Re: Cataloging Matters Podcast #12

From: Jonathan Rochkind <rochkind_at_nyob>
Date: Tue, 9 Aug 2011 14:54:52 -0400
To: NGC4LIB_at_LISTSERV.ND.EDU
I'm not sure if that's supposed to be a parody of FRBR but in fact it 
accurately represents our _current_ non-FRBR catalogs, right?

What do you get if you to our legacy catalogs, in a large library, and 
enter "Huckleberry Finn". You get ALL that, 200 hits, videos, audios, 
multiple publishers.  The user has to deal with all the manifestations, 
and figure out the differences on their own.

In fact, it's FRBR behind the scenes in our data that would allow our 
systems to provide an interface that would let them ignore FRBR.

But of course FRBR can't tell the user what the actual content 
differences are between the 1962 and the 1972 editions. Only expensive 
human time noting and recording that stuff can do that, and we can't 
afford it. Maybe we can convince users to enter it recreationally.

But it's only FRBR behind the scenes that would let the system figure 
"Okay, they want a copy of huckleberry finn, they probably want a print 
copy, let's just pick one for them."  With the data in our systems right 
now, even that's pretty infeasible for the system to do.

On 8/5/2011 2:44 PM, Eric Lease Morgan wrote:
> On Aug 5, 2011, at 4:25 AM, James Weinheimer wrote:
>
>> There is also a shorter version at:
>>
>> http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/12351402/conversation-between-a-patron-and-the-library-catalog-short
>>
>> and I think you'll see why.
> ROTFL!!!
>
Received on Tue Aug 09 2011 - 14:56:19 EDT