A funnel project is a group of libraries that have joined together to contribute authority records to the national authority file. Often these libraries are working in the same subject area, such as the NACO Music Project, but they may also be regionally based, like the North Dakota Funnel, or format-based, such as NACO-AV. In a funnel project, one institution serves as coordinator (in this case it's Brown University); LC deals solely with this coordinator who is then responsible for disseminating information to all the funnel participants. It is a mini-NACO project in that it recruits, trains, and reviews just as the Cooperative Cataloging Division at the Library of Congress does for single institution participants.
Anyone who catalogs audio-visual materials and has some experience with constructing authority records may be eligible for membership. It is essential to have your institution's support and commitment to the project.
3. Must I use one particular utility?
No, you may be cataloging on any of the utilities.
Absolutely no! You will be assigned a separate NUC symbol for your NACO-AV contributions. For instance, Brown University's NUC symbol for its regular NACO work is RPB. For NACO-AV contributions, the Library of Congress has assigned an additional NUC symbol, RPB-NP.
Training will take place at the OLAC Conference in Saint Paul, MN in September 2002.
6. What if I am interested in participating, but am unable to attend the OLAC Conference?
PLEASE contact Ann Caldwell anyhow. Depending on your location, other arrangements could be made. In addition, if you are already work at a NACO institution and have been contributing headings, training on the specifics of the NACO-AV project could be done off-site.
7. Must I contribute a certain number of records?
No. During your training period, it is helpful to regularly contribute as many records as possible, but quality is much more important than quantity.
8. Will it cost me anything to participate!
No, there are no dues or annual fees. You may need to purchase certain cataloging tools, but in my experience, most libraries already own these.
9. Must I be an OLAC member to participate?
Yes. If you are not, contact Jan Mayo (mayoj@mail.ecu.edu), OLAC Treasurer, for information or print off the membership form at: http://www.olacinc.org/membform.html
10. Do I need to fill out an application or pass a test in order to be considered?
There is not a test, but there is a form you will need to fill out. This provides information on the nature of your collection, what reference tools support this collection, how many people would be contributing headings, and an estimate of how many headings you might be able to contribute.
If you're interested in becoming a NACO-AV participant or if you need additional information, contact the NACO-AV Coordinator at the address below.