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Mike,

There are several different issues in your single e-mail. I will try to
answer as best I can, what I can.

The injunction to notify the British Library of revisions to headings
contributed by them the the NACO authority file is a long-standing one.
It has been in the documentation at least since 1996,with the signing of
the Cataloguing Policy Convergence Agreement. At that time, it was hoped
that the BLNAL would be gradually superseded by the equivalent heading
in the NACO authority file.

This procedure allows the British Library not only to further that
goal, but to keep its bibliographic databases in synch with the
authority file, in a similar manner to that achieved by BFM notification
to LC.

It is all the more important at this time, as they are in the process
of data migration to their new system.

As for the contributions of the British Library in return for this
consideration: They are the largest single contributor to NACO. In
FY2003 they contributed 19,460 new name authority records for the use of
all, and revised 11,118 existing records--for the most part, by breaking
out unique headings from undifferentiated NARs. By my desk-top tables,
their contributions of new name authority records total 75,486 over the
past ten years, with over 35,000 revisions to extisting authority
records. In subject matters, over two thousand new subject headings and
an impressive amount of revision work since that time.

This is all done gratis, without regard for their past practice of
charging for this data as part of their self-support.

The matter of CIP data, however, is another matter. It is handled by a
separate workflow. A contractor with headquarters in Scotland deals with
bibliographic data and the Boston Spa BL staff handle the authority
work. From my knowledge of internal workflow there, I do know that the
BL cataloguing staff aims for a 24 hour turnover in corrections. They
are not, unfortunately, also responsible for the re-distribtuion of that
data, which rests in other hands.

As for printing the CIP data in the books, that, I realized some time
ago is entirely in the hands of the *publishers*. There is nothing that
LC or the BL can do to force UK publishers into printing our data in
their volumes, and, in an amazingly large number of cases, they do not.
At best, one will find the notification that "A cataloguing record is
available for this item from the British Library [or the Library of
Congress]"

Anthony

Anthony R.D. Franks
Cooperative Cataloging Program Specialist
Library of Congress
202-707-2822 (voice)
202-252-2082 (fax)

>>> [log in to unmask] 11/13/03 05:11PM >>>
Anthony;

Sorry for the blank message I sent you a moment ago.  It's late and
MSOutlook frequently gets the better of me late in the day.

As to your reminder about notifying the British Library when changing a
BL
heading in a name authority record, might I ask why we are expected to
do
this when they are not expected to reciprocate?  My job would be made a
lot
easier if the British Library were a little more cooperative--for
instance
printing Cataloging IN Publication IN the book--so I'm moved to ask
the
impolitic question above. Even making their catalog available for easy
perusal would help.

Also, the directive instructs us to notify them *prior* to making the
change.  Is my cataloging then supposed to sit around the office
gathering
electronic moss while they decide whether or not the change can be
made?  In
other words, am I seeking their permission or just notifying them?

Your guidance on these matters would be very much appreciated.


Mike Tribby
Senior Cataloger
Quality Books Inc.
The Best of America's Independent Presses

mailto:[log in to unmask]



-----Original Message-----
From: Antony Robert David Franks [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Wednesday, November 12, 2003 6:27 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Revisions to BL Contributed Headings


At the request of the British Library, the Coop Team reminds NACO
members to
please adhere to the section of Z1 (the yellow pages), 1XX, p. 1,
relating
to revision of name authority records contributed by the British
Library. In
short, please remember to inform the British Library, through the
e-mail
address listed [log in to unmask], of changes made to headings (1XXs
only)
contributed by the BL (040 $a Uk $b eng $c Uk)

The British Library are currently in the process of data migration
preparatory to the implementation of their new system. At the same
time,
they are delinking their catalogue from the BLNAL and testing linkage
with
the NACO Authority File.

Failure by NACO members to follow the procedures outlined in Z1 (the
yellow
pages)  make these actions on the part of the BL even more difficult
than
can be exected of a "normal" implementation.

Anthony R.D. Franks
Cooperative Cataloging Program Specialist
Library of Congress
202-707-2822 (voice)
202-252-2082 (fax)