Minutes--October 2002 Midwestern Art Cataloging Discus

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Midwestern Art Cataloging Discussion Group
4th Meeting
Hosted by the Cleveland Museum of Art
October 11, 2002

Librarians in attendance:
Lizette Benzing, Oberlin College
Anne Champagne, Art Institute of Chicago
Leigh Gates, Art Institute of Chicago
Christopher Handy, Cleveland Museum of Art
Hyosoo Lee, Cleveland Institute of Art
Stacie Murry, Cleveland Museum of Art
Diana Nichols, Kent State University Library School - Student
Sara Jane Pearman, Cleveland Museum of Art
Yunah Sung, Cleveland Museum of Art
Lori Thorrat, Cleveland Museum of Art

The October meeting of the Midwestern Art Cataloging Discussion Group convened on Friday October 11, 2002 at the Cleveland Museum of Art with Ann Abid welcoming those in attendance followed by introductions.

1. Topic: Image cataloging - collection management and vocabularies

Are VR collections using same vocabularies and authority files as OPACs and museum collection management systems? No. Sara Jane noted that she doesn't use AAT, LCSH or LCNAF. She has discussed consistency/compatibility with curatorial departments and the registrar, but hasn't persuaded them to work with her to develop uniform cataloging standards. Leigh made the point that librarians see catalogs as finding aids, but curators don't see their databases as having only that limited function.

2. Topic: Authority control and shared cataloging in visual resources collections

Discussed the possibility of VR community setting up a NACO-like project for shared authority files. Mellon has recently funded a project for CMA, Harvard and UC San Diego to explore the possibility of shared VR cataloging -- both description and authority -- called Union Catalog of Artist Images (UCAI). The end product will be a database that includes images.

3. Topic: Shared vertical file database

Lori talked about the possibility of the member libraries of Ohio Valley ARLIS developing a shared database for vertical file material. Described how CMA has cataloged all of their VFs into their OPAC.

4. Topic: Local database of artists
Hyosoo described a local database she has created at the Cleveland Institute of Art that indexes artists names included in exhibition catalogs for group shows. The database is extremely popular with their students. It's available on their website as "Contemporary artist index" -
http://www.cia.edu/administrative/academicaffairs/library/default.asp

5. Topic: Local vs. LC classification systems

There was a discussion of the merits of using local classification systems vs. LC Classification. CMA is exploring the possibility of making the switch to LC.

The meeting was followed by a tour of the Museum's Ingalls Library.

Notes by Anne Champagne
10/16/02

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