Hola!
Ted Koppel <tpk_at_auto-graphics.com> wrote:
> Observation 1) A huge majority of the discussions evolve (or perhaps
> I should say - devolve) into a whinefest about how bad MARC is. OK,
> we get it. MARC isn't a tool for the '10s. What the discussion can't
> seem to do is move on.
That's because it's *that* bad! And because the library world is in
*such* a rut with it. We cannot move on to the Next Generation when
the current generation holds it back *this* much. Here, I had coffee
with an old friend who is a bit obsessed by the platform upon which
MARC is based ;
http://shelterit.blogspot.com/2010/06/can-you-just-stop-this-obsession-with.html
Further, I don't agree that it's such a bad thing that we whine about
it, though. Whining, even repeatedly, might open the eyes of the right
people to *actually* do something about it, even if it sounds like
noise to those who'd prefer stories about fairies. People come and go
on this list. A whine lost is a possible opportunity lost. When I got
into this fisticuffs about 6 years ago, MARC was seen as an important
part of library infra-structure, an enabler of innovation and
opportunities. And it's taken me and other "dissenters" many years of
harsh awareness-raising to get to this point. If you don't like the
MARC-bashing, there's always the option of unsubscribing, however I'd
prefer if you had a fisticuffs with me and simply prove me wrong. If
I'm indeed wrong about my assertions, they should be *easy* to prove
wrong. Make me feel stupid! Tell me what a jerk I am in thinking what
a disaster MARC is for the future of the library world!
Look, I'm not trying to be dismissive here, or to say to continuous
whining about the same stuff is what we should do all the time. We all
understand that repetition of something "we all know" isn't fruitful.
I just don't believe we all know just how bad it is; I think you
*badly* underestimate the foundation the modern library is built on.
> Rather than dwell on the inadequacies of MARC,
> why not raise the conversation to one of problem solving?
Ok, off you go. Suggest something. I think problem-solving is fine,
however, you will, at some point in your narrative, bump into our good
old friend MARC again. Just sayin'
> Observation 2) The discussions and stands are predictable (probably
> related to observation 1). I'm pretty sure that I know what Jim or
> Karen (or anyone else) is going to say just by reading their name on the
> "From" line. Guys, you need to mix it up and surprise the rest of us.
You're a jerk! No, wait. I love you, man! Ok, one more go; MARC is the
best thing ever!
> Observation 3) Maybe the "Next Generation Catalog" bus already left the
> station, and no one here noticed it because we were all discussing MARC
> records....
Well, I think a lot of us are pointing out that the *reason* the bus
has left is because the road is paved with MARC ... Oh dear, here we
go again ... :)
Alex
--
Project Wrangler, SOA, Information Alchemist, UX, RESTafarian, Topic Maps
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Received on Mon Jun 28 2010 - 21:12:59 EDT