Control freak

I sometimes see odd codes at the beginning of call numbers when doing a call number search. What are they? Do we need them?

Most of these are location codes for other libraries which came in as part of records from RLIN. We don't need them, but they're hard to get rid of. For more detail, read on.

What is NACO normalization? Should I use it?

NACO normalization is a set of rules for eliminating small differences from character strings. Normalization is good, but NACO normalization isn't good in all cases. For more information, please click "Continue reading."

How should I cite a name which is used on older LC bib records, but not established?

Older forms found on LC bib records raise a number of questions. Click "Continue reading ..." below for an extended discussion which covers a number of them.

Which libraries hold the analytic volume I'm looking for?

When you look for holdings for an analyzed volume--i.e., a volume that's part of a cataloged set or series, but that also has its own catalog record--it matters which place you look for the holdings information in the MNCAT public catalog. The "Availability Link" list on the brief display will generally be more complete than the "Availability" line holdings on the full record display. For details, please read the full entry.

Adding death dates

The full entry below includes the announcement from LC's Cataloging Policy and Support Office of how LC will implement the new policy regarding adding death dates to personal name headings with open birth dates, and how we will be implementing the policy locally.

Is ontology overrated?

Clay Shirky has posted a piece titled "Ontology Is Overrated: Ontologies, Links, and Tags" at http://shirky.com/writings/ontology_overrated.html The piece has attracted some interest among library staff. The rest of this entry is a set of notes in response to points raised by Shirky. Though I agree with his basic point about the viability of uncontrolled user tagging of web content as a means of extending access, I also contend much of his case that ontology is "overrated" is overstated. The comments in the extended entry here will be easier to follow if the Shirky piece is read first.

WorldCat says we have this. How come I can't find it in MNCAT?

MNCAT is our library of record, not WorldCat. For various reasons, WorldCat is an unreliable guide to what the University Libraries holds. For more detail, read on.

Why am I seeing double form subdivisions?

Now that authority linking has been turned back on, please be aware of a temporary issue regarding the updating of headings with form subdivisions. Specifically, when you update a record with a form subdivision in $$v and the authority still uses $$x for the same form subdivision, Aleph will double the subdivision, e.g.,

Authority: Children $$x Prayer-books and devotions.
Bibl hdg.: Children $$v Prayer-books and devotions.
Upd bibl.: Children $$x Prayer-books and devotions $$v Prayer-books and devotions.

The simplest solution is to follow the authorized form and use $$x. Eventually, these will be corrected to $$v; and in the meantime, $$v and $$x will interfile happily, so the coding difference will be invisible to users. For a more detailed explanation of the issue, read on.

Why are there two entries for my title in the index? Can we fix it?

If the difference involves an initial article, this is an insoluble problem for now, but it may be solved in the future. For more information, read on.

Should I use LCSH terms in my metadata records?

Librarians usually think of authority control in the context of the library catalog, where an elaborate set of rules and a long history of consensus building and professional discipline have resulted in a relatively high uniformity of practice and understanding. Other communities, perceiving the value ascribed to authorized vocabularies, have shown an interest in making use of these vocabularies and presumably of adding the value inherent in them to other resource discovery tools and databases. But where exactly does the “added value” of the terms in a controlled vocabulary reside? (What follows focuses on subject vocabularies, but could also be applied to other kinds of controlled vocabularies.)