On Fri, 28 Jan 2005, Bruce D'Arcus wrote:
> On Jan 28, 2005, at 2:54 PM, Dick Thaxter wrote:
>
> > I suggest that anyone who doubts the usefulness of the uniform title
> > as a
> > cataloger-constructed string might want to browse through one of the
> > following sequences in any large catalog: any major work by any major
> > composer; any Bible translation; any U.S. Treaty heading; any author
> > whose
> > works have been heavily adapted, translated, criticized, etc.
> > Shakespeare would be an obvious choice.
>
> None of us want to rehash the argument I've made here a few times, but
> I'll just mention it:
>
> I think library catalogs are in general NOT easy to search, and that a
> big part of the reason is the metadata of exactly this sort.
>
> So, yes, you've got legacy and you've got the AAR2, but there are still
> better ways to do human-friendly searching.
>
> Bruce
>
I wasn't talking about searching. The elements of the u.t. are not
designed primarily to assist in searching or limiting searches. Every MARC
OPAC that I know of uses the language codes in 008 or 041 in searching.
The language in the u.t. is just for arrangement of a browse list in a
potentially huge set of records. Although there are other uses for
u.t.'s--that's best rationale for their use in library catalogs.
And I'm not arguing that the library catalog is the best or most intuitive
way to search. I'm trying to state some reasons why the construct of the
u.t. evolved and what it is still useful for.
In a MODS context, as I said before, anyone using a TitleInfo tag with the
type "uniform title" is probably dealing in a MARC/AACR context.
And I notice you don't address the main argument I make--which is if you
treat the language element of a u.t. this way, why not the other dozen
u.t. elements?
Dick Thaxter
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* Dick Thaxter [log in to unmask] 202 707-7208 *
* Automation Specialist *
* Motion Picture, Broadcasting & Recorded Sound Division *
* Library of Congress *
* The usual disclaimers apply *
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