College and Research Libraries WILLIAM READY Bibliocentre: An Essay in Central Processing at College Level This paper recounts the establishment of a central bibliographic and processing center for twenty community colleges in Ontario. It pre- sents a case history of the beginnings of this venture, including the basic demonstration regarding costs. THE BmLrocENTRE of the Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology of Ontario came into being as a result of the foun- dation of these colleges in the spring of 1967. At that time it was announced that twenty colleges were to open their doors in the fall of the year, for students throughout Ontario, beginning a new pattern of higher education that would be a different sort of education from that traditionally offered by the univer- sities and colleges already in being. Al- though these new colleges were to be primarily concerned with vocational and technical education, the liberal arts, naturally, were not to be neglected. Some people were surprised at the ap- parent suddenness of the development, although indeed their founding was the result of years of study and preparation by the Applied Arts and Technology branch of the Ontario Department of Education. Each college was made re- sponsible to a local Board of Governors. A Provincial Council of Regents was set up to govern the schools. The Council Mr. Ready is University Librarian at M eM aster University in Hamilton, Ontario. 50 I was composed of citizens eminent in their own fields of endeavor. They were backed by the expertise of the Depart- ment of Education, under the direction of Norman Sisco and a selected staff of experts. The colleges came before the build- ings that were to house them. They opened in temporary quarters, in con- verted schools and industrial buildings, even in trailers. The staff was ass em- bled, often just in time to meet a hectic opening day. Among the most difficult staff to find and to hire were librarians with college experience. Yet without li- brarians there could be no libraries, so it was with a strong sense of urgency that Alexis Jamieson, recently appoint- ed Master .and Assistant Librarian at the new Seneca College, returned to Mc- Master University, where she had for- merly been Chief of Public Service, to see what McMaster could do to help Seneca get a library together for open- ing day in the following September. The McMaster librarians agreed that if the Seneca library staff, still in proc- ess of assembling, would provide them with a list of books needed, the McMas- ter staff could process them. They · re- garded this as not too much an intru- sion on their own time, and they were doing it for a friend and colleague. They were blithe about it. Some of the blithe- ness was to wear off during the next few months. Had they known what they were letting themselves in for, they would not have entered into the scheme so easily, so full of goodwill. Yet, now that it is over, it was a library experi- ence to be cherished. It became for all a sort of Agincourt, a feast of Crispian, but at that time, in the spring of the year, it seemed easy going, what they would do for Seneca. Then, in helping to remove the stone that blocked the progress of that library, they sprouted wings, until the whole sky was full of flying things, books, brickbats and unease. For it soon happened that McMaster librarians became persuaded that they ought to help not only Seneca, but all of the new colleges. Victor Whatton, of the Department of Education, was concerned with the li- brary situation of the colleges. More than most administrators, he realized the time and effort involved in setting up a library, because he is a graduate librari- an as well as an educational adminis- trator. By dint of his cajolement, he per- suaded McMaster to do for all the col- leges who wanted it what had been agreed upon for Seneca alone. He must have been very persuasive that day at McMaster. Somehow his ebullience car- ried the day. He infected McMaster with it so much that at times they were sick of it, yet if anyone deserves the palm for getting libraries into the col- leges as soon as they did, it is he. He was the supporter whose confidence and optimism never flagged; indeed, it more than matched McMaster's own. All involved in the project had had lit- tle or no experience with any · form of higher education save that at a universi- ty. Here is a great lesson in library ad- ministration, in administration of all kinds! What seems so sensible and rea- Central Processing in College I 51 sonable on paper, like a battle plan, be- comes muddled, torn and marred in practice, with hazards unforeseen, re- sistance unexpected; invisible elements arise like enemies to foul up the situa- tion. McMaster had to come to a few de- cisions if it were to go ahead full steam. The first was to adopt the LC classifica- tion, then that acquisitions be pre-proc- essed wherever possible, and that the collections be basic only. McMaster began at once to find out what was available in pre-processed li- brary material and learned that, while American lists were extremely useful in the areas of technology and applied arts, they failed Canadian library needs in the social sciences and the humanities. Nearly all of their choices were gov- erned by the American system of edu- cation which has as one of its goals Americanism, so that McMaster had to choose from non-processed material al- most its entire list of humanities and social sciences materials. Additional ti- tles were purchased in Britain in many more copies than Seneca would need, so that there would be copies available if and when some of the other colleges agreed to join. There was already es- tablished in Britain at Hatfield in Hert- fordshire, a central library processing system controlling the technical college libraries of that county. They were help- ful and provided their catalog and data. The booksellers in Britain accepted the sort of challenge that was inherent in the nature of this project, especially Bertram Rota, bookseller of Savile Row, without whose efforts the project would have failed. Agencies had already been set up for such operations in Britain, had served college library systems be- fore, and there was no time for explora- tory deals while this basic library was being established. It has, however, turned out subsequently that Canadian firms get most of the Bibliocentre busi- ness. By the end of June McMaster had 52 I College & Research Libraries • January 1970 received from the individual colleges promises of $802,000. Gradually, as the books began arriv- ing, a payroll was established, and the processing began. McMaster was recom- pensed for workers' salaries, save in two extraordinary cases. The first shipment of books arrived on the 5th of July. These came from Bertram Rota. Already representatives had been to Bro-Dart at Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and to Stacey's at Palo Alto, California, arranging for pre-proc- essed books, and setting up with Pro- gramming Services Incorporated the be- ginnings of computer control. By the end of October, 7 4,000 books representing 6,400 titles had been cata- loged and delivered to participating colleges. During the summer boxes and boxes of books filled reading rooms, stairways, and study areas to overflow- ing, since the university library was con- currently acquiring its own books at a great rate, too. The building was already too small, as faculty, administrators, stu- dents, and librarians all clambered over boxes or disappeared between crates. These containers, labyrinthine in their accidental set-up, seemed like the maze at Hampton Court, only more so. Yet not a body or a book were lost. While McMaster answered questions about the scheme and urged the librari- ans of the colleges to come and help out during these frantic first months, the whole operation aroused a buzz of con- jecture and some dismay among librari- ans throughout the province. Small won- der. Letters were sent to the Depart- ment, protesting that the scheme was harebrained, haphazard, and worse. The President of the University was ap- proached about it. The University Li- brarian was regarded, rightly, as the originator of the fell design. His profes- sional background and capabilities for such a task were queried. Indeed the entire background of all the people in- volved came under close scrutiny, and some charges were made, but they were mainly caused by apprehension and lack of communication, although there were some with venom in them. . . . Ignorance and fear are fed by rumor, and rumor runs riot when accurate in- formation is hard to come by. Regretta- bly one could not take time off to an- swer all or even most of the questions raised; it was a battle with books and time and people. The administration at McMaster showed enthusiasm for the project as soon as it was broached. They gave free- ly, not only of permission, but also of space; they regarded it as a function of the university to help establish these li- braries. Indeed, the vice-president, whose bailiwick included the McMaster University Library, was as enthusiastic about the scheme as any librarians and he backed it most heartily. The un- equivocal support of Norman Sisco, and of Donald Craighead and Victor What- ton was a pleasure. By August it was obvious that the scheme was going to work. The loose ends were innumerable, and the advent of the college librarians who came upon the scene late, some of whom had had little experience, and were bewildered by it in many cases, exacerbated the sit- uation. It was obvious that many of the books would not be ready for opening day, although they were on the way, but it was the matter of the choice of books arbitrarily presented to them, and the tardiness of distributors, book- sellers and publishers, that caused the strain to show through. Many librarians saw the trees and the bushes, the thorns and the other tangles that were bearing down on them, not the wood, the forest of the project. They deserve our sympa- thy, and some of them supported from the start, pitching in with a will. They were entering into a new sphere of activ- ity; they were being subjected to the angry denunciations of faculty who of- ten expect a book to be delivered and I processed a day or so after it has been ordered, and they were in make-do quarters with no books, and with no control over what was coming in. Small wonder that many were dubious of Mc- Master's efforts. Somehow or other all the books were cleared by October and sent on their way, often with McMaster librarians driving the trucks on week- ends to get them there on time; even children of librarians were pressed into service, hauling or packing like men. The new business manager of the uni- versity library received his introduction to the intricacies of university library administration by driving a truck to Bar- rie by way of Peterborough, Belleville, and Kingston, to deliver college books. There were times when he would dis- appear behind the wheel of a rented Tilden and not be seen for days. He learned more about the roads, the jani- torial services, or lack of them, the tim- bre and temper of Canadian librarians during those few formative months, than anything that has happened to him since. Normal transportation difficulties now seem like a joy ride, even flying the Russell Papers from London to Malton left him unfazed, since that drive to Timmins by way of Sarnia and Sud- bury. With McMaster cleared of books and the project under way, Bibliocentre had to be set up outside of McMaster. Now it was on its own, the creature of the colleges. McMaster did lend the Biblio- centre three catalogers for a while; that was all, more than enough. The presi- dent of Ryerson, although his college was not a member of these newly emerging institutions, was generous and far-seeing from the beginning regarding Operation Bibliocentre; it was through his efforts that space was found adja- cent to the Ryerson campus in one of their buildings, 101 Gerrard Street E., where the Bibliocentre still operates, with business that is increasing so rap- idly that it has become a model for any Central Processing in College I 53 who contemplate cooperative and/ or central processing to observe. In spring 1969, the professional jour- nals have contained advertisements for the appointment of a Director for the Bibliocentre. They have spelled it out in such a way that some of the chal- lenge and excitement inherent in the sit- uation comes through in the text. The success of the project has con- vinced most of the college presidents of the sense of this approach to library economy. A committee of presidents, under the chairmanship of William N ewnham of Seneca College, has been made responsible for establishing and controlling 'the entity created, and which is now formally known as the College Bibliocentre, as it was informal- ly known at the beginning. This com- mittee of presidents has an advisory committee of their college librarians for consultation. The culmination of the McMaster end of the project came with the publi- cation of a computer-produced book catalog, which gives location and biblio- graphic information for all the colleges. Some copies are still available at twenty dollars from the College Bibliocentre. It contains 10,000 titles. The next edition, which was scheduled for publication in the summer of 1969, will contain 40,000 titles, giving some idea of the ·growth of the Bibliocentre since it left McMaster. An accounting and information re- porting system has been developed, based on computer techniques that al- low the Bibliocentre to give information regarding all orders from their receipt to delivery of fully processed books. Be- tween April 1968 and January 1969, the College Bibliocentre processed and de- livered over 30,000 books. This, added to the 77,499 previously delivered, is an impressive total and will show up in the next edition of the union book catalog. The average book cost for the initial op- eration is shown at the end of this ar- ticle; cost figures have been improved 54 I College & Research Libraries • January 1970 HERE IS A BREAKDOWN OF THE FIRST EFFORT: Number of books: Book cost: Processing cost: Total cost: Total cost per volume: about 70,000 volumes shipped to 23 locations by October 31, 1967. final total of 7 4,499 volumes shipped by March 1968. $8.23 average for science, social sciences, technology. $5.61 average for humanities. $1.97 per volume which includes: 1. Creation of basic list. 2. Selection of material and preparation of lists by level of participation. 3. Ordering. 4. Cataloging-including filing 800,000 cards for 23 separate libraries in 5 files per library (accession, shelf, author/ title, subject and subject heading lists). 5. Processing. 6. Packing for delivery according to library and level of participation. 7. Delivery. 8. Creation of union catalog with holdings of all material. 9. Conversion of union catalog to machine readable form, including the publishing of the author union catalog. 10. Binding and distribution of 250 copies of author catalog. $818,945.40 of which 112,918.62 was returned to the colleges $706,026.78 $9.48 THE CoLLEGE BIBLIOCENTRE ScHEDULE oF SERVICE CHARGEs IS AS FoLLows: $1.25 per transaction (one order for one title at one time regardless of the number of copies). $1.50 per book for cataloging and processing. $0.45 per book for adding entry to Bibliocentre master ma- chine file. $1.15 per book for perma-binding. $2.90 per book for cloth binding. In addition, there is a 25 percent charge per book for transportation. This includes de- livery charges from publisher and/ or dealer to us and delivery charges from us to ulti- mate destination. There is a weekly cumulative printout of the books on order file and the data allows for subsequent publication of book catalogs. Three dollars forty-five cents, therefore, includes the whole technical processing, barring the binding. These costs, of course, are subject to change and afford all sorts of ammunition for criticism, but libraries would be happy to settle for this processing cost, if they were able to achieve it. and this trend is expected to continue. Of course, there are complaints and de- lays galore; this is to be expected, just as .any anthology of poetry is noted more for its omissions than for the solid body of the work it contains. It is the hang- nail, not the mortal blow, which excites the vocal woe. • •