Cataloging of Multimedia E-Journals

[Gerry Mckiernan]

          _Re: Cataloging of Multimedia E-Journals_

This is a response to my recent posting on the 
"Cataloging of Multimedia E-Journals" which I posted last week. (The response was originally posted to the DIGLIBNS list on 8/18)

  It raises a number of related issues that were included in my post and reports on a significant
study that I believe will be of interest to other 
lists and their members. The response below has been re-posted with permission from Deborah Woodyard, PADI / Digital Preservation
National Library of Australia

/Gerry McKiernan
Theoretical Librarian
Iowa State University 
Ames IA 50011

gerrymck at iastate.edu 
   
                      ###############
Gerry and list members,

We conducted a similar survey in 1996, but from a different angle, we didn't
have the titles we wanted information on but wanted to find material in our
collection that contained computer disk components (see 5.2.2 in "Physical
format electronic publications in the National Library of Australia:
report on a preservation survey"
http://www.nla.gov.au./nla/staffpaper/cwebb6.html). Your reaction to your
survey results sound very familiar to me. I was surprised at the difficulty
we had obtaining detailed information from the catalogue records about the
electronic components.

The collation field in the ILMS record for 400 items was checked for the
size and number of disks included in a publication - basic information
required for preservation management. Only 238 gave complete details. And
this did not include checking the system requirements recorded. This
information was not required under existing cataloguing guidelines for disks
accompanying print
materials, but a few local practices have now been modified and the result
would be improved. 

This has highlighted the gap that may exist between information needed for
current bibliographic
access and that needed for long term management, raising questions about how
and
where the latter should be recorded. 

I am pleased to see the cataloguing rules are being updated gradually. See:
Task Force on the Harmonization of ISBD(ER) and AACR2 Final Report
(Penultimate Draft): Executive Summary  revised 14 June 1999:
http://www.library.yale.edu/cataloging/aacrer/tf-harm21.htm 
And more current Internet cataloguing guidelines available linked from the
PADI web site at: http://www.nla.gov.au/padi/internet.html#cat 

Please excuse my possible ignorance of matters obvious to librarians, but
Gerry's message inspired me to share my experience.

Deborah



Deborah Woodyard
PADI / Digital Preservation
National Library of Australia
Canberra ACT 2600
AUSTRALIA
mailto:dwoodyar at nla.gov.au 
ph: +61 2 6262 1366
PADI: http://www.nla.gov.au/padi/