‘More product, less process’: method, madness or practice?

Abstract

This article aims to assess the applicability of Greene and Meissner's ‘More product, less process’ (MPLP) in a UK context, primarily in relation to description. This US methodology responds to the bulk of twentieth-century collections and large backlogs, by outlining a ‘minimal’ approach to arrangement and description and calling for better processing metrics. The article begins by presenting the rationale, findings and recommendations of MPLP before turning to a UK perspective. The article proceeds to conduct a review of UK theory and standards in relation to arrangement and description, assess the impetus for electronic collection-level initiatives and analyse regional responses to cataloguing backlogs. Finally, the study gauges the professional reception of MPLP and its impact on the user, using data gathered from interviews with UK practitioners. These concerns are balanced with a need to adopt a fluid view of what constitutes best practice. The study concludes that although the UK is yet to establish standards for processing metrics, MPLP is not contrary to UK theory and practice and does not represent the level of change implied by the authors and other commentators. Instead, MPLP is valuable in re-framing discussion surrounding description, scoring a line between the realistic and ideal.

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