Priorities for cataloging

Catalog received documents according to the priorities as specified below in the list below. Process any item for which cataloging already exists without regard to its priority.

Top Priorities

Catalog these items immediately.

• New NOAA publications (2000- ), including Sea Grant publications (retain 2 copies)
• New purchases
• Materials needed for special projects, as directed by COTR
• Materials received through the Depository Program
• CatFly - "Cataloging on the fly," or, items checked-out to patrons which lack a MARC record

Middle Priorities

Catalog these items only if no Top Priority items need to be cataloged, or as directed by COTR.

• Old NOAA publications (before 2000) and pre-NOAA agencies' publications
• Publications of the following corporate bodies:
• American Meteorological Society (AMS) (retain 2 copies)
• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
• Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS)
• Integrated Ocean Observing System (U.S.) (aka IOOS) (retain 2 copies)
• Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) (retain 2 copies)
• International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. (ICES)
• World Meteorological Organization (WMO) (retain 2 copies)
• Periodicals cataloging (unless it matches criteria for Top Priority)

Low Priorities

Catalog these items only if no Top Priority or Middle Priority item need to be cataloged, or as directed by COTR.

• Foreign documents (unless it matches criteria for a higher priority)
• Retrospective conversion (except for CatFly items)
• Gifts that do not fall into Top Priority or Middle Priority categories.

Priorities articulated: Oct. 1997 (Updated: July 24, 2002; July 27, 2005; Feb. 8, 2006; Mar. 13, 2008)