[MinervaCats] FW: Cataloging Tip of the Week, part 2

[Barbara Bartley]

Any cataloging colleagues up for some constructive discussion of this
issue?

 

Please consider the following example for the book Enrique's Journey:

 

http://ursus2.ursus.maine.edu/search~S18/t?SEARCH=enrique%27s+journey&se
archscope=18

 

 

Based on the Los Angeles Times series that won two Pulitzer Prizes, this
is a timeless story of families torn apart. When Enrique was five, his
mother, too poor to feed her children, left Honduras to work in the
United States. The move allowed her to send money back home so Enrique
could eat better and go to school past the third grade. She promised she
would return quickly, but she struggled in America. Without her, he
became lonely and troubled. After eleven years, he decided he would go
find her. He set off alone, with little more than a slip of paper
bearing his mother's North Carolina telephone number. Without money, he
made the dangerous trek up the length of Mexico, clinging to the sides
and tops of freight trains. He and other migrants, many of them
children, are hunted like animals. To evade bandits and authorities,
they must jump onto and off the moving boxcars they call the Train of
Death. It is an epic journey, one thousands of children make each year
to find their mothers in the United States.--From publisher description.

 

Who can provide this level of keyword access in 25 words or less? I dare
you! :-) 

 

 

Barbara Bartley, Librarian

Lunder Library

Kennebec Valley Community College

92 Western Ave.

Fairfield ME 04937-1367

(207) 453-5004

________________________________

From: minervacats-bounces at informe.org
[mailto:minervacats-bounces at informe.org] On Behalf Of Ellen Conway
Sent: Tuesday, June 19, 2007 9:10 PM
To: minervacats at lists.maine.gov
Subject: [MinervaCats] Cataloging Tip of the Week, part 2

 

Hi Catalogers!

 

I have had several requests to address the subject of the 520 field.
The 520 field is the appropriate location for the "Summary note".  A
summary note is "intended to be a brief and objective summary of the
content of the resource."  A summary note should not exceed 25 words if
possible. 

 

Recently we have been seeing more and more excessively long summary
notes in new bib records.  Frequently they contain nonobjective
information, opinions, and even quotations from reviewers.  This may be
the result of copying text from a publisher's blurb on a book jacket or
container, or could be the result of excessive enthusiasm!  However,
this is not an appropriate use of the summary note.  Remember, it is not
our role as catalogers to express opinions about the material in a
summary; we should merely give the briefest of descriptions of an item's
plot or content. 

 

Charlotte from South Portland sent me an especially egregious example of
a bad summary note that she found on a record for the film "Trust the
Man":  

 

    "Rebecca is an actress who is married to Tom; together they have two
children. As Rebecca begins rehearsals on a new play at the Lincoln
Center, Tom stays at home to watch the kids. He begins to think about
how horny he is. They go to see a counselor and discuss their sexual
problems. Tom wants to have sex twice a day, while Rebecca thinks Tom is
a maniac. Rebecca's brother, Tobey is in a long term relationship with
Elaine, Rebecca's best friend, who suddenly hears her biological clock
ticking and realizes she wants to be married and have a child. This is
not good news for commitment phobic Tobey." 

 

Thanks, Charlotte!  This summary certainly is too long, and I am sure
that there is a more "tasteful" way to describe the plot of this film.

 

Other important details to remember about the 520 field include the fact
that it is repeatable and keyword indexed.  Pay attention to the 2
indicators.  If the first indicator is left blank, your record will
appear in the OPAC with the word "Summary" at the beginning of the
field.  In most cases you will want to use "0" for the first indicator;
this means that the field describes the subject of the material.  If for
some reason you absolutely must quote from a review, you should use
first indicator "1".  Right click on the field for more information and
choices. 

 

As you are cataloging, if you should find a record with a summary note
that is too long or contains inappropriate information, please make an
effort to rewrite or edit it if possible.  And just for fun, feel free
to send me copies of any summaries you think are candidates for the
Summary Hall of Shame. 

 

Thanks,

Ellen

 

 


-- 
Ellen M. Conway 
Maine InfoNet Cataloging Consultant
797-9464, cell ph. 329-5443 

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