The Library of Congress (LC) and the Program for Cooperative Cataloging (PCC) interpretation of Resource Description and Access (RDA) 9.7 regarding gender when identifying persons reinforces regressive conceptions of gender identity. The rule instructs catalogers to record gender when identifying persons, and although RDA gives catalogers the flexibility to record more than two gender labels, LC limits Name Authority Cooperative Program (NACO) catalogers to a binary label: male, female, or not known. In this article, the authors challenge gender as a descriptive attribute for personal names, critique how LC is instructing NACO catalogers to record elements about gender, and make recommendations to address describing persons in LC authority records.

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What's Gender Got to Do with It? A Critique of RDA 9.7

Metadata lies at the heart of every digital repository project in the sense that it defines and drives the description of digital content stored in the repositories. Metadata allows content to be successfully stored, managed and retrieved but also preserved in the long-term. Despite the enormous importance of metadata in digital repositories, one that is widely recognized, studies indicate that what is defined as metadata quality, is relatively low in most cases of digital repositories. Metadata quality is loosely defined as "fitness for purpose" meaning that low quality of metadata means that metadata cannot fulfill its purpose which is to allow for the successful storage, management and retrieval of resources. In practice, low metadata quality leads to ineffective searches for content, ones that recall the wrong resources or even worse, no resources which makes them invisible to the intended user, that is the "client" of each digital repository. The present dissertation approaches this problem by proposing a comprehensive metadata quality assurance method, namely the Metadata Quality Assurance Certification Process (MQACP). The basic idea of this dissertation is to propose a set of methods that can be deployed throughout the lifecycle of a repository to ensure that metadata generated from content providers are of high quality. These methods have to be straightforward, simple to apply with measurable results. They also have to be adaptable with minimum effort so that they can be used in different contexts easily. This set of methods was described analytically, taking into account the actors needed to apply them, describing the tools needed and defining the anticipated outcomes. In order to test our proposal, we applied it on a Learning Federation of repositories, from day 1 of its existence until it reached its maturity and regular operation. We supported the metadata creation process throughout the different phases of the repositories involved by setting up specific experiments using the methods and tools of the MQACP. Throughout each phase, we measured the resulting metadata quality to certify that the anticipated improvement in metadata quality actually took place. Lastly, through these different phases, the cost of the MQACP application was measured to provide a comparison basis for future applications. Based on the success of this first application, we decided to validate the MQACP approach by applying it on another two cases of a Cultural and a Research Federation of repositories. This would allow us to prove the transferability of the approach to other cases the present some similarities with the initial one but mainly significant differences. The results showed that the MQACP was successfully adapted to the new contexts, with minimum adaptations needed, with similar results produced and also with comparable costs. In addition, looking closer at the common experiments carried out in each phase of each use case, we were able to identify interesting patterns in the behavior of content providers that can be further researched. The dissertation is completed with a set of future research directions that came out of the cases examined. These research directions can be explored in order to support the next version of the MQACP in terms of the methods deployed, the tools used to assess metadata quality as well as the cost analysis of the MQACP methods.

Metadata quality issues in learning repositories

This paper presents the results of the analysis of the causes for duplicate profiles in the Scopus database on the basis of a random sampling of profiles of 400 Russian authors and 400 organizations. We estimate the number of duplicate profiles and calculate the level of uncertainty that errors in bibliographic descriptions can contribute to the results of scientometric studies using the Scopus database. The analysis showed that in Scopus 76% of the organizations and 24% of the authors have duplicate profiles. In this regard, organizations lose an average of 17% of publications and authors lose 11%. The results of this study can be used in elaboration of the Scopus database and estimating the error level in the research assessment of institutions and individuals.

The Impact of Errors in the Sсopus Database on the Research Assessment

The persistent identifier (PID) landscape extends to cover objects, individuals and organisations engaged in the process of research. Established services such as DataCite, Crossref, ORCID and ISNI are providing a foundation for a trusted ecosystem and a new generation of services. Scalable identifier systems will support researchers and capture research activity in a holistic way, across the entire lifecycle. Challenges remain – siloed services are not interoperable; important types of objects are not adequately covered, many processes remain manual, and adoption, while strong, is not consistent across disciplines. This article draws on the work of the EU-funded THOR project to take stock of the current state of interoperability across the PID landscape and to discuss the next steps towards an integrated research record. Examples illustrate how this interconnectivity is facilitated technically, as well as social and human challenges in fostering adoption. User stories highlight how this network of persistent identifier services is facilitating good practice in open research and where its limitations lie.

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Connecting the Persistent Identifier Ecosystem: Building the Technical and Human Infrastructure for Open Research

Authority control in an academic library consortium using a union catalogue maintained by a central office for authority control

This article describes the project to build the initial International Standard Name Identifier (ISNI) database by deploying the techniques used to develop the Virtual International Authority File (VIAF). It focuses particularly on the work of the OCLC team in transforming the VIAF “resource file” model of matched data into a robust, operational, and authoritative file of uniquely assigned ISNIs as a base for an ongoing ISNI assignment system, and on the quality assurance validation of the database provided by the British Library and the Bibliotheque nationale de France. The need for future interaction between ongoing ISNI assignment and name authority control in libraries is also explored.

The International Standard Name Identifier (ISNI): The Evolving Future of Name Authority Control

This article discusses the deficiencies of search engines and the importance of metadata before examining three models of metadata retrieval: distributed; distributed data with a centralised index; and centralised union catalogue. In listing the advantages and disadvantages of the distributed model, the Z39.50 protocol is used as an example. The OAI harvest protocol is the example of the second model. Virtual union catalogues are compared with a real one. A pan‐European model is discussed as a way to combine the best of all three models, with EUCAT as its base.

Aiming at quality and coverage combined: blending physical and virtual union catalogues

This paper explores the role of union catalogues in inter‐library loans and document delivery and how that role is changing to embrace virtual holdings and electronic document delivery Figures from the Dutch National Union Catalogue (Nederlandse Centrale Catalogus, NCC) show that, contrary to expectations, physical loans are not decreasing but now comprise over a quarter of interlibrary loan activity With direct user access, interlibrary loans have become unmediated and numbers of traditional loans and photocopies have steadily increased with a dramatic rise in electronic copy International interlibrary loans pose technical and logistical problems for union catalogues From a system viewpoint, it is necessary to integrate ILL systems, local library systems and to determine the end user’s ILL system and rights EUCAT is an example of a federation of union catalogues While the technical problems are more or less resolved, libraries still must determine the conditions for international co‐operation

Inter‐library loans and document delivery via EUCAT: a new PICA/OCLC initiative

ISNI: A new system for name identification

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to report on the latest developments at OCLC and OCLC PICA to facilitate resource sharing and end user delivery.Design/methodology/approach – The article provides a descriptive insight into the work of OCLC and OCLC PICA.Findings – Three key strategies underlie the joint OCLC and OCLC PICA approach to resource sharing: fulfillment by any means; support for both mediated and unmediated request and delivery; and provision of a comprehensive, modular framework with entry at any level.Practical implications – The widening of the international discovery network for materials, better knowledge, use of loan and alternative supply policies, and simplified cooperative payment systems. Libraries are encouraged to broaden their supply options, including digitize or index on demand or reference lookup.Originality/value – Provides an insight into the current work of OCLC and OCLC PICA in three areas of concern to librarians involved in resource sharing, particularly at an inter...

Janifer Gatenby

Papers

The International Standard Name Identifier (ISNI): The Evolving Future of Name Authority Control

Aiming at quality and coverage combined: blending physical and virtual union catalogues

Inter‐library loans and document delivery via EUCAT: a new PICA/OCLC initiative

ISNI: A new system for name identification

International sharing and delivery of library resources