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Background: The lack of accessible and structured documentation creates major barriers for investigators interested in understanding, properly interpreting and analyzing cohort data and biological samples. Providing the scientific community with open information is essential to optimize usage of these resources. A cataloguing toolkit is proposed by Maelstrom Research to answer these needs and support the creation of comprehensive and user-friendly study- and network-specific web-based metadata catalogues. Methods: Development of the Maelstrom Research cataloguing toolkit was initiated in 2004. It was supported by the exploration of existing catalogues and standards, and guided by input from partner initiatives having used or pilot tested incremental versions of the toolkit. Results: The cataloguing toolkit is built upon two main components: a metadata model and a suite of open-source software applications. The model sets out specific fields to describe study profiles; characteristics of the subpopulations of participants; timing and design of data collection events; and datasets/variables collected at each data collection event. It also includes the possibility to annotate variables with different classification schemes. When combined, the model and software support implementation of study and variable catalogues and provide a powerful search engine to facilitate data discovery. Conclusions: The Maelstrom Research cataloguing toolkit already serves several national and international initiatives and the suite of software is available to new initiatives through the Maelstrom Research website. With the support of new and existing partners, we hope to ensure regular improvements of the toolkit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The section offers news briefs on the field of library science of July 2013. Rick Anderson, interim dean and university librarian at the University of Utah's Marriott Library, was chosen as the 2013 recipient of the HARRASSOWITZ Award for Leadership in Library Acquisitions. The Techniques for Electronic Resources (TERMS) project has been converted into a wiki. The 2013 UKSH Conference and Exhibition was held in Bournemouth, England.

The article offers information on international series and electronic resource management, including information on vendor and publisher services and topics related to library schools and continuing education. The article presents abstracts from several journals including the July 2011 issue of "Serials: The Journal for the Serials Community," the June 2011 issue of "Serials Review." Topics include the awarding of the SAGE travel grant to librarian Patrick Carr to attend the Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers (ALPSP) International conference in England on September 14-16, 2011, a basic serials cataloging workshop at Pepperdine University on August 3, 2011, and the New York Public Library's (NYPL) online catalog changes implemented by software company Bibliocommons.

This guide, for beginning catalogers with humanities or social sciences backgrounds, provides assistance in subject analysis (based on Library of Congress Subject Headings) of theses and dissertations (T/Ds) that are produced by graduate students in university departments in the hard sciences (physical sciences and engineering). It is aimed at those who have had little or no experience in cataloging, especially of this type of material, and for those who desire to supplement local mentoring resources for subject analysis in the hard sciences. Theses and dissertations from these departments present a special challenge because they are the results of current research representing specific new concepts with which the cataloger may not be familiar. In fact, subject headings often have not yet been created for the specific concept(s) being researched. Additionally, T/D authors often use jargon/terminology specific to their department. Catalogers often have many other duties in addition to subject analysis of T/Ds in the hard sciences, yet they desire to provide optimal access through accurate, thorough subject analysis. Tips are provided for determining the content of the T/D, strategic searches on WorldCat for possible subject headings, evaluating the relevancy of these subject headings for final selection, and selecting appropriate subdivisions where needed. Lists of basic reference resources are also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]