Join ALCTS Creative Ideas in Technical Services Interest Group for several thrilling discussions at ALA Midwinter 2017!
Location: Georgia World Congress Center, Room B202
Date and time: Sunday, January 22 from 1-2:30 pm
Format: Round-tablediscussions lead by multiple facilitators. Choose the one that interests you most. All tables will summarize their discussions and report back to the larger group at the end of the session. We are also looking for volunteer note-takers for each of these - please e-mail either Amber Billey (ab3167@columbia.edu) or Whitney Buccicone (bucciw@uw.edu) if interested.
Metadata in the “Post-Truth” Era.
Facilitator: Timothy Mendenhal, Fordham University
Summary: Despite initial promises to democratize access to information and information resources, recent discourse emerging in the wake of the 2016 United States presidential campaign has highlighted how the online information ecosystem and social media platforms such as Facebook may have played a role in spreading “fake” news stories and misinformation, as well as in “siloing” their users so that they are not exposed to opposing points of view. Such an information ecosystem clearly demands a response from libraries, with their mission to encourage information literacy and transparency. In the technical services community, we often view information literacy as the domain of reference librarians, but as creators of metadata which is increasing sent out of the silo of the catalog and onto the open web, how should technical services librarians respond to the so-called “post-truth” era?
LCDGT (Library of Congress Demographic Group Terms).
Facilitator: Jessica Janecki, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library
Summary: The LCDGT is a new vocabulary. It is being developed for use with newly created MARC fields 385 (audience characteristics) and 386 (creator/contributor characteristics). The 385/386 fields are available for use in bib records and work/expression authority records. The LCDGT vocabulary is also available for use in other places where one might wish to use a demographic term, such as authority records for persons. The 385/386 fields can also be used with other vocabularies such as LCSH. This vocabulary in conjunction with these new fields has the potential to allow us to record facetable/indexable information about a work that our patrons want (I need books by women authors!) but without abusing the 650 (650__Women authors on a book that is by a woman rather than about a woman) or resorting to notes fields. We can discuss the new LCDGT vocabulary, its proposed uses, and hear from anyone who is currently using it or the 385/386 fields.
Contending with Chaos: Authority Control Strategies in a Digital World.
Facilitator: Joseph Nicholson, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Summary: While the need for authority control remains steady for traditional cataloging workflows, institutional repositories and other digital projects have placed stringent new demands on an aspect of library work that is notoriously labor-intensive, time-consuming, and understaffed. Faced with an avalanche of names and geographical headings that need to be transformed into authorized access points, many libraries that create NACO records or practice other local forms of authority control must engage in a kind of triage operation, focusing authority control efforts on a small subset of names while abandoning other headings to uncontrolled chaos. Centering on authority control workflows for both print and digital resources, this discussion will offer participants the opportunity to exchange ideas and creative solutions as well as address new developments in the field such as linked data.
All Things MarcEdit: Let’s Compare Notes!
Facilitators: Tim Kiser and Nicole Smeltekop, Michigan State University Libraries
Summary: As cataloging workflows become more automated, catalogers are using more coding-oriented processes to complete a variety of tasks. MarcEdit is one of the most commonly used programs for batch editing MARC records. Many catalogers and metadata librarians are both impressed and a little intimidated by the robust capabilities of MarcEdit. This roundtable will focus on creative applications of MarcEdit in cataloging and metadata workflows. Come share your success stories and failures, tips and tricks, MarcEdit project ideas, and learning strategies!
The Evolution of Processing Materials.
Facilitator: Crystal Hutchinson, Central Kansas Library System
Summary: Libraries that process all materials "in-house", now have less time to physically process materials. Staff shortages, lack of funds and more computer duties have made it harder to employ a staff member to "cover books". What are libraries doing in their library to accomplish this traditional service?
Authority Control in a Pre-Linked Data Environment.
Facilitators: Carol Ou, University of Nevada, Las Vegas and Adam Baron, University of North Texas
Summary: To prepare for the transition to BIBFRAME and linked data, libraries may want to review their current authority control practices. The ongoing maintenance of authorized access points in bibliographic records seems increasingly important sfo the access points can eventually be matched to URIs. As an intermediary step, some have also advocated for the insertion of URIs directly into MARC records. There is also the question of how to reconcile locally established names. This discussion will focus on how libraries might accomplish some of this work, while also exploring possible best practices and ways to improve efficiencies when it comes to authority control in the current MARC environment. Emphasis will be given to tasks that can be completed by library staff or an automated authority control vendor.
The Role of Cataloging in Transforming Library Metadata into Linked Data.
Facilitators: Lihong Zhu, Washington State University
Summary: Linked data has the potential to revolutionize the academic world of information creation and exchange. Basic tenets of what libraries collect, how they collect, how they organize, and how they provide information will be questioned and rethought. Limited pools of bibliographic records for information resources will be enhanced by data captured at creation. By harvesting the entire output of the academy, an immensely rich web of data will be created that will liberate research and teaching from the limited, disconnected silos of information that they are dependent on today.” (Philip Evan Schreur, “The Academy Unbound: Linked Data as Revolution” https://journals.ala.org/lrts/article/view/5073/6144) This roundtable discussion will focus on what role cataloging should play in transforming library metadata into linked data.
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