Catalogue & Index Periodical of the Chartered Institute of Library & Information Professionals (CILIP) Cataloguing & Indexing Group Issue 156

Editorial at the NMM, whose should be; collection, item Contents collections cover or set of images. This everything from article was developed from 2 - 6 SUNCAT: the This issue of Catalogue astronomical and a paper given at Internet creation, maintenance and and Index deals with the time-keeping instruments Librarian International in challenges of a national wide reaching topic of and ship models to London in 2006. union catalogue of serials access. Access can be weapons and fine and Julie Johnstone from the in the UK viewed in terms of physical decorative arts. Irene Scottish Poetry Library Natasha Aburrow-Jones entry to a building, describes the issues illustrates the library’s 6– 7 Developing collection of objects or surrounding access to such creative use of indexing for terminology standards to archive. Access is also a diverse collection. access to poems Julie enhance access to pertinent within the realm Robin Smith, Senior describes the intricacies collections at the National Manuscripts Curator for the and philosophical debate of digital assets and the Maritime Museum National Library of which occur when metadata created to Irene Lafferty enhance and alleviate the Scotland describes the cataloguing a poem. stress of finding stuff when huge undertaking creating Mike Heaney, Bodleian 8 - 10 Cataloguing the John and how you want it. metadata for the recently Library at Oxford Murray Archive - work in Our main article is from purchased John Murray University, describes the progress Natasha Aburrow-Jones Archive, a collection of challenges and future Robyn Smith who works for the project world importance. JMA developments of the library SUNCAT. Natasha gives includes material from past catalogue. 11-12 Cataloguing aerial us an insight into the luminaries such as Lord Our final article is a photographs within the challenges of creating and Byron, Jane Austen, transcript of a speech from Government of Yukon’s maintaining a national well-known librarian, Stuart union catalogue Gerald Burla & Aimee serials union catalogue for James, former Chief Ellis the UK. SUNCAT aims to Librarian at the University provide locations and of Paisley. Stuart retired at 13-17 Indexing at the holdings of serials in the beginning of 2007 and Scottish Poetry library research libraries as well CIG Scotland held an Julie Johnstone as being a source of informal get-together and high-quality bibliographic presentation at their AGM. 18-19 What my catalogue records for cataloguers. Charles Darwin and David Stuart was a founder never told me This article was developed Livingstone. member of CIGS and will Mike Heaney from a paper delivered at Gerald Burla and Aimee be missed by all who knew 19-21 What goes around CIG Annual Conference Ellis are further afield in and worked with him. comes around 2006. Yukon and inform us of the Penny Robertson, Stuart James Irene Lafferty of the work by the cataloguers at Editor, C&I National Maritime Museum the Yukon Energy, Mines plus... takes the theme of access and Resources Library. to explore development of The team had difficult Andy Calvert’s visit to the terminology sets to decisions initially as to how RHS Lindley Library enhance access to objects granular their approach Book reviews by CIG(S) members

SUNCAT: the creation, maintenance and challenges of a national union catalogue of serials in the UK Natasha Aburrow-Jones, Project Officer, SUNCAT.

Introduction scoping study3, an Invitation to Tender Aims SUNCAT is designed to be the national was issued, initially for a two year SUNCAT has two primary aims, which serials union catalogue for the UK, period, with funding from the JISC resulted from the findings of the supplying locations and holdings of (Joint Information Systems Council) feasibility and scoping studies. serials in research libraries, as well as and RSLP (Research Support Libraries being a source of high-quality Programme), with the purpose of For researchers: a source of bibliographic records for cataloguers. A building a UK Serials Union Catalogue. information about location of serials, “serial”, as a definition covers a (Later funding was supplied by the including information about access, for multitude of publications. AACR21 JISC alone.) print, electronic and any other type of discusses “continuing resources”, but a format of serials. This was scheduled in three phases: simpler definition is that the term For librarians: a source of high-quality Phase 1, from February 2003 to “serial” covers periodicals, bibliographic records, available for December 2004, created the newspapers, magazines, journals, download, enabling libraries to catalogue, and populated it with data annuals, and so forth, which are issued upgrade records on their local from the ISSN Register and the in intervals, whether those are regular catalogues, and to act as a location CONSER database, along with data or irregular. Serials are prone to title or tool for reference and inter-library from 22 major UK research libraries, issuing body changes; mergers; loans. including five copyright libraries. absorbing other titles, and so forth; the Phase 2, from January 2005 until An additional, but important, aim is to cataloguing of serials is rarely December 2006, builds on the work raise consciousness of the importance straightforward . undertaken in Phase 1, increasing the of quality serials information among UK number of libraries contributing to researchers and librarians. This is the first time that such a SUNCAT. A pilot service was launched catalogue has been built in the UK, in February 2005, which became a full Contributing libraries covering all regions, and subject areas. service in August 2006. SUNCAT could not exist without the SUNCAT covers the entire journal as Phase 3, running from January 2007, hard work put in by its contributing an entity, and does not include article will be a consolidation of the service, libraries. In Phase 1, the contributing level information; integration into the including the addition of some unique libraries included both national and wider information environment is developments, and resolution of university libraries, selected on the essential to link SUNCAT into the outstanding issues concerned with basis of their significant and large world of articles. Building SUNCAT has duplication of records. research collections. The CONSER raised some interesting challenges, database and the ISSN register were which are discussed below. The contract for the creation of also purchased. The combination of SUNCAT was awarded to the these databases, coupled with the A brief history University of Edinburgh, led by EDINA, serials data from the 22 Phase 1 In 2001, research was undertaken to one of the two JISC-funded national contributing libraries, provided over examine the feasibility of developing a data centres, based in the University. four million bibliographic records to UK National Union catalogue for all 2 EDINA provides access to data and populate SUNCAT, and provide critical materials . One of the main messages research resources to UK Higher and mass. that emerged was a real need for Further Education Institutions. Project improved information about serials Partners to EDINA are Ex Libris, who Phase 2 contributing libraries were held and their locations and holdings. supply the Library Management chosen to increase the number of A major issue raised was that of System (LMS) that underpins unique titles in SUNCAT, and thus variable bibliographic and holdings SUNCAT, called Aleph, and have provide as complete as possible a list data in library catalogues. contributed greatly to SUNCAT of all titles held in the UK. This As a result of the UKNUC feasibility developments. included data from a further 50 study, it was decided to develop a libraries. As well as additional serials union catalogue. Following a university libraries, some major public

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libraries and libraries from learned suitable for loading into the database As well as this standard manipulation, societies and specialist bodies are provides one of the challenges each library has its own non-standard included. The inclusion of these inherent in SUNCAT. data manipulation. There are smaller, specialist libraries ensures similarities between the data supplied that SUNCAT will hold many unique Firstly, the contributing library sends a by libraries using the same LMS, but titles not widely held in the UK, and file of its serials data – bibliographic each library has to be treated as these collections are made more and associated holdings records – to unique. These LMS-specific themes visible to researchers and librarians the SUNCAT ftp server, preferably in a are not enough to write a data alike. Geographically, these libraries MARC communications format. specification; individual library cover the length and breadth of the UK However, text files, and even word practices make up the bulk of the data – from Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis, documents and Excel spreadsheets harmonisation. Every library has its south to Exeter, from Belfast in have been accepted. A data own historical practices, and previous Northern Ireland and the west, to the specification is then drawn up, based LMS legacy issues. These all have to University of East Anglia in the east4. on close inspection of the data, and the be taken into consideration when answers to two questionnaires writing the data specification. For those Technical description supplied by the contributing library. libraries which use UKMARC, there is SUNCAT uses the Aleph 500 software, The data is converted only after an automatic conversion process into supplied by project partners, Ex approval is given by the contributing MARC21 (used by Aleph) during the Libris5. Aleph is used world-wide in library; the resulting conversion is normal conversion routine. For libraries many major academic libraries. Aleph checked before the data is loaded. using a non-MARC system, the data possesses the functionality of being has to be placed into MARC21 before There is some standard data able to display information in union the data conversion can occur. This manipulation, which all files undergo in view. Essentially, this means that means that a separate specification their data conversion. Some has to be drawn up, in conjunction with SUNCAT is a physical, centralised manipulation is Aleph-specific (such as the standard data specification. union catalogue, with data from all its placing the local control number in the Fortunately, all the non-MARC libraries contributing libraries stored in a single 001 tag), and some is more to do with database. Titles are deduplicated to adherence to the rules in AACR2 and in SUNCAT have used a standardised view, so that there is a single MARC (such as changing 245$h form for their bibliographic records, bibliographic record for each title with a [computer file] to 245$h [electronic which means that the conversion into list of holdings. This deduplication resource]). These are to ensure that MARC21 has been relatively painless. takes place “on the fly”, at the point of these fields – where they exist in the However, it does mean that the display. Records for the same title are record supplied by the contributing records created tend to be rather brief, matched together in sets, using a library – adhere to the SUNCAT and that can cause problems with complex algorithm, with the fullest upgrading standard, which is based on matching in with records for the same record from the set chosen as the one the CONSER minimum standard. title, thus adding to the duplication of for display. Before load, the SUNCAT records in SUNCAT6. Identifier is added. The matching Holdings information is also algorithm matches above format, so standardised, as much as is possible. It is only after thorough checking that that records for electronic and print For a coherent display, Aleph uses the the data is considered ready for load. journals will match together, to create a 852 tag in union view for both location Often, the writing of the data clear and easy display of SUNCAT. and the textual summary holdings specification has brought some statement. The contributing library out-of-date practices to the attention of Data manipulation MARC organisational code is placed in the contributing library, which has led Processing of the data from the 852$a; the location is in the 852$b; to the bibliographic / holdings records contributing libraries has proved to be the shelfmark in $h; and holdings affected being changed as a result. an interesting experience, showing the information is in the $3. This is a SUNCAT must maintain the currency range in data quality and local non-standard use of the 852$3, but it of the database. This is achieved by practices, seen not only across was the best place for the data to be receiving updates from its contributing libraries using the same LMS, but also held, taking into consideration the libraries, which are loaded in at regular those which are library-specific. display in the Aleph OPAC. Harmonisation of data into a form intervals.

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There are two types of update – a the fullest bibliographic record in a improved, it is expected that one partial file, which contains only those given set. This is chosen by a points Identifier will represent each title. The bibliographic and holdings records in system, governed by a table running development of the SUNCAT-ID entails the library catalogue that have behind the scenes. Points are given to a major change in the basic concept of changed in some way, either new, the presence of particular fields, such the Union Catalogue, which was deleted or altered, and a full file as a 245, an 856, a 110, one point for previously based solely on automatic update, which is where the whole each 6XX tag. The record in a set with and dynamic procedures. serials file is sent for replacing. This the most points becomes the preferred The ID creates a more “fixed” union latter system of updating records is not record. Only the total number of tags is catalogue. It is stored in the 049$a tag, without its pitfalls, but is being taken into consideration, not the quality and is applied after data conversion resolved. of the information therein. and before data load. Matching has been noticeably improved as a result of Matching If a set has a title which occurs often to the ID, removing overlapping sets represent different journals, such as SUNCAT offers a duplicated union (whereby the transitive nature of the “Annual report”, the title will be given view, so that there is a clear display, matching algorithm means that a fewer points in the matching process with one bibliographic record record may belong to more than one than normal, thus ensuring that no displaying holdings for all records for set). It also means that the database quick match will occur. Only a full that title underneath. In order to can be maintained more easily, and match is invoked, to ensure that all achieve this, SUNCAT uses a data improved as records can be other data elements are present and sophisticated matching algorithm, merged or separated as necessary, by match correctly before two such whereby records for a given title are forcing matches. records match together. Such titles are matched together, but kept separately, added to a list of common titles, and Data quality and holdings are merged at the point of are an intrinsic part of the matching display. process. This list does lessen the One of the major issues, first highlighted in the UKNUC report, and The algorithm matches records when number of potential mismatches, they are loaded into the database; this although, equally, it means that some confirmed with the building of algorithm is based on a complex points records will not match when they are SUNCAT, is the problem of data system, which was originally supposed to, due to paucity of data in quality in both bibliographic and developed for Melvyl, the union one or both records, and thus adds to holdings records across all contributing catalogue for the California Digital duplication. libraries. The use of lower levels of Library. SUNCAT has made some cataloguing standards results in the refinements to this algorithm, to The matching algorithm matches duplication of journal titles on the account for varying cataloguing above format, so that, for example, practices. The addition of the BNB and database, as there is simply not the 7XX added entries (700, 710, 711 records for electronic journals and print enough data to match on, so the tags only) allows a greater flexibility on journals will match together, if they are record will not match in. There are the matching. A set of records is deemed a match. The decision to do several methods which SUNCAT is determined in a three-stage process, this was based on the premise that it utilising to combat this duplication. involving an initial pool selection to would be of more use to the end user retrieve potential duplicate records, to know that a title existed, in whatever Firstly, the matching algorithm has then a quick-match facility (if a record format, through one record, than been improved, as discussed above. matches with another on title and The inclusion of several new fields and ISSN, and reaches the number of having multiple records for the same the alteration of the way some extant points over which threshold it is title. This also reduces duplication of deemed a match, no further matching records. fields work are designed to improve the occurs), and, finally, a full match, if no One of the major developments that matching, and have been relatively quick match takes place. This final EDINA and Ex Libris have been successful. stage takes into account other, more working on together is the SUNCAT-ID detailed fields which help identify that Secondly, the SUNCAT team will be (SUNCAT Identifier). This is an particular serial title. Records are able to match and un-match records identifier which currently matches merged together to form a set. from sets, overwriting the SUNCAT-ID existing sets in SUNCAT. In due with a correct one. The record that is chosen for display is course, as records are upgraded and known as the “preferred” record, and is

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This will be achieved through a contributing libraries in a variety of serial holdings information for the function on the Librarians’ Interface, formats. It is anticipated that the most Universities of Glasgow and Leeds discussed below. Database heavily used download format will be from Serials Solutions, a Public Access maintenance is an important function that using the z39.50 protocol; Management Service, to SUNCAT, of any catalogue, and SUNCAT is no however, for those libraries that do not where the records existing for the exception. use this, a download from the web universities were updated. ONIX for function has been developed, which Serials (Serials Online Holdings) was Finally, contributing libraries will be will allow the library to download the format used for transporting the asked to upgrade any records that they bibliographic records through a web data. have supplied to SUNCAT which have interface. The record itself will be in a been chosen as preferred records or variety of formats, including MARC Future of SUNCAT have been verified as unique. The communications format and text At the outset, it was known that upgrading of a record is to the format, specified by the library. All SUNCAT would face major challenges, SUNCAT upgrading standard, which is users are able to email a text version not least because of the low and similar to the CONSER minimum of the record to themselves, using a variable quality of data in UK libraries. standard. standard save / email function. The data quality has, indeed, been a major challenge, but it is an SUNCAT will also continue further Assisted matching will help improve achievement that the holdings of over investigation into the issues of the duplication of records in SUNCAT, 50 major research libraries are on duplication within the database, maybe and allow librarians to verify records as SUNCAT, and these can be viewed through the future use of an API. unique. Some records will not match, either because they have no other through a well-received interface. SUNCAT is also finding ways of matching record in SUNCAT, and The number of duplicated records has improving the holdings records that are should not match, or because they do been reduced by fine tuning the supplied with the bibliographic records. not have enough fields to match with algorithm and the implementation of These can be very brief; in order to an existing set. For any record that the SUNCAT-ID has eliminated supply more information, the library does not match in with any set, a overlapping sets. The introduction of a name in the holdings is hyperlinked, report will be created, customised to be facility to provide manual matching will taking the user to the front page of the library-specific. The contributing library improve matters; more software library catalogue or website. This will is asked to check these records solutions are being actively sought to allow the user to repeat the search to through the Librarians’ Interface. The improve duplication still further. gain the most current information. A record can then be verified as unique; further development is to link the alternatively, it can be matched in with In order to provide an invaluable holdings with the catalogue record on another set, from a selection of records service to librarians and researchers the library’s own system for that title; available as part of an automatic alike, SUNCAT must fulfil more roles this is being developed at present. process through the Librarians’ than maintaining its currency. It must Interface. The record is downloaded, provide a stable service, high-quality Librarians’ Interface and added to the library’s catalogue; it records for downloading, more One of the major SUNCAT is also updated in SUNCAT. contributing libraries, more unique developments is the Librarians’ titles, an improved geographic Interface, which allows any contributing The design and functionality of the coverage across the UK, linking with library access to customised reports Librarians’ Interface is currently being related services (such as Zetoc), and and download facilities. Access is tested; it is hoped to have it ready for different views onto the data (such as allowed through an authentication the contributing libraries to use in a few an arts-only results screen, or results months. process; for normal searching and for libraries within one specific region). viewing, SUNCAT is freely available, Only then will SUNCAT truly be the and requires no authentication. AIMSS The JISC-funded AIMSS (Automating National Serials Union Catalogue for Downloading is probably one of the Ingest of Metadata on Serials the United Kingdom. most important functions for a Subscriptions) project has been Based on a presentation delivered cataloguer. SUNCAT will allow completed. This proof of concept at CIG Conference 2006. download, after authentication, for all project involved the transmission of turn to p.6 for further reading and references

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Further reading 1. Burnhill, P and Halliday, L (2004). SUNCAT: a modern serials union catalogue for the UK. Serials. Vol. 17, no.1 pp. 61-67. 2. Guy, F and Burnhill, P (2005). SUNCAT as a national serials’ facility for researchers and librarians. SCONUL focus. No.36, pp.36-43.

3. Burnhill, P and Law, D (2005). SUNCAT rising: UK Serials Union Catalogue to assist document access. Interlending & Document Supply. Vol. 33 no.4, pp.203-207.

References 1. AACR2, Chapter 12, 12.0A1 2. UKNUC report http://www.suncat.ac.uk/description/SUNCAT-NUCrep.pdf 3. Scoping study http://www.rslp.ac.uk/circs/2002/suncat.pdf 4. SUNCAT contributing libraries http://www.suncat.ac.uk/description/contributing_libraries.html 5. ExLibris http://www.exlibrisgroup.com/aleph.htm 6. SUNCAT technical papers http://www.suncat.ac.uk/librarians/data_processing_initial_load.html ; http://www.suncat.ac.uk/librarians/holdings.html 7. Matching process http://melvyl.cdlib.org/F/9B7H47A3MEPLJS2CDSM7R87N4937ULXA6NS87NTGI1HR1KJ63Y- 00097?func=file&file_name=help-expert-merge-cdl90 8. SUNCAT matching algorithm http://www.suncat.ac.uk/librarians/matching.html 9. SUNCAT bibliographic standards http://www.suncat.ac.uk/librarians/SUNCAT_bib_standards.pdf 10. The final report submitted to the JISC http://www.jisc.ac.uk/index.cfm?name=project_aimss

Developing terminology standards to enhance access to collections at the National Maritime Museum. Irene Lafferty, Collections Terminology Officer, National Maritime Museum

With experience in archive, library and collaborative process. A Collections conversions and partly through a lack museum cataloguing in academic and Terminology Group has been formed of unified guidelines across the specialist archives, libraries and to manage terminology, comprising Museum. Given that object data is museums, I am currently employed at myself and a cross-section of NMM now integrated into one collection the National Maritime Museum as staff. The group discusses terminology Collections Terminology Officer. This issues and considers suggestions for database (Mimsy XG) and the project role involves producing improvements/alterations to importance of providing online access terminology guidelines for archive, terminology practice. to collections and enabling library and museum collections, cross-searching of Unicorn and Mimsy including guidelines for formatting My first project involved researching XG databases, a more joined-up personal and corporate names, object and writing guidelines on personal and approach is necessary. names, vessel names and subject corporate names. A key part of this key-wording of collections. I researched best practice in the Development of terminology standards process involved investigating the archive, library and museum sectors, will enhance access externally and internal management of people’s internally to NMM collections through names in the NMM collection including examining national and the Museum’s collections management databases: Mimsy XG (objects) and international standards for the databases, via the NMM Collections Unicorn (manuscripts, charts, maps formatting and structuring of names. In 1 3 Online web pages and online and books). I also interviewed NMM general, AACR2 is used as the basis catalogues2, and supports key NMM staff drawn from across the collections for name guidelines and projects which aim to make collections recommendations, with archive and accessible to a wide audience. to understand their key terminology concerns. The internal investigation object orientated guidelines adapting The diversity of the NMM collections revealed that the development of and extending AACR2. Best practice which encompass charts, maps, terminology guidelines was very much investigations also involved conducting manuscripts, rare books, astronomical needed to enable efficient and interviews with documentation and time-keeping instruments, ship accurate retrieval from the NMM managers at national galleries and models, ship plans, vessel museums in London and I obtained photographs, weapons and fine and databases which currently hold copies of name guidelines used by the decorative arts means that developing inconsistently entered and duplicate common terminology standards is quite names. Duplicate names have arisen museums in question for comparison. challenging and must emerge from a partly as a legacy of previous data

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The investigation revealed that the this end, I mapped Unicorn MARC The National Maritime Museum development of terminology guidelines name authority fields and subfields to collections terminology project shows which encompass archive, library and the corresponding Mimsy XG name that traditional library cataloguing museum collections is quite unusual authority fields and ensured that the skills and library terminology although the need is widely field content in Unicorn and Mimsy standards are relevant to acknowledged. I found that the scale of XG was harmonised Inevitably, there documenting and making accessible the task meant that different are some differences in entering museum collections. organisations were progressing in names which arise from the different areas of terminology: this divergence between the data formats. makes cross-organisational For example, dates of birth and death are entered in one field in MARC but References collaboration particularly welcome with the generous sharing of knowledge, dates are entered into two separate 1. National Maritime Museum Collec- experience and documentation fields in Mimsy XG. Mimsy XG name tions Online products. authority records are more extensive www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/

than MARC name authority records, 2. National Maritime Museum Library So far, I have produced guidelines for with separate fields defined for and Manuscripts Catalogue. formatting and structuring personal and gender, place of birth and death and www.nmm.ac.uk/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/ corporate names. Unsurprisingly, I occupation; this data is not normally abcd/0/49 based the guidelines on AACR2 with reference to other standards such as entered in MARC authority records or National Maritime Museum Historic National Council on Archives, Rules for is entered in a free-text field, 678 Photographs Catalogue the Construction of Personal, Place biographical or historical data. www.nmm.ac.uk/cgi-bin/empower? and Corporate names4 and object However, the guidelines ensure that DB=ShipsPlansAndPhotos orientated guidelines such as the Getty the formatting of key data such as 3. Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules. Institute, Categories for the Description nd forename, surname and corporate 1988 2 edition, 1998 revision. of Works of Art: Persons/Corporate names is harmonised, thus enabling Body Authority5, and the Visual more effective searching. 4. International Council on Archives Resources Association, Cataloguing Committee on Descriptive Standards. Cultural Objects: a guide to describing Museums have traditionally lagged “Rules for the construction of personal, cultural works and their images6. I place and corporate names”. 1997. adhered to the fundamental principles behind the library sector in developing www.archivesnetworkwales.info/ of name authority control in AACR2, subject terminology, mainly due to the ncarules (accessed 17 January 2007) namely, specifying criteria for choosing diversity of material in their care, so a preferred name and linking variant Library of Congress Subject Headings 5. Getty Institute. “Categories for the Description of Works of Art. Persons/ and related names to the preferred will provide a useful starting point Corporate Body Authority.” name. The guidelines follow AACR2 from which to investigate subject www.getty.edu/research/conducting formatting conventions for entering terminology. The NMM recently research standards/dwa/28person.html personal name data – such as initials, (accessed 17 January 2007) developed an in-house Maritime prefixes, titles – and AACR2 conventions for structuring corporate Thesaurus and a key part of the 6. Visual Resources Association. name headings. Other guidelines (as Terminology Officer role will be “Cataloguing Cultural Objects: a guide outlined above) are used to assessing the extent to which the to describing cultural works and their supplement AACR2 for formatting images. Draft – February 2005. Maritime Thesaurus is a suitable www.vraweb.org/ccoweb/ (accessed attributed and ambiguous names for source for object names and subject 17 January 2007) personal and corporate names terminology and whether it should be associated with objects and for used in conjunction with other formatting name data not covered by AACR2 such as place of birth and terminology sources. We will also death, occupation, relationship to the need to consider that the specialist object/role and biographical nature of the thesaurus supports very information. specific subject searches as opposed to broad subject searches and therefore may not fully meet the It is important that name terminology needs of diverse and non-specialist guidelines enable cross-searching of audiences. library and museum databases. To

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Cataloguing the John Murray Archive – work in progress

Robin Smith, Senior Manuscripts Curator, National Library of Scotland

When the John Murray Archive (JMA) challenging targets. We have been demands on the archive’s curators as arrived at the National Library of fortunate that we can build on the intermediaries between the archive Scotland in April 2006, it came amid a Library’s existing expertise in and its users. Reducing the need for flurry of publicity which included many processing publishing archives, and on assistance in using the archive is one superlatives – the biggest lottery grant the fact that JMA arrived in good order, of the cataloguing project’s key goals of its type, the largest library having been well maintained by the and perhaps the biggest single change fund-raising campaign ever attempted, various members of the Murray family to its accessibility resulting from its the best-ever investment in literature through the generations. becoming a public, rather than private, by the Scottish Executive. collection. What seemed to us one of the most Costing just over £31 million, it daunting constraints was the opening Another reason for systematic certainly is one of the world’s most of all 71 metres of the archive for recording of steps in the sorting important publisher’s archives and it consultation just four weeks after it process is the need for discipline when includes texts and letters written by arrived. Archival cataloguing is always three people are working on the many of the most significant names in a slow process, and we are used to archive at the same time. This is British cultural, political and scientific helping people consult collections common practice for large history – Lord Byron, Jane Austen, while we are working on them, governmental or organisational Charles Darwin, David Livingstone – although doing so can make the archives, but is more unusual in the list of names goes on… cataloguing process even slower. It manuscript collections that are on a can also pose problems for people smaller scale and can often be Along with securing funding for the using the collections who see them first processed by one person. As project purchase of the archive, the Library in one order, often with no reference manager, I was concerned that has been able to design a three year numbers or temporary numbers, and dependency between different sections programme of projects that together then return to re-trace their steps after of the archive might impede progress, aim to make the archive accessible. A we have moved things around. and that cataloguers might become new reading room and a permanent precious about their ‘own’ parts of the interactive exhibition have been In fact, this constraint forced us to look archive. The engaging nature of the opened at the Library’s George IV at re-use of data more closely than we material generates a strong sense of Bridge building, and there are plans for might otherwise have done. We have ownership. Careful matching of tasks a number of exhibitions at other built the preliminary finding aid on the and sections of the archive to the venues. There has been a successful transit logs which were created by the different strengths of three team writer-in-residence project, and the initial acquisition project. This project members has avoided problems. educational project has already seen aimed to bring the archive from London all sorts of people being inspired by and place it on the shelves in Edin- The team has also been purposefully seeing what the archive has to offer. burgh in as much the same order as brought together for some tasks at key possible. The meticulousness of this points in the process. We held a Underpinning all of these interpretative operation gave the cataloguers a ready summit meeting at the end of 2006 to activities is the cataloguing project, -made record of the existing order of decide on the overall order of the main which has three full-time staff the one thousand boxes and volumes series in the archive and the dedicated to the task of sorting and in the archive from which to begin numbering system. This involved the describing the archive. One year on, work. cataloguing project staff and other we are a third of the way through the manuscript curators. It is unusual for cataloguing project. It is an We have been able to keep the archive us to carry out this process appropriate time to look at what we accessible throughout the sorting collaboratively. It is far more common have achieved so far, and what we process. This process will not be fully for it to be completed by one person have learned. completed for another year, and parts with little, if any, consultation. The of the archive are not yet integrated The demands of the other projects in project has highlighted the possibility into the manuscript circulation system. for greater collaboration and the programme have meant that the This means that it is placing continuing cataloguers have been set quite consultation between cataloguers who

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are each working on different cataloguing tradition of using timescale of production of archival collections. While there will always be sequential numbering which does not standards. There is generally a gap decisions which are unique to each attempt to convey the organisation of of around twenty years – an entire collection, improved communication the archive. These structured generation – between librarians will lead to staff development and more numbers will be translated into | publishing a standard and archivists consistent standards where there is Encoded Archival Description getting round to doing the same. For scope for uniformity. component numbers to indicate example, the International Standard hierarchical levels and local parent- for Bibliographic Description (ISBD Sorting methodology child record identifier references to (G)) was first published in 1977 while With three people sorting at once, and enable vertical navigation through the archival equivalent, the General with readers and other projects using descriptive levels in the full catalogue. International Standard for Archival the archive, we also needed explicit Description (ISAD(G)) did not appear sorting methodologies. With small- Having the resources to experiment until 1994. scale collections it is possible for the with this methodology has been cataloguer to use basic methods of extremely valuable, and it is already There was initial scepticism about the sorting, such as manually re-ordering a being applied to other large applicability of archival standards at word-processed list, or even to cataloguing projects in the Library, the Library, possibly because some of physically sort the material without beginning with the papers of Field the cataloguing practices lean more supporting documentation. The Marshal Earl Haig, the First World towards manuscript librarianship constraints of the project meant that War British Commander-in-Chief. It is rather than strictly archival practices. we needed to automate this process as also applicable to the production of Part of the preparation for the John far as possible. inventories, which is the standard Murray Archive project was a detailed level of description for most of the examination of our existing With personal and business archives Library’s manuscript collections. catalogues. This revealed a strong that contain diverse material it is degree of compliance with the main difficult to fully automate the sorting Cataloguing system and standards standards, particularly ISAD(G). process. Sometimes there is simply no A new cataloguing system is the There is not a great deal of work to be explicit logic to the order of items, or cataloguing project’s contribution to done to bring our practice into line their descriptions are not formulated in improving the Library’s infrastructure. with international standards, which will a way that can be interpreted by a It will eventually be used for all ensure information exchange. The computer as logical. We used a semi- manuscript cataloguing and invento- changes to cataloguing practice which automated process, by adding fields to ries. The current phase of will be implemented in the JMA the database generated from the development also includes intellectual project are as much concerned with transit logs as these were refined and property data, and uses the PREMIS making the catalogues more usable revised. These fields will not form part model and data elements for rights and more accessible. Now that the of the final catalogue, and so are best management. The long-term aim is to overarching standards have been seen as disposable aids to sorting. provide a single point of information quite widely adopted, this is the key These contain the series and about the collections for users and for challenge for archival description. sub-series that were developed as we collection management information for moved deeper into the sorting process. staff. This will represent a huge Embedding project practices A potential problem with major project We found that we also needed some cultural change for staff, who are used to working with a variety of manual funding such as this is a lack of rough short titles and name entries integration between the project and which are not appropriate for retrieval and automated systems. It is symptomatic of the lack of resources the existing staff in the organisation. and description, but which could be Because of the developmental nature used for preliminary automatic sorting devoted to archival metadata creation that it nearly always takes an of the project, there is inevitably going of sections of the database. We used to be a slight lag between new structured numbering for the final stage externally funded project to provide the technical infrastructure. practices being introduced in the of sorting before assigning manuscript processing of the John Murray reference numbers. Rather than using Another reason for archives Archive and then being transferred to an archival referencing system, the developing automated systems for other collections. The project has Library follows the manuscript metadata comparatively late is the tried to minimise the effect of this

Catalogue & Index 9

delay by involving all staff in some key counterparts. There is also the activities. The work on standards problem of keeping the two systems References mentioned above, was mostly carried synchronised when reference numbers 1 www.nls.uk/jma/mss/search/ out prior to the project, so existing staff or the status of collections change. are already prepared for some of the index.cfm changes. For the JMA project, we are creating descriptive metadata for physical and 2 www.loc.gov/ead/ As the cataloguing system has been digital items in the manuscripts 3 www.loc.gov/standards/ built and implemented, there have cataloguing system. We will use structural metadata to link the premis been regular user testing sessions. descriptions to the administrative These have been particularly helpful in metadata specific to the digital objects 4. www.ifla.org/VI/3/nd1/ bridging the gap between project and in the Library’s digital object database. isbdlist.htm; permanent cataloguers. User testing is This uses PREMIS to describe the a very democratic activity, because objects, with some fields from the 5. www.ica.org/biblio/cds/ NISO-MIX standard which is for everyone’s experience and reaction to isad_g_2e.pdf the system is equally valid. Working technical descriptions of still images. on improving the cataloguing interface, 6. www.tei-c.org.uk The next two years... even in small ways, has also given the The first year has focused on the staff ownership and prepared them for 7. www.loc.gov/standards/mix/ developmental work which has been the changes to their working practices. needed to ensure the creation of good The cataloguing project is working with quality metadata. Rich metadata two other JMA projects which aim to requires innovative and imaginative maximise digital access to the archive. search interfaces. Now that the This is the first time that a dedicated cataloguing standards and systems are team of cataloguers have also worked in place, the next challenge is to on digital transcripts of texts, and the explore how all this data can best be Library has implemented its own delivered. interpretation of the Text Encoding All of what we are doing is very much Initiative standard to support this work. in keeping with the spirit of John The projects also presented the Murray the publishers, who were not opportunity to rationalise the creation afraid to explore new ideas and push of descriptive metadata for the physical forward boundaries, at the same time and the digital. We have up till now as selling some of the most popular created the two independently, books of all time. John Murray although this is more the consequence pioneered the travel guide – they were of how digitisation developed in the the ‘Rough Guides’ for 19th century Library rather than a purposeful policy. travellers on the grand tour through As the digitisation process matured, a Europe. John Murray II described networked database was established these as ‘friendly aid’ to guide people with the primary aim of controlling by giving them practical information access to all of the Library’s digital combined with historical and cultural objects. As a result, we found that contexts. Our aim in this project is to some items in the manuscript supply just this sort of friendly aid for collections were being given more 21st century virtual travellers. detailed descriptions in the digital object database than they had in the manuscripts cataloguing system. In effect, we were creating a two-tier society, with paper-based orphans who were getting left behind their digital

10 Catalogue & Index

Cataloguing Aerial Photographs within the Government of Yukon’s Union Catalogue Environment Gerald Burla, Technical Services Librarian and Aimee Ellis, Manager, Departmental Library, Yukon Energy, Mines and Resources Library, Government of Yukon.

Sitting across the table, the manage the photo collections. In record. Both of these fields are apprehensive expressions were doing so, the staff at YEMR promised indexed and searchable by patrons. obvious. The reaction was justified results, which they themselves were The searching demands and under the circumstances. The not sure they could deliver. requirements of each unique client representatives from two government and department appeared to be departments were asked to surrender One commitment made was the satisfied by the flexibility and the managerial control of their aerial assurance that a MARC record could familiarity the MARC records photograph databases, a proposition be manipulated to produce the search provided. that would make the most adventurous results familiar to the different information manager nervous. patrons. The responsibility to make Structurally, the holdings and item this a reality fell to the cataloguers at MARC records for the aerial In 2004, the Yukon Territorial YEMR Library. photographs resemble serial records, Government proposed to standardize but the bibliographic MARC record is the management of aerial photographs The first decision the cataloguers a cartographic surrogate. Since the housed throughout a number of needed to be made, as obvious as it records represent cartographic government departments at numerous may sound, was what to catalogue. materials, the scale and the spatial locations throughout the territory. The Generating MARC records for each coverage for the whole of the flight photos had been circulated up to now aerial photograph, approximately path is recorded (when known). The to government personnel, to project 80,000 in number at the time and in- title of the photo set listed in the 245 contractors, and to the general public creasing, was unrealistic. Cataloguing tag is taken directly from the first using a multitude of methods including each roll number (each complete photo in the sequence. This is what a sign-out sheet, a spreadsheet, and a series of photos) as a serial, was the the remote sensing company (the MS Access database. strategy selected. The individual company that took the aerial photos were bar-coded, associating photographs) called their flight path. A few months earlier, the largest them with the MARC holdings records Most often these names are government library in the territory, for the respective departmental geographic in nature (e.g. Teslin Lake Yukon Energy, Mines and Resources partners (creating holdings summary area). The cataloguers also tweaked (YEMR) Library, purchased a new information for display in the public the general materials description, integrated library system (ILS). To access catalogue). adding the phrase ‘aerial further justify the cost of the software, photography’ in parenthesis after the The elasticity of the MARC record, the Library was encouraged to seek standard ‘cartographic material’ that cataloguers regularly expand and out potential partners to share and description. This action permitted the challenge, was utilized when expand the use of this software in patrons to sort the results list by decisions were made about how to order to improve information medium if so desired. management across the Yukon customize MARC records in order to Government while also maximizing the enable patrons to search using terms The specific material description field use of this expensive database they are familiar with, as illustrated in again focused on the roll number as a software. With this mandate in mind, it Appendix I. The first stretched whole. Therefore, if there were 400 was suggested to combine the multiple interpretation of MARC was made to photographs in the series, that is the aerial photograph databases into one, the repeatable 086 (Government figure used in 300 $a, even if the the newly acquired ILS. Document Call Number) tag. The libraries housed only a portion of the NTS map sheet numbers (the codified roll. These partial series most often Not only was this proposition unsettling numbers used in Canada to define occurred when the majority of the for the partners, but also daunting for geographical areas is called the photos in a series covered areas the librarians at YEMR Library. Library National Topographic System, or outside of the Yukon Territory, and professionals do not staff the NTS) were listed here for each flight only the images at or within the Yukon information centres in many of the line, as per local practice. Another Territory’s borders were of interest to government departments, so it took local field, 090 tag, lists the aerial the territorial government. The some convincing to assure the photograph roll number as the local remainder of the data recorded within stakeholders that the ILS could call number within the bibliographic

Catalogue & Index 11

the tag was standard; subfield $b sample set of approximately 100 management specialists who were indicated colour or black & white records using this method, with poor called upon to meet the challenge. It images, with the dimensions of the search results. If Library staff had was the familiarity of these individuals prints written in subfield $c. Seldom difficulty producing the desired results, with patron search needs, patterns and parameters that permitted them to it was realized that such a searching was there any accompanying material, confidently massage the MARC but information regarding the filter, mechanism was not feasible. records in order to produce the desired aperture, and altitude (along with the query results. A wise and not so old number of images) was recorded on As a result, it was decided to forgo cataloguer once remarked that the first image in the roll. This creativity for functionality. Within the cataloguing is as much an art as it is a additional data was recorded within a subject tags (650 field), the geographic science. The staff at Yukon Energy, general notes (500) field. subdivisions remained, but the date Mines and Resources Library created range/mile markers were removed. a masterpiece in their interpretation of A local collection code, located in a Instead, a geographic contents note aerial photograph surrogate records. 998 field, was originally included within was generated, which included every Appendix I the records to delineate ownership of mile marker integer (e.g. km 1, 2, 3 …) materials. However, a second purpose associated with the photo series. This List of Modified MARC tags in for this information would soon strategy was time-consuming and Cataloguing the Aerial Photograph Collection emerge. It is now used to enable a cumbersome; however, the expected quick search button on the YEMR and desired search results were 086 for NTS (National Topographic Library’s OPAC to limit client searches realized. The benefit to patron service System) areas (repeatable) to aerial photographs by simply outweighed the cost of staff time and 090 for flight line (as call number) toggling a button. The data in this field effort in record production. is also utilized as the foundation of a 245 created title using common search query that links a geographic The addition of the geographic note geographic area name as information system (GIS) to the aided in locating aerial photographs “title” for subfield ‘a’ and integrated library catalogue, a containing images of roads, but the [cartographic material (aerial development that resolved a major Yukon Territory is over 500,000 km² photography)] in subfield ‘h’ and has only twelve highways. There issue one of the departmental partners 255 for scale and longitude/latitude are many open and natural areas in had initially with the merger. information (same format as the photo series, which cataloguers for maps) During the merger negotiations, the could not possibly describe within the Department of Highways and subject areas in MARC records. The 260 as per MARC Transportation wanted assurances that YEMR Library solved this problem by 300 as per MARC the aerial photographs would be developing a product, SkyLine: searchable by road mile markers. The www.emr.gov.yk.ca/library/ 440 with “Aerial Photographs” as staff at YEMR Library maintained the skyline_jump.html, to link GIS the series and the flight line as position that the road network could be searching capabilities with the the volume number in subfield queried by mile marker, even though integrated library system (Virtua) to ‘v’ they secretly had no idea how. That create a visual query. Library patrons 500 for filter and altitude task fell to the cataloguers. have begun to make use of this information feature, but it is still a relatively new The first attempt at resolving the issue concept in the library world. As such, 650 as per MARC using Library of Congress Subject Headings was quite creative. The date range the YEMR Library is continuously subfield within the topical subject tags modifying the search indexes and 998 local collection indicator used was modified to incorporate distance examining usage patterns to aid in for indexing instead of dates. To facilitate the future determining the evolution of the exchange of records, the cataloguers product. also added a disclaimer in the general notes field explaining that the date When the need to better organize and range within the subject tags was not manage the aerial photograph dates, but road mile markers. The staff collections within the Government of at YEMR Library experimented with a Yukon arose, it was the information

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Indexing at the Scottish Poetry Library

Julie Johnstone, Librarian, Scottish Poetry Library

‘The indexer, like the poet, focuses periodicals. Searching for a particular where they can be valued, treasured, intensely on his subject in order to poet will bring you not only single and, perhaps most importantly, read. extract its essence. A word or a brief poetry collections by that poet, but Poetry anthologies are the phrase can elicit an image in a poem that poet’s work included in best-selling and most easily and must suffice to present a concept anthologies, their work as editors, as marketable form of poetry book: in an index. …both weave a net of translators, their articles and poems in poetry readers, especially those new words and phrases in the exercise of magazines – and searching for the to the form, appreciate the thematic their craft’ [Sher, 1994, p.102]. same poet as a subject will bring up access and perspective, and this works written about that poet, reviews allows a ‘way in’ to what might be The SPL started out in 1984 with a of their books, even poems written considered an impenetrable form. collection of 300 donated books. It about them. An incredibly rich Subject indexing may facilitate access now holds over 30,000 items. It is a resource for a researcher or poetry to single author collections, just as remarkable collection of tremendous lover. anthologies often allow a reader to depth and range. The SPL collection discover a poet they like. ‘Where do I represents and encapsulates the Indexing has always been an start?’ is a refrain of a user anxious to heart and mind of Scotland – whether important aspect of the cataloguer’s explore a new field of literature. it is turning its gaze inward at itself or work at the SPL and is seen as a vital People need a way in to poetry; outward to the world beyond its means of opening up the unique subject access can provide that. borders. The SPL is a living library, a resources held at the Library. place of energy, engagement and Experience at the SPL reveals that interaction. Its collection is not an It takes two main forms: the Scottish user requests frequently take the form archive – although its Poetry Index (SPI), the SPL’s index of of subject enquiries. Requests can comprehensiveness and range makes Scottish literary magazines, and the come for poems on both abstract and it a unique resource – it is a collection policy, from the very inception of concrete subjects: from academics that exists to be used, handled, INSPIRE, to fully index books and wanting in-depth thematic searches borrowed, read. Central to other material by subject, language, on the nature of Scottish identity; from acquisitions policy is the objective to place of origin, and period. Items can anthologists needing poems on rivers, collect all poetry published in be catalogued to a level where food, or gardening; from members of Scotland, and in this sense it is subject terms are assigned to the public needing light-hearted conserving the poetic heritage of individual poems within collections. romantic poems for Valentine’s Day or Scotland. And yet, equally important, Particularly useful is the SCOTBIB a poem about the death of a child to is making that poetic heritage element, an index term attached to read at a funeral; from the press accessible to as wide a range of the records of Scottish related items requiring a poem about gun control readers as possible. by year of publication. This, together and massacres of schoolchildren or with terms such as Scots and Gaelic the collapse of a bridge; from a Assisting users in their navigation of language, and combined with wildlife centre needing poems about that poetic heritage is the SPL’s thematic terms, such as heather, online public access catalogue football, loneliness… can enable specific types of birds for an INSPIRE, (INternational & Scottish highly effective searches. INSPIRE exhibition; from relatives needing a Poetry Information REsource), offers a range of browse and keyword funny poem about ageing for an designed and maintained by Gordon searches, by title, name authority, eightieth birthday party; from patients Dunsire, CDLR, and Penny subject, series. requiring poems about living with Aids Robertson, SLIC, in co-operation with or cancer. Apart from specific subject staff of the Scottish Poetry Library. A library user might not be interested requests, the subject index might be The SPL holds not only books and in a particular poet; they might be used to find a ‘lost poem’: a member pamphlets of poetry from Scotland, interested in finding poems about of the public remembers a poem her Europe and beyond, but criticism, particular subjects. Subject access grandmother used to recite to her, but background and reference material, can bring poems out of the collection can only remember that it was about news cuttings, audio recordings, and and into public or private arenas frogs or fairies. The reward in finding

Catalogue & Index 13

the right poem for a user is immense. existence (Chapman, Lallans, The The printed series is also a useful tool The reward of enabling a user to find Dark Horse and Zed 2 0) are still for studying the that poem themselves is even greater. indexed as new issues appear. development of Scottish literary journals and the broader culture of A poem can be both personal and The SPI covers not only the individual Scotland during this period; detailed universal. It can be used for personal poems, but also critical material, introductions by the editors have been pleasure and reflection, but also as a reviews, and other items such as included. Individual poems are means of insightful illustration of an letters, editorials and obituaries. The analysed by subject, theme, language issue. What we value intellectually is title and author indexes mean that a and literary form, which makes the SPI revealed in our approach to subject wealth of poetry, some only ever ideal for teachers and others requiring access [Miller, 2003], and, with an published in the journals, and including a thematic approach. increasing emphasis on multi- much of our leading poets’ early work, disciplinary approaches, providing is traceable (where and when was Here’s an SPI record from a search for better access to imaginative literature Norman MacCaig’s poem ‘A Man in entries by Ian Hamilton Finlay. It’s a will contribute to the overall efficiency Assynt’ first published?) and detailed very early poem, published before of the intellectual search for material bibliographies of a particular poet’s Finlay started Wild Hawthorn Press. It [Beghtol, 1990]. The cost of not work can be created. With its facility for is an invaluable type of record for providing effective indexes and subject calling up criticism and reviews, the surveying the very early stages of a access to poetry is the under-utilisation index is invaluable for academic major poet’s publishing career. of the Scottish Poetry Library research. collection.

One important element of the SPL collection is its periodicals. Literary http://slic1.cdlr.strath.ac.uk:8080/ipac20/ipac.jsp? magazines are the building bricks that session=118034W811M81.2971&profile=spi&source=~! form the structure of a nation’s literary spl&view=items&uri=full=3100040~!25041~! life. They are a vital outlet for poetry 18&ri=1&aspect=power&menu=search&ipp=20&spp=20&staffonly=&term=ian+ha publishing; the testing-ground for milton+finlay&index=.SPIAK&uindex=&aspect=power&menu=search&ri=1#focus poets’ early work, and a major source of literary criticism. But the magazines LDR 00885aam 2200145a 45 themselves are notoriously ephemeral, 008 000808s stk 000 p eng|d and their contents infrequently 100 1 $a Finlay, Ian Hamilton, $d 1925-2006 indexed. In 1992, in a bid to remedy 245 10 $a Fishing from the back of Rousay / $c Ian H. Finlay. the poor bibliographic coverage of this 500 $a In: Lines review. No. 17 (Summer 1961); p.38. rich resource, the Scottish Poetry 650 17 $a angling < sports & games < recreation < man & society < man Library succeeded in gaining one of kind. $2 local the first research grants to be awarded 650 17 $a poems & poetry in journals < journal forms < bibliographical by SLIC, and undertook a project to forms & other media < books & literature < artistic & cultural index the poetry and poetry-related themes < intellectual life < personal existence < mankind. $2 local material in twenty Scottish magazines 650 17 $a Rousay < Orkney Islands < Northern Scotland < Scotland < published from 1940 to 1992. Great Britain < United Kingdom < British Isles < Western & The Scottish Poetry Index (SPI) was Central Europe < Europe < continents & landmasses < geography originally published in hard copy, was < Earth (planet) < natural world. $2 local amalgamated with the Library’s 655 7 $a SPIPOE. $2 local catalogue when it migrated to an online 740 00 $a Lines review. No. 17 (Summer 1961) version, and now exists electronically 999 $a 25041 as a separately searchable part of INSPIRE. Most of the magazines covered in the original project are now defunct, but those titles still in

14 Catalogue & Index

If you search by subject for ‘angling’ poems you retrieve 41 entries in the SPI, widening the search to the entire INSPIRE catalogue retrieves 133 hits.

Search for Edwin Morgan, Scotland’s current Makar, or Poet Laureate – and you get over 300 entries. This can be narrowed down to poems, reviews or interviews. And here’s the entry, for example, for an early concrete poem by Edwin Morgan. http://slic1.cdlr.strath.ac.uk:8080/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=118034W811M81.2971&profile=spi&source=~! spl&view=items&uri=full=3100040~!19729~! 5&ri=4&aspect=power&menu=search&ipp=20&spp=20&staffonly=&term=morgan% 2C+edwin&index=.SPIAK&uindex=&aspect=power&menu=search&ri=4#focus

LDR 00787aam 2200133a 45 008 000808s stk 000 p eng|d 100 1 $a Morgan, Edwin, $d 1920- 245 14 $a The computer's first translation / $c by Edwin Morgan. 500 $a In: Akros. Vol. 6, no. 18 (Mar 1972); p.20. 650 17 $a concrete poetry < verse forms (examples) < rhyme, metre & stanza form < technique of poetry < art of poetry < books & literature < artistic & cultural themes < intellectual life < personal existence < mankind. $2 local 650 17 $a poems & poetry in journals < journal forms < bibliographical forms & other media < books & literature < artistic & cultural themes < intellectual life < personal existence < mankind. $2 local 655 7 $a SPIPOE. $2 local 740 00 $a Akros. Vol. 6, no. 18 (Mar 1972) 999 $a 19729

If you look in Morgan’s Collected Poems, you won’t find this poem listed in the index – revealing how important a role the SPI entries can play in full bibliographic searches. Working on the Complete Poems of Edwin Morgan will be a challenge, but the SPI will directly assist. Now do a search by subject in the SPI for concrete poetry, and you get over 80 entries.

Indexing at this level is not without its indexer will examine a poetry book librarians provide intermediary challenges. Possibly the most difficult and, if they notice any poems that assistance. aspect of this indexing process is to have a specific subject matter, they index by subject. What happens when may decide to attach the An in-house thesaurus has been you are indexing a book of poems or corresponding subject term to the developed to assist with this process. a single poem in a magazine? How record. So if a book includes a poem ‘Local’ subject terms are added to a does the indexer approach the about pearls, for example, the term MARC record for a document using allocation of a subject to that poem? ‘pearls’ is attached, to allow a user to the 650 tag, and are selected from the Fishing for the right terms, ones that retrieve a list of all the books in which thesaurus. If a term is not included in will actually be of use in helping a poem about pearls is included. To the thesaurus, but is considered someone sometime find a poem that find the poem the user must access required, it is added to the thesaurus. is exactly right for their individual the original book and search through The thesaurus was tailored to the needs is a challenge indeed, and this it to find the poem the indexer had in needs of the SPL, but is constructed indexing can be only partial. mind when attaching the term – according to accepted standards, with potentially a time-consuming process a strong focus on hierarchies and The Scottish Poetry Library has and requiring careful and responsible cross-references. The scope of the indexed the subjects of poems since indexing on the part of the cataloguer. thesaurus is very wide as well as very 1991 and is keen to promote this This offers a possibly patchy service, detailed. As the SPL is fond of saying, aspect of its catalogue. Typically the but can be of value particularly if the it includes subjects from aardvark to

Catalogue & Index 15

zen, and reflects the scope of poetry subject index term would enable answer for poetry. It will not enable writing: poems can and are written retrieval if someone needed to find this retrieval of poems that are about a about almost anything. particular poem and had forgotten the subject but do not mention that subject poet and title, but does that subject specifically in the text. On the plus A research study that was carried out term really get to the heart of the poem side, an indexer can at least use the in 2005 explored the challenges and allow effective access on a higher verbal language of the poem, unlike involved in the indexing of poetry by level of meaning? image indexing where they must face subject. Poetry, as a heightened form the issue of translating the non-verbal of imaginative literature, causes Poetry could be argued to be a form of into the verbal. Yet, there is still much particular difficulties for the indexer. writing that defies subject analysis. Is it to translate in a poem, and superficial The interpretation of a poem is a possible to retain the complexity, indexing could obscure the intended subjective act, dependent on personal subtlety and nuance that may be found subject, or meaning of the poem. response and a necessary exercise of in a good poem when it is reduced to a Unlike non-fiction, where useful the imagination. The suggestibility of a selection of standardised index terms? indications of subject matter can be poem, due in particular to the use of A poem is ‘a speaking picture’ extracted from titles, forewords, metaphor, leaves it open to a according to Philip Sydney [Kemp, introductions, contents lists or multiplicity of meanings; subject matter 1997, p.171], combining visual and abstracts, poetry offers no such and theme may be ambiguous. textual elements. Like a painting, convenient tools of interpretation and Translation of the aesthetic whole into photograph or novel, its whole is more access. Even titles of poems, when a set of useful index terms is problem- than the sum of its parts. According to available, can be of little use in atic. Are our best attempts better than T. S. Eliot, if it is ‘genuine’, it can ascertaining the true meaning or not trying at all? Or is inaccurate communicate before being understood subject matter of the poem. Often it is indexing merely misleading and [Kemp, 1997, p.176]. It can have only after considering the poem in detrimental to facilitating access to the tremendous scope and can ‘travel’ far depth that the relevance of the title falls resources we value? within a few lines. It evokes states of into place. And yet, how far should the mind or emotion in the reader. Like indexing of poetry travel into the realm Perhaps you have come across a fiction, it experiments with language, of literary criticism? Poets often talk of poem by William Carlos Williams that and plays with our perception of reality. ‘letting the poem speak for itself’. A says that so much depends on, what Its style and form can be essential to a poet is ‘the priest of the invisible’ was it? A wheelbarrow? What colour reader’s perception of its subject according to Wallace Stevens [Kemp, was it? Red? And was it raining? And matter. To focus on the words without 1997, p.177], but the indexer must wasn’t there something about white paying attention to how those words attempt to translate what may seem chickens? You know the one. What are conveyed is to miss much of what intangible into useful subject terms that subject terms would you select to a poem is about. Like images and do retain the essence of the poem. At attach to the record? novels, it may employ symbols to hint the subjective level of meaning, it is at different levels of meaning, Can you really be sure what the poem very hard to achieve any degree of metaphors to embody its message. It is actually about? What is its subject? consistency in the subject indexing may suggest rather than say, causing Why would someone want to find it? Is process, but subjective analysis could understanding to be at an instinctual it really about wheelbarrows and provide valuable access to information level that cannot be adequately chickens, or about something else [Shatford, 1986, p.45]. Understanding verbalised. entirely? Is it about perception? of, and response to, imaginative Poets tend to explore abstract Observation? The writing of poetry? Is literature depends on the individual concepts through the medium of it trying to say something about the reader, their emotional state, their life concrete terms. The most obvious subject matter of poems? Can experiences, and their cultural and subject of a poem may not be what the accurate or useful subject terms be educational background. The indexer poem is really about. There is general assigned and agreed upon? Can the must anticipate the range of agreement that the indexing of importance of the manner in which it is interpretations sparked by this imaginative works is not very useful laid out on the page be taken into heightened form and the possible uses unless it embraces both concrete and account? Is it counter-productive to that a user will want to put a poem to. abstract levels [e.g. Ranta, 1991]. assign terms when meaning is so Should elements of subjectivity be Full-text searching is not an adequate ambiguous? Using wheelbarrows as a denied or embraced?

Catalogue & Index 16

These are challenging issues, but, the indexing process. The study also language. Also of concern was the when considered against a backdrop considered the impact of subject lack of consistency found between the of resource constraints greater expertise and item complexity. Three terms assigned by the indexers and problems are apparent. It seems that groups of participants were asked to the search terms suggested by users. to index a poem adequately with assign subject terms to the same set The problematic use of professional respect to its multiplicity of meanings of twelve poems: professional terminology was of particular note. and the poet’s intentions may take librarians with experience in indexing These are useful, if not unexpected considerable time, time that most poetry at the Scottish Poetry Library, results, and are probably recognisable indexers cannot afford. How will an a group of poets, and a group of to all indexers. indexer get to the ‘core library users. The professional There is no doubt, however, that meaning’ [Saarti, 2002, p.5] of a poem indexers performed the exercise once providing these additional forms of in a limited time frame? using natural language and again access opens up the collection and using a controlled vocabulary; the Little research has been carried out enables readers to find poems and poets used natural language; the into this specific field of indexing. information about poets – thus meet- users suggested search terms. The Findings could benefit not only ing the objectives of the Library. The resulting data was analysed for indexers of poetry, but could have challenge to provide the most effec- consistency within and between each implications for the study of indexing tive retrieval will always be with us. group. in general, highlighting the limitations There are times when so much does of traditional indexing systems Perhaps not surprisingly, the study depend upon a red wheelbarrow designed primarily for non-fiction. found little evidence of consistency. glazed with rain water beside white Similar challenges arise with the Inconsistency was found to be due to chickens. The final words lie with the indexing of images and new models several factors: indexers differed in poet William Carlos Williams from his have been found necessary. the interpretation of a poem; they poem ‘Asphodel, That Greeny differed in their depth of analysis of Flower’: How important is it to be consistent, the subjective elements of a poem; It is difficult for example? The primary focus of the they differed in what elements of the to get the news from poems study was to analyse inter-indexer poem they assigned terms to yet men die miserably every day consistency and indexer-user (abstract or concrete, core or for lack consistency, and the impact of the peripheral, general or specific); they of what is found there. use of a controlled language tool on differed in their use of the controlled

Bibliography

BEGHTOL, Clare, (1990). Access to fiction: a problem in classification theory and practice, part 2. International Classification, 17(1), pp.21-27.

KEMP, Peter. (ed.), (1997). The Oxford dictionary of literary quotations. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

MILLER, Christopher, (2003). All new subject access to fiction: how a cultural zeitgeist with gray hair informed ALA’s guidelines. Cataloging and Classification Quarterly, 36(2), pp.89-98.

RANTA, Judith A., (1991). The new literary scholarship and a basis for increased subject catalog access to imaginative literature. Cataloguing & Classification Quarterly, 14(1), pp.3-26.

SHER, Dena N., (1994). Poetry in indexes. The Indexer, 19(2), pp.102-104.

SHATFORD, Sara, (1986). Analyzing the subject of a picture: a theoretical approach. Cataloguing & Classification Quarterly, 6(3), pp.39-62.

SAARTI, Jarmo, (2002). Consistency of subject indexing of novels by public library professionals and patrons. Journal of Documentation, 58(1), pp.49-65.

Catalogue & Index 17

Things my catalogue never told me.

Mike Heaney, Executive Secretary, Oxford University Library Services Bodleian Library.

Cataloguing is going through some was privately printed in the 1880s; that book about languages published in the exciting times. There are some it expounded the author’s entirely 1880s maybe I would have found stimulating and some threatening fanciful and comical ideas about the Lassalle without scouring the things on the horizon, or even knocking history of languages; that it was a fairly shelves… at the door. The carthorse that is substantial book (quarto-sized); and AACR2 is about to metamorphose into that it had a green cover with an Another area where our catalogues the thoroughbred Resource intricate gold design on it. can let us down is in telling us what Description and Access, ready to something is good for. (I’d like to compete with all the Dublin Cores, In the 1980s I decided that I wanted to acknowledge here the ideas of Richard XML schemas and other rival codes find it again. Fortunately I work in a Butterworth who first alerted me to the Out There. At the same time there are legal deposit library (the Bodleian) in possibilities; see his ‘A Case Study of the commercial players whose search which I have the privilege denied to Use-Centered Descriptions: and result algorithms might produce most users of browsing in the Archival Descriptions of What Can be outcomes as satisfactory to the users bookstacks. In the period 1861-1883 Done with a Collection’ in Dion H. Goh as any library catalogue – or even the Bodleian created a rudimentary and Schubert Foo (eds) Social better for them. Amazon and Google classification scheme, within which Information Retrieval Systems: between them offer a variety of books were further subdivided by size. Emerging Technologies and opportunities to bypass the library So I scanned the shelves in the ‘quarto Applications for Searching the catalogue entirely. -sized language books’ section, looking for a substantial green and gold book – Web Effectively. Hershey: Information Be honest – have you ever just looked and found it. (For those interested in Science Reference, 2007, pp.67-86). for a book on Amazon in preference to finding it, it is Charles Lassalle, Origin Subject indexing does get us some your own library’s catalogue? I have. of the Western nations and languages, way, of course. A book about biology is The question is, why? Manchester: J. Heywood, 1883; and – or should be –good for telling you snippets are available from Google.) something about biology. The Our library catalogues are built around ‘audience’ fixed field element also some quite specific ideas of Some library management systems do helps by indicating that a book is good appropriate search strategies. The two allow us now to add a thumbnail of a for a juvenile audience, etc. but, key approaches are the known-item book’s cover, but this is not part of any especially for collections of source search and the subject/ keyword cataloguing standard; and it is, of material, the description of content is search. But these are not the only course, not searchable. not half as helpful as an indication of strategies we use in real life. the potential uses to which the material With today’s technology it should be may be put. Shipping lists of emigrants One of the most common search possible to take a scanned image of a to New Zealand, for example, may strategies we adopt is the ‘I’ll know it book cover and characterise the have the correctly assigned subject when I see it’ approach for an colours that occur and even the heading ‘New Zealand – Immigration ‘unknown known’ item (maybe we presence and nature of pictorial matter. and emigration – Sources’ but they are should call it ‘the Rumsfeld strategy’?). Image analysis will identify the now most used for the study of family Perhaps we remember more or less boundaries of the main regions of history. where we saw it, we probably colour and can label them remember more or less what it looks appropriately. The user can be offered Similar functions do exist in library like. I remember our own Deputy (perhaps via a palette) searches of catalogues that can, for example, bring Librarian many years ago coming into books that are ‘predominantly red’ or together material on reading lists the reading room and saying to me ‘I’m ‘blue and green’, or ‘yellow with a face (‘Resources useful for your degree in looking for a book with a black cover’. on’. football management’). The catalogue My own iconic example of this kind of can function as reading list or search concerned a book I If we want to take ‘wacky searches’ bibliography. But all such functions are serendipitously encountered as a further, there is no reason why size or one-way. What Amazon and others student in the late 1960s. It was an extent, or illustration, should be used to offer is the opportunity for user unintentionally hilarious gem of a book. limit searches (‘big red books with feedback (‘Be the first to review this All I could remember (having seen it pictures’). These can be picked up book’). The development of Web 2.0 before I became a librarian and from the 008 field or from elements of applications, social networking and learned how to do things ‘properly’) the 300 field. other interactive approaches leads to was that it was by a Manchester cotton expectations among the user If I had been able to search my merchant of Andorran ancestry; that it community that books, DVDs, films etc. catalogue for a biggish green and gold

18 Catalogue & Index

will be commented on. Caroline item’ (much to my surprise, on catalogue, except in the most Brazier recently described the British Googling it I find it is still in use!). Its specialised of institutions, will always Library’s initiatives in this area effectiveness as a surrogate can be represent a heterogeneous (‘Resource Discovery at the British gauged by imagining the following assemblage of resources. The large Library: New Strategic Directions’, conversation: proprietary datasets will more World Library and Information ‘Have you read the new Harry Pot- naturally reflect some kind of selection Congress: 73rd IFLA General Confer- ter?’ and theme. Hence, the increased ence And Council, 19-23 August ‘No but I’ve read the catalogue en- need for collection description and 2007, Durban, South Africa; http:// try.’ user-centred descriptions. www.ifla.org/IV/ifla73/papers/113- Full text search and retrieval are As Brazier writes, ‘The key to Brazier-en.pdf accessed 8 October resource discovery tools an order of successful digital discovery does not 2007). The BL intends to add magnitude beyond the catalogue. But lie solely within the traditional model book-jackets and reviews to the core the variety of source data out there is of library resource discovery’. A OPAC; user tagging and such that it is difficult to conceive of a catalogue cannot now stand alone as enhancement of catalogue ‘one size fits all’ approach to such a set of descriptions of what things descriptions. There are plans for searches. A bespoke interface are. We need interaction with users to cross searches of catalogues, tables tailored to the strengths and help us describe what things are good of contents, web pages and digital characteristics of a set of objects for. And we need to realise that the images. In the days of card grouped together in a resource traditional library catalogue will catalogues there was a mantra ‘the database will always trump a generic occupy only a portion of the search catalogue entry is a surrogate for the cross-search engine. A library and discovery space used by our readers.

What goes around comes around

Stuart James, former Chief Librarian, University of Paisley This is likely to be my last names, but I must highlight just a few briefcase). professional speaking engagement, as these were the people who got certainly my last one as a ‘practising’ CIG Scotland under way and kept it To complete the name dropping, and librarian. On a personal note – and on a very successful course. with sincere apologies to those I have this will be a very personal talk – I find no time to mention, I must record the it very fitting that my swan song Our first chairman was Duncan Irvine likes of Arthur Maltby and Bernard should be to CIG Scotland: this, after of Strathclyde University’s Gallivan (for Scolcap of blessed – or all, is the Group I first cut my teeth on Andersonian Library: his brisk and not – memory), as well later as Fred as a committee member and of which effective chairmanship kept us all Guy, Janet Aucock and Jack Davies, I have been a member since its formal focussed on business, but his sense all three of whom are still serving the foundation in January 1983 (there had of humour also welcomed the many Group. Then of course there was the previously been a feasibility and comments and jokes that seemed to very early meeting when a young man consultation period from 1980). I shall infuse our meetings. We were kept on from Napier College Library started try to avoid this being a catalogue of track (and supplied with jokes and talking about games of dungeons and names and events from the past, but witty comments) by Frank McAdams, dragons and computers and how they propose instead to select a few high- our secretary; such a sad loss when all related to information retrieval, and lights and make a few general points. he died shortly after his retirement the rest of us wondered what he was from Strathclyde University’s School on about – these were the days when Back to the future in a sense. A of Librarianship. Frank’s energy kept hi-tech was still knitting needles in bitterly cold evening in January 1983 us up to a constant mark with edge-notched cards. So we co-opted and a highly erudite talk on meetings and publicity – he it was him anyway and the arrival of Gordon information retrieval by Strathclyde who declared to the world that CIGS Dunsire proved one of our most University’s Michael Blake in the was to be the think tank of Scottish far-sighted decisions. Not only is warmth of the National Library of librarianship, and his efforts as much Gordon still chairman of the group but Scotland’s board room followed the as anyone’s helped make it so. I got in the intervening period we have all formation of the CIG Scotland the job of Treasurer (possibly benefited from his knowledge of committee and the official launch of because I was the only one who developments in the world of comput- the new group. I said no catalogue of admitted to having a calculator in his 19

ing and their relation to our field of significance, especially for the CIGS success. For my own part I found interest: not just what is happening Treasurer as it turned out. We myself as Secretary of CIG for six now but what is coming next week or contacted Derek Austin in London to years, under the chairmanship of the next year. Democracy in action CIGS- come and talk about Precis, but he inimitable Keith Trickey and later of the style: some years later after I had also could only manage for the day if we equally dedicated Sue Brown. been secretary we needed a new paid a full air fare for him. We debated chairman and I found myself and decided to explain to our members Our relations with CIG UK have always nominated with the comment from that for this one meeting we would been highly cordial and culminated in (guess who) “You’ve held every other have to increase our charge way the CIG conference coming to office, so you might as well have this beyond the standard £5 a time in order Edinburgh in July 1990. A couple of one too.” to bring him to Scotland. Come the day memories of that: sitting in the bar at and we had a record attendance - Pollok Halls waiting for sodden visitors We polled the group members in more than seventy people paid up to to return from a ghost tour of the city in Scotland and as a result got a clear attend. Derek had asked that as he torrential rain, and sharing breakfast pattern of what they wanted, and which hadn’t been in Scotland for a long time with delegates to a Nato conference we duly provided. Half-day meetings in could he come in the morning and wearing more medals than had been either Glasgow or Edinburgh with costs someone show him the sights of seen in one place since World War 2. kept to the minimum to attract the Edinburgh. I volunteered and drove to An earlier historic achievement for widest audience. And it worked: our Edinburgh Airport well before his flight meetings were always well attended, CIGS had been when the Joint was due, only to hear an Steering Committee for the Revision of and often pretty lively too as we always announcement as I entered the airport included plenty of time for discussion. AACR2 brought its annual meeting to “Would Mr Derek Austin’s driver please Glasgow. The most famous names in We also organised annual visits, a come to reception.” He had arrived on world cataloguing circles descended feature I am delighted to see continues an earlier flight, but I met him and on on the city and were greeted and today, to libraries who were doing the way into the city discovered he was entertained by CIGS members and by something of interest to our members interested in minerals and gemstones. Strathclyde University’s School of and which they could demonstrate to So I took him to the Chamber Street Librarianship. Their open meetings us. The other major decision we took Museum which has an outstanding were attended also by a handful of was not to publish our own newsletter: minerals collection, and he was duly CIGS members as observers, one of we would instead use established impressed. After lunch and the meeting the rare occasions I believe when the newsletters in Scotland or the UK to I took him back to the Airport to be told invitation to observers was actually publicise ourselves, as well as direct that he had enjoyed himself so much taken up. mailing (latterly of course e-mail) of that he wouldn’t charge his expenses notices to members. What that cost in to CIGS after all. The Group lived off Having established a successful postage was more than off-set by not the profit from that meeting for several pattern of meetings we branched out having printing costs to worry about; it years, and it enabled us to subsidise more ambitiously, first of all into a also gave us more immediate and future meetings for our members. series of pioneering Microfairs where direct contact with our members for libraries using those new-fangled PCs meeting announcements. To save duplication, and to maintain for various clever purposes brought communication, we worked with other them along to demonstrate what they For speakers we were always groups as much as possible and held were doing. That went on for a few well-supported by the British Library: quite a few joint meetings with other LA years and really was a pioneering John Byford, Joyce Butcher, and Ross Scottish groups, and occasionally with powerhouse for the profession as Trotter all came to speak, as did a the Society of Indexers. We also ideas were exchanged both formally young Lynne Brindley. We also had maintained close contact with the CIG and informally. plenty of expertise in Scotland to draw national committee and always had a But it ran its natural course and as on, and Alan Jeffreys of the CIG UK CIGS representative there. CIG for its computers in libraries became more Group also came up from Newcastle part was always impressed by the level commonplace we found a new idea in on at least two occasions. of activity we maintained in Scotland a series of annual Information for and hoped to spread some of that to One early meeting was of particular Scotland seminars. The idea was (prior other parts of the UK, but with little to, during and after devolution) to

20 Catalogue & Index

review the whole provision of domains with archives and museums ager than practitioner, I found that information by, for and about contributing to our deliberations. But attendance at CIGS committees and Scotland. My main recollection of the Information for Scotland, like Microfair meetings helped me keep my feet on first seminar, back in the National before it, now seems to have run its the ground; my widening professional Library of Scotland’s boardroom, is course. The experience of those involvement also allowed me the something of a nightmare. The events is that it is as important to opportunity to remind colleagues meeting was very well attended, but recognise when something should across the profession of the centrality because there was so much to cover come to a natural end as it is to have and importance of classification and we had a range of speakers each the bright idea in the first place. cataloguing. supposedly limited to twenty minutes. But more than anything else it has Early in my career I decided that I But the limit proved more supposed been fun: I have made so many would not join any committee I saw than real and my task as chairman in friends through CIGS and CIG and just as a talking shop but would give trying to keep things on track was many of my memories are of laughter my time only to those that actually did fraught with difficulty. It was not and enjoyment over and above the something productive. Well, CIGS has helped either by my having written practical outcomes of our work. I am always lived up to that, which is one notes for my introduction on the train probably preaching to the converted of the reasons I remained involved across from Glasgow so that I do in this audience, but I do encourage with it for so long. It has been recall the first words spoken publicly everyone to get involved: you will get ground-breaking and hectic but at an Information for Scotland so much more out of it even than you always very practical; talk at CIGS conference were “Oh dear, I can’t put in. And remember, as I have meetings often enough led to things read a word of what I’ve written.” preached so often in the past, our changing, either in different libraries professional bodies are not their Over the years we have had a range or more widely across the profession. officers but you their members. And of prestigious speakers at Information Classification and cataloguing, or finally I must quibble with a comment for Scotland and many issues have whatever it might be called nowadays, in this afternoon’s AGM: there is no been aired and discussed. Again, this has always been and remains more such thing as an ordinary committee was a meeting we organised in than ever core to our profession. As I member of CIGS: they are all very collaboration with other groups and in moved up the ladder and found extraordinary. recent years have spread into other myself more and more a library man-

The Catalogue and Index Group visit to the Lindley Library

Andy Calvert, Cataloguer, City of London Libraries

The Lindley Library is the library of the and its library. The Society itself was now solvent, was able to purchase the Royal Horticultural Society and late in created in 1804 upon the suggestion library of one of its former secretaries, February it opened its doors for a of Josiah Wedgwood to form a group the famous botanist John Lindley group of CIG members to see how of interested parties to discuss (after whom the Library is named). cataloguing is managed there, some discoveries, research and present This went some way to replacing what of the challenges involved and some papers on horticultural topics. It was had been lost, though it still left many of the innovative approaches they granted the Royal Charter by Prince gaps where there once had been have developed in order to make the Albert in 1861 and continues to treasures of horticultural literature and collection more accessible to maintain the early principles of Josiah it is for this reason that the Library researchers and horticultural Wedgwood’s group to promote was established as a separate charity, enthusiasts alike. horticultural research, gardening and saving the collections from potential the study of garden history. plunder during any future times of History of the Library financial difficulty. Debbie Lane, Head of Cataloguing, The Society maintained a library from The Library continues to maintain and greeted the group on arrival and its early days, but much of this build its collection from this separate introduced Dr. Brent Elliot, RHS Histo- collection was lost through a sale fund and now contains over 50,000 rian and Library Director, who began necessitated by financial difficulties. It books dating from 1514, takes 300 with a talk on the history of the society was not until later that the Society, periodicals and holds 22,000

Catalogue & Index 21

botanical drawings at the main library the collation details provided in the Cataloguing Supervisor, then provided in London alone. attached documents are able to do. the group with an overview of how the For describing the illustrative content cataloguing of later collections is Early Book Cataloguing and full details of the artists managed and some of the challenges Dr Elliot then continued with a responsible, these added files have a it has presented along the way, presentation on early book cataloguing different use. Tables are provided to particularly during the retrospective at the Lindley Library, an area of show contributing artists and the conversion of the card catalogue and particular importance due to its particular species illustrated in ways recent refurbishment process that collections and for horticultural that are not possible within the rules forced the staff to move to less than research. Dr. Elliot stressed that the governing bibliographic description and ideal conditions. concept of duplication as we MARC records. This provides understand it in modern publication comparable data on botanical artists The card catalogue was created in the does not apply to early books, where that allows the researcher to early 20th century and evolved under a amendments might be made to a work cross-reference illustrations between number of different standards. This led during the printing and publication editions or a number of different titles to difficulties when electronic process. This means that to which an artist might have cataloguing began in 1994, as data manifestations of what appear to be contributed. It also allows specific inputers copied the information directly the same edition of a work are in fact details of the species illustrated within from the cards, resulting in different in content and collation, a work to be provided and therefore to inconsistencies within the electronic providing a challenge when it comes to show when and where species were records. This highlighted a particular description. first developed. need for professional cataloguing skills in order to interpret the data on the Cataloguers at the Lindley Library have Why go to all this trouble? Because not cards according to contemporary developed two approaches to deal with only does this allow research on the cataloguing standards and practices. this problem. Firstly, the data included development of individual cultivated The scale of the project, however, was in the bibliographical description is species but also shows how a consideration and meant that extensive, with detailed notes horticultural practice has developed resources limited the work that the describing the contents, history, through history. Therefore early cataloguers could do and the level of references to and provenance of an illustrations provide a key resource in supervision they could provide. item. Secondly, hyperlinks within the this research with details such as catalogue record provide access to colour being of a critical nature in the Nevertheless this issue, and the PDF documents that contain additional identification of species and varieties, particular needs of the collection led to detailed collation data complementing an aspect central to horticulture, with the development of an in-house the data provided in the collation field further implications in both tracing the cataloguing manual that enabled the of the MARC record. This provides the naming of species through the project to be prioritised along two lines: cataloguers with an area to make free botanical nomenclature used and in the age of the work and the amount of text descriptions on collations, identifying editions of a work. detail required in the description. This including comparisons with other (‘Compendium de plantis’ by Mattioli, approach has meant that to date all the editions, and importantly for these 1571 provides an example). 20 th century collection has now been early works, the opportunity to add fully catalogued with attention now superscript characters etc. needed to The solutions developed by the turned to the 19th century collection, provide data that had otherwise proved cataloguers at the Lindley Library currently under way. In addition the difficult to accurately represent within demonstrate how cataloguing practice team also deals with approximately the library management system can work to promote the aims of the 700 new books per year. environment (for an example see the RHS within the framework that enables record for Brunfel’s ‘Herbarium’ of standardised description and data Cataloguing continues to be done in 1539). sharing, and how the catalogue can UKMARC with no immediate plans to itself be extended beyond a resource move to MARC21. AACR2 provides Illustrations also give an indication of discovery tool research become a the standard for bibliographic the history of an edition and so, like resource in its own right to knowledge description, although the needs of the other elements of the description, are on the subject, in addition to being a users and the nature of the collection accorded special attention. The promotional tool for the library with again mean that this has been content, numbering and sequence of enriched content providing a greater adapted, most obviously in terms of illustrations are given in detailed notes level of remote access through the added entries. These are extensive, along with descriptions of processes web. listing all contributing illustrators and used and quality of the colouring photographers as well as (in the case showing where an edition of a work Modern Book Cataloguing of early books) publishers, owners, might be unique in the same way that Carole Sharp, 20th Century dedicatees etc. going beyond the

22 Catalogue & Index

specification of AARC2. Subject related book results from a single greater detail in searches and higher access is also provided through search, eventually allowing users to precision in the results, which when entries developed in many cases access all the images from a single implemented in conjunction with the specifically according to the needs work via the Web once the project is depth of description in the both of the collection and the interests completed. bibliographical records provides a of the institution and its users, as has great deal of information for the classification system which uses To facilitate current image provision in researchers through the catalogue. standard UDC for several areas such the catalogue, LMS suppliers SIRSI as plant hunting (910) and developed a bespoke script to allow The visit ended with a tour of the biographies (920) but a specially retrieval of the images, held on the library including an opportunity to see developed scheme for other areas, SIRSI server, through an accession just a few of the examples of botanical with UDC as its foundation. number so they could be presented illustration held in the picture library. along with the bibliographical record Acting Picture Librarian Lucy Waitt Image Database within the search results. Two copies spoke about some of the images we Debbie Lane gave a presentation on of each image are held, providing a were looking at along with the history the Lindley Library image database thumbnail and higher resolution copy, and work of the Picture Library. and cataloguing along with their future accessible by clicking on the In adapting and developing practices plans for its integration with the LMS. thumbnail that users within the library to meet the demands of their The library currently includes images are also able to magnify so that organisation and users the such as title pages within catalogue images can be studied in consider- cataloguing team at the Lindley search results and viewable over the able detail. This meant that the digiti- Web. In addition an in-house image sation process had to be done on site Library are demonstrating how the database on the I-base platform to allow the cataloguers to check the catalogue and professional allows library users to search up to scans ensuring that they were of cataloguing skills are playing a central 7,000 images from both the rare book sufficient quality. role in developing the services of the collection and Lindley picture library. Whilst the I-base system provides the library into the future, introducing and Future plans are for this database to facility to attach initial metadata managing innovations to create a be integrated with the book catalogue including subjects, giving access to resource that opens up a world of to allow combined searching from a the images, there are plans to provide horticultural literature and research. one portal, providing full images and much deeper indexing depth to allow

Book reviews

Edited by Neil Nicholson, National Library of Scotland.

Education for library cataloging : coherent framework the book’s drawn together into a longer chapter international perspectives / ed. multiple themes and concerns. that attempted to place them in the Dajin D. Sun and Ruth C. Carter. Sometimes these themes are shared subject’s global contexts. It is worse Binghamton, NY : Haworth Informa- across continents, sometimes not. than perplexing in view of how very tion Press, 2006. 492 p. (co- Parallels exist in nations’ library fiercely debated those contexts now published simultaneously as Cata- school and continuing education are. loging & Classification Quarterly, programs, but there are strikingly Vol. 41, no. 2 (2005) and Vol. 41, no. divergent accounts too. Where The meat of the book is mostly in the 3/4 (2006)). ISBN 0789031124. parallels exist (economic, historical, raw data it provides of the curricula of personal) the outcomes for training in library schools across the world This is a mind-expanding book, but a library cataloguing are not always the (excluding the U.S.). It is useful to hard read. It contains “22 papers same. Reaching the end of this book have this information between two written by 28 authors from over 20 is aposiopetic in the extreme; with a covers. In every case the data countries spanning 6 continents” and Shandean flourish you are left exceeds, through added comment the 4 page introduction is not wrong concluding “They order ... this matter and discussion by the authors, the when it says the reader should expect better [or at least differently] in ...” same information to be found in the a kaleidoscopic view of the subject well, just about everywhere. As schools’ web pages (and in some from what follows. What the book context is such a determinant in cases the basic information itself is lacks, though, are any of a country after country, it seems per- not to be found via the web). While kaleidoscope’s reflecting surfaces – plexing at best that the articles’ the data predominates, it is the any chapters that would bring into a conclusions could not have been authors’ analyses of why things are

Catalogue & Index 23

the way they are that should ensure common stance that the lack of a criticisms seem to justify the case these articles are widely read. The standard defining what should be made by Gorman nearly two decades profession’s low status and unreformed taught in education for cataloguing is ago that teaching cataloguing is to administration can be deeply influential profoundly damaging. In the three teach “the way in which librarians – in Japan this state-induced malaise papers from the African continent there should think”. What we need now is to is hard-coded in the employment are pleas for automation to increase, in give the same students the course at system. As influential on the teaching China more practicum hours are found University College London in which of cataloguing – but at least within the to be essential; in Korea there should they will indeed be asked to “create a profession’s control to change – is the be more opportunities to learn foreign bibliographic record from scratch” (p. legacy of local rules and standards, languages (a requirement amazingly 161) and see how they react to “asking perhaps most dramatically felt in under-emphasized throughout this themselves a series of questions about Germany. book), begin or enhance liaison with the content of a discipline, the needs of counterparts in other countries, and the researcher, the services In several countries in fact the divisions acquire more library science journals; available” (p. 170, n. 55) as these run even more deeply as “cataloguing” in most countries the balance of generate and determine the record and has been understood to mean practice and theory should be resolved the catalogue. It’s too much to hope bibliographic description at the almost once and for all as should the that the future of cataloguing education total expense of authority control. The integration of teaching documentation can be “intoxicating” to ponder (as it is, paper from Poland highlights this of e-resources and new media. IFLA’s apparently, in Iran) but these pages dilemma, discusses how automation CPD section’s guidelines for lead you back again and again to wish has been a positive influence in standardizing what is taught clearly that if any international standard is undoing “old Grycz” and its emphasis can’t come soon enough, although one developed for cataloguing education it on description and sees further likely wonders if a more effective solution has the self-confidence to assert the improvements through teaching FRBR could be achieved via bodies skill as consistent in timeless and which will make students aware of the unmentioned in these pages such as proven methods of thinking. To too “net of relationships between the the Mellon Foundation or the Open many this skill is labelled mere nature of ... the elements and their Society Institute. An ongoing failure to pedanticism and it is probably going a attributes and the functions they arrive at any “homogeneity” (Spain) in bit far to claim the cataloguer “as an perform in a retrieval system”. It would what cataloguing education should artist, he creates and recreates where be enlightening to tease out the consist or simply a lack of agreed necessary” (Nigeria), but Gorman’s ingredients from the determinants of obligatory elements is only going to question remains maddeningly history that would be needed to de- weaken yet further what the paper from unanswered by the profession: “Who velop an optimum training program for the British Isles eloquently calls a can deny that a person ignorant of the future, applicable in any country. subject that “dare not speak its name”, bibliographic control would be Contrast Poland with India, for one punctured by “shame”, believed to incapable of carrying out the reference instance, where (thanks to be “boring and depressing”, and process?” This book should go a long Ranganathan) it has long been grievously misunderstood by senior way towards affirming the need for an (although now no longer) a mandatory management. answer, embodied in a standard. requirement at Master’s level to design a “depth version of Colon Classification For this reader the most fascinating - James Caudwell, for a micro-subject”. Alternatively, take pages were those from Australia Bodleian Library, Oxford any number of countries and compare describing a project wherein students the impact of technology. This is were given cataloguing instruction but The theory and practice of the variously interpreted as increasing the simultaneously required to give equal Dewey Decimal Classification need for cataloguing training (China), time to questioning its worth and system / M. P. Satija. Oxford: threatening it (Nigeria) or even function. There’s something potentially Chandos, 2007. 206 pp. ISBN 978 invalidating it completely in the case of depressing in signing up for a course 1843 32435 9 hbk (£57), 978 1843 Israel where courses have been only to find, from day 1, the lecturers 32434 2 pbk (£39.95). dropped as copy cataloguing has so insecure that they need to ask their This book consists of 14 chapters and prevailed, although short-sightedly as it students whether it is worth them four appendices, with a ten-page turned out as many libraries teaching it. That said, only one student bibliography, and provides a discovered an insufficiency in available held on to his belief “there would be a straightforward introduction to the DDC copy. given body of knowledge to be learned, and its use. The author devotes two with tried and traditional pedagogical chapters (26 pages) to the history of This summary cannot hope to include strategies in place”. Shining out from the scheme and its governance, all the future needs these papers the description of the students’ followed by two on an introduction to perceive as desirable to be met, but to reactions, however, are perceptions all the scheme and its structure. The rest cite a clutch of them reveals their of us would benefit from reading. Their covers subject analysis, tables of

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preference (which Satija, in my Appendix 3 is called ‘Revision Internet information resources; opinion correctly, calls precedence), tutorial’. One must question the metadata; mark-up languages; number-building, and use of the usefulness of such questions as ontology; information architecture; the tables, most of which have their own ‘When was Melvil Dewey (1851– semantic web and finally current chapter. Each chapter is provided with 1931) born?’ as a test of the reader’s research, issues and trends in infor- examples made up for the purpose. comprehension of the scheme. Of mation organisation. However, although coverage is fairly course such understanding cannot be comprehensive, the result, to my tested properly with this kind of A glossary is included at the mind, is that there is too much tutorial, and it would have been better beginning of the book, which was not background and not enough practical to omit it altogether. As a summary of as useful as you might think; I thought guidance. the history of the scheme the book that a lot of the definitions contained might be useful, but then that too much technical jargon and that it There are also quite a number of information can be found elsewhere. could have benefited from having the strange statements and downright The book is too expensive for what it terms explained in layman’s errors, too many to list here. For is, and for beginners it really cannot language. example, it is quite incorrect to say (p. be recommended. 37) that all Dewey numbers should be - J. H. Bowman, The general tone of the book, treated as decimal fractions. The University College London particularly in the first few chapters, heading ‘Enigma of zeros’ seems to made me feel like I was reading an make a mystery where none exists, Organizing information: from the essay rather than an authoritative as in fact there would nothing shelf to the web / G.G. Chowdhury textbook on the subject. I did like the enigmatic at all about the number of and Sudatta Chowdhury. Facet presence of questions at the end of zeros used in a class-number if it Publishing, 2007. xxv, 230 p. ISBN- each chapter and the references were were explained clearly. The 10: 1856045781 ISBN-13: 978- comprehensive. All in all, I would not suggestion that spaces after every 1856045780 recommend the book to newcomers third digit facilitate memory ‘during the to traditional cataloguing and passage from the catalogue to the The authors state in the preface that classification. They would be better stacks’ is erroneous, and in fact is not the teaching of cataloguing and served by a text that introduces them followed in the book. It is wrong to classification in LIS departments is to the subject more gently and suggest that period numbers can be less and less common and that this is includes more comprehensive added to areas at 314–319, or that the opposite of how it should be, a examples and practical exercises to the period numbers from 930–990 can statement with which I totally agree. help them understand the whys and be added elsewhere. The fact that Therefore I was looking forward to wherefores. However, the later ‘history of philosophy in India’ (p. 84) reading what claims to be a “key chapters on metadata and is ‘different from the history of Indian student text” and also to learning a classification of digital resources and philosophy’ does not justify creating a few new things myself. the semantic web, etc. would be non-existent and explicitly forbidden useful for anyone looking for an number (109.54) for it. This kind of The first six chapters cover: the what introduction to those topics and thing would be very confusing for the and why of information organisation; gaining pointers to further in-depth unwary beginner. organising information in non-library research into these areas. environments; cataloguing, including - Lesa Ng, Intute The bibliography contains many information on AACR2 and FRBR; Content Co-ordinator, misprints, and the index is bibliographic formats, including Heriot-Watt University unsatisfactory in several ways. It information on MARC21; library seems strange, for example, to index classification (including details of ‘zero’ and ‘zeros’ separately. The classification schemes such as DDC, Roaring into our 20’s: NASIG 2005. word ‘index’ itself does not appear, UDC, etc. and classification of Proceedings of the North American being under ‘relative index’ only; electronic resources); and subject Serials Interest Group, Inc. 20th elsewhere this is abbreviated to ‘RI’ heading lists and thesauri, including Annual Conference, May 19-22, with no explanation. There is an entry LCSH. I felt that some parts of the 2005, Minneapolis, Minnesota. / for ‘William, Nancy J.’ which is chapters on organising information in Margaret Meering, Elna Saxton edi- presumably supposed to refer to non-library environments and tors. Haworth Information Press. Nancy J. Williamson, but as neither bibliographic formats were perhaps 368 p. ISBN-13 978-0-7890-3288-1 name appears on the page in too complex and densely written to (paperback) £15.32 question it is impossible to be sure. introduce the topics they attempted to Generally there are many terms which cover. “Roaring into our 20’s” is published one would not expect anyone to look The remaining seven chapters move simultaneously as Volume 50 nos. 1/2 up. on to cover the organisation of & 3/4 of The Serials Librarian.

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NASIG celebrated its 20th anniversary book is organised into vision sessions an abstract. with no fewer than three (two papers); strategy sessions (12 pre-conferences in addition to the papers); tactics sessions (18 papers); I am by no stretch of the imagination a annual conference. The proceedings the volume also contains a summary of serials librarian, but I found much to of the pre-conferences are also the poster sessions presented; lists of interest and stimulate. For those who included in this volume. These delegates and an index. The subjects are serials professionals, there is covered: serials holdings; serials covered include library issues certainly, certainly enough substance to follow Esperanto, promoting a common including bibliographic standards particular themes of the moment language for publishers, vendors and (ISSN; AACR3/RDA); usage statistics; through the book, such as scholarly librarians; and a session on how to storage; collection development; communication or getting value from hold more effective meetings. cataloguing; binding; linking, etc., but e-journal packages. I would also considered are technology, the recommend reading this to anyone “Thought provoking perspectives from media and public discourse, scholarly with an interest in serials or the experts in library serials!” is how this communication and how to deliver impacts of changes in technology and volume is summed up in the back of more interesting presentations. Not all scholarly communications on libraries. the book blurb. Not a bad summary, of the contributors appear to have but the perspectives are by no means submitted formal papers and some of - Alan Danskin, restricted to librarians. The conference the articles are actually summaries of Data Quality & Authority Control included contributions from most what was said prepared by the Manager, British Library sectors of the “serials profession”. The recorder. Each article is introduced by

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26 Catalogue & Index