[DCRM-L] Question: Local notes in OCLC master records

[Laurence Creider]

Sorry, you are correct, of course.  That makes the provision of IRs a 
noble gesture rather than the satisfaction of a requirement.  Still, the 
results have been distressing, and non-profit hardly means non-commercial. 
OCLC has been a very strategically-oriented organization for a long time; 
that is one reason it is still with us.  It is just hard being a flea on 
the dog.

Larry

On Mon, 16 Nov 2009, Dooley,Jackie wrote:

> One small correction: OCLC did not purchase RLG and/or RLIN. It was a
> 2006 merger of two non-profit organizations.
>
> Jackie
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Laurence Creider [mailto:lcreider at lib.NMSU.Edu]
> Sent: Monday, November 16, 2009 12:29 PM
> To: Dooley,Jackie
> Cc: DCRM Revision Group List
> Subject: Re: [DCRM-L] Question: Local notes in OCLC master records
>
> I'm sure that OCLC went out of their way and tried, but the fact remains
>
> that once again OCLC purchased a competing product that in many respects
>
> was better and have replaced with something that is less effective.  The
>
> same thing happened when OCLC purchased WLN and the BNA authority
> system.
> I was verbally promised by a company representative who is still at OCLC
>
> that OCLC would provide the same sort of authority control (100 + 240
> and
> series validation).  Two years later, OCLC was unable to provide the
> service and gave up on the attempt.  As far as I can tell, OCLC did not
> even try with IRs; I do not remember being given any option.
>
> OCLC is the big player, and we all benefit from WorldCat and OCLC's
> attempts to provide what we need.  The fact remains, however, that OCLC
> develops products that we do not always want rather than products
> that we need.  When libraries, particularly research libraries, are
> putting more emphasis on what makes their collections unique, it seems
> insane to make it impossible to access the local notes for special
> collections materials. The scholars working on topics will have to check
>
> the catalogs of individual libraries.  Of course, if those libraries
> choose to use WorldCat local, scholars will be completely out of luck.
>
> Off soapbox.  This is my personal opinion and is not directed at Jackie
> at
> all.
>
>
> Larry
>
> Laurence S. Creider
> Special Collections Librarian
> New Mexico State University
> Las Cruces, NM  88003
> Work: 575-646-7227
> Fax: 575-646-7477
> lcreider at lib.nmsu.edu
>
> On Mon, 16 Nov 2009, Dooley,Jackie wrote:
>
>> First, realize that I'm in OCLC's Research division and so not
> remotely
>> in a position to speak authoritatively about most aspects of WorldCat
>> Local or any other catalog product or service. So I'm speaking from my
>> own sense of things, not in any "official" or particularly
> knowledgeable
>> capacity.
>>
>>
>>
>> About all I can say is that incorporating the IRs was a major endeavor
>> on OCLC's part because the RLIN record paradigm was so completely
>> different from OCLC's master record concept-and I would hope any of us
>> can imagine what such a core structural difference would mean for any
>> major software environment such as WorldCat. As for making IRs
> available
>> for free ... as a non-profit cooperative to which it's essential to
> keep
>> prices as reasonable as possible, I'm assuming that such an extension
>> was deemed not to be cost effective.
>>
>>
>>
>> Jackie
>>
>>
>>
>> From: dcrm-l-bounces at lib.byu.edu [mailto:dcrm-l-bounces at lib.byu.edu]
> On
>> Behalf Of Robert Maxwell
>> Sent: Monday, November 16, 2009 11:45 AM
>> To: DCRM Revision Group List
>> Subject: Re: [DCRM-L] Question: Local notes in OCLC master records
>>
>>
>>
>> It seems unfortunate to me that OCLC has chosen this model. For one
>> thing it creates two classes of libraries where there really isn't a
>> good reason to do so. Second, it discourages use of IRs (if you have
> to
>> pay for them on top of your regular subscription you certainly will
>> think twice about using them-or at least your administrators will).
> The
>> IR concept is such a good one, OCLC should not be putting obstacles in
>> the way of using them.
>>
>>
>>
>> While I'm thinking of it, another obstacle appears to be lack of
> public
>> interface with them. They don't show up nor are they searchable, as
> far
>> as I know, in the FirstSearch interface (which is our public view of
>> OCLC), or (far less) in worldcat.org. At least I haven't been able to
>> find them in either place. If this is the case IRs are further
>> marginalized. The only place I am able to see BYU's institution record
>> for a given master record is in the Connexion client or web version,
>> which is not helpful to the public. Jackie?
>>
>>
>>
>> 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 Dooley,Jackie
>> Sent: Monday, November 16, 2009 12:34 PM
>> To: DCRM Revision Group List
>> Subject: Re: [DCRM-L] Question: Local notes in OCLC master records
>>
>>
>>
>> Libraries that aren't ex-RLIN can purchase IRs. I would be surprised
> if
>> few have done so, but I've never inquired. -Jackie
>>
>>
>>
>> Jackie Dooley
>>
>> Consulting Archivist
>>
>> OCLC Research and the RLG Partnership
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> From: dcrm-l-bounces at lib.byu.edu [mailto:dcrm-l-bounces at lib.byu.edu]
> On
>> Behalf Of Auyong, Dorothy
>> Sent: Monday, November 16, 2009 11:31 AM
>> To: DCRM Revision Group List
>> Subject: Re: [DCRM-L] Question: Local notes in OCLC master records
>>
>>
>>
>> Whenever we create a Master Record/Institutional Record combination, I
>> have instructed our catalogers to remove all local notes and tracings
>> from the Master.
>>
>>
>>
>> I seem to remember that 590 and 500 notes tagged |5 will automatically
>> be stripped from the Master record.  Added entries (7xx) and 655 (form
>> genre) headings coded |5 will NOT be automatically stripped and I have
>> my catalogers strip those from the Master.  Without the corresponding
>> justification in the local note, they are just bad "noise" in an MR.
>>
>>
>>
>> I don't know that the option to create IRs was ever extended to OCLC
>> libraries or it remains a legacy of we few, proud and unapologetic
>> former RLIN libraries <smile>
>>
>>
>>
>> Dorothy Auyong
>>
>> Principal Rare Book Cataloger
>>
>> Huntington Library
>>
>> dauyong at huntington.org
>>
>
>
>
>

Laurence S. Creider
Special Collections Librarian
New Mexico State University
Las Cruces, NM  88003
Work: 575-646-7227
Fax: 575-646-7477
lcreider at lib.nmsu.edu