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[Sending this message to the PCC, BIBCO, CONSER, and SACO lists]

 

Hi everyone,

 

There was a series of exchanges on the PCC list a couple of weeks ago on recording gender in NACO authority records, and I mentioned that a survey on that topic was forthcoming.

 

Here is the survey. The link is below this additional information on the topic:

 

On August 1, 2016 an "ad hoc" task group was formed to address concerns raised by the Program for Cooperative Cataloging (PCC) membership on best practices for recording information about gender in the MARC Authority Format 375 field (Gender) of name authority records (NARs). The task group was asked to identify best practices for recording information about gender in MARC Authority Field 375, and to propose changes to existing PCC NACO documentation to accommodate those best practice recommendations. 

The task group submitted its best practice recommendations report on October 4, 2016, and the report was posted to the PCC web site.   

At the 2016 PCC Policy Committee (PoCo) meeting, the task group’s best practice recommendations were approved in principle, with an additional request that the recommendations be shared with the PCC community for wider comment.

Although recording information about gender in name authority records is not an RDA “Core” attribute, and therefore not required, gender identification is a highly personal matter, and when recorded, must be done with care.    
 
This survey is intended to share the task group’s eight best practice recommendations for recording information on gender in name authority records with the PCC community, and to provide a means for the PCC community to comment on the recommendations.

The survey will remain open from May 1, 2018 to May 22, 2018. After the survey is closed, the task group will evaluate the survey responses in light of the proposed best practice recommendations, taking appropriate action where necessary.

The PCC is a cooperative organization. Every PCC member’s opinion matters. A cooperative organization adheres to consensus decision making through “a process in which group members develop, and agree to support a decision in the best interest of the whole” (taken from a Wikipedia page on Consensus decision-making, with apologies for those of you who are not fans of Wikipedia). I would add that in this case, the “whole” includes those persons outside of the PCC as well, those persons whose identities we describe in name authority records.  

 

Thanks for taking the time to complete this survey.

 

Survey link:

 

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GenderinNameAuthorityRecords

 

Paul Frank

Coordinator, NACO and SACO Programs

Cooperative Programs Section

Cooperative and Instructional Programs Division

Library of Congress

101 Independence Ave., SE

Washington, DC 20540-4230

202-707-1570

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