New Book

Added to my must read list, Responsible Librarianship: Library Policies for Unreliable Systems by David Bade and Thomas Mann (WorldCat, Amazon)

Working Group on Aggregates Report

The report of the Durban meeting of the Working Group on Aggregates has been posted on IFLANET.

VuFind, New Release

The latest release of VuFind, the open source library resource discovery platform, is now available. Version 0.8 Beta is now available for download, it can be accessed from VuFind or from Sourceforge.

The major enhancement in version 0.8 is the new MARC import tool developed by Wayne Graham. This should help improve any issues dealing with importing records as well as a speed enhancement.

If you are interested in trying VuFind, have a look at the live demo.

CC:DA Discusion List

Distributed to several email lists.

CC:DA announces a public read-only email discussion list to allow non-CC:DA members to "view" committee discussions and work that takes place between outside of the ALA Annual Conference and Midwinter Meeting.

In order for the committee to do its work efficiently, non-CC:DA members will be able read CC:DA email, but will not be able to post messages. However, ideas and comments on discussions are welcome, and can be funneled to the list through your CC:DA representative or liaison. The committee roster is located at http://www.libraries.psu.edu/tas/jca/ccda/roster.html

To subscribe to the list, send an email to sympa@ala.org with the phrase "subscribe rules" in the subject line and the body of the message blank. Your email address will be captured automatically.

FRBR Object-Oriented Definition and Mapping to FRBRER

Comments are welcomed on FRBR Object-Oriented Definition and Mapping to FRBRER. This is a 140 page document. Message distributed to email lists.

The FRBR Review Group and the Working Group on FRBR and CIDOC CRM Harmonisation welcomes comments on FRBRoo (object-oriented definition and mapping to FRBRer) version 0.9 (January 2008) and also at: http://cidoc.ics.forth.gr/frbr_drafts.html

This document includes a substantive introduction to the purposes and methodology of the work, a graphical overview of the resulting model, complete FRBRoo class and property definitions, a mapping between FRBRer and FRBRoo, all CIDOC CRM class and property definitions referenced, and an appendix on the modelling of identifier creation.

The goal of the FRBRoo project is to express the conceptualisation behind FRBR using the object-oriented methodology as used in the CIDOC CRM. FRBRoo is defined as an extension to the CIDOC CRM, however, the FRBRoo document is self-contained in that all definitions referenced are included. This has provided the opportunity to verify FRBR's internal consistency, extend the scope of both FRBR and CIDOC CRM, enable interoperability and extend mutual understanding between the museum and library documentation communities by working towards a common ontology.

Comments on this work are appreciated on an ongoing basis, however, comments received prior to April 21, 2008 will be considered at the next meeting of the Working Group in May 2008.

Please send all comments to:

Pat Riva
(Chair, FRBR Review Group)
patricia.riva@banq.qc.ca

Google Books API and the OPAC

Google has an API for Google Books that can add informaiton to the OPAC.

The Google Book Search Book Viewability API enables developers to:

• Link to Books in Google Book Search using ISBNs, LCCNs, and OCLC numbers
• Know whether Google Book Search has a specific title and what the viewability of that title is
• Generate links to a thumbnail of the cover of a book
• Generate links to an informational page about a book
• Generate links to a preview of a book

Dublin Core Geospatial Application Profile

The draft of the Geospatial Application Profile for Dublin Core is now available.

This document describes a DC Application Profile for describing geospatial resources. Resources of many types have geospatial properties. This profile provides guidance on the use of DC elements that are relevant to geospatial aspects of resource description, with the expectation that these shall be used together with the elements from other profiles.

RDA/MARC Working Group Established

Sent to the MARC email list.

Under the auspices of the British Library, the Library and Archives Canada, and the Library of Congress, an RDA/MARC Working Group has been established to collaborate on the development of proposals for changes to the MARC 21 formats to accommodate the encoding of RDA data. With the implementation of RDA anticipated for late 2009, the Working Group will be drafting proposals for review and discussion by the MARC community in June 2008.

Although the MARC 21 formats support the encoding of descriptions created according to a wide range of content standards, the close relationship between AACR and MARC 21 has contributed to the efficient exchange of information among libraries for decades. The RDA/MARC Working Group will identify what changes are required to MARC 21 to support compatibility with RDA and ensure effective data exchange into the future.

Members of the RDA/MARC Working Group are:

• Everett Allgood (New York University and CC:DA Liaison to MARBI)
• Corine Deliot (British Library)
• Rebecca Guenther (Library of Congress)
• Bill Leonard (Library and Archives Canada)
• Sally McCallum (Library of Congress)
• Marg Stewart (JSC Liaison to the RDA/MARC Working Group)
• Martha Yee (UCLA Film and Television Archive)

Photographic Metadata

I was recently asked about adding metadata to photographs. After describing our tools, I did a quick search and found a MS image metadata tool, Microsoft Photo Info. Who could have guess so many folks would want to catalog images? I have yet to give it a try, but it look like a decent basic tool.

Grants?

A orginization for music teachers is looking for a grant to help with their lending library. They need funds to:

• converting videos to DVD format
• acquisitions of video or DVDs of the "big name" presenters who are no longer with us
• setting up a system for delivering "videos" over the Internet to borrowers

Any suggestions? Thanks.

FRBR Text

The full text of the Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR) incorporating the amended definition of the expression entity as well as the errata identified to date has been made available on IFLANET in both PDF and HTML formats.

For the first time, the HTML versions of both the current text and the original 1998 text include the tables, rather than just references to the PDF version.

Notice distributed via e-mail.

Cataloging Research

“Just where’s the damn book?,” or, Rediscovering the art of cataloging by Chad P. Abel-Kops is now available on E-LIS.

Current discussions on the future of cataloging describe a "crisis" that has been going on longer than most realize. However, new challenges posed by the Internet have given increased attention to a more complete transformation of bibliographic control. Contributions by Calhoun and others have shown that much can be gleaned from research in fields beyond library and information science, namely in documenting how people actually react to information and the process they employ in its discovery. While many technical solutions have been offered in these discussions, the author considers the more elusive social and moral dimensions which help explain why what has been described as a "crisis" continues.

Friday Humor on Tuesday

Very funny. “Steroid” Scandal Rocks Major League Libraries by Daniel Cohen.

Map Catalogong Resource

News of this MAGERT publication was distributed in email to several lists.

Did you miss ALA's preconference on cataloging early maps and atlases, Rare, Antiquarian or Just Plain Old: Cataloging Pre-Twentieth Century Cartographic Resources, which was held last June at the Library of Congress prior to the American Library Association Annual Conference in Washington, D.C.? It was organized by the Map and Geography Round Table, and co-sponsored by ALCTS, GODORT, and RBMS. The workbook used in the preconference and issued to participants has been reprinted and is available for purchase from MAGERT for $40. Our current supply will soon be sold out, but we are doing another printing in response to your firm orders. So to be sure to obtain a copy, send your requests without delay to the address below. The workbook includes illustrations and cataloging examples taken from sheet maps, atlas plates and atlases, focusing on early and pre-twentieth century cartographic materials. Some of the areas covered by the workbook include elements of description, transcription, mathematical data and supportive research. The $40 price includes shipping and handling.

Orders for the workbook, Rare, Antiquarian, or Just Plain Old, should be sent to:
Jim Coombs
MAGERT Publications Distribution Manager
Maps Library
Missouri State University
901 S. National, #175
Springfield, MO 65897 USA
Email: jimcoombs@missouristate.edu

LibraryThing Local

LibraryThing Local maps libraries, bookstores, and book events.

LibraryThing Local is a gateway to thousands of local bookstores, libraries and book festivals—and to all the author readings, signings, discussions and other events they host. It is our attempt to accomplish what hasn't happened yet—the effective linking of the online and offline book worlds. Books still don't fully "work" online; this is a step toward mending them.

LibraryThing Local is a handy reference, but it's also interactive. You can show off your favorite bookstores and libraries (eg., mine include the Harvard Bookstore, Shakespeare and Company and the Boston Athenaeum) and keep track of interesting events. Then you can find out who else loves the places you do, and who else is going to events. You can also find local members, write comments about the places you love and more.

Is your library included? If not it is easy to add it. I added the Lunar and Planetary Institute Library.

Oreo Ad

Here in the States there is a new Oreo ad that has pitched percussion music, sounds like something from the Orff's Schulwerk. Is that so? Which volume?

ORE Specification and User Guide

The latest version of the ORE Specification and User Guide has been released.

Open Archives Initiative Object Reuse and Exchange (OAI-ORE) defines standards for the description and exchange of aggregations of Web resources. This document provides an introduction and lists the specifications and user guide documents that make up the OAI-ORE standards.

FRBR in Chinese

A translation of the Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR) into Chinese has just been made available on IFLANET

Peeps @ the Library

Peeps are in the stores, so it is time once again to point to Peep Research. Brings a smile every year.

New Look

Back on March 5, 2002 I started Catalogablog. Over the years I made many changes to the look and contents of the weblog, but always within the same template. Now I feel the need to change. Let me know what you think about the new look.