[MinervaCats] FW: [MELIBS-L] 520 field

[Hensler, Deborah]

You're right, Valerie, this discussion should not be on MELIBS.

Deb

______________________________
Deborah Hensler
Library Systems Specialist, Maine InfoNet
Maine State Library
64 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333
207-287-5620 or 1-800-322-8899
207-287-5624 - fax
207-592-1825 - mobile
http://www.maine.gov/infonet/

-----Original Message-----
From: Maine Libraries Discussion List [mailto:MELIBS-L at LISTS.MAINE.EDU]
On Behalf Of Okrent, Valerie P.
Sent: Friday, June 29, 2007 7:59 AM
To: MELIBS-L at LISTS.MAINE.EDU
Subject: [MELIBS-L] 520 field

I think that this discussion would be better suited for the MinervaCats
list, but I wanted to throw my 2 cents in. While I appreciate a good
summary I think that there are two good reasons to limit them in the
bib. One is that now with more about the book the patron can get a
summary and sometimes even a section or review of the book. I find that
feature very useful and it can be used instead of the summary in the
bib. Second, while there are many things I would like to do to "my" bib
records I recognize that they are not actually "mine." I guess I object
to the idea that when a collective as big as Minerva has decided on a
course of action one library can tell all others not to alter "their"
bibs. If the cataloging committee changes their policy I will gladly
keep the 520s in tact, but as it is when I work on "my" bib I will
follow the rules of the consortium.     
 
Valerie Okrent
Interlibrary Loan Department
Central Maine Community College
(207)755-5335
vokrent at cmcc.edu

________________________________

From: Maine Libraries Discussion List on behalf of Debbie Lozito
Sent: Thu 6/28/2007 3:27 PM
To: MELIBS-L at LISTS.MAINE.EDU
Subject: [MELIBS-L]



I agree with David. A good summary is important particularly when
patrons
are requesting online--it's very upsetting to get the book you
requested,
only to find it's not the book you thought it was.

               -Debbie

Debbie Lozito
Director
Edythe Dyer Community Library
269 Main Road North
Hampden, Maine  04444
207-862-3550

-----Original Message-----
From: Maine Libraries Discussion List [mailto:MELIBS-L at LISTS.MAINE.EDU]
On
Behalf Of David Smith
Sent: Thursday, June 28, 2007 2:42 PM
To: MELIBS-L at LISTS.MAINE.EDU
Subject: [MELIBS-L]

Hello all,



I feel obligated to respond on the list since some of my concerns about
a previous post have not been addressed while others seem to have been
misconstrued.  First off I would like to remind others that
correcting/editing bib records that are not actually incorrect is
probably not a good idea.  Some of the cataloging rules contain
preferences rather than rigid standards.  Just because some out there do
not find a particular field useful doesn't mean that it is useless to
others.  Our patrons like the 520 summary.  Though I agree that
summaries should be brief and for the most part objective that does not
mean that they have to be 25 words or less.  If they are so brief that
they say nothing, it defeats the purpose of having them in the first
place.  Our patrons want to know what they are getting.  As for the
notion of not using adjectives I'm not sure where to start.  Adjectives
are descriptions.  A summary by its nature is meant to describe.  We
only have eight parts of speech -- if you automatically gut out one of
them you are seriously limiting what you can describe. 

Please, if you do not find spelling or grammatical errors in our 520s
leave them alone.



Thank you,



David O. Smith, Library Assistant

dsmith at kvcc.me.edu

(tel) 207 453 5004



Kennebec Valley Community College

92 Western Avenue

Fairfield, Maine 04937