Enforcing transcribed data elements using publication and cataloging standards have 1) enabled us to capture the transcribed data in machine-readable form, and 2) facilitated the communication of the data among library systems, especially ILS, ILL, document delivery, 3rd-party apps, and other systems providing value-added services to libraries, etc.
I hope that the cataloging standard that we are about to enforce are not going to contradict what we need to measure, e.g. evaluating what we've achieved as a profession, identifying impact factors, and leading us to embrace new means of doing things that will enhance our value-proposition in regard to providing cataloging and metadata services that will not only meet the rising expectations and changing needs of the community that we are serving, but also conform to commonly accepted standards, hopefully governed by the industry leaders/experts consisting of members from publishers, vendors, libraries, cultural heritage communities, user communities, etc. As far as I am concerned, this is still the time for a) proof-of-concept testing; b) validating the proposed standards; c) developing the common understanding of the base knowledge and core literature; d) discussing issues and implications related to cataloging policies, workflow, systems, people using the systems in various roles, etc.; e) providing trainings and recommending best practices as what LC, ALA, many libraries have been doing, etc.; f) monitoring and assessing the impact of current and future disruptive technologies that would alter the standards for transcribed data elements to be enforced by our communities, e.g. primary publishers, libraries, and others in the value chain, etc. In short, I don't see how we could contradict measurement requirement against the requirement for enforcing data transcription standards. As a matter of fact, enforcing such data transcription standards is the Eabler for us to compete against others and develop a universal digital library infrastructure. RDA is our only choice to make it happen. Please don't miss the opportunity. Sincerely yours, Amanda On Thu, Mar 3, 2011 at 8:25 AM, Karen Coyle <li...@kcoyle.net> wrote: > Quoting Weinheimer Jim <j.weinhei...@aur.edu>: > > > Still, I realize that setting up and enforcing genuine standards is really >> a tremendous undertaking, but it will have to be done sooner or later. >> > > Standards are only enforceable if they are measurable. There is no way to > enforce a standard on transcribed data elements. The more that our data > allows for free text input, the less we can do to ensure that standards are > followed. > > kc > > -- > Karen Coyle > kco...@kcoyle.net http://kcoyle.net > ph: 1-510-540-7596 > m: 1-510-435-8234 > skype: kcoylenet > >
