[DCRM-L] Including Cataloging History information in public interface

[Zinkham, Helena]

The Folger Library practices sounds similar to what happens at the Library of Congress, although our cataloger code lists are not posted at a public site. The MARC View in the OPAC displays a local field (955) with a code and date for the cataloger who creates a record and for later substantive revisions.  The usage is initially for statistics and after that for contact information about the cataloging. As an example, see: 955__ |a qw26 2017-05; qw08 2021-02r<https://catalog.loc.gov/vwebv/staffView?searchId=25766&recPointer=0&recCount=25&searchType=0&bibId=19673841>

--Helena

Helena Zinkham, Prints & Photographs Division, Library of Congress

From: DCRM-L <dcrm-l-bounces at lib.byu.edu> On Behalf Of Erin Blake
Sent: Wednesday, March 17, 2021 5:13 PM
To: DCRM Users' Group <dcrm-l at lib.byu.edu>
Subject: Re: [DCRM-L] Including Cataloging History information in public interface

Our finding aids do credit the person or people who created them, but our OPAC records only have initials, and those initials are only viewable in "MARC View" of the OPAC. A public list of initials gives researchers an idea of when an item was cataloged (https://folgerpedia.folger.edu/Initials_in_catalog_records) and a staff-only version of the same list gives full names of the cataloger, and their areas of specialization. Researcher services staff sometimes use this as a way to (silently) evaluate the credibility of the record.

Several people at our institution want catalogers' names to be included in records, since they believe catalogers should get "credit" for their scholarship, same as if they'd written an article, or a blog post, or any other thing where names are routinely attached. Personally, I prefer to remain invisible! The record I'm making might be mostly based on copy, and I don't want to take credit for someone else's work. I also don't want to be blamed for someone else's bad work. Happy to be blamed for my own bad work, but you can't tell who did what in a MARC record.

Erin.
______________________
Erin Blake, Ph.D.  |  Senior Cataloger  |  Folger Shakespeare Library  |  201 E. Capitol St. SE, Washington, DC, 20003  |  eblake at folger.edu<mailto:eblake at folger.edu>  |  www.folger.edu<https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/-t5RCjRgpBtArRXC7R7_2?domain=urldefense.com>   |  Pronouns: she/her/hers



On Wed, Mar 17, 2021 at 3:33 PM Liz Adams <elizabeth.adams at duke.edu<mailto:elizabeth.adams at duke.edu>> wrote:
Hello!

I’m currently convening a group at my institution looking at issues related to “provenance” (very broadly defined). One of the areas we’re thinking about is if we should ever include the name of the cataloger and the date an item was cataloged in a field that would display publicly. Right now, we track our cataloging stats through cataloger IDs that do not display in our public interface. Manuscript processor here do typically include names and relevant processing dates in finding aids. As a side note, AMREMM also includes “Cataloging History’ (7B27) that has an example including cataloger’s name.

My question is: Does your institution ever include cataloging history information related to print material or unique items in a field that display publicly? And if so, would you mind sharing those cases?

Thanks so much for considering!

Best,

Liz

Liz Adams
Rare Materials Cataloger
David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library
Duke University
Durham, NC 27708

elizabeth.adams at duke.edu<mailto:elizabeth.adams at duke.edu>
919.613.1010
she/her/hers<https://studentaffairs.duke.edu/csgd/training-resources/gender-pronouns>

https://library.duke.edu/rubenstein/

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