CATALOGING WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD Ann Ellis

CATALOGING: WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD? Ann Ellis Dec. 18, 2000

Assumptions from Library of Congress: Bibliographic Control in the New Millennium (Calhoun) • Variety of local and remote databases and resources in different formats • Convergence of full text materials, catalogs and collections • Less structure in indexing or cataloging; mixed kinds of data • Distributed responsibility and sources for resource description (creator, publisher, or third party)

What will we catalog or describe? • Traditional formats, plus increasing numbers of: – online serials – online documents – e-books – websites of significant value

Why catalog or describe electronic resources? • To provide a dimension of intellectual access beyond keyword searches and long or buried listings • To help students and researchers locate useful information from all that is available from local and remote sources

How will electronic resources be described? • Use several levels or types of description or encoding depending on the resource and its intended use or stability – more emphasis on information retrieval and needs of user – less emphasis on completeness of description for some resources – less emphasis on traditional cataloging rules for some resources

Types of resource descriptions: • MARC records – separate entity from resource – can be downloaded from OCLC, LC – from various vendors such as Marcive, Prompt. Cat – can be created locally and contributed to OCLC

Types of resource descriptions: • Dublin Core records • useful to describe dynamic websites • fewer fields, tags and rules (DC has 15 elements) which can be mapped to MARC • can be downloaded from OCLC • can be created locally using a template or record generator such as CORC or MARCit • can enhance to MARC-level

Types of resource descriptions: • Metadata embedded within resource by creator or another party – add descriptive information to a resource using coding such as Dublin Core elements within HTML, or using XML – XML coding allows unlike systems to exchange information with each other in a structured way

• Metadata (continued) • enhance resource discovery with searchable data such as creator, content, controlled vocabulary, dates, use restrictions, etc. • can create catalog record from coded document using record generator like CORC or similar program

Recent library trends: • Multiple catalogs connected to form a remotely searchable database with system interoperability • Aggregate databases – created in-house or by vendors to be searched globally – subject- or user-oriented to meet specific needs

Recent library trends: • Search engine software for local sites – enable users to search all databases, web pages and catalogs mounted in a website – enable users to customize search and retrieval format to suit individual needs

What we can do now: • Enrich database records with useful information: – contents notes or links to web contents – summary notes where appropriate – consider links to related information – additional meaningful subject access – emphasize authority control

What we can do now: • Be aware of new technologies, standards, descriptor codes, metadata initiatives; participate in projects & experiments • Work with other areas in library to implement changes--learn how other departments can help or enhance what we do