Dissertations Access Public Information

Dissertations and theses from the University are no longer marked as permanently Campus Access. Instead, each author can opt to make his or her dissertation Campus Access only for a period of one or five years. This will be noted on the individual Scholarworks metadata pages along with any embargo dates. Since it will be difficult to keep track of exactly when a work will become open access, as well as when an embargo is lifted, the usual cataloging practices must be tweaked a bit.

Note that some works have both restricted access and an embargo period. Some will become open access before their embargo period is up, and some will remain campus access after the embargo period is up. The dissertation and thesis cataloger will need to keep track with the following spreadsheet on the Library's server:

R://Information Resources Management//Campus_then_open_access_dissertations

In the original cataloging copy, retain the 506 0_ Open access field. Do not change it to 506 1_ with the restricted access note. Upload finished cataloging copy to OCLC.

Import record to Aleph. Add the following:

590 NOTE: Access restricted to the UMass community until approximately <date, i.e. September 2015>

Once the campus access restriction is lifted, remove the 590 note.

If there is an embargo period, a full record cannot be uploaded to OCLC until the embargo is lifted and pagination etc information can be obtained. In this case, create a temp record in Aleph and add the following:

590 NOTE: At the request of the author, this dissertation is currently under embargo and will not be available until <date on Scholarworks metadata page> [alternative: until an unspecified date]

Do not add a 506 access note. Until the embargo is lifted this note is redundant. Once a full OCLC cataloging record is exported to Aleph, remove the 590 embargo note and add a 590 restricted access note if required.

Occasionally there will be some works which will become open access before the embargo period is up, and some works which will remain campus access after the embargo period is up. The dissertation and thesis cataloger will need to check the following spreadsheet on the Library's R drive to keep track:

R://Information Resources Management//Campus_then_open_access_dissertations

This spreadsheet should be kept updated with entries removed once they become open access and/or no longer embargoed, and new entries added as required.

— Contact person: Kay Dion