Re: LOC Authority Data

From: Yašaqov Ziso <ziso_at_nyob>
Date: Thu, 2 Oct 2008 17:38:56 -0400
To: CODE4LIB_at_LISTSERV.ND.EDU
> The NAF (Name/National Authority File) is still one important database
>> > that we are missing any kind of good machine access to, I believe.
> 
>> > Agreed.  As part of our research project we have enhanced some of the
>> vocabulary data in the service to provide mappings and links between
>> vocabularies.  One issue we noticed with FAST was that many of the mapped
>> terms were not being linked.  We tracked this back to the term being in NAF
>> rather than in LCSH.  So to make the FAST data more usable we would have to
>> include the entire LC authority file, both names and subjects.  It is
>> something we are looking into at the moment... Andy.
> ===========
> 
> Question1: who OWNS the NAF/LCSH files that needs to be reimbursed?
> Question2: does OCLC or FAST (etc.) pay that owner for NAF and LCSH, and their
> updates? 
> Assumption: OCLC get NAF and LCSH, and their updates from LC/NACO for free
> (Roy, Andy, correct me if Išm wrong)
> Proposal: on the same basis OCLC getšs these files, CODE4LIB could get them as
> well
> Rationale: given opensource technology (for ex. Apache Solr 1.3) and software,
> CODE4LIB could also explore options for controlled vocabularies.
Yašaqov 

 
> 
Received on Thu Oct 02 2008 - 16:03:13 EDT