As the former coordinator of cooperative cataloging programs at the Library of Congress, I think I can clarify a few points.
Any library is eligible to join the Program for Cooperative Cataloging (PCC) and participate in NACO. There two basic requirements: 1) the library must contribute via a utility; and 2) member institutions must contribute a minimum number of records (new and changes) in order to justify the cost of training, documentation, etc. and to maintain expertise. Large libraries (ARL and national libraries) must contribute at least 200 new or modified name and series authority records. Small libraries (state, public, college, special libraries, and those with specialized collections) are required to contribute at least 100 new or modified name and series authority records.
There is an FAQ on joining NACO at: http://www.loc.gov/catdir/pcc/naco/nacoprogfaq.html
There is no committee that decides NACO membership. Any library may submit an application (http://www.loc.gov/catdir/pcc/naco/nacoappl.html). If the applying library meets the requirements and can make arrangements for training, the library will be accepted into the program. I see from the website that PCC Series Training and Train the Series Trainer courses were offered for NACO participants here last week.
Ann Della Porta
Assistant Coordinator
ILS Program Office
Library of Congress
Washington, DC 20540-4010
adel_at_loc.gov
Opinions expressed in this message are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of the Library of Congress.
>>> Karen Coyle <kcoyle_at_KCOYLE.NET> 05/25/07 11:52 AM >>>
Jean Harden wrote:
> Karen -
>
> What's the difference between your constructs "a small set of elite libraries is authorized to add and change records" (NACO) and "limit input to a trusted set of experts" (the proposed wiki)?
No difference -- I see them as the same thing. I probably didn't explain
it well. :-) - kc
> The notion of limiting "the 'record' portion to experts" and allowing "other users to have a sandbox for whatever information they wish to add" is new (the sandbox part) and potentially useful, it seems to me, but you still need those "experts." How are they going to come to exist if not through some sort of application and training process? And who is going to oversee that process?
>
That's where my "committee in charge" comes in. As it is today, as far
as I know no one "revises" every NACO record -- the trained catalogers
in those elite libraries are expected to know what they are doing. They
use the cataloging rules (and I assume we will still have those) and
learn this skill at library school (ditto) or on the job. It's the
"committee in charge" (that meets a few times a year) that decides who
gets to be part of that elite (not individual persons but libraries).
What this brings up for me is that we need a standards group that
maintains this cataloging standard, not at the AACR/RDA level but at the
more practical level, the NACO level. What will be the mechanism to
suggest changes, discuss difficult areas, etc? It would seem that you
would need some kind of direct connection between the standard and the
actual practice. Note that I'm not sure how we manage this today, actually.
kc
> Jean
>
>
>
> --
>
> Jean Harden, Music Catalog Librarian
> Libraries
> University of North Texas
> PO Box 305190
> Denton, TX 76203-5190
> (940) 565-2860
> jharden_at_library.unt.edu
>
>
>
>>>> On 5/25/2007 at 10:10 AM, in message <4656FC5E.7010501_at_kcoyle.net>, Karen Coyle
>>>>
> <kcoyle_at_KCOYLE.NET> wrote:
> ...
>
>> I presume we are talking about the first use, a large database of
>> authority "copy" that can be updated by librarians but that is mainly
>> used to download data into library catalogs. This is basically the NACO
>> model, although in that one a small set of elite libraries is authorized
>> to add and change records. And there's no reason why this "wiki" model
>> couldn't limit input to a trusted set of experts. Or at least limit the
>> "record" portion to experts, and allow other users to have a sandbox for
>> whatever information they wish to add.
>>
> ...
>
>> kc
>> -----------------------------------
>> Karen Coyle / Digital Library Consultant
>> kcoyle@kcoyle.net http://www.kcoyle.net
>> ph.: 510-540-7596 skype: kcoylenet
>> fx.: 510-848-3913
>> mo.: 510-435-8234
>> ------------------------------------
>>
>
>
--
-----------------------------------
Karen Coyle / Digital Library Consultant
kcoyle@kcoyle.net http://www.kcoyle.net
ph.: 510-540-7596 skype: kcoylenet
fx.: 510-848-3913
mo.: 510-435-8234
------------------------------------
Received on Fri May 25 2007 - 10:54:28 EDT