ALCTS Network News v13n11 (May 9, 1997)
URL = http://hegel.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/serials/ann/ann-v13n11

ISSN: 1056-6694

ALCTS NETWORK NEWS

An electronic publication of the
Association for Library Collections & Technical Services

Volume 13, Number 11
May 9, 1997

In this issue

ALCTS ACQUISITIONS INSTITUTE PLANNERS SEEK WEB INFO
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE PRINCIPLES AND FUTURE
   DEVELOPMENT OF AACR
CHANGES TO ANNUAL CONFERENCE MEETING SCHEDULE
EFFECTS OF FLOODING ON LIBRARIES IN NORTH DAKOTA; HELP
  STILL NEEDED

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ALCTS ACQUISITIONS INSTITUTE PLANNERS SEEK WEB INFO

If you have a Web site for Acquisitions, a general technical services
Web site with acquisitions information, or are currently designing
one, the planners for the ALCTS Business of Acquisitions
preconference would like to have the answers to the following
questions. This information will be used for a discussion group at
the preconference; results will be posted on the BOA home page.

(1) What is your URL?  May we use this site for our presentation?

(2) What do you have on your Web site?  (Possibilities include
mission statements, policies, procedures, staff directories,
resources for professional development, purchase request forms, etc.)

(3) Who uses it (faculty, staff, etc.)? How?

(4) Who is responsible for upkeep of the site? Is this an official
job responsibility? Should it be? 

(5) What external resources would you like to see (e.g. from
publishers, material vendors, ILS vendors)? 

Respond to Anna Belle Leiserson (leiserson@library.vanderbilt.edu) or
Marilyn Geller (mgeller@readmore.com).

More information and registration for the preconference are available
from the ALCTS home page (www.ala.org/alcts.html) or the web site at
www.readmore.com/about/boa/boa.html. Results of this questionnaire
will be available at www.library.vanderbilt.edu/law/acqs/boa.html

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INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE PRINCIPLES AND FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF
AACR

The Joint Steering Committee for Revision of AACR (JSCAACR), the body
that controls the content of AACR, believes the underlying principles
of AACR should be reviewed, taking into account present and future
trends in information resources and information management.
Arrangements have been made for an international conference to be
held in Toronto, Canada, on October 23-25, 1997. JSCAACR expects
conference participants to determine whether a fundamental revision
of AACR is appropriate and feasible, and, if so, to provide advice on
the nature and direction of revisions.

Attendance at the conference is by invitation only. Frequently
updated information about the conference can be found at URL:
http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/jsc/index.htm.

As the nine papers being written for the conference are completed,
they will be available at this URL, beginning probably in June.
JSCAACR invites comments on, or critiques of, these papers.

In the following brief descriptions of the papers points have been
arbitrarily chosen to give a picture of their content. Obviously, the
final papers will provide many more ideas than those presented here.

"The Principles of AACR," by Michael Gorman, Dean of Library
Services, California State University, Fresno, and Pat Oddy, Head of
Cataloguing, the British Library, address some fundamental questions.
Are the present AACR principles still valid for all media? Do the
rules need simplifying? Are the rules flexible and responsive to
change? What risks are involved in change? In what way do rule
interpretations undermine AACR principles?

The bibliographic universe contains, in addition to the library's
traditional collection, other sources of information available to the
public, such as publishers' catalogs, and bibliographies,
discographies, and filmographies compiled according to other
standards. "Bibliographic Universe (Functional Requirements)" by Tom
Delsey, Director General, Corporate Policy and Communication,
National Library of Canada, will describe some models of the
bibliographic universe developed by various individuals and groups,
and evaluate them in terms of accuracy, flexibility, efficiency,
user-friendliness, and compatibility.

In his paper "AACR2 and Catalogue Production Technology" Rahmatollah
Fattahi of Iran, presently a Ph.D. candidate at the School of
Information, Library, and Archive Studies, University of New South
Wales, will examine to what extent the rules in AACR2 match or fail
to match the capabilities of present systems and those of the near
future for searching, retrieval, and presentation of bibliographic
information.

"The Work" by Martha Yee, Cataloging Supervisor, UCLA Film and TV
Archive, discusses the question "What is a work?" by reviewing AACR2
rules by which a decision is made about whether an item is, or is
not, to be considered a new work. Much of the paper is devoted to the
problems that result from the lack of general rules for works of mixed
responsibility.

In her paper "Bibliographic Relationships" Sherry Vellucci, Assistant
Professor, Division of Library and Information Studies, St. John's
University, discusses bibliographic relationships in terms of various
linkages; their importance to users of bibliographic records and users
of authority records; in the MARC environment; and in a relational
database environment.

Crystal Graham, Serials Librarian, University of California, San
Diego, and Jean Hirons, Acting CONSER Coordinator, Serial Record
Division, Library of Congress, detail "Issues Related to Seriality:
Defining On-going Publications". They believe that the definition of
"serial" in AACR2 is no longer adequate, that a broader concept of
"on-going work" is needed. They also argue that the book-based
chapter 1 and the paper-based chapter 12 do not accommodate the needs
of all on-going library materials.

"Principal Access Points" by Ronald Hagler, Professor, School of
Library, Archival, and Information Studies, University of British
Columbia, deals with main entry and corporate body entry and their
relationship to uniform titles and titles proper, the MARC format,
and the need to restructure authority files to reflect the
capabilities of computerization.

Rule 0.24, which mandates the cataloging of the item in hand, is one
of the cardinal principles of AACR. However, libraries that include
electronic resources in their catalogs therefore no longer possess in
physical form all the items listed in these catalogs. In her paper
"Content vs Carrier" Lynne Howarth, Dean, Faculty of Information
Studies, University of Toronto, queries whether this fundamental rule
should be retained, tinkered with, or reconstructed. Practical
considerations, present realities, and international consequences are
discussed.

The final speaker, Mick Ridley, Senior Computer Officer, University
of Bradford, presents "Beyond MARC". How effective is MARC? Is MARC
simply an embodiment of AACR? Do we need a transfer standard for
catalog records? What is a good structure/format for catalog records?
Is the same structure/format needed for transfer, database storage,
and presentation to users?

JSC is interested in all points of view relating to AACR. Do not let
this opportunity to be part of the decision-making process pass by.

For further information, contact Jean Weihs, Conference Director, at
weihstoronto@compuserve.com

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CHANGES TO ANNUAL CONFERENCE MEETING SCHEDULE

As received, and as space permits, we will be glad to print changes
to the Annual Conference meeting schedule (AN2 v13_no10). A reminder
that we will also include notice of discussion group topics which we
receive electronically at kwhittlesey@ala.org.

SS Research Libraries Discussion Group meeting has been combined with
the SS Journal Costs in Libraries Discussion Group meeting and will be
held at the Journal Costs DG time--Saturday, June 28, from 2-4PM.

SS Ad Hoc Committee on Serials Section/NASIG Cooperation is scheduled
for Saturday, June 28, from 9:30-11AM.

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EFFECTS OF FLOODING ON LIBRARIES IN NORTH DAKOTA; HELP STILL NEEDED

[The following is an edited email letter from Lillian Sorenson,
president of the North Dakota Library Association (NDLA).]

At long last, I have additional information regarding the effects of
the recent flooding on area libraries and a message regarding the
NDLA response to the need for assistance.

I have received, from all around the country, many phone calls and
offers of support for ND libraries affected by the flooding and would
like to coordinate those as needed. Thank you all for those offers.

It would appear that school libraries in ND have been the hardest
hit....Thus, any offers that have been made to me regarding funds or
contributions toward collection replacement, I will forward to those
libraries unless I am made aware of such needs from other types of
libraries in the next few weeks.

Another need, given the length of time that these libraries have been
forced to remain closed, it would seem to me, would be of the
"librarian-type expertise" and elbow grease variety. Mail needs to be
sorted and opened, periodicals checked in, and on and on. Thus, I have
offered to coordinate a contingent of librarian-volunteers to travel
to Grand Forks as needed to assist in that sort of recovery effort.

Please respond directly to me as to your interest in this project and
I will compile a volunteer list that can be activated when the
directors of these libraries make the call to me.

I've received many comments from non-librarians complementing the ND
library community for the care and concern that was shown here for
our fellow colleagues as well as the libraries in which they work.
Please accept my thanks to all of you for all of the support and
assistance that you have offered during this trying time.

Grand Forks Public Schools report that there are at least four
heavily damaged schools which for all intents and purposes have lost
everything.

Plans are now underway to lend assistance in both personal and
broader ways for fellow librarians in the flooded areas. Loss of
books alone are estimated to be from 3 to 5 million dollars. This
does not begin to determine losses of personal libraries and
materials in all classrooms flooded.

There is a FEMA source of matching funds of up to 75% of funds
donated to:

     Grand Forks Foundation for Education
     Atten: Sandy Glas, Director
     PO Box 6000
     Grand Forks ND 58201

The most immediate need is for money to replace items.

Once a depository is located the reading council network will
coordinate an effort to adopt schools and "shower" teachers with
books, teaching supplies and other items. It is anticipated that
these items would be timed to "flood" the Grand Forks area in early
August. While final details are still to be determined, those wishing
to donate books could notify IRA State Coordinator, Joyce Hinman, 400
Ave E East, Bismarck ND 58501, 701-221-3771 ext 147 or 701-221-3711
(FAX) or joyce_hinman@mail.lmo.bismarck.k12.nd.us


Lillian Sorenson              Dickinson State University
Stoxen Library                Dickinson, North Dakota 58601
701-227-2561                  lillian_sorenson@eagle.dsu.nodak.edu

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ALCTS NETWORK NEWS (ISSN 1056-6694) is published irregularly by the
Association for Library Collections & Technical Services, a division
of the American Library Association. Editorial offices: ALCTS, 50 E.
Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611; Carol Chamberlain, President; Karen
Muller, Executive Director. Editor: Karen Whittlesey
(kwhittlesey@ala.org); Editorial Assistance: Karen Muller, Shonda
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an2 v13_no11