Re: [ARSCLIST] Cataloging: Libraries and private collectors

[Karl Miller <lyaa071@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Fri, 13 May 2005, Steven Smolian wrote:

> ERMA has an enormous amount of work to do to harmonize its titles before
> condering its serious use.

I would agree, but I also think of the paperwork I go through every time I
release a disc. If ERMA is supposed to monitor CD production, I wonder
what might come of an intiative to work with them to develop a process
which would require each producer to supply the cataloging information for
their disc. Of course the producer would not be conversant in the
authority files, but then, the producer and/or musicians are the
authorities of their own work.

>From my own personal experience, when I look at the stuff pressed by the
place I work with and how little of it ever gets to a MARC record, I know
that the ERMA database has the potential to be huge.

I come from the school of OHIO (only handle it once). When I think about
the process, and how often the information may be rekeyed and how each
user will want to tailor their own files for their own purposes and the
complexity of data entry...etc.

> Interest has been shown in this thread by the Library of Congress and other
> cataloging biggies.  It is also making its way into some of the thinking of
> those revising the AACR rules. I fantasize that what gets posted here may
> influence what they do.

Me too! But I believe these ideas must be considered, if they have not
been considered already. I believe that we have ample indication that the
old ways are not working.

> In many cases, a field can be left open when doing the basic cataloging, to
> be filled in at a later time, either by the user or from an external source.

Theoretically, this is what is hoped for with OCLC and the MARC format.
However, in practice, it is not always the case. Catalogers are faced with
huge backlogs and they are lucky if they can devote five minutes to review
a MARC record before tagging it. Further, catalogers are not
discographers. Cataloging music requires a wide range of skills. Most
departments are so small that each music cataloger can have a speciality.
Full cataloging of jazz requires knowledge of jazz. Classical music, with
uniform title, knowledge of languages, etc. has its own set of
requirements. Yet even if one finds a record they could correct, or add
to, there just isn't much time to do so.

> Since the composer relationships seriously affect record value, it can be of
> great use to private collectors who, as a rule, are more concerned with the
> dollar value of their records than are instituitions.

And, as we know, the market changes.

> For reissues, I would definitely include who did the transfer work.  I will
> often upgrade from one CD to another,based on this information.

And I will often look at the name of the recording engineer and producer,
information, these days, regularly included on the item, yet rarely
entered.

Karl