As Melissa pointed out, Reference Librarians have a unique perspective on users of our catalog that RDA develops seem to have ignored. These people should be the primary consultants in what the catalog needs to do and this what we need to do to achieve it. I too have worked on a Reference desk for a number of years and have been dismayed at some of proposed changes because the I think they will inhibit resource discover, not aid in it. As many people have said, RDA does not help all of us in the trenches. It might work in theory, i.e., in academia, but it's far from practical as an application.
Guy Frost, B.M.E., M.M.E., M.L.S., Ed.S Catalog Librarian/Facilitator of Technical Processing Associate Professor of Library Science Odum Library, Valdosta State University Valdosta, GA 31698-0150 Depository 0125 229-259-5060 ; FAX 229-333-5862 gfr...@valdosta.edu -----Original Message----- From: Resource Description and Access / Resource Description and Access [mailto:rd...@listserv.lac-bac.gc.ca] On Behalf Of Miksa, Shawne Sent: Wednesday, September 01, 2010 2:38 PM To: RDA-L@LISTSERV.LAC-BAC.GC.CA Subject: Re: [RDA-L] Time and effort Jim unbelievable wrote: "But it must be accepted that catalogers are *most definitely NOT* the people to know what people need from information. That can only come from reference librarians and the public, the researchers, scholars, and students, themselves." With all due respect---what planet are you on, Jim? Come back to this one. Where do you get this stuff? Let me welcome you to the 21st century where catalogers are user-centric, born and bred. We start from the point of the user--what are their needs, how do we organize it to help them meet those needs; how do the choices we make as organizers affect their ability to find, identify, select, obtain, navigate.....and so on. Let's call it functionality, shall we? Only a reference librarian, and not a cataloging librarian, can know what people need from information? Bulldada. If there is an instance of this then it occurs when a cataloger gets so wrapped up in the 'brilliance' of their own cataloging skills that they can't see the forest for the trees. Done. Outta here. Buh-bye. ************************************************************** Shawne D. Miksa, Ph.D. Associate Professor Department of Library and Information Sciences College of Information University of North Texas email: shawne.mi...@unt.edu http://courses.unt.edu/smiksa/index.htm office 940-565-3560 fax 940-565-3101 **************************************************************=
