Kevin, there is no reason why the publisher name would change over time.
You are assuming something that I did not say: I said that one could
avoid keying the publisher name by having it derived from the ISBN at
the time of cataloging. A publisher record (if linked through an
identifier, which could also come from the ISBN) could record corporate
name changes if desired.
The use of the ISBN could incorporate the appropriate name in the
bibliographic record (based on the date, if you want to get fancy) --
although that may vary from what is on the piece. If it does, then the
cataloger could choose to change it. In some areas, for example in small
public libraries, they may decide to take the name supplied by the ISBN
without question, the same way that some libraries take copy cataloging
without making modifications because they simply do not have the time to
fiddle with details in the records.
This is what I mean by needing to create system-related requirements. If
the requirement is that the name not change, there's a good chance the
system can be designed in that way. But if we don't know what we want
systems to do, if we don't know the outcomes that we want, then we can't
design systems that make our lives easier. I am convinced that systems
could supply -- for cataloger *review* -- data that is now being keyed
by hand. I'm interesting in exploring ways to save time in the
cataloging process. I actually think we have no choice but to explore
such options.
kc
Kevin M. Randall wrote:
At 12:04 PM 5/9/2008, Karen Coyle wrote:
For example, there is no reason for anyone to have to
key a publisher name for a modern book with an ISBN -- the identity of
the publisher is inherent in the ISBN and that information could be
system supplied (using a barcode scanner). But this would mean giving up
the idea that the publisher name must be transcribed from the piece. It
is that rule that is forcing us to continue to key the publisher name
rather than get that information from a readily available source.
Oh, my goodness. This is absolutely the wrong direction to be
headed. This would result in exactly the kind of thing that WorldCat
Local
has done with the statement of responsibility, where they use
authority-controlled data to supply a made-up (and often erroneous) "by"
statement. In order to properly identify a given manifestation, the
publisher name MUST be taken from the item in hand, otherwise the
description might end up automatically changing over time as the
publisher
record changes (name change, acquired by another publisher, etc.).
Kevin M. Randall
Principal Serials Cataloger
Bibliographic Services Dept.
Northwestern University Library
1970 Campus Drive
Evanston, IL 60208-2300
email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
phone: (847) 491-2939
fax: (847) 491-4345
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Karen Coyle / Digital Library Consultant
[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kcoyle.net
ph.: 510-540-7596 skype: kcoylenet
fx.: 510-848-3913
mo.: 510-435-8234
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