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

[Schaffner,Jennifer]

via mobile

On Nov 16, 2009, at 1:30 PM, "Margaret F Nichols" <mnr1 at cornell.edu>  
wrote:

> This is one of those issues where I'm of two minds. On the one hand,  
> I wholeheartedly share in Larry's frustration with the difference  
> between RLIN's sophisticated features and WorldCat Local's lack of  
> those features (powerful as WCL is in some other ways). The handling  
> of local notes is only one of a number of instances of this woeful  
> difference. On the other hand, once OCLC had developed a database  
> that relied so heavily on what looks to me like the fundamentally  
> flawed concept of the master record, and once it had built up a file  
> of millions of bibliographic records based on that concept, I can  
> have some sympathy with the OCLCers' inability to stop everything  
> and totally restructure their database in order to provide us with  
> better service. It's hard to see what they *can* do about the master  
> record, in fact, aside from a tweak here or there.
>
> If I were Queen of OCLC and had unlimited funds, I suppose I'd  
> direct my minions to develop a completely new database (on a model  
> closer to RLIN's, allowing for public display of institutional  
> records, etc.) while continuing to provide uninterrupted service  
> through the existing database, since many libraries depend so  
> heavily on the latter. But in the real world, I can imagine how hard  
> (maybe impossible) it would be to do this--impossibly expensive,  
> fiendishly difficult from a technical standpoint, etc. We all saw  
> what a time RLG had, just making the transition from RLIN to RLIN21.
>
> Meanwhile, who knows--maybe the transition to RDA will force OCLC's  
> hand, or then again, maybe it will create such big problems that  
> these will appear small by comparison ;-) .
>
> Ever the optimist,
>
> Margaret Nichols
>
> ______________________
>
> Margaret Nichols
> Head, Special Materials Unit
> Library Technical Services
> 110 Olin Library
> Cornell University
> Ithaca, NY 14853-5301
> Tel. (607) 255-3530
> mnr1 at cornell.edu
> ________________________________________
> From: dcrm-l-bounces at lib.byu.edu [dcrm-l-bounces at lib.byu.edu] On  
> Behalf Of Laurence Creider [lcreider at lib.NMSU.Edu]
> Sent: Monday, November 16, 2009 3:50 PM
> To: Dooley,Jackie
> Cc: DCRM Revision Group List
> Subject: Re: [DCRM-L] Question: Local notes in OCLC master records
>
> 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