> A number of years ago there was discussion about whether or not z39.50
> access to
> records was allowed when the source was OCLC, with OCLC maintaining that
> they
> held some rights to the records when they were downloaded by customers
> into local
> ILS's and then made available for z39.50 access.
>
> Is this still an issue? I don't ever recall hearing anything definitive
> on this (but then again
> there is rarely anything definitive with the law)
The license is clear. You can distribute the records via Z39.50.
http://www.oclc.org/support/documentation/pdf/guidelines.pdf
However, I've heard OCLC staff indicate that they feel the license is
based on a dated model that is losing relevance. I would expect
changes in the not too distant future.
Rather than waste their time screwing around with this sort of thing,
I'd much rather OCLC figure out how to make better tools. The tools
for WorldCat (which is at the heart of what OCLC does) presume a model
where people dink with records one at a time and attach holdings. This
model is fundamentally broken. Yes, you can write macros that will
open 1000 records and perform some global change, but in this day and
age, it's insane that the tools don't allow it.
Having said that, Grid Services is a quantum leap in the right
direction. I wonder about the long term viability of Z39.50. It's been
around forever, yet actual use of it is pretty minimal due to the
needless complexity associated with it.
kyle
Received on Fri Mar 28 2008 - 12:11:46 EDT