Showing papers on "Cataloging published in 2011"

Describing linked datasets with the VoID vocabulary

Abstract: VoID is an RDF Schema vocabulary for expressing metadata about RDF datasets. It is intended as a bridge between the publishers and users of RDF data, with applications ranging from data discovery to cataloging and archiving of datasets. This document is a detailed guide to the VoID vocabulary. It describes how VoID can be used to express general metadata based on Dublin Core, access metadata, structural metadata, and links between datasets. It also provides deployment advice and discusses the discovery of VoID descriptions.

The Atlas of New Librarianship

Abstract: Libraries have existed for millennia, but today the library field is searching for solid footing in an increasingly fragmented (and increasingly digital) information environment. What is librarianship when it is unmoored from cataloging, books, buildings, and committees? In The Atlas of New Librarianship, R. David Lankes offers a guide to this new landscape for practitioners. He describes a new librarianship based not on books and artifacts but on knowledge and learning; and he suggests a new mission for librarians: to improve society through facilitating knowledge creation in their communities. The vision for a new librarianship must go beyond finding library-related uses for information technology and the Internet; it must provide a durable foundation for the field. Lankes recasts librarianship and library practice using the fundamental concept that knowledge is created though conversation. New librarians approach their work as facilitators of conversation; they seek to enrich, capture, store, and disseminate the conversations of their communities. To help librarians navigate this new terrain, Lankes offers a map, a visual representation of the field that can guide explorations of it; more than 140 Agreements, statements about librarianship that range from relevant theories to examples of practice; and Threads, arrangements of Agreements to explain key ideas, covering such topics as conceptual foundations and skills and . Agreement Supplements at the end of the book offer expanded discussions. Although it touches on theory as well as practice, theAtlas is meant to be a tool: textbook, conversation guide, platform for social networking, and call to action.

From Testing to Implementation: Managing Full-Scale RDA Adoption at the University of Chicago

Abstract: The University of Chicago Library was a formal participant in the US National Libraries’ Resource Description and Access (RDA), Test from October–December 2010 Immediately following the test period, the Library implemented RDA for original cataloging This article will reflect on our RDA testing experience, and will address some of the major issues related to managing its adoption, including: staff training; implications on cataloging policies; preparing the integrated library system (ILS) for RDA metadata; managing the integration of RDA with Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules (AACR2) records; major costs associated with full implementation; and finally, what RDA may mean for the future of our metadata infrastructures

An Agent-based Federated Learning Object Search Service

Abstract: Introduction The Brazilian Ministry of Education provides free digital pedagogical content by means of the Virtual and Interactive Net for Education program (RIVED, 2009), distributing these objects through the International Base of Educational Objects repository (BIOE, 2010) The main goal of these programs is to aid in the development and distribution of electronic educational material by using Learning Objects (LO) as the foremost technology to publish and disseminate such material The material is formed by educational activities, which may contain multimedia resources, animations, and simulations To locate a particular object in a repository is a difficult problem depending on the rightful indexation and cataloging of its material This process corresponds to the fulfilling of the LO metadata with correct information Metadata is information that describes the characteristics of certain documents, material, or LO The main purpose of metadata is still to be understood and used by people or software agents in cataloging, searching, and similar tasks (Taylor, 2003) The cataloging and indexation process represents one of the greatest issues to locating educational contents, such as learning objects, because it is through this process that these objects can be found through search engines Incorrect LO cataloging or indexation causes inefficacy in search processes This situation is aggravated when LO are distributed and maintained in several distinct repositories The increase of LO production in Brazil (and around the world) by several different institutions has shown the risk that the material remains unused by the general community, or at least with very restricted use, limited only to the members of the institution in case a unified search mechanism exists capable of finding LO in repositories of most anyone in the institution Currently there is no standard infrastructure that gives support to a unified search and retrieval of educational resources such as LO (CORDRA Management Group, 2009) To assist in this situation, the present work proposes the creation of an agent-based federated catalog of learning objects (AgCAT) The general objective of this system is to provide an infrastructure of federated LO catalogs that are able to help in the search and retrieval of these educational resources The system will make intensive use of technologies from Distributed Artificial Intelligence (DAI) and Multi-Agent Systems (MAS) research fields (Weiss, 1999; Wooldridge, 2002), seeking to optimize the LO search process The system will use several protocols and technologies to harvest metadata from LO repositories and digital libraries Several AgCAT systems can also be federated, forming a federation of LO catalogs The search for LO in the federation is transparent for its users A query made in any federated AgCAT system is transparently propagated to all other AgCAT systems in the federation Therefore, apart from communication delay, a query in any AgCAT system is equivalent to the same query in any other federated system Only the search propagation protocol must be supported by each federated AgCAT system The administration and management of each federated AgCAT system is completely independent from the other federated systems, allowing for different institutions to be included easily in the federation This work presents the functional structure and organization of the AgCAT system, showing the system's architecture, aspects of its prototype, and main results obtained until now The next two sections present a literature review concerning the main topics related in the present work focusing on the metadata standards supported by AgCAT and the multi-agent technology that supports the system The following section describes the multi-agent architecture of the system, the organization of its agents, particular details about the formation of the directory federation, and the metadata harvesting process …

List of Sources, Cresting toward the Sea Change: Literature Review of Cataloging and Classification, 2009-2010

Abstract: Introduction This bibliography is meant to accompany the literature review on cataloging and classification covering 2009 and 2010, " Cresting toward the Sea Change, " that is published in the April 2012 issue of Library Resources and Technical Services (volume 56, number 2). It contains citations to English-sources are listed here than were discussed in the literature review. The citations are arranged in the same manner as the article, with entries listed under nine broad topic headings (see the list, below). All site addresses included in the citations were viewed and the links correct as of December 16, 2011. Acknowledgments The bibliography was funded in part through a Carnegie-Whitney grant awarded to Sue Ann Gardner by the Library Resources and Technical Services (LRTS) Editorial Board. Many thanks to Charles Wilt, ALCTS Executive Director, who facilitated the awarding of the grant, and to the LRTS Board for their support. Thanks are due to Anna Sophia Cotton, research assistant for the project, who gathered citations for this project from August through November 2010.

Computer-assisted assignment of educational standards using natural language processing

Abstract: Educational standards are a central focus of the current educational system in the United States, underpinning educational practice, curriculum design, teacher professional development, and high-stakes testing and assessment. Digital library users have requested that this information be accessible in association with digital learning resources to support teaching and learning as well as accountability requirements. Providing this information is complex because of the variability and number of standards documents in use at the national, state, and local level. This article describes a cataloging tool that aids catalogers in the assignment of standards metadata to digital library resources, using natural language processing techniques. The research explores whether the standards suggestor service would suggest the same standards as a human, whether relevant standards are ranked appropriately in the result set, and whether the relevance of the suggested assignments improve when, in addition to resource content, metadata is included in the query to the cataloging tool. The article also discusses how this service might streamline the cataloging workflow. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Keeping libraries relevant in the Semantic Web with resource description and access (RDA)

Abstract: Cataloging is not just building a catalog, but about providing users with timely access to information relevant to their needs. The task of identifying resources collected by libraries, archives and museums results in rich metadata that can be reused for many purposes. It involves describing resources and showing their relationships to persons, families, corporate bodies and other resources, thereby enabling users to navigate through surrogates to more quickly get information they need. The metadata constructed throughout the life cycle of a resource is especially valuable to many types of users, from creators of resources to publishers, subscription agents, book vendors, resource aggregators, system vendors, libraries and other cultural institutions, and end users. The new international cataloging code, RDA (resource description and access), is designed to meet fundamental user tasks in a way that produces wellformed, interconnected metadata for the digital environment.

Assessing the Cost and Value of Bibliographic Control

Abstract: In June 2009, the Association for Library Collections and Technical Services Heads of Technical Services in Large Research Libraries Interest Group established the Task Force on Cost/Value Assessment of Bibliographic Control to address recommendation 5.1.1.1 of On the Record: Report of the Library of Congress Working Group on the Future of Bibliographic Control, which focused on developing measures for costs, benefits, and value of bibliographic control. This paper outlines results of that task force's efforts to develop and articulate metrics for evaluating the cost and value of cataloging activities specifically, and offers some next steps that the community could take to further the profession's collective understanding of the costs and values associated with bibliographic control.

Is There a Future for Library Catalogers

Abstract: Is there a future for the library cataloger? For the past thirty years this debate has increased with the continued growth of online resources and greater access to the World Wide Web. Many are concerned that library administrators believe budgetary resources would be better spent on other matters, leaving library users with an overabundance of electronic information to muddle through on their own. This article focuses on the future of the cataloging profession and its importance to the needs of library patrons.

The Effect of Next-Generation Catalogs on Catalogers and Cataloging Functions in Academic Libraries

Abstract: Next-generation catalogs or discovery tools (NGCs) overlay existing bibliographic data and repackage it in displays that differ from the traditional catalog. Many implementations of NGCs have revealed errors, omissions, or inconsistencies in the underlying data that had not been apparent in the traditional catalog. This study explored the effect of NGCs on cataloging functions and catalogers in academic libraries, examining catalogers’ participation in the selection and implementation processes, identifying and correcting data problems, changes to procedures or workflow, and staffing.

How MARC Has Changed: The History of the Format and Its Forthcoming Relationship to RDA

Abstract: Automation in libraries dates back to the 1950s, with early efforts gradually leading to the Library of Congress exploring the idea for its own library. This led to the MARC pilot project in 1965. Sixteen libraries participated in the distribution of early MARC I records. The success of the project resulted in MARC II, with the Library of Congress becoming the distributor of machine readable cataloging records. Use of Machine-Readable Cataloging (MARC) exploded in the 1970s, helped by the growth of cataloging services such as Ohio College Library Center (OCLC) and Research Libraries Information Network (RLIN). Changes to MARC became the responsibility of the Library of Congress and the American Library Association's MARBI. LC-MARC became USMARC in the 1980s, which became MARC 21 in the late 1990s. Resource Description Access (RDA), the replacement for the Anglo-American Cataloging Rules, 2nd ed., 2002 revision will produce many changes to MARC 21, but some elements of MARC 21 already address RDA under dif...

Streaming Video: The Collaborative Convergence of Technical Services, Collection Development, and Information Technology in the Academic Library

Abstract: To meet the rapid evolution of visual media and changing patron expectations, Brigham Young University's Harold B. Lee Library created Byugle, a device to stream videos to their users. This article describes the new challenges streaming video creates for librarians and the cooperative efforts of subject librarians, technical services, and the Information Technology Department as they work together to meet these challenges to provide streaming media for their patrons.

Determinants of Library Use Among Students of Agriculture: A Case Study of Lagos State Polytechnic

Abstract: Introduction There has been growing concern about students' use of the library in higher education institutions in Nigeria, due to the importance of the library in the successful completion of their studies. Academic libraries foster information literacy and provide resources to both students and staff. Libraries provide numerous services to users, addressing their diverse needs, characteristics, and interest (Andaleeb, 2001). Fowowe (1989) notes that a library can fulfill its function best by pursuing a policy of constant self-evaluation in order to be alert to the changing needs of its users. Library services must create a balance between specific research and information needs and a usable collection of information materials to meet the needs of the institution's academic programmes (Osaghale 2008). According to Mason (2010), an academic library has the mission to build and maintain a collection that will support and enhance the instructional needs of the institution. He also supported other researchers that academic library is to provide access to all sources of information. The services of the library depend on processed data from users to understand their information need and make corrections on past mistakes and improve on the future. This can be achieved by library users; they determine the effectiveness and efficiency of the services provided by the academic library. Franscotti, et al. (2007) say that libraries are trying to reinvent themselves to be more appealing to students. They are doing this by fostering literacy information through resources and services to encourage their clients visit and use the library. In spite of this, studies show that attitude of students to the use of library and what characterized their use, their reasons for using the library, and information used vary, and where there is low use, there are often pedagogic reasons for it. The availability of the Internet and electronic resources may have a negative effect on the use of an institution's library by students, while socio-economic and demographic characteristics of students can also have a significant impact. It is possible that while some students go to the library to use the available services, others may not go to the library, perhaps due to the availability of alternatives like personal e-resources and Internet connection. Yusuf and Iwu (2010) found in their statistical study that 88% students in Covenant University visited the library to read for examination and Online Public Access Catalog is more used than manual cataloging. Adetoro (2008) explained and affirmed that statistics has become necessary for libraries to compile and gather data which is the basis for the establishment of standards Ifidon (1983). Oyesiku and Oduwole (2004) submitted that male students in Olabisi Onabanjo University used the library more than their female counterparts. Kamin (1984) showed the relationship between age, race, sex, income level and level of education and use of the library. There is negative relationship between library use and age but positively related to education attainment. Popoola (2008) established an inverse relationship between age and research output and invariably use of information sources and services otherwise called the library. Ford (1986) as cited by Mason (2010) was of the opinion that library can be a stimulating place for some students and for others, may not be the case. He found that students come to university unprepared and unequipped to handle the demands of their course work primarily because they do not have experience with large research library, or that they do not understand how library work and are yet to acquire the skills needed to do meaningful research. George et al (2006) cited in Ossai (2009) noted that students library use pattern amongst others is influenced by the attitude of the university library staff. Franscotti et al (2007) conducted a survey to determine the level of usage by students and current resources of the library while Lange (1998) through Tear (1999) showed that distance from the library is an important factor in frequency of use and indicated that positive experience with library staff at early age is a determining factor of library use at adulthood. …

New Cataloger Preparedness: Interviews With New Professionals in Academic Libraries

Abstract: This study presents the results of interviews with twenty-two new professional catalogers in their first professional positions in an academic library. Interview questions focus on library education experiences, comfort with the theory and practice of cataloging, and overall level of preparedness provided by the master of library science (MLS) or equivalent degree. Interview results place great importance on practica, internships, or other practical experience during library education. The availability of more and better cataloging classes was also emphasized. Many interview respondents were unenthusiastic in their descriptions of the level of preparedness provided by the MLS.

Cooperative e-Book Cataloging in the OhioLINK Library Consortium

Abstract: Since 2004, members of OhioLINK's Database Management and Standards Committee have worked together to produce and distribute bibliographic records for over 44,000 electronic books. Using historical evidence, as well as the personal experience of key personnel, this article examines the ways in which division of labor, cataloging standards, and procedures are negotiated within the consortium. Two case studies illustrate the ways in which cooperative e-book cataloging projects are created, developed, and adapted in response to changing circumstances. Challenges to current practices are discussed, and recommendations are offered to other libraries and consortia preparing to embark on cooperative cataloging projects.

Basic, Fuller, Fullest: Treatment Options for Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract: Given the thousands of theses and dissertations (TDs) that are produced each year, and their role in advancing their disciplines, it is well worth disseminating them as widely as possible. A great leap forward in increasing TD distribution has been the electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs) movement. ETD information in catalogs provides valuable basic access, especially when bibliographic records are contributed to large databases. While these bibliographic records can be created automatically by harvesting author-supplied metadata from ETDs, for fuller access, cataloger mediation is needed to remove errors and numeric entities; plus name authority control. Fullest access entails subject analysis.

Testing RDA at Dominican University's Graduate School of Library and Information Science: The Students’ Perspectives

Abstract: Dominican University's Graduate School of Library and Information Science (GSLIS) was one of a funnel group of graduate schools of library and information science selected to test Resource Description and Access (RDA). A seminar specifically for this purpose was approved by the dean and faculty of the library school and was conducted from August to December 2010. Fifteen students participated in the test, creating records in Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules (AACR2) and in RDA, encoding them in the MARC (Machine Readable Cataloging) format, and responding to the required questionnaires. In addition to record creation, the students were also asked to submit a final paper in which they described their experiences and recommended whether or not to accept RDA as a replacement for AACR2.

Who's Doing What? Findability and Author-Supplied ETD Metadata in the Library Catalog

Abstract: Kent State University Libraries’ electronic thesis and dissertation (ETD) cataloging process features contributions by authors, by the ETDcat application, and by catalogers. Who is doing what, and how much of it is findable in the library catalog? An empirical analysis is performed featuring simple frequencies within the KentLINK catalog, articulated by the use of a newly devised rubric. The researchers sought the degree to which the ETD authors, the applications, and the catalogers can supply accurate, findable metadata. Further development of combinatory cataloging processes is suggested. The method of examining the data and the rubric are provided as a framework for other metadata analysis.

Why Are We Still Producing Paper Floras

Abstract: Advances in online resources and electronic publication provide the sciences with tools to revolutionize education and research (e.g., cataloging, data archiving and access, and identification). Older journals and monographs are being scanned and increasingly posted online quickly by book scanning projects, although even for new issues, there can be a “moving wall” or lag time (e.g., BioOne and JSTOR). Some scientific disciplines are providing the public with pre-print access to articles in digital libraries, while manuscript availability in other disciplines, such as nomenclatural botany, is often delayed until the time of print publication. Within botany, taxonomic treatments should be provided online at all stages of preparation and revision (in certain cases following initial editing). Now, many published floras can be browsed and searched online (e.g., Flora of North America, Jepson Manual, Flora of Australia). The Flora of China Project provides treatments at all stages, online, prior to pr...

Testing Resource Description and Access (RDA) with Non-MARC Metadata Standards

Abstract: Columbia University, the University of Chicago, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign participated in the 2010 U.S. National Libraries Test of Resource Description & Access (RDA). As devised, the new cataloging code is format and schema independent. Because creating descriptive metadata records in non–MARC (Machine Readable Cataloging) metadata standards is now a part of regular cataloging practice, the three institutions chose to test RDA with the standards, Metadata Object Description Standard (MODS), Encoded Archival Description (EAD), and Dublin Core. This article describes the set-ups and workflows of each institution, the issues encountered with record creation, and the conclusions drawn from the test.

Cataloging Theory in Search of Graph Theory and Other Ivory Towers Object: Cultural Heritage Resource Description Networks

Abstract: Working paper summarizing research into cataloging theory, history of science, mathematics, and information science.

Epistemic presumptions of authorship

Abstract: The major concern of this paper is the cultural ramification of the bibliographic conception of "authorship." Beginning with Foucault's question "what is an author" and his notion of an author as a cultural phenomenon, the paper proceeds to examine the treatment of authorship in cataloging practices of two ancient cultures, the Greek and the Chinese, as well as in the modern Anglo-American cataloging standards from Panizzi's 91 rules to the draft of Resource Description and Access (RDA). An author, as the study shows, is constructed as part of the recognition of "a work" as an essential communicative social entity. All cataloging practices and standards examined, east or west, ancient or modern, exhibit a similar obsessive attitude toward the imposition of an author, be it only a name or a culturally identified entity responsible for the work. In fact, the study demonstrates that as far as cataloging is concerned authorship is the role that is represented rather than any true intellectual responsibility.

Results of the CRCC Informal RDA Testing Task Force

Abstract: This article summarizes the informal Resource Description and Access (RDA) testing done by twenty-five continuing resources catalogers under the auspices of the Association for Library Collections and Technical Services (ALCTS) Continuing Resources Section's Continuing Resources Cataloging Committee.

RDA Testing in Triplicate: Kent State University's Experiences Testing RDA

Abstract: Kent State University participated in three different Resource Description and Access (RDA) testing opportunities: one formal, one informal and format-specific, and one informal general test. This article presents the experiences of University Libraries and the School of Library and Information Science participants. Based on multiple experiences with RDA testing, we find that RDA records work at various levels: they are compatible with Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, Second Edition (AACR2) records in both public and staff mode; original, copy catalogers, and reference personnel find them sufficient for the work they do; and there is little significant difference between AARC2 and RDA records in the MARC (Machine Readable Cataloging) environment.

An Integrated Approach to Metadata Interoperability Construction of a Conceptual Structure between MARC and FRBR

Abstract: Machine-Readable Cataloging (MARC) is currently the most broadly used bibliographic standard for encoding and exchanging bibliographic data. However, MARC may not fully support representation of the dynamic nature and semantics of digital resources because of its rigid and single-layered linear structure. The Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR) model, which is designed to overcome the problems of MARC, does not provide sufficient data elements and adopts a predetermined hierarchy. A flexible structure for bibliographic data with detailed data elements is needed. Integrating MARC format with the hierarchical structure of FRBR is one approach to meet this need. The purpose of this research is to propose an approach that can facilitate interoperability between MARC and FRBR by providing a conceptual structure that can function as a mediator between MARC data elements and FRBR attributes.

Publisher Names in Bibliographic Data: An Experimental Authority File and a Prototype Application

Abstract: The cataloging community has long acknowledged the value of investing in authority control. As bibliographic systems become more global, the need for authority control becomes even more pressing. The publisher description area of the catalog record is notoriously difficult to control, yet often necessary for collection analysis and development. The research presented in this paper details a project to build a database of authorized names for major publishers worldwide. The authors used ISBN prefix data to cluster bibliographic records by publisher; the resulting database contains thousands of variant forms of each publisher's name and data about their publishing output. Profiles of four large publishers were compared. Each publisher's languages of publication, formats, and subjects demonstrated their distinctive publishing output and validated the record clusters.

Cataloger mentoring a survey of catalogers’ perception on mentoring for skills development in academic libraries in Nigeria: An exploratory study

Abstract: Library services in the digital age have become user self-explorations while the geometrical growth in information resources continues to task bibliographic control, especially catalogers whose task is not only to provide efficient, and effective bibliographic control, but in addition timely access to all resources. However, the Catalogers’ skills, knowledge and strength continued to dwindle in past decades; this has generated concern to the profession worldwide. Decline in education, unsatisfactory learning/training infrastructure and lowly attitude to cataloging courses by educators and students alike in Nigeria further eroded skill development and proficiency. Consequently, the catalogers are short of skills needed to perform their duties. This in turn may affect library services provisions. This study therefore, seeks to discern what catalogers across university libraries in Nigeria perceived of mentoring for skill development and critical role of mentoring for proficient cataloging skill. The study investigates 1) The state of mentoring in academic libraries of Nigerian Universities, 2) The perception of catalogers on mentoring for cataloging skill development. The research question is specifically directed at 1) What is the state of mentoring in academic libraries of Nigerian universities? a) Do Nigerian university libraries have mentoring programs for catalogers? b) What types of mentoring programs are available and how adequate and effective are the programs? 2) What is the perception of catalogers on mentoring? 3) What is the perception of catalogers on mentoring for cataloging skill development? The study adopted the descriptive survey method. With the use of a questionnaire, fifty catalogers were sampled from five Nigerian public university libraries in five of the six geopolitical zones of the country. The survey conducted in November/December, 2009 used a five-point Likert-scale questionnaire for data collection. From the total sample size, only 35 responses representing 70 percent were found useable for analysis. Findings revealed that the cataloger uses three types of mentoring programs Supervisory (81%), Situational (19%) and Group (13%) mentoring. Ninety-four percent (94%) of the respondents felt mentoring enhances their descriptive cataloging skills and their confidence in using work tools. While another 97% felt mentoring could be used for succession plans and as a stability factor in terms of changes. The catalogers perceived mentoring as a vital tool for skill development, considered it to have organizational benefits and agreed mentoring can be used to address the challenges of skill deficiency for improvement in the profession.

RDA: End of the World Postponed?

Abstract: The author discusses issues and controversy concerning the new cataloging code Resource Description and Access (RDA) and the results of a test of RDA conducted by the Library of Congress, the National Library of Medicine, and the National Agricultural Library.