Re: Does cataloging have value? [the word "catalog"]

I don't necessarily disagree - but this is not just semantics (if you excuse the pun). The Semantic Web is a different way of thinking about the way we organise data, metadata is broader than 'catalogue' or 'bibliographic' information. If we change our terminology simply to 'get peoples attention' nothing will change. Librarians need to embrace some of the ideas that lie behind this terminology as well.

Owen

Owen Stephens
Assistant Director: eStrategy and Information Resources
Central Library
Imperial College London
South Kensington Campus
London
SW7 2AZ
 
t: +44 (0)20 7594 8829
e: o.stephens_at_imperial.ac.uk

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Next generation catalogs for libraries
> [mailto:NGC4LIB_at_LISTSERV.ND.EDU] On Behalf Of Eric Lease Morgan
> Sent: 17 February 2009 11:36
> To: NGC4LIB_at_LISTSERV.ND.EDU
> Subject: Re: [NGC4LIB] Does cataloging have value? [the word "catalog"]
> 
> On 2/16/09 10:54 AM, "Weinheimer Jim" <j.weinheimer_at_AUR.EDU> wrote:
> 
> > When you put all of this together, it makes it much more difficult to
> build
> > something that people will use or even pay attention to. This is one
> reason
> > why, regretfully, I think we need to do away with words such as
> "catalogs,"
> > "cataloging"  and "catalog records" because so many think that they
> are passe.
> > When you speak of "metadata," "ontologies" and the "Semantic Web" you
> get
> > people's attention.
> 
> 
> I concur.
> 
> Even here in our own venue the word "catalog" has so many connotations
> that
> it makes it difficult for us to communicate. I was talking to David
> Lindahl
> of the eXtensible Catalog (XC) a number of months ago, and he said, "I
> wish
> I had not used the word 'catalog' to describe the project". I feel the
> same
> way about the naming of this mailing list. I sincerely do not think the
> functionality of the catalog itself needs to change. Rather, I think
> the
> functionality of the tool(s) use to find stuff in the catalog, plus the
> bibliographic indexes, plus the special collections, plus institutional
> repositories, plus the archives, plus the digitized collections, plus
> selected stuff from the Internet, plus RSS feeds, plus mailing
> lists,... all
> needs to be improved to meet today's evolved environment.
> 
> --
> Eric Lease Morgan
> University of Notre Dame
>