Sue Neumeister
Since ALA Midwinter in Los Angeles was scheduled so late this year, the OLAC Newsletter is being published 2 weeks later than usual in order to include the minutes from the Business and Board meetings and the report from ALCTS AV.
Included in this issue, along with the regular columns, is the OLAC/MOUG 1994 Conference program (registration flyers will be included in the June issue). There is an opportunity to get to know the candidates running for OLAC office in the "Meet the Candidates" column. Robert Bremer, OCLC Online Data Quality Control Section, has given permission to include his AUTOCAT remarks from January 26, 1994 on OCLC's GMD policy.
I would like to thank Frank Wheeler (University of New Hampshire) for his contributions during the past year as Book Review Editor. His resignation leaves a vacancy on the Editorial Staff. Barb Vaughan has volunteered to temporarily act as Book Review Editor this quarter until a replacement for Frank can be found. Anyone willing to volunteer, please contact me by e-mail: neumeist@acsu.buffalo.edu, by phone: (716) 645-2305, or by U.S. mail at the address on the inside front cover of this Newsletter. Duties include searching for possible books that would be of interest to AV catalogers, choosing someone to write the review, and then editing that review and sending it to me via e-mail or on a disk in WordPerfect.
I would also like to thank Cathy Leonardi (Duke University) for compiling the OLAC Newsletter index (vol. 11-13) which can be found in the center of this issue.
MCJournal: The Journal of Academic Media Library is calling for papers for the next issue. Deadline is August 1, 1994. Submissions should be sent to the editor, Lori Widzinski, at the following addresses: e-mail: widz@acsu.buffalo.edu. US mail (disks): Media Resources Center, Health Sciences Library, University at Buffalo, Abbott Hall, 3435 Main Street, Buffalo, New York 14214-3002. For further information, instructions to authors, or to discuss ideas for articles, contact Lori by either address listed above.
Karen Driessen
Los Angeles was good to those of us who attended ALA Midwinter. No rocking and rolling of the earth except in the wee hours of the morning when most of us slept right through them! It was fun to see so many of you at the OLAC meetings and as always there was a lot happening in the world of AV cataloging.
Plans for the October '94 OLAC/MOUG Conference are taking final form and sound very exciting. Ellen Hines and Hal Temple are putting together plans for a great program, tours and entertainment in Oak Brook, Illinois, just out of Chicago. Be sure to circle October 5-8 on your calendar and plan to attend. More details are presented on p. 5-6 in this Newsletter.
At the invitation of the Chair of CC:DA, OLAC was invited to put forth a request for official liaison status. In spite of that invitation, however, the CC:DA Committee was not in support of our request. OLAC will continue to be represented through the ALCTS AV Committee and its audience observer.
The Nominations Committee (Bo-Gay Tong Salvador and Mary Konkel) presented a wonderful slate of candidates to the Business meeting in L.A. Ballots will be sent out in March for the upcoming OLAC elections for which the offices and candidates are:
Secretary:
Be Happy, Think Spring!
FROM THE TREASURER
Johanne LaGrange
Reporting period:
October 1, 1993 - December 31, 1993
Membership: 734
ACCOUNT BALANCE: October 1, 1993
Merrill Lynch WCMA Account 12,182.37
City National Bank, Baton Rouge 3,437.00
CD at 7.20% matures 7/94 10,000.00
25,619.37
INCOME
Back Issues 190.50
Dividends--WCMA Account 115.95
Memberships 4,640.00
TOTAL INCOME 4,946.45
EXPENSES
Banking Fees (Activity Fees) 17.05
Labels and Envelopes 28.84
OLAC Newsletter (v. 13, no. 4) 699.85
Photocopies (Questionnaire) 37.50
Postage/Permit 72.78
Publication (Smyth/Driessen book) 50.00
TOTAL EXPENSES ( 906.02)
ACCOUNT BALANCE: December 31, 1993
Merrill Lynch WCMA Account 19,659.80
CD at 7.20% matures 7/94 10,000.00
29,659.80
October 5-8, 1994
Marriott Oak Brook, IL
OUTLINE OF CONFERENCE PROGRAM
OPENING GENERAL SESSION
Karen Horney -- Northwestern University
Carolyn Frost -- University of Michigan
In the opening general session, two established AV cataloging authorities will discuss their views on how education, training and re- training strategies for AV catalogers can help us keep up with our ever- changing cataloging environment. How are library schools preparing us for this AV "new" world and how much of a factor are "on-the-job" training and continuing education classes/workshops?
INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA CATALOGING
Presenters:
Sheila Intner, Simmons College
CANDIDATES FOR VICE-PRESIDENT/PRESIDENT-ELECT
Diane Boehr
Library Services Consultant
Costabile Associates, Inc.
Catherine Gerhart
Head, Special Materials Cataloging Section
University of Washington
BUSINESS MEETING
ALA MIDWINTER CONFERENCE
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
LOS ANGELES CONVENTION CENTER
February 5, 1994
Minutes
K. Driessen announced that there was a change to the list of experts for the Question and Answer Session: Ann Sandberg-Fox will be serving on the panel rather than Sheila Intner.
OLAC's checking account was transferred to Merrill Lynch (more under 5. below). CC:DA has asked that OLAC approach them formally regarding establishing a liaison relationship with CC:DA. A presentation by K. Driessen is on the agenda for the Monday morning CC:DA meeting.
The editorial staff of the Newsletter is seeking a new Book Review Editor to replace Frank Wheeler, who has resigned. Please contact S. Neumeister if you are interested in serving in this capacity.
M. Yee expressed interest in establishing a liaison relationship with OLAC. K. Massey spoke in support of the liaison. This issue will be discussed at the Sunday night OLAC Board meeting.
BOARD MEETING
ALA MIDWINTER CONFERENCE
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
LOS ANGELES CONVENTION CENTER
FEBRUARY 6, 1994
Minutes
Members present: Mary Konkel (Vice-President/President-Elect), Richard Harwood (CAPC Chair), Heidi Hutchinson (Secretary), Sue Neumeister (Newsletter Editor), Sheila Smyth (Past President), and Johanne LaGrange (Treasurer). Guests: Ellen Hines (1994 OLAC Conference Program Chair), Laura Snyder (MOUG Chair), Brian McCafferty (Membership Directory), Bobby Ferguson, Diane Boehr
The Board discussed the suggestions for luncheon speaker. There was consensus that they would prefer a professional- inspirational-entertaining (possibly stress management) topic to a cataloging topic.
L. Snyder clarified the difference between the two levels of sound recording cataloging workshops being offered by MOUG, saying that it would be more accurate to describe them as "basic" and "intermediate," rather than "for music catalogers" and "for non-music catalogers."
It was noted that, due to the popularity of the topic, the interactive media workshops may need to be offered more than twice. A discussion on levels of honorarium for workshop leaders (OLAC Handbook, p. 14) followed. The decision was that when workshop leaders were designated as major topic leaders whose presentations everyone would want to attend, the Conference Chair could negotiate with the leaders on lodging and transportation.
E. Hines explained the various items on the tentative budget submitted by the Planning Committee. Hal Temple is still negotiating for some vendor support for breakfast, afternoon coffee, etc.
The Board discussed the proposed registration fee and revised it as
follows:
Members (OLAC/MOUG) $85
Members, late reg. $100
Non-members $95
Non-members, late reg. $110
Library school students $30Advance money totaling $2400 shall be contributed in the ratio 1/3 MOUG ($800), 2/3 OLAC ($1600) to an account in Chicago for the Planning Committee to use. This sum is returned to the OLAC and MOUG Treasurers after the Conference. The registration form will reflect which Conference attendees are OLAC and which are MOUG members.
The first official announcements will be made in the March OLAC Newsletter and at the MOUG Kansas City meeting. The registration form will be inserted into the June OLAC Newsletter and sent separately to MOUG members. Other publicity will go out over the Internet and to other library organizations.
Taping the sessions was discussed, for either archival purposes, transcription of the programs, or to sell. No decision was reached.
K. Driessen appointed a subcommittee made up of B. McCafferty, H. Hutchinson, J. LaGrange and S. Neumeister to work out the last details of data entry, proofreading, index creation, and printing. A deadline of ALA Annual Conference was set. (ACTION)
J. LaGrange had investigated the cost of hiring a CPA to audit OLAC's books, and discovered it would cost between $1500 and $3000 per year. She approached her institution's business manager for advice on setting up books for audit; and his service has been free of charge, and he has offered to continue. Since the Board is only interested in making sure that the books are set up according to proper operating procedures should any question arise, it was decided that this service was fully adequate. The Board voted unanimously to issue $100 a year to Tom Hoppel for his services, as long as J. LaGrange is OLAC Treasurer. (ACTION)
J. LaGrange questioned the note on p. 14 of the OLAC Handbook ("OLAC Stipends and Fees") that stipulates the MARBI representative receives "$100 for each quarterly MARBI meeting attended." MARBI meets at ALA Conferences only, and not quarterly. Past Treasurer B. Ferguson was able to point out that the MARBI liaison has received $100 per ALA Conference for the past several years. It was agreed that the wording be changed to "$100 for each ALA Conference attended." (ACTION)
At this Midwinter Conference, three people attended MARBI meetings in place of the regular liaison. The Board agreed to divide the stipend 3 ways between R. Harwood, C. Gerhart, and D. Boehr. (ACTION)
K. Driessen received permission from ALA to reprint approximately 20 definitions from the AACR2R glossary to be used in the Driessen/Smyth processing manual. ALA's fee is $50.00. The Board voted unanimously to approve $50 from OLAC funds to cover this charge. The Board also approved money to cover any further illustration costs for the volume. (ACTION)
ACCESS TO CONTENT OR ACCESS TO TOOLS?
INTERNET WORLD '93
Submitted by David Miller
Levin Library, Curry College
As part of the Internet Publishing: Case Studies panel, Czeslaw Jan Grycz of the University of California described work on the "Red Sage Project," a collaboration between Springer-Verlag, AT&T and the University. The texts of "forty-seven plus" journals are being put into electronic form using AT&T's WritePages software, and the text is SGML-tagged (Standard Generalized Markup Language) to allow for searching. Ahh, searching ... now we're talking about access to content. But what will be the search strategies, the front ends, the relationships enabled between documents? Are we talking about free-text free-fall?
I'm not making this up, as Dave Barry puts it. Out of twenty-one sessions attended by my colleague and me, this was the sole reference to nuts and bolts questions of indexing and access.
There seemed throughout the Conference to be an underlying assumption: that the development of more sophisticated tools (along Gopher/WAIS lines), together with an enlightened social policy of universal access, will provide us with the essentials needed to effectively integrate the Internet into our social fabric. What's missing from this picture is the difficult reality of the very slippery relationships between: 1) what we think we're looking for, 2) what we're really looking for, 3) how we think we're going to find it, and 4) how we really find it. The persistent faith in "natural language" searching as the primary means of access presumes, first, that we all know what we mean by "natural," and second, that what's "natural" for one is "natural" for all. It makes the same sort of presumption about user search strategies that early catalogers held when they provided title catchword entries. Those, too, provided "natural language" access. Now, in mainstream library cataloging, we know that the combination of "left-brain" controlled vocabularies with "right-brain" keyword searching provides access superior to either method used alone. Internet indexing needs to move in this direction, and the more quickly the better.
An anecdote: I recently tried three archie searches on the same search strings, using three access methods -- the archie client on my service provider, telnet access to a second client, and an e-mail request to a third. The strings searched for were "theat" and "avalokit": the former to find materials on theater[re], the second to see if I'd turn up a file called avalokit.zip, which I'd already downloaded and so knew to exist. The searches were performed within ten minutes of each other, and were fast, easy and fun. The "theat" search produced lists of files on three very different groups of hosts -- though, granted, many of the specific files were present on at least two of the lists -- and the "avalokit" search pulled a blank on all three. No doubt there are sound reasons for these divergent and incomplete results. But when we envision the empowered end-user, gophering like mad on the subway or the deck of her yacht, we'd also better make sure that we're not mistaking access to tools for access to content. I'm looking forward to attending Internet World again, but I hope that these issues are regarded with less complacency, and soon.
1994 ALA Midwinter Meeting, Los Angeles
Submitted by Anne Campbell Moore
OLAC Liaison to ALCTS AV
Most of the Sunday morning meeting was devoted to discussing the major points of the MLA's document on cataloging music video material and the Interactive Multimedia Task Force's guidelines.
Discussion on the MLA document was split between the two meetings. Following the summary of the major points, the Committee decided it did not support points one and two, concerning non-fiction videos and videos of a performance of a single work. The Committee did support point three, entering performances such as operas and ballets under title. It did not support point four, entering collections according to the rules for sound recordings, feeling clarification was needed on what constituted a collection. Point five, on added entries was supported.
Laurel Jizba addressed the Committee on the interactive multimedia guidelines. The document has been adjusted several times since the Annual Conference, with a number of changes occurring after the cataloging experiment. She addressed the issue of chief source, pointing out that chief source refers to the whole work. It was felt that the appendices are very important, particularly the glossary. The Interactive Multimedia Task Force will be requesting a rule change so that optical discs can be spelled with a c rather than a k. The Task Force also would like to drop the word laser from laser optical disc, feeling that it is redundant and misleading.
Eric Childress reported that the Association of Moving Image Archivists had requested a liaison relationship with the Committee and that this has been approved.
The Producer/Distributor-Library Relations Subcommittee will be revising its CD-ROM contracting/licensing survey in conjunction with the Publisher/Vendor-Library Relations Committee's Electronic Task Force. PDLR will address the library end of the issue, PVLR will address the vendor end. PDLR is also revising the Happiness is one title brochure.
The NISO document on labelling and packaging videos written by the AV Standards Subcommittee has been accepted and is in process. The Subcommittee is working on a similar document on interactive multimedia and hopes to have a preliminary draft ready by Miami.
The Video Round Table's Miami program will be on new technology and its challenges. They will be giving their name as co- sponsors for the ALCTS AV program there. The annual gala will be a Latino video festival for which members can get half-price tickets. The Round Table is in the process of revamping its newsletter, which hasn't been issued since before New Orleans, and will be starting a listserv. They are working to have the Round Table become a clearinghouse for all video groups within ALA in order to avoid overlap. Currently there isn't such a group.
The Miami program, "Acquiring Librarians Want to Know: Acquisitions and Collection Development of Video Resources " will be held on Saturday June 25 from 9-11 a.m. Howard Besser, Irene Wood and Jean Kreamer will each speak for 20 minutes, after which there will be a question and answer period.
Eric Childress proposed forming several task forces and asked for input and volunteers. The charges of the task forces were: to examine the definition of the term "label" when used as chief source of information in Chapter 9, AACR2R; to examine the use of uniform titles in motion pictures, videos and television programs; to re-examine the liaison relationships of the AV Committee; and to create guidelines for handling computer files in library collections. The Committee decided to form the first three task forces. The last task force was deferred until Miami, when it would be possible to check with Karen Driessen or Sheila Smyth on possible overlap with their physical processing manual.
The Miami tour will be at the Louis Wolfson II Media History Center, housed in the main branch of the Miami-Dade Public Library. The tour will give an overview of the work of moving image archives, including preservation, acquisitions, access and use. A panel of representatives from moving image archives around the country will speak on these and other issues.
As reported at the OLAC Business Meeting
February 5, 1994
Submitted by Ed Glazier, RLG
LC NITRATE FILMS RECORDS. Preservation records for 22,841 nitrate-based motion pictures in the Library of Congress' collection have been loaded in the RLIN VIM file under the LI DCLF. Films described date from the turn of the century through the early 1950s. Multiple versions of each title are described in the same bibliographic record. LC subject terms are assigned, as well as genre terms from Moving Image Materials: Genre Terms. The genre terms are available through the RLIN FG index (Form/Genre). The file will be updated annually.
UPDATED VERSION OF ART & ARCHITECTURE THESAURUS. The Art and Architecture Thesaurus (AAT) in the RLIN Authorities File is now in its second edition. The AAT is a project of the Getty Art History Information Program. This second edition is the first "complete" AAT in that all 33 hierarchies now have been developed for all those subject areas originally defined as falling within AAT's scope. It includes 10 new and 23 expanded hierarchies. To access the file once connection to RLIN has been made, issue the commands: CALL RLIN (AUT) and then SELect FILe AAT.
EUREKA. RLIN's new patron-oriented search service was successfully introduced on September 1, 1993. End users can search RLIN bibliographic files as well as CitaDel (Citation and document delivery) files that are available by subscription. New files since the system was introduced include the British Library's Inside Information, LC's Handbook of Latin American Studies, and Anthropological Literature, from the Tozzer Library at Harvard. Available as of March 31, 1994 are 4 files from Cambridge Scientific Abstracts: Marine Biology, Life Sciences, Environmental Sciences & Pollution Management, and Scientific Conference Papers Index.
RLIN COMPUTER FILES TO BE CLUSTERED. Clustering of the RLIN Computer Files file (MDF), the last of the RLIN bibliographic files scheduled for clustering, is currently scheduled for completion by late winter/early spring 1994.
CONNECTIVITY OPTIONS. RLG has been developing several options for connection to RLIN bibliographic files, Eureka, and CitaDel files:
LANTERM. LANTERM allows communication with RLIN via an Ethernet Local Area Network. A library can use a PC with an Ethernet LAN card and a Clarkson packet driver to connect to the RLIN host computer, either via a separate RLG "EtherPad" on the library's own LAN which connects to RLG's X.25 network, or over the Internet to an EtherPad at RLG. (Currently, the former is preferred.) LANTERM is already in use at some sites and will be available for more sites in 1994.
ASTER. ASTER is an asynchronous (dial-up) telecommunication option for the RLIN PC Terminal Program. With it, a library can use a PC with a Hayes-compatible dial-up modem and standard phone line to connect to the RLIN host computer through SprintNet public data network. ASTER will particularly benefit RLIN users who want to use RLIN technical processing functions so infrequently that installation of a dedicated leased line is not cost effective.
FTP FOR IMPORT AND EXPORT. RLG is developing the capability to load data from external resources (like the Library of Congress) and from RLIN users via FTP over the Internet. Subsequently, data from user transactions will be available via FTP. Both of these uses of FTP will supplement or replace data exchange currently done via magnetic tapes.
For additional information about any of the above, contact the RLIN Information Center, BL.RIC@RLG.STANFORD.EDU, 1-800-537- RLIN.
As reported at the OLAC Business Meeting
February 5, 1994
Submitted by Glenn Patton, OCLC
DATABASE. The number of nonprint records in the Online Union Catalog continues to grow with, as of January 1, 1994, 714,000 AV records, 891,000 sound recordings and 50,000 computer files. That adds up to 1,655,000 records or approximately 5.9% of the OLUC. This past fall, the number of holdings symbols attached to records in the OLUC passed the 500 million mark.
DATABASE QUALITY. OCLC continues to place a high priority on database cleanup activities. During this fall, another run of the Duplicate Detection and Resolution software processed another 74,000 duplicate book records, bringing the total number of duplicates removed to 760,000. Approximately 1.1 million corporate headings and 1.9 million subject headings have been cleaned up during that same time period. In early February, a similar cleanup project for personal names began with the expectation that about 2 million headings will be corrected.
ACCESS. Access to OCLC services continues to expand with the implementation of Sunday hours and extra hours each week day for PRISM users. Reference services are now available 23 hours a day on weekdays. Later this spring, OCLC will begin a pilot project to offer PRISM access via the Internet.
PRISM SERVICE. PRISM service users face a busy year ahead with the migration of remaining First system functionality to PRISM. CJK Plus, Union Listing and the Name-Address Directory will migrate in the summer and fall. Later in the year, LSP functionality for NACO libraries will move into PRISM. Each of those migrations will bring some benefits to all users, including access to the NAD for all users and editing of authority records for local use for cataloging users.
A new version of PASSPORT for DOS (version 2.10) will also be issued during the coming year and PASSPORT for Windows is also under development.
Robert Bremer
OCLC Online Data Quality Control Section
There have been several messages posted on AUTOCAT regarding use and form of GMDs included in OCLC database records. OCLC's policy on use of GMDs changed in 1993, and new guidelines were issued in the new Bibliographic Formats and Standards document.
Previously, if LC used a particular GMD in current cataloging, OCLC users were expected to use that GMD in I-level records when creating original catalog records for the same kind of material. Use of GMDs in K-level records was entirely optional. Use of all other remaining GMDs was optional as was use of GMDs in other access points. Some institutions included brackets in the GMD while others conformed to OCLC documentation and omitted them. In theory, it was legitimate to include a GMD as follows:
or
700 11 Schumann, Robert, $d 1810-1856. $t Carnaval $h [music].
For current cataloging, this policy resulted in inconsistent records. Users could not anticipate which GMDs would be found in records nor which fields would necessarily contain GMDs. OCLC users complained about having to edit brackets, edit out brackets, edit in GMDs, and edit out GMDs in copy cataloging workflows due to the inconsistencies of records in the database.
OCLC staff consulted with the OCLC Cataloging and Database Services Advisory Committee and other user groups to revise the GMD policy. CDSAC members expressed support for restricting input of GMDs to field 245 only, using GMDs used by LC, eliminating those specifically not used by LC for materials LC catalogs, and making the GMD standard the same for both I-level and K-level records. In addition, OCLC staff examined the question of inclusion of brackets and decided it would be best to conform to USMARC specifications and require brackets in GMDs.
The current policy is outlined in section 2.1, Original Cataloging and Copy Cataloging, in the Bibliographic Formats and Standards document. The guidelines are written from the standpoint of current original cataloging under AACR2R rules. The guidelines specify inputting the GMD in field 245 only, in lowercase letters, with brackets around the GMD, whether I-level or K-level input. The list of GMDs given in the document is based on those found in Library of Congress rule interpretation for AACR2R rule 1.1C. The GMDs for text, manuscript, map, music, etc. are omitted from the list in accord with LC practice. There are additional GMDs on the list to be used for materials on which LC has made no decision because LC does not catalog that type of material.
If you are inputting pre-AACR2 retrospective copy, record any GMDs in field 245 in the form and style required by pre-AACR2 rules and LC practice as far as can be determined. Omit all GMDs from added entries. OCLC staff are investigating possible database scans to add, remove, and correct GMDs in existing records.
Users can locally edit records to add, remove, or change GMDs as needed for their local catalogs. The card print program will still supply brackets if they are not present when a record is produced.
The current policy on GMDs eliminates the conflict between LC and OCLC practice and will result in greater consistency via a single simplified standard.
Barbara Vaughan, Column Editor
"Activity card" has now been added, officially, to the list of GMDs in AACR2R. This GMD was approved by the Joint Steering Committee some years ago but could not be used until the decision was published. The recent publication by ALA of Amendments 1993 fulfills that requirement.
The OCLC type of material code "o" is for flash cards and activity cards. I don't recall whether MARBI was asked for a separate code for activity cards, but think not.
At any rate, we can now correctly label activity cards as such in 245 subfield h. Long-time members of OLAC may remember the article I wrote for v.2 no.1 of the OLAC Newsletter on activity cards and the problems with them, not the least of which was 1) identifying them, and 2) naming them. That was 12 years ago.
***********************************************************
Questions about registration, fees, housing, etc. should be addressed to: Mary K. Biagini, Associate Dean, School of Library and Information Science, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh PA 15260. Phone (412) 624-5231.
Questions about content to: Nancy B. Olson at her address above.
V. Urbanski, Column Editor
The first three questions were asked during the Q&A Session of the OLAC Business meeting during ALA in New Orleans. Panelists include: Nancy Olson (Mankato State University), Glenn Patton (OCLC), Ed Glazier (RLG). The Q&A Session was moderated by Sheila Smyth (Nazareth College)
QUESTION: We have recently received several music scores that were produced using a computer program. They have handwritten composer's notes on them. We also have been getting handwritten scores that have been photocopied. Should we use a photocopy note or a "reproduced from holograph" note? They are not commercially published, but are reproduced at someone's home and shipped to purchasers from that address. We order them from a catalog and send out a purchase order.
ANSWER: It looks like the composer is distributing and that is as close to publishing as we're going to get. Being produced from a computer certainly does not preclude them being treated as manuscripts, just as a typescript is considered a manuscript. There are really more arguments against using the 533 than there are for using it. Cataloging something as a reproduction implies that it is a reproduction. Here the status of the original is questionable. Is the original separate and different from the "reproduction"? It is hard to say that. --John Attig (Penn State U.)
This is desktop publishing, but why differentiate desktop publishing from commercial publishing? If it acts like a published item, treat it as if it were published. If it's impossible to tell the difference, then it is not worth the effort to differentiate. I would avoid using the term "holograph" which implies the handwriting is that of the author. --Glenn Patton
I'd make a note mentioning the handwritten notes on the scores, but that certainly doesn't make the whole thing a holograph. --Ed Glazier
You could make a note saying computer-generated music with handwritten marginalia by the composer. --Ian Fairclough (LSU, Shreveport)
There is so much of the desktop publishing going on now, it may not be worth mentioning specifically that it is a computer- generated copy. Remember also, that the marginalia may or may not be in the composer's hand. --Catherine Gerhart (University of Washington)
QUESTION: We have purchased a series of 12 videocassettes. They were originally issued by a university, which used them as training materials. They have now been reissued by someone else. We want to do a contents note with the titles of the twelve videos. The titles on the title frames (which are the same as the titles in the instructor's manual) differ from the titles on the containers and cassettes. Should I make a contents note plus a variant titles note with all the variant titles listed?
ANSWER: A contents note is a formal transcription, but information can be bracketed into it, such as container title, cassette title, etc. Then make all the added title entries that are needed. Just making a note "title varies" won't help the patron, because they may be looking for the item under a certain title from a catalog, advertisement, or other citation. The title they are looking for may be very different from the one that is on the title frame. Try to include in the cataloging every title on the item and trace them all. --Nancy Olson
If the problem cited applies to all the cassettes, an all- encompassing note could be made saying: "Alternative titles from cassette containers: ...." listing the alternative titles all together instead of bracketing them in the main contents note. --Bernard Karon (U of Minn.)
QUESTION: We are cataloging a piece of music for two percus- sionists and a tape. Is that a trio? The score has three lines, one of which is labeled "tape."
ANSWER: In a recent Music Cataloging Bulletin there was an article on cataloging electronic music in which LC said that this would be treated as a duet because the tape is not considered to be a performer. It also should classify as a duet. --Catherine Gerhart
QUESTION: I have a video with two distinct movies, each with its own title and credits. I am setting up the record according to 7.1G2 (e.g., 1.1G3). My question is how do I deal with the running time in the 300? Do I show a total time and make a note about the individual times or can I do something like:
ANSWER: I would put the times in a separate note rather than in the 300. Music catalogers do this all the time following 6.7B10. I associate "duration" with music and would probably use the phrase "running time." For example, "Running time: 43 min. (1st work); 18 min. (2nd work)." One could argue about including "1st work, 2nd work," but this is a bit unusual for films and I would be more comfortable being specific. The running times could also be incorporated in the summary note. -- VU
QUESTION: Why do records have added entries for the production/distribution companies, like PBS Video or Films for the Humanities?
ANSWER: The production company and distributor are both bibliographically significant and should be traced. I had my doubts about the ongoing value of tracing the distributor and eliminated them from our bib records for a "season" or two. We started having duplicate purchases of media materials crop up as new titles arrived. When I investigated, it turned out that the bibliographer for media materials was using the production company and distributors she found listed in the OPAC as part of her checking to see if we owned a title. She reported that professors often do the same. I decided it was much more helpful for them if we provided the added entry than attempt to argue the merits of such an added entry. It takes some effort as many of the companies need to have original authority work done to establish the form of the name, but at least they are "hard working" entry points for our audience. This experience also points up the value of consulting with colleagues rather than rabbiting off on our own, based on heaven knows what evidence of the rightness of a decision---always good to be reminded of the value of cooperation! -- VU
QUESTION: I have come across a record in OCLC that has NTSC in the 538 field. I am unclear as to what this means. The record has another 538 with VHS in the note.
ANSWER: I cannot find that there is any new recommendation to start including NTSC in the 538. I have also seen it included on bib records lately. NTSC is the broadcast standard for the U.S. Most videos that are not labeled to the contrary are assumed to be recorded using the NTSC standard. Since NTSC is the U.S. standard, it has not heretofore been thought necessary to state specifically in the bibliographic description that it was an NTSC recording. We do, however, indicate if the item is not NTSC (see below). It is not necessary to state NTSC in the bib record. If this information is included on a bib record, I would not put it in a separate 538 note, but merely include it with VHS (such as, VHS format, NTSC). Manufac- turers are starting to say explicitly that videos are NTSC recordings, especially for videodiscs.
OLAC Newsletter v.9, no.2, page 6, has a concise discussion by Glenn Patton of the PAL and SECAM standards which are the other two standards that cause concern. It has been a while since we discussed this topic so it may be a good time to review Glenn's discussion. -- VU
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Last modified: December 1997
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