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Showing posts from 2012

Metadata Update #12 : Bibliographic Framework

There has been a lot of talk in recent years about what is going to happen with MARC.  We know that MARC works great for libraries and it has been around for a long time.  We also know that it doesn't actually fit into today's world of computing and the Internet. For about the last year or so, the Library of Congress has been looking seriously at the development of something that will not only replace MARC but go beyond it.  The URL that I've attached is for their new propose framework they call BIBFRAME.  Here is the paper if you'd like to read it: http://www.loc.gov/marc/transition/pdf/marcld-report-11-21-2012.pdf Just as with RDA, I think that the cataloguing/metadata world is on the brink of really big, exciting and important changes.  I think that this is another development which is worth following.  I had a quick reading over of the paper but I want to sit down and read it more carefully - for sure before I pick my ALA Mid-winter sessions.  What I read so

Metadata Update #11 : Identifying RDA records

In some of the original training materials we used at the University Library to learn about RDA for copy cataloguing, the instructions were to look for an "i" in the 17th position in MARC leaders.  In looking at records, the cataloguers have been finding out that there is something wrong with these instructions.     After doing a little digging around, it turns out that these are the instructions that cataloguers have been given if they want to contribute RDA records to WorldCat: Catalogers may contribute original cataloging using RDA to WorldCat if desired. (040 $e with value rda and Leader/18 (Desc) coded i if ISBD punctuation is used or blank if not). So, there are a few points: The leader position is 18 not 17 We are looking for either an "i" or a blank.  If there is an "a".  That would indicate AACR2 coding The 040 subfield "e" should be used in concert with leader coding to identify RDA records So, it looks like we are makin

Metadata Update #10 - Virtual International Authority File

I'd really like to share the VIAF website address:  http://viaf.org/ This website and search engine combines authority files from national libraries from all over the world. It is the use of authority records and the ability to disambiguate terms and names which makes library catalogues useful to searchers.  It is one of the things that makes libraries stand out from information stored on the WWW in general.  Libraries help users identify the specific "John Smith" they are looking for - an almost impossible task on the web. Try the search engine out for yourself.  Type in a surname, a place name and then a name of a company, institution or musical group.  Notice that you will see the flags for the countries where a certain authority record is in use.  If you click the heading, it will take you to the authority record in WorldCat. I think that as we continue to think more about FRBR and FRAD we will hear increased emphasis in related discussions on using authority re

Google Book Search Project

This morning I was reading an interesting blog post by Karen Coyle about the Google Book Search Project ( http://kcoyle.blogspot.ca/2012/07/fair-use-deja-vu.html ).  Apparently Google filed a case that claimed that digitizing a book in order to make it searchable is "fair use" and thus legal in the U.S. as long as proper precautions are taken to ensure that this digitization doesn't essentially make an entire copyrighted book or substantial sections of it free to use and download. One of the arguments made by Google is that full text searching is far superior to searching using library catalogues.  Karen argues that this is essentially "throwing libraries under the bus".  She says that full text searching should be seen as complimentary to "standards based metadata", not a superior replacement for it.  I agree with her.  When I used to do a lot of reference work I found that there were times when full text searching was critical.  For example, a patr

Metadata Update #9 - MARC 21 Standard

For those who weren't at the MARC 21 Standards meeting, this is the link that I recommend for looking information about MARC tags: http://www.loc.gov/marc/bibliographic/ That's not all folks..... As promised, here is OCLC’s version of the MARC standard: http://www.oclc.org/bibformats/default.htm I don’t tend to use this one that much because it is generally less up to date and also I find it a little harder to navigate.   However, it does have some strengths so it may be worth having a look at it sometime. It gives a slightly different explanation or definition of the MARC tag that helps clarify why it might be used.   A very useful feature is that this website lists some of the odd local or OCLC specific tags which are not part of the “official” standard.    An example is the 099 tag which can be found in this version of the standard.   In short, the OCLC version of the MARC Standard is much more complete but not my first place to look because it is not as easy

Libraries, Patrons and eBooks - report of a study

This is an interesting report of a Pew Internet study which was done in Nov -Dec 2011 and funded by the Gates Foundation: http://libraries.pewinternet.org/2012/06/22/libraries-patrons-and-e-books/ As expected with something funded by the Gates Foundation, it focuses on U.S public libraries but I think that its still of interest to those working in academic libraries.  From my point of view, findings that Americans value and use the library and like eBooks but often either can't find or use the eBooks that the library offers are key.  Unlike paper books that sit on a shelf, a library user who doesn't know how to search or where to begin searching, will have a hard time locating eBooks which appear readily accessible to library workers.  In addition, as long as a print book is written in legible type-face on reasonable quality paper, most readers do not require an special technology to just pull a book off a shelf and start reading it.  Not so with eBooks.  Lack of standardisat

Metadata Update #8 - The Cataloguing Calculator

I've promised to share information about commonly used cataloguing tools.  This is the first of several posts that I am going to make on this topic.  The post includes a series of brief exercises to help you explore the different functions and information that can be accessed through the calculator.  This link is for the cataloguing calculator.   It is found in the Cataloguer’s Desktop but it is also freely available on the web from any internet connection. It’s a tool that I used in my cataloguing class and it might be useful to have for those times when you want to quickly cook up a Cutter Number or country code and you don’t want to pull out your cheat sheets: http://calculate.alptown.com/ Here’s a few things that you can do to get orientated to using the calculator: 1.        Suppose you want to cook up a Cutter Number.   Click the LC Cutter search option then start typing the last name, title, etc (except location)you are Cuttering for and notice the amazing Cutt

Getting back on track - Thinking about leadership

Taking three weeks off for vacation seemed to result in my getting behind in everything.  So, I will try to get back into doing my regular posts again. My brain isn't in the metadata mode at the moment so I don't have a metadata update to post.  I do, however, have an interesting blog post from Ken Haycock about leadership in libraries and the eight core values that all managers share: http://www.kenhaycock.com/index.php/Ken-s-Blog/Entry/8-core-beliefs-of-extraordinary-bosses.html I found this blog post to be very good food for thought.

Metadata Update #7 - RDA clarity

I finally decided to stop getting the Auto-Cat Listserv for the time being and went to the digest version of the OCLC listserv.  Wow!  This is so much better.  I got the OCLC digest this morning and all of the complaining and carrying on is essentially filtered out.  What I would like to pass along is a little bit of clarity about Day One for RDA from OCLC.  This is a direct quote from the head of the Metadta Services Department and chair of the Program for Cooperative Cataloguing (PCC), Linda Barnhard bout what Day One "means": This means that for authority records: ·Saturday, March 30, 2013 is the last day that new AACR2 authority records will be permitted in the LC/NACO Authority File. ·Beginning Sunday, March 31, 2013, all new authority records entering the LC/NACO Authority File must be coded RDA. This means that for bibliographic records: ·Beginning Sunday, March 31, 2013, all access points on bibliographic records coded "pcc" must be

Metadata Update #6 - The Current Buzz

There's been so much buzz on the listservs for the last two to three weeks that it has been hard for me to keep up with it all and for me to find something that might be useful to share with everyone. So, why don't I talk a bit about what the buzz has all been about?  It seems that the announcement of day one for the implementation of RDA as March 13th 2013 has started a lot of controversy.  It is almost as though people thought that RDA would go away and it doesn't appear to be.  Now there is a lot of "freaking out".  I haven't been able to read all of what people have written on the issue.  In fact, I think that I might have read about a 10th of it but I feel that it's enough for me to understand what all the buzz is about.  Here is my summary: 1)  A lot of people don't like RDA for a variety of reasons and don't want to have to learn or use it. 2)  There seems to be a lot of confusion about what RDA implementation means. 3)  Many pe

Metadata Update #5 - "Legacy"

So as libraries move toward RDA implementation, there seems to be a lot of talk about the AACR2/MARC records in our catalogues already.  What do we do with them?  When do we leave them alone and when do we convert them to RDA.  One of the interesting words that I often hear people use to refer to our existing metadata is "legacy".  Those old AACR2/MARC records are our "legacy" metadata.  It's an interesting term.  It makes it sound like the existing records in our catalogues are the "inheritance" that the next generation of library workers will receive from the cataloguing community.  I like the term.  Rather than saying that MARC and AACR2-based records are bad and need to be replaced, it makes it sound like they are something of value to be passed down through time.  Given the number of "legacy" records in existence, I suspect that even though they may be worked over and remade into new formats from time to time, the core of those original 

Metadata Update #4: FRBR

Hi Everyone! So, how do we get ready for RDA?  Well, some of the expert trainers recommend to start out by learning about FRBR.  Here's a link to a video on the topic.  It's a few years old but hopefully it will help to get you thinking about what FRBR is and why it is useful in libraries. http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=4554 If you can't watch the video, try this Slide show (there are notes at the botton of the screen if you view the slide show in "normal" mode).  http://www.loc.gov/catworkshop/RDA%20training%20materials/FRBR%20Overview%20and%20Application_Module%201_CLW.ppt This is also a newer presentation.

Metadata Update #3 - RDA Day One Announced!

The Library of Congress announced a couple of days ago that Day One for the implementation of RDA will be March 31, 2013.  Their press release says that they expect that Library and Archives Canada will also, hopefully, have the same target date. If you want to read more about the plan that LC has for training the remainder of their cataloguers, the information is available in this document:  http://www.loc.gov/aba/rda/pdf/RDA_Long-Range_Training_Plan.pdf

Prezi

I don't know if I'll have time for a Metadata update this week.  However, I did the exercise for 23 Things this morning on Prezi.  It's an interesting tool.  In a few minutes I made this presentation:  http://prezi.com/y5on3l9in7go/using-music-in-informational-and-instructional-videos-and-presentations/ I think that I like that it is so quick and easy to make a presentation.  However, I usually use other software that has more features and offers me more control so I found some things about Prezi to be a little frustrating.  While a person can sit down and use it almost right away, it is often difficult to achieve the precise results I want.  I found that as I was working with it I just gave up trying to get certain effects.  Instead I just did the sorts of things that the application is well-suited to doing.  This isn't necessarily a bad thing if all I want to do is bang out a nice-looking presentation quickly.  However, if I am trying to design specific things for sp

Fun Survey

So, this week I don't have any heavy metadata things to report on.  Instead I have my survey from 23 Things.  It was very easy to set up and I think that it will be useful.  I will share the results with this blog in a week or so.  Please take the survey if you have time:  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/embeddedform?formkey=dHkyQUwyVXhmYzJ5VzRYdVdYUUxKWmc6MQ  And, you can forward it to others as well. Thanks and have fun.

Cataloguing and Metadata Update #3 - More Reporting on RDA from ALA Midwinter

Ok, this post is lazy.  I admit it.  I found a nicely-written blog post that describes two of the sessions that I attended where RDA was discussed.  I'm not sure who Steve is but I think that he captured the content of those sessions well: http://cloud.lib.wfu.edu/blog/pd/category/rdafrbr/ Not to be completely lazy, I was a blogger for ALA Mid Winter as well.  Here is a blog post that I wrote for the Copy Cataloguer's Interest Group that fills in some of the gaps that Steve missed.  You can read it at: http://www.alcts.ala.org/metadatablog/2012/01/copy-cataloging-interest-group-jan-21-2012/ I hope that you can access my blog post without being a member of the metadata bloggers group!

Series Authority Records

The question was raised at the cataloguing meeting this morning as to when authority records for series titles was discontinued by Library of Congress.  Time flies....  it was June 1st,2006.  Here is a link to LC's policy about what they do with series titles:  http://www.loc.gov/catdir/cpso/series.html  .  According to this document, their decisions was "not to create/update series authority records and not to provide controlled series access points in its bibliographic records for resources in series." This document also says that there is more information about series titles and the 490 tag in the Cataloger's Desktop.  Our subscription has been renewed so we should have access again if you want to read more about it.

Cataloguing and Metadata Update - # 2 More Genre Stuff

While we don’t catalogue too many films, I just happen to have a documentary DVD on my desk at this moment and it needs subject headings and a call number.   Yesterday I started thinking about subject-headings for this DVD and reflected on the idea of separating what the DVD is about and what type of film is presenting that information.    In the process I was reminded of the concepts behind genre forms.     Last night as I was paging through notes from the conference I read that that there was a group working on a policy document on how to apply genre forms to different types of films.   Then, as I was wading through my email this morning, a link to that document happened to show up on one of my list serves:   http://olacinc.org/drupal/capc_files/LCGFTbestpractices.pdf .   So, it seems natural that this week’s post should be an extension to the introduction to genre/heading forms I wrote in last week’s blog. I think that I’ll use the document I’ve referred to extensively because I

Cataloguing and Metadata Update #1 - Genre Headings

Maybe you've noticed some new coding in MARC records in the last few months that you don't reco gnize.  It looks something like this:  655 #7 $a Road maps. $2 lcgft or 651 #0 $a Alamo Reservoir $v Maps. 655 #7 $a Bathymetric maps. $2 lcgft So, what is this all about?  Why is the second indicator a 7 and does it mean that the $2 or |2 is some sort of local coding from another system that just needs to be stripped out?  Until last week, I was stripping these out thinking that it wasn't anything that we would want in our records. Woah nelly.... even though our OPAC won't do anything with this type of 6XX field, don't strip it.  It's a new extension to MARC developed by LC that is gradually being adopted called "Genre/Form Terms".  Here is a link to a useful FAQ that explains all about them:  http://www.loc.gov/catdir/cpso/genre_form_faq.pdf . In short, genre terms have been developed to allow cataloguers to describe in a 6xx field what type of r

Trying Blogger

I really appreciate that this is much easier to use than WordPress....