OMG! Epiphany! I finally understand you! For the longest time when ever I read your work there was something I just wasn't getting. I think we've been talking a cross purposes--or atleast I was making the assumption that we were all taking about the same thing, or perhaps even starting from the point of only talking about library catalogs. Need to clarify more.
Let me see if I can lay out more clearly my thinking---the library catalog, just one small piece in the larger picture. Change MARC, change RDA, do whatever....there is still this entity that is a catalog. Have library, have catalog. Have Web, catalog part of it--a doorway or alcove or hallway to another room. Libraries still have 'collections'--this has not changed. Call it a digital library--whatever---that is a guide to it what it contains, records/representations of information entities. What are its parameters--how far outside of my doorway or alcove do I have to go in order to connect myself to the wider 'world' of information but still allows me to keep my bearings? Now, moving beyond a library. Which is where perhaps you are at? That is what I am not sure about. ************************************************************** Shawne D. Miksa, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Department of Library and Information Sciences College of Information, Library Science, and Technology University of North Texas email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://courses.unt.edu/smiksa/index.htm office 940-565-3560 fax 940-565-3101 ************************************************************** ________________________________________ From: Resource Description and Access / Resource Description and Access [EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Diane I. Hillmann [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, November 02, 2008 9:21 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [RDA-L] libraries, society and RDA Shawne: It wasn't too long ago that I was told that I couldn't catalog web resources because we didn't "own" them. I have to say that redefining the catalog yet again isn't something I'm all that interested in doing--particularly since that definition isn't likely to ever be as close to consensus as our old definitions were, or last as long. I'd rather ask other questions, that seem more relevant to me: --What kinds of resources do we want/need to describe? At what level? --Who are our users? Those associated with our institution? Anyone who is interested in our resources and could make use of them? --If we define "users" broadly, how can we ensure that potential users know about our stuff? --How can we integrate interested users in the process of description, and recommendation, and reviewing? These are the questions that the web services that are now engaging our users are asking, while libraries are far too often still talking about catalogs, assuming that somehow "newer" catalogs will keep us in the game. I don't think so. Diane P.S. I'll be largely off the grid for the next two days at least, so please don't interpret silence as lack of interest! Miksa, Shawne wrote: > One of the questions I often get in class from my cataloging students is > "What are the parameters of a library catalog?" in this day and age when we > are expected to provide access not only to a library's particular collection > but, seemingly, everything else "out there." Are we still creating > catalogs--this is an interesting question and not one that I've really seen > directly addressed. (unless I'm completely missing some critical dialog--very > possible--and to which your request for people to migrate to other listservs > is very timely.) > > Yes, I do think we are still creating catalogs. But let us first define, or > redefine, what we mean by "catalog". I think it is a new kind of catalog, > to be sure. How would this new catalog be or not be a part of the > "Information Commons"? How would continuing to creat catalogs not be "moving > forward"? I'm not disagreeing with you but I do want to be sure we are on the > same page, so to speak. > > ************************************************************** > Shawne D. Miksa, Ph.D. > Assistant Professor > Department of Library and Information Sciences > College of Information, Library Science, and Technology > University of North Texas > email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://courses.unt.edu/smiksa/index.htm > office 940-565-3560 fax 940-565-3101 > ************************************************************** > >
