I hadn't meant to stir up a hornet's nest. My original post was simply to report how I typically do research. As someone who has cataloged all my professional life, I'm a bit alarmed at how little I use the library catalog to get what I need for my research. I'm also embarrassed to say I'm not sure what it all means. Perhaps I'm an outlier and my experience isn't that relevant to the discussion. By posting, I had hoped to find out about others' experiences in this regard and what they thought it might mean in terms of the future shape of the catalog and cataloging, and why.
-----Original Message-----
From: Next generation catalogs for libraries [mailto:NGC4LIB_at_LISTSERV.ND.EDU] On Behalf Of Ross Singer
Sent: Thursday, May 07, 2009 12:58 PM
To: NGC4LIB_at_LISTSERV.ND.EDU
Subject: Re: [NGC4LIB] Searching
Wait a minute, there was nothing about a "digitized copy" in the
"requirements document".
I found a copy. Near me. Using a simple Google search and my head
for slightly more than a hat rack.
-Ross.
On Thu, May 7, 2009 at 3:53 PM, Patrick Cates <Cates_at_gts.edu> wrote:
> Re: Sabin: the point is there is no simple search to find it. It's
> there on GBS, but good luck finding it because GBS doesn't link volumes
> in a set or even indicate volume #s on the results pages. A library
> catalog treats sets as sets. If I can find the record for Sabin, I can
> find all the volumes. If I search the keywords Sabin Bibliotheca
> Americana in a library catalog, if it's owned, I'll find it and I can
> get any volume I need off the shelf. In GBS, those keywords give you
> 1751 results, the irrelevant ones begin with the fifth result, and you
> have to click on each of the relevant ones to see if it is what you
> want. Again, the point is sometimes it is not easier to search GBS etc.
> than a library catalog.
>
> My other point was that even if you find the book (Parsons), if you
> can't get the stuff in it, it's worthless. And the title is in Parsons,
> BTW.
>
> Patrick Cates
> Technical Services Librarian
> St. Mark's Library
> General Theological Seminary
> 175 Ninth Avenue
> New York, NY 10011
> 212-243-5150 x354
>
>
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Received on Thu May 07 2009 - 16:22:04 EDT