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Barbara E. Reed wrote:
> Do many libraries generally catalog CD-ROM reference sources? Or,
> do many libraries pass on cataloging them, relying instead upon
> point-of-use promotion of these sources?
[...]
> Underlying my question is, what libraries actually have these sources.
> Thanks for your input.
At NYU, we do catalog all our CD-ROM resources, although from that
specific list, we only have the Mayer international title, and just
got it a couple of days ago. However, and here I must apologize to my
fellow catalogers, NYU has not been able to load new cataloging into
RLIN for 2 years owing to technical difficulties with our local
system*. This problem is <fingers crossed> about to be resolved.
Since I do all the CD cataloging, I have been very surprised by the
lack of cataloging copy and holding libraries. I suspect many
libraries are choosing not to catalog their CDs. When we first
started getting CD titles, we didn't catalog them, either. It was
such a small number, we felt a handout to give to students describing
each product would be enough promotion. I hasten to add this was not
a decision made by the catalogers -- it was a decision made by the
reference librarians. Since most, if not all, license agreements
prohibit interlibrary loan, I think no one felt it was crucial to
make sure these titles ended up in a national database. Also, many of
the titles were coming in directly to the reference centers as free
trials and by-passed technical services altogether.
What happened here is that CD publishing overtook us and eventually
we realized we had dozens of titles scattered throughout the library
and no definitive inventory of them. Suddenly the need for cataloging
these titles was apparent.
One tip for catalogers searching for copy in RLIN: remember to search
the SER file as well as MDF. Until the final stage of format
integration this year, CONSER libraries were inputting serial
computer files (many CD-ROMs fall into this category) in the SER file.
There is quite a bit of LC copy there. With format integration, we
should be seeing more records in the MDF file.
--Kay Teel
Cataloger
Bobst Library
New York University
* Please visit our local catalog -- telnet://bobcat.nyu.edu *
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