[MinervaCats] Fwd: [BULK] Re: Minerva Cataloging Committee Nov Report

Wed Dec 3 20:41:51 EST 2008

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Ellen Conway <econway54 at gmail.com>
Date: Wed, Dec 3, 2008 at 8:37 PM
Subject: Re: [BULK] Re: [MinervaCats] Minerva Cataloging Committee Nov
Report
To: Karen Jones <kjones at ci.lewiston.me.us>, minervacats at lists.maine.gov
Cc: dbuker at baxter-memorial.lib.me.us, vfrechette at cmcc.edu,
rfrancis at curtislibrary.com, kgreenman at emcc.edu, bhcollins at gwi.net,
annr at lithgow.lib.me.us, Deborah.Hensler at maine.gov, "Katherine R. Morgan" <
norcat at norway.lib.me.us>, CDunay at smccme.edu, CSPEAR at southportland.org

Karen,

The reasons why the Cataloging Standards committee has been evaluating the
use of the 791 field, and the reason why an application form was created are
the following:

The Committee was asked to look at this because it was felt that the OPAC
display for these records is very confusing, especially from a patron's
point of view.

For example, look at the OPAC display for b24616692, Life on Earth-- and
beyond, by Pamela S. Turner.  When looking at the unscoped search results
you will see that the copies belonging to cml and lpl both have individual
notes stating "this book is a Cornerstones of Science nominee".  Click on
either of these notes and you are taken to the Cornerstones information page
hosted by cml.  This is because the item records for both copies have
identical URLs.

Going back to the OPAC, farther down the page you see 2 local special
collection notes, 1 for cml and 1 for lpl.  If you click on one of these
notes, then you are taken to an author entry generated by an authority
record.  Authority records for many of the collections so noted are
nonexistant.  There are many examples of records that have similarly
complicated displays, many with more than 2 libraries using a 791.

The questions raised by this include:  is there a less complicated and more
efficient way of employing these special fields?  Should each item record
have the same URL causing redundant notes?  Should the URL belong in the bib
instead?  Is there a way of using a single 791 field to note a special
collection that many libraries participate in?

Another question is do special local notes even belong in shared bib
records?  It's my understanding that Minerva started using the 791 field
before we had the ability to use featured lists.  Would a featured list be a
more appropriate method to publicize some of these special collections?

The main reason why the Committee created an application form was so that
there would be a way to record and archive information about the use of the
791, and hopefully to prevent random or inappropriate use.  However, the
Committee has *not* made any conclusions about what would be considered
inappropriate.  I don't speak for Bonnie Collins, but obviously the
situation in 2008 is different from that in 2005.  With Bonnie and I both
being limited to 5 hours per week it was felt that the Committee would need
to take responsibilty for approving requests for special local collection
information.  If the Minerva membership in general does not want the
Standards Committee to have this authority then it would be good to discuss
who should have it.

So, these are the issues we are dealing with.  I'm sorry to give such a
wordy reply to the question but there it is...

Thanks,
Ellen

On Wed, Dec 3, 2008 at 2:45 PM, Karen Jones <kjones at ci.lewiston.me.us>wrote:

>  Katherine,
> I noticed Rebecca's reply to you regarding 791 field approval.  You didn't
> answer my first question about the exact issues surrounding this field.
> Please reply to the whole list.
> Thanks.
> Karen
>
>
>
> >>> "Katherine R. Morgan " <norcat at norway.lib.me.us> 12/3/2008 1:01 PM >>>
>
>
> I received an e-mail from Bonnie earlier in the year saying she is not
> keeping track of MARC 791 field. At our standards meetings, I do
> believe, and Bonnie correct if I am wrong, that Bonnie hasn't
> mentioned that she is the person that approves the use of 791 field.
>
> Katherine
> Quoting Karen Jones <kjones at ci.lewiston.me.us>:
>
> > Thanks for sending this information to the listserv.  I have a
> > question about the 791 field.  What exactly are the issues
> > surrounding this field?  When this field was adopted for local
> > special collections purposes, Bonnie Collins was the designated
> > person to approve use of this field by a library.  When did that
> > change?
> > Karen
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Karen N. Jones
> > Technical Services Librarian
> > Lewiston Public Library
> > 200 Lisbon St.
> > Lewiston, ME  04240
> > kjones at ci.lewiston.me.us
> > Voice:  (207) 513-3004 x3511
> > Fax:  (207) 784-3011
> > TTY:  (207) 513-3007
> > www.lplonline.org ( http://www.lplonline.org/ )
> >
> > The City of Lewiston is an EOE.  For more information, please visit
> > our website at www.ci.lewiston.me.us ( http://www.ci.lewiston.me.us/
> >  ) and click on the Non-Discrimination Policy.
> >
> >
> >
> >>>> "Katherine R. Morgan " <norcat at norway.lib.me.us> 11/24/2008 11:42 AM
> >>>
> > Hello Catalogers
> >     Below you will find the November report on the items the
> > cataloging committee has been working on. Your questions and comments
> > are welcomed.
> >
> > thanks
> > Katherine, chair
> >
> > Minerva Cataloging Standards Committee
> > November 2008 Update
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Blu-Ray discs
> >      Ellen Conway was sent a question about cataloging Blu-Ray discs.
> > The committee decided that Blu-Ray discs will be cataloged as DVDs.
> > The material type is DVD, the GMD id ?videorecording.? To make the
> > Blu-Ray distinct a MARC 538 field will be used that states ?Blu-Ray
> > disc.?
> >
> > Playaways
> >     During the September 23, 2008 cataloging users? group meeting
> > the catalogers asked the cataloging committee to make a policy on
> > Playaways. The Playaways need earphones and one battery to play. Some
> > libraries send the earphones and battery while some do not. The
> > committee decided that each Playaway bibliographic record will contain
> > a MARC 538 field note with the following ?requires earphone and AAA
> > battery.? This way, libraries that say they provide earphones and a
> > battery will not be inundated with requests and the Playaways will be
> > cataloged consistently.
> >
> >
> > MARC 791
> >        The committee is still looking at this field. MARC 791 is used
> > by libraries that have special collections that need to be searchable
> > in the OPAC. To use this field a library needs to have approval by the
> > standards committee. Once the committee has a few options we will ask
> > for feedback.
> >
> >
> >
> > The next standards meeting will be in January 2009 after the
> > Catalogers? User Group.
> >
> >
> >
> > Katherine R. Morgan
> > Technical Services/Administrative Assistant
> > Norway Memorial Library
> > 207-743-5309
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > MinervaCats mailing list
> > MinervaCats at lists.maine.gov
> > http://mailman.informe.org/mailman/listinfo/minervacats
> >
>
>
>

-- 
Ellen M. Conway
Maine InfoNet Cataloging Consultant

-- 
Ellen M. Conway
Maine InfoNet Cataloging Consultant
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