I think it *IS *more difficult that it should be, and hence more expensive,
to convince system designers and software engineers to work with the
intricacies and embedded intelligence of AACR2/MARC Meta data. In over 25
years of managing crews of developers in two different ILS companies, I
found that their tendency was always to "rethink" or "reinvent", or at least
"simply" the application and use of MARC data, and this is likely true at
Google today.
This was probably originally an off-shoot of the "not invented here"
syndrome, but now I think it's more a matter of AACR2/MARC's complexity not
being transparent and not easily succumbing to manipulation by standard
tools. Developers typically expect the data to fit into more traditional
(and simpler) data-models, and it's hard to entice them (or their business
managers) into deconstructing another universe prior to writing new
applications.
This is notwithstanding Jane's description of currently available options
for manipulating data -- the use and value is obvious to those in the
library trade, but not so much outside this venue and it kind of makes her
Catch 22 point: "... those who have cataloging/bibliographic knowledge lack
computing knowledge/server space. Those who have computing knowledge/server
space probably lack cataloging/bibliographic knowledge."
If the objective is to use this data to its fullest potential, and if past
experience is any indicator, it will require a mix of pressure from skilled
users, informed persistence from inside and outside Google to counter profit
objectives, and many iterations to achieve something approximating
responsible use.
I'm not sure whether it's sad or validating to watch this struggle between
those who understand the power of good meta data struggle with those who
have the skills to make best use of it. Both, I guess.
On Mon, Sep 21, 2009 at 9:39 AM, Jacobs, Jane W <
Jane.W.Jacobs_at_queenslibrary.org> wrote:
> Jonathan Rochkind Wrote:
>
> >>All I can say is that I and every other programmer in libraries that I
>
> know that has tried to work with AACR2/MARC metadata has found that it
> is not nearly as simple as you say to identify data elements of
> interest. Despite our familiarity with the relevant standards, such as
>
> they are.
>
> ...
>
> >> All I can
> say is the only people I know that think "it should be easy to get
> whatever data you want out of library MARC" are people who aren't
> programmers who have tried.
>
> I'm not much of a programmer, but using the open-source Perl module,
> developed by REAL programmers (really GOOD programmers, I would add.)
> I've managed to pull out pretty much everything what I needed. On the
> rare occasions when we needed and were able to hire a real programmer
> the results were excellent.
>
> If I were a real programmer and didn't want to dip into the Perl module
> to grab what I wanted, I would probably want to use XML, there are
> already programs to convert MARC to MARC-XML. MARC-XML is pretty
> verbose and cludgey in terms of taking up space on your servers but if
> you have plenty server space to stash it on it's no problem. Grabbing
> things out of XML, even the cludgey MARC kind is quite easy, as long as
> you know where you're grabbing from.
>
> Ironically those who have cataloging/bibliographic knowledge lack
> computing knowledge/server space. Those who have computing
> knowledge/server space probably lack cataloging/bibliographic knowledge.
> Catch-22!
>
> However on the following point I expect you're totally correct!
>
> >Google may have much more resources than any one of our libraries do,
> but they still choose to expend them or not based on cost benefit. I
> still suspect Google's estimate of the 'cost' is higher than you think
> it is, AND that their estimate of the 'benefit' of using library data is
>
> lower than you think it is.
>
> JJ
>
>
> **Views expressed by the author do not necessarily represent those of
> the Queens Library.**
>
> Jane Jacobs
> Asst. Coord., Catalog Division
> Queens Borough Public Library
> 89-11 Merrick Blvd.
> Jamaica, NY 11432
> tel.: (718) 990-0804
> e-mail: Jane.W.Jacobs_at_queenslibrary.org
> FAX. (718) 990-8566
>
>
>
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--
Trish
Received on Mon Sep 21 2009 - 12:20:34 EDT