Re: [ARSCLIST] Cataloging: Libraries and private collectors

["Steven C. Barr" <stevenc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Karl Miller" <lyaa071@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> On Fri, 13 May 2005, Matt Snyder wrote:
> > And yes, their
> > needs often differ considerably; certainly their methods of describing
> > their holdings are very different (catalog versus finding aid). But both
> > strive to meet the information needs of people in any way possible, so
in
> > that way they have much more in common than not.
> As you mention, from the literature I have read, archives have different
> needs and are most often (in theory) arranged by collection...with a
> collection being centered on an individual, organization, subject, etc.
> Is having an archive do a complete MARC record for every item, at cross
> purposes with respect to the functionalism of an archive, versus a
> library? Or is it not desirable to make such generalizations?
Actually, you are speaking of two different archives. There should be an
archive (or set of archives) whose goal would be to collect one copy of
every extant sound recording (these could be transferred into a digital
file and used for reference of whatever type--this was the theory behind
"Project Gramophone!"). As well, there should be a digital DATA archive,
whose purpose would be to collect and make available discographic, as
well as other, information on all these sound recordings.

My feelings are that doing MARC records of this data, which could be
done digitally by programming some sort of digital interchange
process, would be of value only to libraries and other institutions
using MARC. The archive could be maintained in virtually any current
format, even a proprietary one; all that would be necessary is the
program to copy that data into desired formats, which is relatively
simple to create.

Steven C. Barr