Cataloguing4Coders

Starting late last week a thread on Cataloging4Coders took off on the Code4Lib listserv.  These top library data manipulators are readying for their next conference and want to add to the event more knowledge current, and historical, of how library data works.  I chuckled most certainly at the the original post which states more than a few coders are “yearing for knowledge of this Darkest of Library Arts”

What do you think they want illuminated??

To check out the whole thread search for the topic: Cataloging4Coders @C4L12 We need you brains in their archives. Highlights list might start out as:

  • How more functionality can be devolved from data
  • The history of AACR and MARC
  • Why library data is as varying in scope/intensity per record as it is, this is their question of ‘reliability of data
  • commonly used MARC
  • metadata project management esp. for digitization
  • cataloger to coder communications challenges
And it is certainly has some advice for the cataloguing community I have to second the message of:
“I wish is that there were some way to get more catalogers to see that despite Watson, there are serious limitations to what computers can practically do and that we would be better off if we worked with computer’s strengths instead of trying to make them do things that are hard for them to do so we can reproduce the form of the card catalog (as opposed to the function).”  From Kelly McGrath at Ball State
ps.. to join or otherwise learn more about Code4Lib go here: http://dewey.library.nd.edu/mailing-lists/code4lib/

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