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OLA Quarterly OLA Quarterly Industrializing the Work Flow: New Trends in Technical Services In This Issue Beyond MARC: New Trends for the Library of the Future The Craft of Local Practice: How Catalogers are Gaining Efficiency but Losing Control Authority Control is Alive and … Well? Handcrafted or Mass Produced: What are You Willing to Pay and What is it Worth? I am Cataloger—Hear Me Roar Dressing the Part … Training—the Missing Step in the Industrialization of Technical Services OLAQSpring Vol • No " OLA Quarterly Oregon Library Association Spring 2003 http://www.olaweb.org Vol 9 • No 1 ISSN 1093-7374 The OLA Quarterly is an Industrializing the Work Flow: official publication of the Oregon Library Association. New Trends in Technical Services Please refer questions and input regarding the Quarterly to: Table of Contents Fred R. Reenstjerna OLA Publications Chair Beyond MARC: Douglas County Library New Trends for the Library of the Future Bessie Mayes 1409 NE Diamond Lake Blvd. Roseburg, OR 97470 6 phone 541-440-6007 The Craft of Local Practice: fax 541-440-4317 How Catalogers are Gaining Efficiency but Losing Control [email protected] Lloyd Jansen Graphic Production: Tobias Weiss Design Authority Control is Alive and … Well? 7345 SW Deerhaven Drive Richard V. Jackson Corvallis, OR 97333 " phone 541-738-1897 Handcrafted or Mass Produced: fax 541-738-1897 What are You Willing to Pay and What is it Worth? [email protected] Gary Houk and Alane Wilson "7 I am Cataloger—Hear Me Roar Mary T. Kalnin Dressing the Part … Upcoming Nelia C. Wurangian-Caan Issues 8 Training—the Missing Step in the Industrialization of Technical Services Summer 2003 Deborah Fritz OLA President-elect’s Issue: Diversity in the Profession 9 Fall 2003 An Exchange on: Life with the USA PATRIOT Act Energizing Young Cohn Swales, Robert Truman, Ronnie Lee Budge, Adult Services Fred Reenstjerna, and Anna Grzeszkiewicz Editorial elcome to Oregon, military library, cataloging “the Arizona, to New York, implores us not now let me figure essence of volumetric technology … to give up on standards in our haste to “W out a way to put you (as in) one submarine looking at give the “average Joe/Jane” what s/he to good use!” That’s pretty much how another submarine hiding behind an wants. And my favorite Canadian Fred Reenstjerna greeted me at last iceberg.” Let me welcome Richard colleague, Trina Grover, insists the craft year’s Oregon/Washington Library Jackson, who once challenged me to of cataloging can live in harmony with Association Conference. I think that articulate the value of PromptCat to a the technological tools that ease the was because, after the initial introduc- library school class and is now the process. Daniel CannCasciato, a NACO tions, Fred and I discovered that we Catalog Librarian/Database Manager trainer, insists we really belong in both shared a passion for libraries as at the prestigious Huntington Library. “public” or “patron,” rather than well as a determination that technical Then there is Lloyd Jansen who writes “technical” services. Two librarians I services managers use their wealth of eloquently about his struggle to carry met in my own seminars have unique human resources in the most cost- on his mentor’s high cataloging perspectives about technical services effective manner. From our shared standards while coping within current from their managerial point of view. history on the front lines of a catalog- economic realities. Sharon Walbridge sees cataloging as a ing unit, as filtered through our How could we not include a hybrid activity—“part productivity and different employment perspectives, we spokesperson from a bibliographic part intellectual process,” Felicia Uhden think we have put together a remark- utility in this theme issue? Gary Houk believes there could be something able release for the Spring 2003 issue. and Alane Wilson, whom I know more. The woman who once told me All of the authors are people with from her years as OCLC’s library she considered the MARC record the whom I’ve had personal contact in consultant in the northwest, provides “finest creation of human beings” takes my professional activities. Each of an authoritative look at its past and us into the future with an OPAC that them made such a positive impres- future plans. Mary Kalnin shares how blends the “art” with the “science,” and sion on me that I could hardly wait to she takes advantage of OCLC’s more maybe even a bit of “magic.” Finally, challenge them to share their views sophisticated interfaces at the Univer- Oregon’s own outspoken public about the changing nature of the sity of Washington. Since I know librarian, Fred Reenstjerna, insists, cataloging process. In fact, out of the Mary as the listowner of LIBSUP-L, an “There’s no magic in the drinking water twenty-three prospective contributors electronic discussion list for library in Dublin, Ohio, that turns people into I contacted last August, we are support staff, I would expect no less Super Librarians.” Fred’s lively com- overjoyed with thirteen completed from this early-adopter of new mentary asks why managers have articles. I view it as a remarkable technology. I know Deborah Fritz as turned technical services “into a pre- testament to the ability of busy an excellent cataloging instructor industrial cottage industry” rather than people to get the job done! traveling throughout the U.S. as well Eli Whitney’s “American factory sys- One of the busiest people I know as a small businesswoman who has tem.” You won’t want to miss any of it! is Nelia Wurangian-Caan. At many invented new employment opportuni- We hope you will enjoy these library events she is the center of ties for librarians. She begs us not to stimulating essays, in print and on the organizational action—yet her forget the training component in our Web, at http://www.olaweb.org/ thought-provoking essay shows she rush to embrace technology and quarterly has time to imagine a public catalog increase productivity. that can “walk or talk or sing.” I am As a bonus, the electronic version proud to introduce Bessie Mayes, of this issue of OLAQ will present six —Joy A. Wanden who shared her vision of creating a additional articles that simply would not Library Analyst conference for library paraprofession- fit within the limitations of this print OCLC Western Service Center als in San Diego back in the early journal. “Maggie” Horn, whose career I [email protected] 1990s and is now, in her role in a have followed from California, to Guest Editor OLAQ 1 Beyond MARC: New Trends for the Library of the Future by Bessie Mayes Introduction from HGML and SGML, and is better suited Senior Cataloger It is vitally important that the library to describe the attributes of the technologi- and Map Specialist profession keep pace with new technolo- cal offerings of the private sector, colleges, gies being developed for the public by hospitals, and institutions. XML is exten- Technical Research Library industries across the world. The library has sible, interoperable with other ML lan- Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center, San Diego to adapt to changing trends and life-style guages, and its use has opened the collec- issues. Some changes may necessitate a tions of libraries across the world for [email protected] different approach to the traditional roles viewing, unlike a unique program or stand- and methods of operation. Most libraries alone application could. are meeting a host of challenges presented by industries and new technologies, and X-MARCs the Spot are incorporating new ideas into the My attention was first drawn to XML when I profession to better serve their clients. The began to read e-mails on AUTOCAT discuss- influence of recent industrial changes has ing the concept of using XML languages to resulted in some libraries experiencing replace the traditional MARC language. XML change in their methods of operating. advocates argued for the new language and For example, some functions of the opportunity it provided to be more technical services are being outsourced to descriptive with the emerging technology private businesses. Some libraries find and resources. Those opposed to XML outsourcing easier and more cost effective proposed that traditional MARC could be than hiring personnel to perform these modified to accommodate the ever-changing traditionally held functions. Another data formats or electronic resources. MARC profound change that has already affected was also considered to have a proven track how libraries operate as service providers record, whereas no one knew if XML would is the change in how they present and work well with established rules and describe content. MARC, once the tradi- procedures that had been a part of library tional language of choice for libraries in tradition for some time. After much research describing format and content, is now on XML, my conclusion is that both sides being questioned as to its relevance. As a are correct. library-specific language, it lacked interoperability with other more modern And the winner is … languages used on the Internet such as While attending the American Library Cata- HTML, SGML, and XML. MARC’s inability loging and Metadata Institute conference in to be offered as an industry-wide standard Washington DC, in November 2002, one of was cause for concern among vendors that the presenters commented that “Dublin Core historically provided service to libraries. is so yesterday news.“ Dublin Core was Unlike MARC, however, XML is derived OCLC’s first attempt at migration from MARC to an extensible markup language. However, with formal standardization of Dublin Core- XML, OCLC had taken the next step in accommodating a broader industry in a rapidly expanding market in format language MARC once the traditional on the Web.
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