Re: Online Catalogs: What Users and Librarians Want

From: Jonathan Rochkind <rochkind_at_nyob>
Date: Thu, 23 Apr 2009 12:02:04 -0400
To: NGC4LIB_at_LISTSERV.ND.EDU
Frances Dean McNamara wrote:
> So, why aren't we keeping the Authorities LCCN in name fields?  Then we could link to some interesting stuff, like OCLC Identities, or later other registries of authors.
>   
Yes! We really ought to be doing that, we REALLY REALLY ought to be 
doing that.  In any MARC field that is 'authorized' by a national (or 
international) authority file, some sub-field in that field should 
include the control number identifying the authority record that 
authorizes it. (or another identifier uniquely identifying the authority 
record, perhaps as a URI).

This is something that doesn't seem like it would be that hard to do, 
and would _immensely_ aid software in making effective use of all the 
authority work and assignments we're already doing.

And it certainly can hypothetically be done in MARC, or in _any_ record 
format that's flexible enough to handle it.

Jonathan

>   
Received on Thu Apr 23 2009 - 12:04:17 EDT