[DCRB-L] [DCRB] WG1 (General principles): user tasks/needs

[Smith, Eileen]

Manon's post on general principles brings to mind something I've been
discussing recently with Laura and Dorothy Auyong in regard to user
tasks/needs.

If we are saying that the rationale for the existence of DCRM is a
specialized user group(s), and if our aim in setting down general principles
is both to guide our decision-making process *and* to help others argue for
using DCRM at their institutions for certain materials - should we make
these specialized characteristics/tasks/needs explicit in our document? We
already make certain *assumptions* about these in DCRB, but these are not
apparent to everyone.

Even within BSC one is aware of different priorities, affecting what we feel
should be required and what optional in description (e.g. printers'
addresses, which came up at Midwinter), reflecting - I assume - our
different experiences as individuals working with these materials and as
members of different institutions.

Making user characteristics/tasks/needs explicit might serve to remind
ourselves of the broader community, help us establish priorities for
required/optional decision-making, and serve as a tool for other catalogers
and administrators in making a decision to use DCRM.

Eileen

Eileen L. Smith
Rare Book Catalog Librarian
Huntington Library
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108
esmith at huntington.org
626/405-2100 ext. 2380