[DCRM-L] Subfield $5 / Several cataloguing questions

[Robert Maxwell]

We just had Karen Smith Yoshimura of RLG and Glenn Patton of OCLC here
at BYU today for an RLG/OCLC merger update and learned a bit about their
plans for institutional records. It does appear that in the near future
the OCLC database will become somewhat RLIN-like. The current plan is to
retain the master record with institutional records attached to it. The
institutional records will be searchable on the same basis as the master
records, i.e. just like the records in the RLIN cluster. Institutional
records will be optional (no library will be required to have
institutional records) and will begin with the records of the current
RLG members, whose records after the migration will also continue to be
added as institutional records (if they so desire--this will be optional
on an institution by institution basis). I gather that plans are not yet
in place for allowing current OCLC members who have not been RLG members
to get retrospective institutional records into the database (those of
you who are interested might start lobbying) but I gather as of
Connexion version 2.0, slated for release in July or so, anyone
cataloging IN OCLC (as opposed to adding via FTP or tapeload) will be
able to create institutional records attached to the master record,
which will be visible to everyone else who is interested. So yes, please
continue to include local information in your records!
 
I also heard today that since the merger UCLA and U of Washington have
joined RLG Programs (the new name of the merged entity). Cheers all
around!
 
Bob
 

Robert L. Maxwell
Special Collections and Ancient Languages Catalog Librarian
Genre/Form Authorities Librarian
6728 Harold B. Lee Library
Brigham Young University
Provo, UT 84602
(801)422-5568 

 


________________________________

	From: dcrm-l-bounces at lib.byu.edu
[mailto:dcrm-l-bounces at lib.byu.edu] On Behalf Of Eric Holzenberg
	Sent: Wednesday, January 10, 2007 1:19 PM
	To: DCRM Revision Group List
	Subject: RE: [DCRM-L] Subfield $5 / Several cataloguing
questions
	
	
	Katy,
	
	At 02:22 PM 1/10/2007, you wrote:
	

		The issue of OCLC is one that I keep coming back to as I
read messages on this list. Aside from my own personal misgivings about
OCLC as the single national catalogue, it also affects our cataloguing
decisions. We are currently not a member of OCLC and do not submit
records, but I have no doubt that will change sometime in the future. Do
we want to record our copy-specific notes on inscriptions, ownership,
etc. in field that may upload to OCLC? Is that appropriate? My instinct
is to keep copy-specific notes in fields which would display only in our
own system (or use a subfield 5 and have them stripped out). But is that
then removing information that might be useful to a researcher? Because
I do not regularly use or catalogue for OCLC, I do not have a real sense
of what is expected, or approved of, or what is "normal" practice. I
have a general feeling that I am missing something... Or perhaps the
whole OCLC/RLIN issue really is just that confusing.


	I would urge you to create, display locally, and upload to OCLC
any and all copy-specific notes of the type you mention. Presumably the
book was purchased for your institution partly (or wholly) because of
these copy-specific qualities: binding, provenance, or what-have-you. If
these notes contain information important for your own constituency,
they are at least potentially of interest to the scholarly community at
large. As I understand it, "normal practice" in OCLC will change with
the merger of the RLIN database, resulting in something closer to RLIN
practice in the treatment of copy-specific information. But whether or
not that happens, I would take the high road, provide as much copy
specific information as possible, and let researchers and other
institutions decide what is useful to them, and what is not.  
	
	Regards,
	
	

	Eric Holzenberg
	Director
	The Grolier Club 
	47 East 60th Street
	New York, NY  10022
	phone: 212/838-6690
	fax: 212/838-2445
	e-mail: ejh at grolierclub.org
	website: www.grolierclub.org <http://www.grolierclub.org/> 
	

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