Problems at LC

Back in January we received an invoice for our subscription to Classification Web. We paid it from our deposit account. Since then we have continued to receive invoices and no replies from LC. We have e-mailed them many times. We call, but the voice-mailbox is full. never does a person answer. Now they have cancelled my access, since we did not paid the bill. Only we did, months ago. What is going on at the Cataloging Distribution Service? Anyone have a secret to contacting them?

LC

Microformats

Karen Coombs at Library Web Chic points to a nice Firefox extension, Operator.

Operator leverages microformats that are already available on many web pages to provide new ways to interact with web services.

Operator lets you combine pieces of information on Web sites with applications in ways that are useful. For instance, Flickr + Google Maps, Upcoming.org + Google Calendar, Yahoo! Local + your address book, and many more possibilities and permutations. All of these scenarios are possible due to Microformats, an emerging standard for injecting semantics into HTML.

Have to see if it works with COinS.

Microformats

Working Group on the Future of Bibliographic Control

The 2nd meeting of the Working Group on the Future of Bibliographic Control in the series of three public hearings is scheduled for May 9th at the American Library Association's headquarters in Chicago.

In preparation for that meeting, the Working Group subgroup that is coordinating the meeting has worked with Nancy Fallgren, consultant to the Working Group, to develop a background paper.

Cataloging

News from LC

Bibliographic records distributed by CDS will no longer have a record status set to *p*. This record status was for Cataloging in Publication (CIP) records that had been previously distributed with an encoding level of *8*.

This change in the use of record status value *p* in distributed records was made after considering a variety of factors including system limitations, receipt of records from sources outside the Library of Congress, and the amount of resources required to program for continued distribution. An additional factor relates to the meaning of value *p*. Although customers may have expected this status to indicate the item was published and available, in fact, this status has always meant only that the cataloging record had been upgraded. While the reason for the upgraded record is often the availability of the published item, this is not true in all cases.

Cataloging

LibVive

LibVive, the library podcast, is always worth a listen. The April 23 show is special because it includes a PSA by me for my podcast from the LPI Library. The stories covered in this epsoide include:

• Man found shot at library
• Man threatens legal action against city
• MySpace joins with Illinois Library Association to promote online safety
• Kentucky attempts to meet demand for library construction project funds
• Researchers’ use of academic libraries and their services
• Anonymous donor gives Philadelphia library $15 million
• Libraries: Shhh... it's a book bar.

Podcasts

Cataloging Futures Weblog

Here is another cataloging weblog to add to your reader, Cataloging Futures.

The focus of this blog is the future of cataloging and metadata in libraries. The preparation of the new cataloging code, RDA: Resource Description and Access, is a significant issue. The future of the MARC 21 format will also be explored. ILS/OPAC's future will be touch on also, but will not be the central focus. Also, I hope to use this blog to collocate some of the important papers, articles, websites, etc. that deal with the future of cataloging and metadata.

Weblogs

Addition to the MARC Code Lists for Relators, Sources, Description Conventions

The codes listed below have been recently approved for use in MARC 21 records. The codes will be added to the online MARC Code Lists for Relators, Sources, Description Conventions.

The codes should not be used in exchange records until after June 5, 2007. This 60-day waiting period is required to provide MARC 21 implementers time to include newly defined codes in any validation tables they may apply to the MARC fields where the codes are used.

Classification Sources
The following code is for use in subfield $2 in field 084 in Bibliographic and Community Information records (Other Classification Number), in subfield $2 in field 084 in Classification records (Classification Scheme and Edition) and in subfield $2 in field 065 in Authority records (Other Classification Number).

Addition:

ncsclt

New classification scheme for Chinese libraries
(Taipei: Wen-hua) [use only after June 5, 2007]

Term, Name, Title Sources
The following codes are for use in subfield $2 in fields 600-657 in Bibliographic and Community Information records, and in subfield $f in field 040 (Cataloging Source) in Authority records.

Additions:

finmesh

FinMeSH [use only after June 5, 2007]

muzeukc

MuzeMusic UK classical music classification (London: Muze Europe Ltd) [use only after June 5, 2007]

muzeukn

MuzeMusic UK non-classical music classification (London: Muze Europe Ltd) [use only after June 5, 2007]

csht

Chinese subject headings (Taipei: National Central Library) [use only after June 5, 2007]

lcstt

List of Chinese subject terms (Taipei: National Central Library) [use only after June 5, 2007]

The following code is for use in subfield $2 in fields 600-657 in Bibliographic and Community Information records, in subfield $f in field 040 (Cataloging Source) and in subfield $2 in 7XX (Linking Entry) fields in Authority records.

Addition:

bibalex

Bibliotheca Alexandrina name and subject authority file (Alexandria, Egypt: Bibliotheca Alexandrina) [use only after June 5, 2007]

MARC

Google Summer of Code

Among the 900 projects selected for the Google Summer of Code is one for cataloging.

The purpose of this project is to create a professional web-based library cataloging application for searching, retrieving and editing library catalog records. It will be capable of integrating with any Integrated Library System using the Z39.50 protocol. The user interface will be as responsive to user input as possible and include the use of keyboard shortcuts and integrated help features. It will allow the user to search for records on user-defined Z39.50-enabled library catalogs, edit the records efficiently, and save them in standards compliant formats from which they can be imported into a library catalog.

This application would benefit the library community by providing an intuitive, customizable, professional interface for library catalogers which would work with existing Library Systems. Currently, libraries either have to pay to use proprietary cataloging systems or are limited to the editing interface which comes with their Integrated Library System. Not only would an open source alternative provide a free editor, it would also allow libraries to customize it to meet their cataloging staff's needs.

Cataloging

Skypecasting

Recently we got DSL at home, an upgrade from our dial-connection. So I've been exploring Skype. Nice. Works fine and is simple enough to use. We had used it when traveling and the place we were staying had a high-speed connection. Cora just finished her term as VP for the Texas Music Educators' Association and she often used it at board meetings.

Now I notice there is a service called Skypecasts, lets you talk to as many as 100 people and have control of who speaks and when. Looks like a useful tool. Anyone using it? I'm going to have an experimental Skypecast, just to get a feel for the tool and how it works. I'll just be reading my weekly podcast What's New at the Lunar and Planetary Institute Library. Wednesday evening at 8 Central Time. I have it down for 15 minuets, the shortest time slot they have, but it is more likely to last about 5 minuets, unless lots of folks join and say Hi.

Skype

Functional Requirements and Numbering of Authority Records

The IFLA Working Group on Functional Requirements and Numbering of Authority Records (FRANAR) has made this announcement.

The IFLA Working Group on Functional Requirements and Numbering of Authority Records is pleased to announce that a 2nd draft of "Functional Requirements for Authority Data" (previously titled "Functional Requirements for Authority Records") is now available for worldwide review. This draft, updated in response to comments received during the previous review, is on the IFLA web site. Comments should be sent by July 15, 2007.

FRANAR

CONSER Standard Record

The revised draft documentation for the CONSER standard record is now available.

Serials

Dublin Core News

News from the Dublin Core folks.

Public comment will be held from 2 to 30 April 2007 on two related documents: the "DCMI Abstract Model" and the specification "Expressing Dublin Core metadata using the Resource Description Framework", or DC-RDF. In accordance with feedback received in an earlier public comment period from 4 February to 4 March 2007, the Abstract Model has been modified to differentiate literal and non-literal values in order to support unambiguous transformations into RDF from any encoding syntax that follows the Abstract Model. The DC-RDF specification, a DCMI Proposed Recommendation, updates an earlier draft in line with the latest version of the Abstract Model, as detailed in the document "Notes on DCMI specifications for Dublin Core metadata in RDF"

DC

MODS Implementation Registry

The MODS Implementation Registry contains descriptions of MODS projects planned, in progress, and fully implemented. It provides the MODS community with important information about how MODS is being used in various projects throughout the world.

Please review your entry if you have one or submit any new ones. Institutions and organizations who are implementing or planning to implement MODS should submit the following information to the Network Development and MARC Standards Office (ndmso@loc.gov) at the Library of Congress.

1. Name of the institution or organization implementing MODS
2. The MODS project name
3. A short description of the MODS project
4. Projected dates of implementation
5. A URL to the MODS project web site (if available)
6. A URL to any available documentation or specifications developed for the MODS project
7. A list of any MODS tools developed and or used as part of the MODS project
8. The MODS version used in the project
9. Contact name and e-mail address

MODS

Microformats

As a cataloger who appreciates all forms of structured mark-up, I'm putting this on my to-read list. Microformats: Empowering Your Markup for Web 2.0 I like microformats and hope they become more widespread on the Web. Can't link to WorldCat, since it has yet to make it into any libraries.

Microformats

Schematron

Schematron is an XML schema language that sounds better than what we have been using for our data. It allows for data validation. O'Reilly has a paid downloadable PDF on Schematron.

Schematron is a rule-based XML schema language, offering flexibility and power that W3C XML schema, RELAX NG, and DTDs simply can't match.

You need Schematron and can't settle for other languages if you have to check rules that go beyond checking the document structures (i.e., checking that an element bar is included in element foo) and their datatypes. Schematron is the right tool for checking conditions such as "startDate is earlier than or equal to endDate."

Schematron is also the right tool to use if you have to raise user-friendly error messages rather than depend on error messages that are generated by a schema processor and that are often obscure. Schematron builds on XPath. You will need to understand XPath to to get the most from Schematron.

XML

Happy 5th

I just noticed, a couple of weeks back, Catalogablog hit the 5th anniversary. The first post was early March 2002. I've had fun along the way, trying out different tools and metadata on the weblog. Lately I've been stressed and tired, maybe time to take a break or even close up shop. Not today though. I'll give it a bit more time and see if it passes. Maybe all I need is a good evening of contra dancing. Dancing here in Houston this Saturday. See you Friday at the TX SLA meeting or back here Monday.

"AACR2 Compatible" Headings

This notice from the Cataloging Policy and Support Office was seen on the SLA catalog email list.

The Cataloging Policy and Support Office (CPSO), Library of Congress, has mounted on the Acquisitions and Bibliographic Access (ABA) Web site a PDF file containing an introductory statement and several draft revisions to Library of Congress Rule Interpretations (LCRI) that provide guidelines for a more relaxed policy in dealing with "AACR2 compatible" headings. This document may be retrieved directly from the ABA Web site as the first item under General, Descriptive Cataloging or through the URL. CPSO would like comments from the library community by close of business, April 23, 2007, so that the resulting revisions may be prepared for the next update of LCRI in May. Comments, as noted in the introductory statement should be sent to cpso@loc.gov.

Authority

Metadata for All Memory Institutions

Metadata for All: Descriptive Standards and Metadata Sharing across Libraries, Archives and Museums by Mary W. Elings and Günter Waibel appears in the March issue of First Monday

Integrating digital content from libraries, archives and museums represents a persistent challenge. While the history of standards development is rife with examples of cross-community experimentation, in the end, libraries, archives and museums have developed parallel descriptive strategies for cataloguing the materials in their custody. Applying in particular data content standards by material type, and not by community affiliation, could lead to greater data interoperability within the cultural heritage community.

In making this argument, the article demystifies metadata by defining and categorizing types of standards, provides a brief historical overview of the rise of descriptive standards in museums, libraries and archives, and considers the current tensions and ambitions in making descriptive practice more economic

Metadata

DeLange Conference on Emerging Libraries

Rice University recently had the The DeLange Conference on Emerging Libraries. The talks were recorded and are available for downloading.

Libraries

Users and Uses of Bibliographic Data Meeting

There is a Brief Meeting Summary of the Users and Uses of Bibliographic Data Meeting held March 8, 2007 at Mountain View, CA now available.

The purpose of this first public meeting of the Working Group is to gain insight into the requirements of the bibliographic record and bibliographic control in the context of users and usage. The following brief summary of the Users and Uses Meeting highlights particularly relevant portions of some presentations and recurring themes, as well as some more specific requests for change. Fuller documentation will be prepared as part of the Working Group’s final report.

Cataloging