[MinervaCats] MinervaCats Digest, Vol 17, Issue 9

[Ellen Conway]

Dear Barbara,

The AACR2 rule for summarizing states the following:

 for printed monographs "*Rule 2.7B17. Summary.  *Give a brief objective
summary of the content of an item unless another part of the description
provides enough information."

 for videorecordings "*Rule 7.7b17. Summary.*  Give a brief objective
summary of the content of an item unless another part of the description
provides enough information."

Note the use of the words "brief" and "objective".  A summary does provide
keyword access but it should not take the place of appropriate LC subject
headings.  I checked the Minerva catalog records for the book "Enrique's
journey" and found that the bibs include multiple subject entries that would
enable anyone using a keyword search to locate this book.  In fact the only
one missing that I would add is "Migrant agricultural laborers".  In my
opinion this summary adds nothing to the quality of the description,
providing instead a synopsis that gives too much away about the story.

If I were to edit the summary it would read like this:  "The story of a
Honduran child who follows his migrant worker mother to the U.S. by riding
freight trains, a journey known as the Train of Death. Based on a Pulitzer
prize winning Los Angeles Times series."  Okay, it's 38 words, not 25, but
it's still a lot more concise than the publisher's sales pitch. 25 words is
a guideline.

The summary really is not the appropriate field to provide a detailed
synopsis or a reviewer's opinion about the quality of an item's content.  If
a patron seeks this information it is available from a wide variety of
sources.  If the patron is unable to access this information, then most
reference librarians should be able to do so.  If you must include a review,
be sure to use a first indicator "1", quotation marks, and name the source.
Remember, too, that Minerva pays an annual fee to Syndetics for enhanced
content on the OPAC.  If you click on "More about this book" in the OPAC for
"Enrique's journey" you will easily access a summary and an excerpt from the
book itself.

The subject of summaries has been discussed numerous times at the Cataloging
Users meetings, and catalogers have been told that they are expected to keep
them short and objective, and to edit them if necessary.

Earlier today I received an email from a member of your cataloging staff who
objects on many levels to the guidelines in the "Tip of the Week".  I would
like to respond to those objections here.  First, as members of the Minerva
consortium, our cataloging is expected to follow AACR2 rules and the
standards of the Minerva group.  Please refer to the online cataloging
manual at http://www.maine.gov/infonet/minerva/cataloging/manual/ch10.htm#marc520


He also questions the ethics of encouraging the ridiculing of other
catalogers, rather than correcting errors and offering constructive
criticism.  If I offended anyone in this way, I sincerely apologize.  That
is not my intent at all; in fact the purpose of these tips is to respond to
frequent requests for clarification of certain issues.

Finally, as to whether or not it is appropriate to expect "tasteful"
material in a summary, I agree that this is a subjective choice, but I would
remind everyone that our catalog is shared not just by university libraries
but by public libraries and schools, including elementary schools, and it
would not hurt to keep that in mind.

Thank you,
Ellen Conway




On 6/22/07, minervacats-request at informe.org <minervacats-request at informe.org
> wrote:
>
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> Today's Topics:
>
>   1. FW:  Cataloging Tip of the Week, part 2 (Barbara Bartley)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2007 11:31:05 -0400
> From: "Barbara Bartley" < bbartley at kvcc.me.edu>
> Subject: [MinervaCats] FW:  Cataloging Tip of the Week, part 2
> To: < minervacats at lists.maine.gov>
> Message-ID:
>        < 1C47929A511A81469DEC89A91F0D1DC904965426 at exchange2.kvtc.net >
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> 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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> End of MinervaCats Digest, Vol 17, Issue 9
> ******************************************
>



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