to the stress of being a publisher. Nevertheless, there are decided advantages to using campus facilities. It is physically convenient, and requires a minimum of hauling and offcampus deliveries. In addition, the graphic artists available on campus have provided invaluable assistance in the design of the cover, title page, stationery, promotional brochures, and display ads.
REEVALUATING
THE REDESIGNED MEDOC
In 1983, the MEDOC programs were reassessed and several areas were identified for modification. Storage limitations made it impossible to maintain more than a single year of MEDOC online. Once more, the size of the MEDOC record was trimmed, deleting another 800 spaces from the record. The structure of the file was changed and flexibility was introduced in the record to make storage more efficient. Scrutiny of the printed copy also suggested changes. The tiered form of the “Subject/Keyword Index” looked fine when the number of titles was small. However, by the end of the year, the multitude of levels and indentations appeared quite confusing. Rather than try to rewrite the print program, we made a policy change in our indexing technique to alleviate the confusion, sacrificing the third-level subheadings in favor of clearer, larger groupings. Originally, keywords were not included in the redesigned full citation. However, the virtual elimination of form subheads from the MeSH headings brought this decision up for reevaluation. To reintroduce some of the precision lost in the indexing policy change, a printed Keywords field has been added to the main entry in the “Documents Index.”
SUMMARY
AND CONCLUSION
Along with the continual technological modifications, the scope and the indexing policy of MEDOC have subtly changed. The original index contained only publications received through the GPO depository system. The library developed an active acquisitions program for other agency-produced materials at the request of subscribers. Subscriber requests have also shaped the topical scope, expanding coverage to include occupational health and safety, environmental hazards, health services administration and management, and behavioral science as it relates to health. Selected research reports available through govemment clearinghouses are also listed, as are library-related technical materials. As MEDOC's coverage has become more diverse, so has the indexing. More headings are assigned to each document, providing both general and specific index terms. Standard form headings (bibliography or popular works, for example) are assigned to create special content groupings in the “Subject/Keyword Index.” The addition of keywords allows more precision, particularly for new popular topics that have not yet been assigned MeSH headings. The redesign of MEDOC is an ongoing process. Several of our original objectives are still on the horizon. Quality of print is still an issue; even the best dot matrix printer does not provide the readability of a typeset page. The capability to print offset type directly from computer data would make a qualitative difference in the appearance of the print index, but presents a problem in terms of cost control. Hardware limitations and the difficulty of translating old data to fit the new programs have thus far stymied our plan to compile a multiyear cumulation of past MEDOC volumes. The production of specialized
Documents
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If
bibliographies and other subsets of the Medoc database has also been deferred, partly because users did not express significant interest in the project. MEDOC tapes have not been made available to purchasers to load for their own online access programs. The production and publication of MEDOC has had a significant impact on the library. It has certainly resulted in improved access to the library’s government documents collection. Moreover, the effort to make MEDOC useful to a variety of libraries has improved the collection, since the acquisition of documents is not restricted to local areas of interest. MEDOC has also been an important focus for the library’s automation efforts. MEDOC has provided the library with the opportunity to make an ongoing contribution to the library community, which in itself has been a source of satisfaction to us for nearly a decade. Clearly, the impact of MEDOC has extended beyond the library community. The index has brought into focus the value of government publications in the health sciences. It has also served a unique role in helping the library to promote public awareness and use of government information.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The development of MEDOC was supported in part by NIH grants NLM-EP (1 GO8 LM 01834-01) and (1 GO8 LM 03864-01) from the National Library of Medicine.
NOTES 1. 2.
This assumption proved accurate; the library selects between 15% and 30% of all items available through the depository program. In medical cataloging, the 22,OCKl Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) developed at the National Library of Medicine am the recognized standard. MeSH headings reflect the very different terminology that is required in the health sciences. Most major indexes in the health sciences use MeSH rather than Library of Congress Subject Headings.