Karen was suggesting the kind of question that might be easier to answer if we had data that was structured and linked in a way it isn't currently.
Of course, we can posit different possible outcomes for an imagined future, but the point is that it is difficult to answer this type of question at the moment, and this is one of the reasons that I would advocate changing the way we record bibliographic data. To see an example of the kind of thing that can be managed by structuring the same data different see this example of trying to answer the question "Which schools did the children of Republican US presidents attend?", I highly recommend the video at http://mqlx.com/~david/parallax/ It is this kind of vision that I (and I believe Karen) has in terms of how we might be able to make use of bibliographic data in the future if we get the data structure and linking right - and what cannot be achieved if we do not make some changes. Owen Owen Stephens Assistant Director: eStrategy and Information Resources Central Library Imperial College London South Kensington Campus London SW7 2AZ t: +44 (0)20 7594 8829 e: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > -----Original Message----- > From: Resource Description and Access / Resource Description and Access > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Mike Tribby > Sent: 12 November 2008 16:20 > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [RDA-L] libraries, society and RDA > > > The question Karen uses for an example ("how many books did Henry > Miller write while he lived in France?") is an interesting choice. > Assuming that linking "from the mention of an author anywhere on the > web to books held by libraries. Directly. Not going through WorldCat" > would bypass authority control that search would find not only every > book by the author of Tropic of Cancer, but every book by every author > named Henry Miller. Now that's a totally awesome achievement, dude, as > the kids like to say. > > Mike Tribby > Senior Cataloger > Quality Books Inc. > The Best of America's Independent Presses > > mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
