future of cataloging, classification

Cataloging and the future, plus a review for the final

IST 603

Denise A. GarofaloDecember 6, 2006

Technology’s role

The decreasing cost of online systems means they are entering the realm of possibility for more and more librariesTelecommunications changes and the prevalence of the Internet are making connections to shared networks more of a reality in many more areas than before

Are catalogers still needed?

YesSomeone will need to handle the description and analysis of materials which cannot be found through mainstream methodsA knowledge of cataloging, codes and structures increases the abilities of public service librarians to serve the users

A real-life example

UC Berkeley downsized for cost containment (less professionals)Cataloging has since evolved from highly localized procedures to standardized regulations.A new division of labor between professional and copy catalogers has occurred as a result of downsizing and reorganization

Catalog changes

Format is the most readily-evident change From book catalogs to card catalogs and

microform catalogs to online catalogs

Standards for preparing catalog entries have also changed More an evolutionary process But the content or essence of bib info

remains the same

Changes in workload

Constant growth of the bib database and the evolution of technology and functionality requires continuous re-evaluation in order to keep running smoothlyCatalogers need to be aware of cataloging, classification, policies, procedures, options on processing with book jobbers, MARC, and online vendors

MARC and the future

MARC is considered an ideal way to hold bibliographic dataMARC was an innovative format at a time when most computer systems represented text as fixed length fields with capital letters only. It remains a vital format for libraries, but it’s showing its age. Speculation on the future of MARC is complicated by the enormous investment that libraries have made in it.

MARC and the future

Whatever its future, MARC was a pioneering achievement in the history of both computing and librariesSome speculate that with metadata and Dublin Core, SGML (Standard Generalized MarkUp Language) and the greater use of XML (and the promise it brings) that MARC is deadIt’s more likely that XML will be used to provide flexible access to complicated bibliographic records stored in MARC format

MARC and the future

A timely MARC-SGML maintenance process that allows the flexible testing of new approaches beyond those feasible in MARC is also needed

Retrieval and control systems need to be developed in which SGML-MARC can, when necessary, be merged into other systems of metadata

MARC and the future

A way to keep SGML MARC files in synch with corresponding MARC files, with respect to authorities and other “catalog maintenance” duties needs to be developedNeeded changes in cataloging practice both to be able to describe and "bibliographically control" new types of documents and publications must be investigated, especially in light of new indexing, retrieval and display tools and concepts.

Metadata

Simply put, metadata is data about dataIn general all information objects, regardless of the physical or intellectual form they take, have three features - content, context, and structure - all of which can be reflected through metadata. http://www.niso.org/standards/resources/UnderstandingMetadata.pdf#search=%22metadata%22

Dublin Core

Dublin Core is an element set for describing a wide range of networked resourcesDublin Core is also a standard but it is not a structure. The element set can be repeated many times. It recommends AACR for content. http://dublincore.org/

Dublin Core

Dublin Core does not and cannot replace MARC.It was established through consensus by an international, cross-disciplinary group of professionals from librarianship, computer science, text encoding, the museum community, and other related fields of scholarship

Questions?

Break time

SGML

Stands for Standardized General Markup LanguageIt is a system for organizing and tagging elements of a documentIt is an enabling technology used in applications such as HTMLHTML is one way of defining and interpreting tags according to SGML rules

SGML Resources

What is SGML? http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/S/S

GML.html

On SGML and HTML http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/intro/sg

mltut.html

Overview of SGML resources http://www.w3.org/MarkUp/SGML/

XML

XML stands for Extensible Markup Language XML focuses on providing information about the data itself and how it relates to other data (HTML is more concerned with how that data is formatted on the page and how it displays)

XML

XML can be considered a storage format, with HTML as the display format HTML is rather simple to use, while XML is more complicated XML can be used to store one document but have that data display differently for different users

XML

“XML is not the answer to all the world’s problems—it creates new problems, that are awfully damn interesting to solve.”

   Simon St. Laurent,             author of XML: A Primer,              on the xml-dev mailing list 

XML resources

XML from the inside out http://www.xml.com/

XML tutorial http://www.w3schools.com/xml/default.

asp

The XML FAQ http://xml.silmaril.ie/

Thoughts to ponder

Learning cataloging is obsolete

Information can always be found somewhere elseCan purchase materials with cataloging

Public service is what is #1

Just get the materials on the shelf ASAPNeed staff more to help users in reference and circulation

Online catalogs solve everything

All catalogers have to do is fine-tunePatrons don’t care where the info comes from or how—just that they can get to it

XML solves everything

XML is a good storage facility but not display or search or retrievalA blend of MARC and XML with a good front-end for searching may free libraries from the “tyranny” of library automation vendorsOr perhaps more open source ventures, such as Koha (http://www.koha.org/)

Questions?

Review for final

Many questions are taken directly from the midterm---so use the midterm as a study guideBrush up on general MARC tags (subjects in 6xx, notes in 5xx, etc.)

Review for final

Subject analysis and subject heading systems are coveredRemember---Sears and LCSH are subject heading systems, while Dewey and LCC are classification systems

Review for final

Don’t confuse them and think that Dewey is a subject heading system, as some have doneRemember that “bibliographic universe” and its control? If not, review.

Review for final

Do traditional (card) catalogs have the capability of tracking usage by users?Be familiar with the basic disciplines of classifying with DDC

Review for final

Just what IS a bibliographic tool?And access points. You should know what they areBibliographic utilities are also covered on the final

Questions?

?

Assignment

Review and then doFinal due December 13Bring SASE if you want to receive your graded final back