The
For example, a keyword search for: death
penalty
Retrieves 299 titles, but in addition, in
a box on the right of the screen, is the message:
Try these too …
Capital punishment
[hyperlinked]
I’m at UCLA, not BYU, but this seems
to me an excellent use of authority data, and one that does not require the
user to do special or expert searches to take advantage of that data.
Sara Shatford Layne
UCLA Library Cataloging &
From: Program for
Cooperative Cataloging [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Amy H Turner
Sent: Wednesday, May 28, 2008 2:25
PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [PCCLIST] local
authority files
Here is an example of how cross references display in
Duke's catalog (Ex Libris)
|
|
Death
penalty - [LC Authority Record] |
This reference is displayed from an LC authority
record. As I wrote earlier, at Duke we have the entire LCAF loaded in our
catalog, but only ARs that match our headings display to the public. We
could create local authority records which would function like national
ones, but have chosen not to. As others have pointed out, there are some
cases when useful references are not allowed by NACO policy. However,
these are rare, and maintenance of local authority records does not dovetail
well with vendor-supplied authority control. So, we have a policy of
national authority records, or none at all. It works for us.
The
question of whether patrons use cross references is a good one. I don't
have any data, but I would guess that not many do. I believe in the
value of controlled headings, but think that keyword searching can fill the
function of cross references in leading the public to those headings.
For example, somebody could do a keyword search for "death penalty"
which would bring up some of the records with the heading "Capital punishment"
and then click on the subject heading to get more.
Amy
Amy
H. Turner
Monographic Cataloger & Authority Control Coordinator
Duke University Libraries
[log in to unmask]
|
Bing Zuo-Dittmer
<[log in to unmask]> 05/28/2008 04:27 PM
|
|
I use our local catalog or OPAC as our local
authorities (our local authorities are not up to date). Our library users
search our library materials by title, author, subject, keywords, series, added
entry, or call number etc. All these information is based on our local
bibliographic records. We use a small library system vendor since we are a
small library. Probably no one has ever heard of it. I am not going to
mention it. Would you please give me an example on how you generate cross references
for your library users and how do your users use those cross references.
Clarence J. Brown and Stephen Hearn also mentioned it. You must have very
educated patrons.
Bing Zuo-Dittmer
From: Program for
Cooperative Cataloging [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Billie Aul
Sent: Wednesday, May 28, 2008 11:35 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [PCCLIST] local authority files
Yes, and if you put them in a local authority record you can add cross
references and notes and make sure all your catalogers use the same one (which,
of course, is not helpful if your ILS doesn't display the x-refs or control the
headings)
Billie Aul
Senior Librarian
Technical Services and Systems
Cultural
(518) 474-8610
[log in to unmask]
>>> Bing Zuo-Dittmer <[log in to unmask]> 5/28/2008 2:09 PM
>>>
It is OK to use 690 fields for your local subject headings.
We do have some headings of our local interests only. We add a number of
dissertations to our local collection each year. I just add authors and local
subject headings if nay to the records I create (following the guidelines for
theses and dissertation). It saves time since the truly local authorities are
going to be in the local catalog. In other words, what ever new local headings
I add to our local catalog are going to be our local authorities.
Bing Zuo-Dittmer
From: Program for
Cooperative Cataloging [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Billie Aul
Sent: Wednesday, May 28, 2008 6:27 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [PCCLIST] local authority files
There is also an advantage to some libraries to having a small set of truly
local authorities which aren't of interest to the rest of the world or which
violate AACR2 rules or LC policy. For instance, we have a large number of
prints of local buildings. Headings for the buildings are generally only of
interest to us and a few smaller local libraries that don't maintain authority
files. It's easier to just maintain those locally, especially because LC rules
say that the New York State Education Building is a generic name which
shouldn't be established, where we think of it as a very distinct building with
unique architectural features.
On May 27 2008, Bing Zuo-Dittmer wrote:
>Please excuse me if this topic has already been discussed.
>
>I would like to know how much time others spend on maintaining their
>local authority files. How do you use them?
>
>To me, OCLC Connexion provides everything we need for cataloging. One
>can use Connexion's Authorities button to check name and subject
>headings. It even provides "Browse LC Names and Subjects History"
that
>allows one to check what headings have been previously changed by other
>libraries. Also, LC Authorities is accessible to everyone. Isn't this
>what a shared bibliographic utility is for? OCLC's Bibliographic Record
>Notification service delivers updated MARC records to libraries if they
>hold the items whose headings have changed. Do you think one can do the
>same job without the local authority files?
>
>
>
>Bing Zuo-Dittmer
>
>
Billie Aul
Senior Librarian
Technical Services and Systems
Cultural
(518) 474-8610
[log in to unmask]