On Aug 23, 2007, at 5:04 AM, Weinheimer Jim wrote:
> I guess I think that the moment I harvest hundreds of thousands of
> metadata records of varying quality and standards into my own
> catalog, this means I have completely lost control of it... There
> is no--or at least highly uncertain--authority control, which
> strikes at the heart of the very definition of a catalog as opposed
> to a simple listing of resources.
>
> But in my opinion, if we refocus the task just slightly, it may be
> more achievable. If we think of it in ways such as "catalogs need
> to *help provide access* to article-level content," I think the
> task becomes more manageable...
>
> Within the catalog itself, it searches more-or-less normally, but
> once you look at a specific record, there is the possibility to
> "Extend the Search" into other metadata silos, e.g. OAIster, the
> Internet Archive, WorldCat, etc. by taking the authorized forms and
> searching them there. Here is an example:
>
> http://www.galileo.aur.it/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?bib=18761
> http://www.archive.aur.it/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?bib=18761
I agree, more or less. Sometimes more. Sometimes less.
Yes, the idea of "extended search" is more achievable but I also see
this as a short-term solution. Search an index (say, the catalog).
Get a list of results. Behind the scenes reformulate the search to
query another index (say, OAIster). Search. Get a list of results.
Repeat. Such an implementation is a step in the right direction, but
as the number of your "information silos" grows so does the tedium
experienced by the user. "Which silo should I choose this time?"
Again, metasearch won't really work here because the content is in
different locations using different protocols, etc.
I don't necessarily agree about loosing control of a catalog if
masses of uncertain authority control content is integrated into it.
Yes, your descriptions will be less consistent with each other. On
the other hand, libraries, especially libraries with larger
collections can not afford to catalog (describe) all of their
materials in great detail. It is too expensive. There is too much
stuff, and from the user's point of view, the payoff is too small. As
more and more free text becomes available (think Google Books), the
critical need for authority control and controlled vocabulary decreases.
Finally, providing access to content, IMHO, is only part of the issue
when it comes to a "catalog". People have more access to information
than they ever had. We are still drinking from the proverbial fire
hose. Moreover, as people are able to carry around larger and large
amounts of content on portable storage devices, the idea of library
as container of information is becoming less relevant. In order to
distinguish ourselves from other information providers, I advocate
librarianship work to enable people to use the content they find in
our libraries and out one the 'Net. In addition to providing access
to materials also provide the users with tools making it easier for
people to get their jobs done.
While certainly perfect, I believe integrating masses of content into
a central pile will solve more problems then it creates.
--
Eric Lease Morgan
University Libraries of Notre Dame
Received on Thu Aug 23 2007 - 11:39:16 EDT