[Web4lib] Interesting article about the future of the librarycatalog

[Karen Coyle]

This is exactly what Karen Markey suggests in her D-Lib article in the 
same issue:
     http://www.dlib.org/dlib/january07/markey/01markey.html
It seems that a lot of people (albeit none of them catalogers) are 
questioning the need for detailed description.

kc

Lin Light wrote:
> What if we had a bib record that didn't dwell so much on the physical
> description and had an expanded 520 field where the details of the contents
> would take the place of some of these arcane subject headings. Many of use
> only to those specializing on that subject. 
> Oh by the way, I'm head of Technical and Automated Services.
> Oh blasphemer me.
>
> Lin
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org
> [mailto:web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of B.G. Sloan
> Sent: Tuesday, January 16, 2007 2:16 PM
> To: web4lib at webjunction.org; lita-l at ala.org
> Subject: [Web4lib] Interesting article about the future of the
> librarycatalog
>
>  
>   Coyle, Karen, and Diane Hillman. Resource Description and Access (RDA):
> Cataloging Rules for the 20th Century. D-Lib Magazine, 13(1/2).
> January/February 2007.
>   http://www.dlib.org/dlib/january07/coyle/01coyle.html 
>    
>   The subtitle is maybe a little too subtle. :-)
>    
>   Abstract:
>    
>   "There is evidence that many individuals and organizations in the library
> world do not support the work taking place to develop a next generation of
> the library cataloging rules. The authors describe the tensions existing
> between those advocating an incremental change to cataloging process and
> others who desire a bolder library entry into the digital era."
>    
>   An excerpt:
>    
>   "Libraries have lost their place as primary information providers,
> surpassed by more agile (and in many cases wealthier) purveyors of digital
> information delivery services...[T]he library's approach to user service and
> the user interface is not competing successfully against services like
> Amazon or Google...[L]ibrarians need to undertake a broad analysis of how
> the changing information technology and our rapidly evolving information
> resources are changing user behavior. The goal of that analysis should be to
> mold the user service of the future, recognizing that users and their
> information needs should be our primary focus. This will mean that our
> vision of the catalog and of cataloging must make a radical transformation."
>    
>   Bernie Sloan
>
>  
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-- 
-----------------------------------
Karen Coyle / Digital Library Consultant
kcoyle at kcoyle.net http://www.kcoyle.net
ph.: 510-540-7596
fx.: 510-848-3913
mo.: 510-435-8234
------------------------------------