Re: OCLC to share bib records with Google

I still wonder if it means I can add MARC records to my catalog for those Google books that are in the public domain.

--Steven Harris



Steven R. Harris
Collection Development Librarian
435-797-3861
http://collections2point0.wordpress.com/
>>> Jonathan Rochkind <rochkind_at_JHU.EDU> 05/21/08 2:57 PM >>>
It's an ongoing question as to whether and when libraries can share
exactly what records that came from or went to OCLC legally. Nobody
really knows. There is an OCLC "expectations" document which isn't
exactly clear in the first place, and even if it was nobody really knows
if it's legally binding, or what legally binding contractual or IP
restrictions there may be on sharing records involved in Worldcat, when
you are an OCLC cataloging member.  But regardless of legality, most of
our employers either a) believe that being good library community
members is doing what OCLC wants even if not legally required, or b) are
scared of not doing what OCLC wants even if not legally required.

So I read this as OCLC saying "Now you have our permission." OCLC would
probably like everyone to believe that they needed that permission. But
nobody really knows.  [And incidentally, in return for that permission,
which we may or may not have needed, OCLC seems to have gotten other
data from Google that Google did not need to share, but shared in
exchange. Odder and odder.]

Oops, but I realize now that isnt' even the question you asked. It's the
one I was thinking of though. :)  I _think_ that the records OCLC is
sharing with GBS are going to be used to fill out metadata for books
digitized by library partners for GBS. So for this purpose, Google would
only need records from GBS libraries. If Google wanted to use the entire
worldcat corpus to fill out their metadata for all GBS books, even those
not scanned by partner libraries, would OCLC share those records? I
seriously doubt it.   OCLC sees that corpus as an important and unique
'business' advantage.  (When OCLC's 'business' needs conflict with the
interests of its' member-owners---it's up to our administrators to bring
that up with OCLC if they think that is so. We own OCLC.)

Jonathan

Bruce Brigell wrote:
> This paragraph of the release confuses me:
>
>         Under terms of the agreement, OCLC member libraries
> participating in the Google Book Search(tm) program, which makes the
> full text of more than one million books searchable, may share their
> WorldCat-derived MARC records with Google to better facilitate discovery
> of library collections through Google.
>
> Does this imply that only those who have provided books to be scanned
> into GBS will be included --or do you think that all libraries with
> WorldCat holdings for items that have been scanned into GBS will be
> displayed??
>
> Anyone have any insight into this?
>
> Bruce Brigell
> Coordinator of Information Services
> Skokie Public Library
> 5215 Oakton Street
> Skokie, IL 60077
> 847/324-3142
> 847/673-7797 [fax]
> bbrigell_at_skokielibrary.info
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Next generation catalogs for libraries
> [mailto:NGC4LIB_at_LISTSERV.ND.EDU] On Behalf Of B.G. Sloan
> Sent: Wednesday, May 21, 2008 2:18 PM
> To: NGC4LIB_at_LISTSERV.ND.EDU
> Subject: [NGC4LIB] OCLC to share bib records with Google
>
>
> "OCLC and Google Inc. have signed an agreement to exchange data that
> will facilitate the discovery of library collections through Google
> search services."
>
> http://www.oclc.org/news/releases/200811.htm
>
> Bernie Sloan
>
>

--
Jonathan Rochkind
Digital Services Software Engineer
The Sheridan Libraries
Johns Hopkins University
410.516.8886
rochkind (at) jhu.edu