[DCRM-L] Discontinuation of OCLC's institutional records program

[Ted P Gemberling]

Linde,
One thing that I found really inspiring about Mann's work is that he had a conception of the reference librarian as detective. As he put it, the "surrogates," that is, the catalog, couldn't be expected to show you where everything was. Possibly the only way you could find some things was to go the shelves and leaf through books in an area that seemed appropriate for your topic. And as I said, ultimately it's the scholar himself, and those who help him like his graduate advisor, who is responsible for solving detailed issues about what is in the literature. Our job is just to help the scholars find things as best we can.

Richard,
If I understood what you said at the end of your last message, it sounds like you're suggesting that DCRM(x) could be a sort of "refuge" for detailed cataloging if OCLC allows DCRM(x) records to escape merging with poorer records. That might be a good idea, but I imagine you're not suggesting that we put local notes in 500 $5 for every rare book library, are you? Sorry to be so ignorant of how World Cat Local works. We haven't subscribed to it here.

Best, Ted

From: dcrm-l-bounces at lib.byu.edu [mailto:dcrm-l-bounces at lib.byu.edu] On Behalf Of Linde B.
Sent: Wednesday, March 25, 2015 1:00 PM
To: DCRM Users' Group
Subject: Re: [DCRM-L] Discontinuation of OCLC's institutional records program


On Wed, Mar 25, 2015 at 10:30 AM, Ted P Gemberling <tgemberl at uab.edu<mailto:tgemberl at uab.edu>> wrote:
I would think the ILL system can't be expected to find all the detail scholars want.

Actually, OCLC is one of the most exasperating impediments to research in book history, because of this particularly lazy attitude.  You can scarcely figure out which library has what, because the libraries don't know, with of course the exception of rare book cataloging.
Well, that and the simply error-laden cataloging.
A person whose statements never quite match reality is either a liar or psychotic.
So what do we call a database in which the records never match reality?

Best,
Linde



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