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Steven C Shadle | 1 Sep 01:11

Re: geographic heading & classification

SCM:SH H180  Assigning and constructing subject headings

1. General rule. Assign to the work being cataloged one or more subject headings that best summarize the
*overall* contents of the work and provide access to its *most* important topics. [emphasis mine]

LC practice:
Assign headings only for topics that comprise at least 20% of the work.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I can't really make the judgement without work in hand, but assume (based on the description) that it is
predominantly about US resort and would analyze it as such.

Steve Shadle/Serials Access Librarian  *****  shadle <at> u.washington.edu
University of Washington Libraries      ***     Phone: (206) 685-3983
Seattle, WA 98195-2900                   *        Fax: (206) 543-0854

On Fri, 31 Aug 2007, Aaron Kuperman wrote:

> How much about Mexico?  United States and Canada are 2/3 of North
> America.  It seems to me it would be best to treat it as about the US
> for classification purposes, and first heading purposes.  Since the rule
> is 1/5, and Canada is 1/6 you can probably skip unless you think it
> especially important.--Aaron
>
> On Fri, 31 Aug 2007, Chittenden, Lloyd wrote:
>
>
>> Item in hand: Resorting to madness, DVD.
>>
>> I've got a DVD about the social and environmental impacts of ski
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Winship | 1 Sep 05:58

Daily Typo, "Annoint*", Aug. 31, 2007

Friday, August 31, 2007

Typo of the Day - Annoint*

   Annoint* is a "high probability" typo on the Ballard list because it's
   highly probable that people can't spell it. You won't scratch if you
   don't itch. Like Innoculate for inoculate, we sometimes think if a
   little is good, then more is better. There are 25 cases of Annoint* in
   OhioLINK, and only 467 of anoint*, which is a fairly high
   wrong-to-right ratio. Many typos, strictly speaking, are not typos at
   all, but intentionally spelled words, misspelled. This can be a real
   problem. Last Sunday's New York Times ran an op-ed mea culpa on the
   subject of its numerous name errors. It seems they make the same ones
   repeatedly (necessitating a memo asking if reporters know how to spell
   Gonzales) and egregiously (their boss's name, Sulzberger, has proved
   persistently troublesome). The possibility of keeping a names database
   or customized spell checker was raised in the article, prompting one
   to urge them, if a bit unctuously, to apply this saving salve.
   Meanwhile, let's hope the Old Gray (Grey?) Lady isn't forced to change
   her motto to: "All the news that's fit to misprint."

Extracted, for AUTOCAT, from <http://librarytypos.blogspot.com/>,
by permission of Terry Ballard.  If you have comments about the words
selected, how they are selected, or the way the items are written, please
contact Terry Ballard <terry.ballard@...>.

Douglas Winship  winship@...

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McGrath, Kelley C. | 1 Sep 14:20
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Re: Keyword vs Authority records was Marth Yee article pic ked up by CARL from SLC website

Mary Mastraccio writes:

I agree with you that OPACs need better navigation/search options but
calling OPAC navigation "authority control" is calling apples "oranges".

Allen Mullen writes: 

I'm not calling OPAC navigation "authority control", Mary - I'm calling 
our methodology of differentiation of headings on the basis of sparse,
incomplete, rigidly controlled, and inadequate MARC authority control
records as a basis for navigating OPACS "authority control."  To the 
extent that the navigation is involved, it is as a consequence of a
mindset and methodology that follows from the underlying structure and
data.  

*********

I have been a bit overwhelmed trying to follow all the discussion about authority control here and on the
next generation catalog list recently (and certainly have much food for thought), but this particular
post did strike me as a good example of people talking past each other and sparked a few related thoughts.

I think Mary is right about the definition of authority control. Jonathan Rochkind has an interesting blog
post about what he thinks authority control is at
http://bibwild.wordpress.com/2007/08/08/the-purpose-of-authority-control
<http://bibwild.wordpress.com/2007/08/08/the-purpose-of-authority-control>  in which he argues
that "the purpose of authority control is to make sets of objects." What we do that Amazon doesn't that is
authority control is make and record the distinctions that make these sets. The particular way we may mark
these distinctions (dates, middle initials, some sort of control number) is not the essential bit of
authority control and in the computer age does not necessarily have to correlate to how we display the
results to end users.
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Kim, Hye | 1 Sep 18:23
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added entries in an oclc DVD record done by Midwest tape company

I downloaded a DVD record (OCLC number is #58996328) cataloged by TEFMT
(I believe this is Midwest Tape). This is a Korean adaptation of
[Liasons dangereuses.]  

1)     The record was done in 2 languages, Romanized Korean and real
Korean scripts.   All added entries (Romanized part, say English) except
the first and the last one, were tagged first names first and the last
names last.  I could ignore this and change it in my local database.
However, this wrongly exchanged location of names (some of the actors
are quite famous in Korea so I want them to be listed in NAF), make
things very hard for me to create NARs.  I couldn't lock and change it,
there are 132 holdings already.

2)      In addition, the Romanization didn't follow LC McCune-Reichauer
rule, so people couldn't find their names even though some of them
already have NARs.  

3)     As well, the added entries in Korean scripts, should not have
space between the characters. This may not be very serious violation
though.  

4)     Some of the birth dates are coded in the Romanized part, but not
in Korean scripts part, needs consistency. 

 Somebody can lock the record and fix? at least the order of the names.

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Daniel CannCasciato | 1 Sep 18:42
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The Sterile Amazon vs. AACR2 catalog debate ??

Thomas Brenndorfer categorized a sequence of messages as being straw-man-ish and also part of a sterile
Amazon vs. AACR2 catalog debate.  As a participant in those exchanges, I take exception to that
characterization.  (I like his endorsement of other approaches to displaying information.)

The reason I went to see what Amazon did compared to what a lib catalog does on one specific search is that
Amazon's service was promoted as something positive.  So I checked.  I didn't understand what I got and
Marian Veld was kind enough tio reply with some thoughts on the structure behind the search results. 
Neither of us castigated Amazon as a service nor compared it with AACR specifically.  (They aren't
directly comparable anyway.  AACR is a data standards manual;  Amazon is a display mechanism.)  However,
there is a reason I believe a debate regarding data and display is important and far from sterile.  

There's a lot of discussion about doing things differently.  The things in question are quite variable. 
Much of our professsion's discussion (within cataloging and beyond) deals with the interaction our
patrons have with the information we provide and that's why a discussion of underlying data we provide is
far from a sterile one.  I don't care about the interface debate as much as I do about the underlying data we
supply to support it.  If we move away from somewhat standardized and detailed processes (as we are urged to
do) and we move away from taking the time to provide the current level of detail that is still fairly limited
(again as is frequently urged) then we end up with some wierd spiffy overlay of an interface on a thin
database (lipstick on a pig).   That's not a sterile outcome to debate.  That's a vital one.  

Daniel

-------------
Daniel CannCasciato
Head of Cataloging
Central Washington University Library
400 E. University Way
Ellensburg, WA 98926-7548
dcc@...
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Pat Newland | 2 Sep 19:34
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Re: Young Oxford History of African Americans, v 11

Our copy reads "David M. P. Freund." There is a brief biography on p. [160] which also uses both initials.

Pat

Pat Newland
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
pnewland@...
patricia.newland@...

>>Would someone who has volume 11 of the "Young Oxford History of African Americans",  Biographical
Supplement and Index please check the title page for me to see whether it reads "David M. Freund" or "David
M. P. Freund"?

Jay Shorten

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Helen Buhler | 3 Sep 10:19
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Re: Qualifying headings

On 31 August 2007 at 12:57, Gordon Pew <gpew@...> wrote:
> But I wonder if catalog users will expect that when 
> the "Jones, John T, 1937 Apri. 4" dies, we will add "2009 Mar. 16" to the 
> heading ...
> 
As a matter of fact, LC has just tidied up the NAF for the aartist
John Ward, who died earlier this year.  He had month and day added to
the open entry, Ward, John, 1917-  After his death this susmmer, Bob
Hiatt changed the heading to Ward, John, 1917-2007.

Helen

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Amy Ranger | 3 Sep 16:53
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Re: The Sterile Amazon vs. AACR2 catalog debate ??

Nicely stated, Daniel. I agree. A nearby university library recently started using the Encore interface
from III on their catalog, and a librarian there told me that cataloging details (and errors!) became more
obvious to the users. My library is planning to jump on the Encore bandwagon in a few months, so I think that
my concerns about the condition of the database and authority files are justified. OTOH, some of my
colleagues think that I'm "overly invested" in the catalog. Maybe I should just wait and see what happens
when the interface goes live and the community gets a look at it. Maybe those unauthorized names, subjects
and titles won't prohibit user discovery of resources.

~Amy "maybe, but I doubt it" Ranger

Amy L. Ranger, MLS
Catalog Librarian
rangera@...
tel. 616-331-8674
Zumberge Library, 114
Grand Valley State University
Allendale, MI 49401

>>> Daniel CannCasciato <Daniel.CannCasciato@...> 09/01/07 12:42 PM >>>
Thomas Brenndorfer categorized a sequence of messages as being straw-man-ish and also part of a sterile
Amazon vs. AACR2 catalog debate.  As a participant in those exchanges, I take exception to that
characterization.  (I like his endorsement of other approaches to displaying information.)

The reason I went to see what Amazon did compared to what a lib catalog does on one specific search is that
Amazon's service was promoted as something positive.  So I checked.  I didn't understand what I got and
Marian Veld was kind enough tio reply with some thoughts on the structure behind the search results. 
Neither of us castigated Amazon as a service nor compared it with AACR specifically.  (They aren't
directly comparable anyway.  AACR is a data standards manual;  Amazon is a display mechanism.)  However,
there is a reason I believe a debate regarding data and display is important and far from sterile.
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Marian Veld | 3 Sep 21:11
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Re: Keyword vs Authority records was Martha Yee article picked up by CARL from SLC website

On 8/31/07, Brenndorfer, Thomas
<tbrenndorfer@...> wrote:
> I think using Amazon to show what's wrong with alternatives to
> traditional cataloging and authority control is a bit of a straw-man
> argument.
>
> Try searching the Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com) for "Tom
> Holland."

Arguing against Amazon, Google, etc. is not a straw man simply because
they are seriously being advanced as a model for us to follow by some
in the library community. Personally, I like IMdb and use it a lot for
my authority work. Ditto Wikipedia. I don't want to get into an
argument about the authoritativeness of Wikipedia, simply to state (as
others have before) that their method of distinguishing between peple
with the same name works well. But I am pretty sure that IMdb and
Wikipedia are what they are because of human intervention in the
information stream. They offer models we can adapt and learn from, but
what they probably do not offer is the cost savings of automating (or
eliminating) the authority control process.

--

-- 
Marian Veld
Senior Cataloger
Comstock Township Library

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Hal Cain | 4 Sep 02:44
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Re: Keyword vs Authority records was Martha Yee article picked up by CARL from SLC website

Marian Veld wrote:
> On 8/31/07, Brenndorfer, Thomas
<tbrenndorfer@...> wrote:
>> I think using Amazon to show what's wrong with alternatives to
>> traditional cataloging and authority control is a bit of a straw-man
>> argument.
>>
>> Try searching the Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com) for "Tom
>> Holland."
> 
> Arguing against Amazon, Google, etc. is not a straw man simply because
> they are seriously being advanced as a model for us to follow by some
> in the library community. Personally, I like IMdb and use it a lot for
> my authority work. Ditto Wikipedia. I don't want to get into an
> argument about the authoritativeness of Wikipedia, simply to state (as
> others have before) that their method of distinguishing between people
> with the same name works well. 

They may prove nothing, but they're indications of alternative 
approaches and treatments which may be more palatable, maybe more 
useful, for users -- possibly even for librarians as users.

 > But I am pretty sure that IMdb and
 > Wikipedia are what they are because of human intervention in the
 > information stream. They offer models we can adapt and learn from, but
 > what they probably do not offer is the cost savings of automating (or
 > eliminating) the authority control process.

They also have the cost-benefit advantage that they're fundamentally 
single sites, remotely accessed; whereas library catalogues are multiple
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Gmane