Thoughts on Pinyin Conversion of Non-Chinese Language Records
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Journal of East Asian Libraries Volume 2000 Number 122 Article 7 10-1-2000 Thoughts on Pinyin Conversion of Non-Chinese Language Records Daphne Wang Xiatong Wang Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jeal BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Wang, Daphne and Wang, Xiatong (2000) "Thoughts on Pinyin Conversion of Non-Chinese Language Records," Journal of East Asian Libraries: Vol. 2000 : No. 122 , Article 7. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jeal/vol2000/iss122/7 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of East Asian Libraries by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. THOUGHTS PINYIN conversion NON CHINESE LANGUAGE RECORDS daphne wang university oregon library system xiaotingxiaotongXiaotong wangwan introduction under strong leadership library congress full collaboration research libraries group RLG OCLC pincinpinyin conversion chinese bibliographic records authority records bibliographic utilities full swing meantime american libraries chinese collections evaluating various options finalizing plans tackle pincinpinyin conversion local level pincinpinyin conversion project consists several major tasks conversion chinese language bibliographic records conversion authority records chinese names uniform titles series subject headings conversion non chinese language records containing bibliographic description andor access points wade giles romanization post conversion file maintenance database cleanup principal objectivepincin pinyin conversion project first convert chinese bibliographic authority records however pincinpinyin conversion bibliographic utilities individual libraryslibrarys online public access catalog cannot fully completed without converting non chinese language records containing wade giles data while national pincinpinyin conversion activities sequentially mapped pincinpinyin conversion project coordinated melinetimelinetimalineTi jointly developed library congress RLG OCLC specific guidelines pincinpinyin conversion non chinese language records remain developed next phase article attempts explore various issues factors involved converting non chinese language records process converting these records likely require broader participation active involvement many libraries therefore exchanging thoughts ideas provide library community opportunities communicate important issues cooperate effectively ensure smooth successful conversion non chinese language records national bibliographic utilities well local online catalogs 1 key differences between conversion chinese language records non chinese language records pincinpinyin conversion chinese language records non chinese language records follows different program specifications chinese language records suited automatic conversion bibliographic description access points records systematically converted pincinpinyin either across fields selected fields except those predeterminedpre determined elements converted according conversion specifications 21 non chinese language records hand pose special challenges conversion involve greater level human review decision making manual conversion records may necessary due complexities involved tasks convert non chinese language records cannot entirely carried machine programs pincinpinyin conversion non chinese language records may primarily focus wade giles access points descriptive information transcribed wade giles titlestatementtitle statement responsibility field since wade giles elements may appear fields bibliographic records important issue convert wade giles elements records convert them bibliographic data chief source information item dictates whether certain wade giles elements record should converted pincinpinyin conversion decision often based human judgementjudgement pieces may need examined ascertain what data wade giles information vs chinese characters appear chief source information particular publication wade giles information titlestatementtitle statement responsibility field bibliographic records transliteration chinese vernacular data found chief source information publication should converted pincinpinyin hand chinese vernacular data present wade giles elements should left unconverted title field 245 see group 2 examples appendix however always possible ascertain whether vernacular data actually present chief source information items just looking non chinese bibliographic record without piece hand therefore conversion software simply cannot designed convert wade giles elements pincinpinyin wherever identified non chinese language records wade giles access points non chinese language records automatically converted machine programs nevertheless systematic conversion wade giles data areas bibliographic description difficult due fact wade giles information non chinese language records may may actually represent chinese characters chief source information items conversion software capable completely substituting human effort required reviewing pieces recognizing unconvertible wade giles elements making decisions case case basis thus total pincinpinyin conversion non chinese language records ever attempted likely entail certain amount human review manual conversion based preliminary searches our libraryslibrarys local online catalog found non chinese language records containing wade giles information account 10 15 total number records converted although percentage too large compared chinese records converted non chinese language records do reside bibliographic utilities every libraryslibrarys local database compiled examples see appendix illustrate different types non chinese language records containing wade giles data found bibliographic utilities these examples include five categories 22 records may converted pincinpinyin machine programs group 1 records may require manual review group 2 records information note fields transcribed either pincinpinyin wade giles group 3 records need alternate pincinpinyin titles group 4 authority records lacking pincinpinyin cross references group 5 issue whether convert wade giles data fields title field 245 access points 490 fields note fields axx5xx deserves further discussions library community 2 approaches pincinpinyin conversion non chinese language records total conversion vs partial conversion before library starts converting non chinese language records local database basic decision needs made what convert how much convert converting wade giles access points partial conversion bibliographic records obviously requires less time effort converting wage giles elements across fields total conversion bibliographic records libraryslibrarys local decision determine what convert how much convert non chinese language records possible limit specific fields conversion focussingfocussing title field 245 access points non chinese language records ideal total conversion accomplished converting non chinese language records containing wade giles data ie convert wade giles elements access points well fields bibliographic description justified conversion total conversion desirable perspective public services library users cannot expected search understand bibliographic information presented two different romanization systems same bibliographic record importantly standpoint access bibliographic control wade giles elements note fields axx5xx series statement fields 490s provide potential bibliographic access since indexed retrievable keyword searches OCLC worldcatWorldCat total pincinpinyin conversion non chinese language records need done entirely manual methods fact should take full advantage machine programs conversion effort wade giles access points non chinese language records converted machine programs bibliographic utilities libraryslibrarys own automation system offers feature global updating headings wade giles access points non chinese language records automatically converted mainly wade giles data area title statement responsibility note fields may require manual conversion cataloging rules permit supplying information note area axx5xx fields source authors names recorded various note fields under authority control result many non chinese language records bibliographic utilities note fields containing data transcribed either pincinpinyin wade giles see group 3 examples appendix sometimes authors name may pincinpinyin form note field record wade giles form 23 another record example keyword search note fields chinese author chen jo hsi retrieved 21 records under name wade giles form OCLC however same keyword search authors name pincinpinyin form chen ruoxiguoxi retrieved two records obviously applying different romanization schemes note fields confusing patrons creates split files adversely affecting access retrieval keyword searching OCLC worldcatWorldCat pincinpinyin conversion non chinese language records provides opportune time us rethink current cataloging practice transcribing information note fields bibliographic records using different romanization schemes east asian library community need decide whether wade giles data note fields non chinese language records should converted bibliographic records access tools should provide accurate information aiding identification retrieval materials searched library users considering need reducing split files realizing fact library users way knowing records contain notes transcribed pincinpinyin wade