Music Notes

RDA testing finished!

The US National Libraries Resource Description and Access (RDA) testing finished on Dec. 31, 2010. Now the results of the test will be analyzed by the national libraries and a decision on implementation of RDA will be announced at ALA annual in June.

Stay tuned for further developments!

Questions? Ask Mary

RDA Testing

The U.S. National Libraries' RDA (Resource Description and Access) Test is underway! Records began to be added using the new cataloging code on Oct. 1, 2010. The national libraries selected several institutions as test partners, including a funnel group of Music Library Association and Online Audiovisual Catalogers participants (including Mary and Kristi). Each group catalogs a common set of records in both AACR2 and RDA, plus a minimum of 25 records from their own particular workflow. Records will be added until December 31, when the focus of the test turns to analysis. An announcement regarding implementation of RDA is slated for ALA annual...

Questions? Ask Mary

TS Benchmarking Study

TS collected data on materials received from Nov. 1-12. Music approval scores and sound recordings were included in this latest study. Look for a report with the results once the materials have finished moving through the system!

Questions? Ask Mary

New subject headings of interest

As announced in the latest Music Cataloging Bulletin:

Cell phone music [May Subd Geog] (sh2008003963)
(Here are entered compositions not in a specific form or of a specific type consisting of sounds produced by cell phones, and collections of such compositions in several forms or types.)

and

Cell phones as musical instruments [May Subd Geog] (sh2008003962)

These headings replace earlier ones: Cellular telephone music and Cellular telephones as musical instruments. Who says LC doesn't keep up with the times :)

Questions? Ask Mary

Processing Sound Recordings for Branch Libraries

I've posted instructions for processing sound recordings (cassettes, CDs, etc.) for branch libraries on the TS Special Formats page.

Note that these instructions do not include items for the Music Library--continue to route all TMUSI materials to the Music Cataloging Office.

Questions? Ask Mary

Non-musical Sound Recordings

I've posted an updated version of the "Cataloging Non-musical Sound Recordings" document on the TS Special Formats page.

Questions? Ask Mary

Form/Genre Headings for Sound Recordings

In 2008, LC began issuing a limited amount of form/genre headings for non-musical sound recordings as part of their Radio Program project. I'll be posting a cumulated list of these headings to the Special Formats page. These headings (as appropriate) should be used in both copy and original cataloging.

Some headings of these headings are also appropriate for to musical sound recordings, such as the recently issued "655 Live sound recordings." However, do not routinely change topical headings into form/genre headings--wait for the authorized headings!!

Questions? Ask Mary

Cataloger Desktop Update

The latest update to Catalogers Desktop (Issue 2, 2009) includes some updated pages in Music and Sound Recordings Online (MOIM):

The following MOIM pages are being distributed herewith. All are dated February 2009.
028: sentence about DIDC, etc., numbers added; example substituted
051: revised to reflect current policy on copy numbers
111: revised to show that not all valid subfields are listed
246: real examples substituted for two made-up ones
906: updated to agree with DCM C16 (rev. November 2008); usage of code "par" in subfield $b explained

Questions? Ask Mary

RDA testing

There has been a cal for test partners for the upcoming test period for the new cataloging code Resource Description and Access. The U Libraries are submitting an application as a test partner, and I have also applied for the MLA RDA testing funnel group. Hopefully we will be selected for at least one of those opportunities!

Questions? Ask Mary

Form/Genre for Music Materials

Good news!!

LC has announced more news about the form/genre project that includes headings for music materials.

Read information on the music project here and the general press release here.

Question? Ask Mary

Pick of the week returns...briefly!

This is just too good to pass up: the worst LP album covers...

OLAC DVD Guide (Updated) Now Available

From the OLAC-List:
The DVD Guide Update Task Force of the Cataloging Policy Committee (CAPC) has completed the document, “Guide to Cataloging DVD and Blu-ray Discs Using AACR2r and MARC 21 (2008 update). The Task Force thanks the cataloging community for sending thoughtful comments, suggestions, and revisions to help make the final document a more useful one and one that is consistent with AACR2 and any recent MARBI recommendations. We extend thanks to CAPC for their review and to Teressa Keenan for placing the document on the OLAC website.

The document is located on the website in the following areas:

CAPC Publications & Training Materials: http://olacinc.org/capc/pubsnew.html

CAPC What's New: http://olacinc.org/capc/new.html

OLAC What's New: http://olacinc.org/new/index.html

The direct link to the document is : http://olacinc.org/capc/DVD_guide_final.pdf

As Chair of the Task Force, I also express appreciation to DVD Guide Update Editors, Marcia Barrett and Julie Moore, the members of the DVD Guide Update Task Force, and members of the original 2002 DVD Cataloging Guide Task Force. You will see their names listed in the Acknowledgments section of the document.

Carolyn Walden, Chair
DVD Guide Update Task Force
University of Alabama at Birmingham

Form/Genre Project for Music (LC)

Finally, LC has released a plan and proposed timeline for the next form/genre projects! It may be viewed at their website

Music is one of the five projects identified, and the project will start immediately. The project will be done in cooperation with the Music Library Association.

What an exciting opportunity!

Questions? Ask Mary

New 047 codes!

TECHNICAL NOTICE (July 25, 2008)
Additions to the MARC Code Lists for Relators, Sources, Description
Conventions

Good news! After Sept. 25, 2008 the expanded forms of composition codes (referred to as the "IAML list") will be available for use in the 008 and 047 fields. Subfield 2 has been created to note the source of the code.

Here's the blurb from the Technical Notice:

Other codes

The following code is for use in subfield $2 in field 047 (Form of Musical
Composition Code) in the Bibliographic format.

* Addition:
iamlmf - International Association of Music Libraries Musical
forms codes
(http://www.iaml.info/en/activities/cataloguing/unimarc/forms) [use only
after September 25, 2008]

Questions? Ask Mary

FRBR and Uniform Titles

The latest post in the Outgoing: Library Metadata Techniques and Trends blog (penned by OCLC's Thom Hickey) is likely to result in much discussion. Hickey has identified a list of 25 uniform titles that serve as 'noise' titles (i.e., problematic for activities such as matching); some 15 of these are frequently used in music uniform titles. Hickey proposes "abandonment" of these generic uniform titles for certain activities...