There's a key conceptual shift here that needs to be made.
It's possible to have a conceptual One Big Database, while still having individual actual catalogs that contain a subset of the records from that One Big Database.
Our individual catalogs should be automatically, without user intervention, sending and getting changes to records out to 'the cloud'. We can still have our own library catalog, but the records in it are conceptually just one subset of a shared cooperative corpus. Current technology is quite capable of doing this, in theory. Our particular actual technologies, not so much. Our metadata practices, even less so.
So I agree with Eric, for a variety of reasons some he mentioned and some he didn't, that we need our own 'catalogs'. But there's no reason they should be as isolated as they are now.
Jonathan
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Next generation catalogs for libraries
> [mailto:NGC4LIB_at_LISTSERV.ND.EDU] On Behalf Of Eric Lease Morgan
> Sent: Friday, February 13, 2009 12:29 PM
> To: NGC4LIB_at_LISTSERV.ND.EDU
> Subject: Re: [NGC4LIB] Personal perspectives on catalog use
>
> On 2/13/09 12:07 PM, "Kyle Banerjee" <kyle.banerjee_at_GMAIL.COM> wrote:
>
> > On the nextgen catalog issue, any model built around every library
> > maintaining their own catalog is fundamentally broken. It is insane
> > for thousands of libraries to download the same data onto machines
> > scattered throughout that are barely more than toys, maintain
> parallel
> > staff to perform the same duties and aforementioned machines and
> data,
> > run these operations as silos and then work on all problems in
> > parallel fashion.
>
>
> I do not necessarily agree; I do think it is important for every
> library
> have its own "catalog" because for every institution the library
> services is
> different.
>
> Libraries are always a member of some larger organization. Academic
> libraries are a part of a college or university. Public libraries are a
> member of a municipality. School libraries are a part of a... school.
>
> Each of these organization have some sort of identity or purpose. They
> are
> comprised of people who have some sort of common goal or identity.
> Learning.
> Teaching. Scholarship. Citizenship. Business enterprise. Etc.
>
> A library is a resource enabling these people to accomplish their ends.
> Because each institution is different, each library should be
> different.
> Each libraries collection will be different and have different focuses.
> Each
> library's holdings and services are expected to be tailored the needs
> of the
> library's users.
>
> The big, centralized library will not be able to tailor its holdings
> and
> services to its local users. Too much of this stuff when that stuff is
> desired. Too much stuff out of context. Display this because you are in
> this
> class or have that rank. Display that stuff because you are a manager
> versus
> a salesperson versus an engineer. Provide a way to provide targeted
> services
> because I know you have such and such characteristics. Google is not
> going
> to be able to do this unless you tell Google all about yourself. The
> same
> thing goes for OCLC.
>
> --
> Eric Lease Morgan
> University of Notre Dame
Received on Fri Feb 13 2009 - 13:45:36 EST