Minutes - Cataloger’s Discussion Group Meeting - - The Frick Collection / Frick Art Reference Library, Oct. 18, 2007

 

 

Speakers from the Metropolitan Museum of Art : Min Xu, Cataloger at Watson Library discussing “CJK” (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) cataloging and authorities workflow, and Ross Day, head of Goldwater Library, Dept. of Arts of Africa, Oceana & Americas, discussing the history of authority work at the museum. Session coordinated and introduced by Tamara Fultz, Chair of the MMA Authorities Committee and liaison with OCLC.

 

Mark Bresnan, Head Bibliographic Records, Frick Art Reference Library, opened the meeting of 26 attendees, and welcomed the speakers. He also announced the NYTSL Fall dinner / program for November 9^th.

 

         Min Xu: demonstration of CJK cataloging authority workflow on OCLC Connexion, having begun to use early in 2007, migrating from RLIN21. Uses ISBN search or ‘browse WorldCat’ in either Romanized or vernacular CJK characters. The record provides double fields for two scripts, for copy cataloging. For original cataloging, one can search under common fields to build a new record (e.g. publisher, subject). Credit given for original cataloging; 066 field will generate once record is entered.

         Use of “text strings” for description in the text of the record. Connexion is better for CJK work than Millennium, but either can be used. There also is a CJK dictionary in Connexion.

         Chinese Name Authority File is found under ‘Authorities’ à search. It shows Chinese script with romanized entries. Can copy & paste entries to the original record.

         Edit à reformat to automatically pair and link paired fields in 246 and 250. Also, edit à linking fields, as in 245 and 246 fields. Icon ‘R’ also = reformat. Then, validate record à red highlights if there is an error. Green if correct.

         Go to ‘Action’ à ‘Holdings’ à export record if complete. Can save in local file, if not completed. The MMA will not be adding institution records to WorldCat.

 

         Ross Day: Historically MMA authority records were edited locally, sometimes without agreement to LC authority. There were often variable forms of names in records at the Met. After Recon, multiple authority headings were discovered requiring clean-up. Batch headings revision proved difficult.

 

Now there is an Authorities Committee at the Met, composed of original catalogers. Priority in authority work is given to personal names associated with the Met. publications, names requiring cross-references, and artists’ names. Copy catalogers do not pass on records needing authority work to members of the Authority Committee.

 

         Watson Library staff members Meg Black and Ken Dinin produced a “Guide for the Creation of Authority Records on OCLC Connexion Client 2.0” (July 24, 2007).  Connexion is used for creation of authorities. Records are saved in an online save file, which is a list of authority records in progress. Each contributor’s headings are reviewed in-house by another contributor. One cannot control headings in institutional records. Newly created records will upload in a month or two.

 

Database is sent out periodically to LTI (a vendor for authority control) which updates headings and generates lists of unmatched headings in bib records.

Discussion ensued over whether to use local save file or online save file, for institution’s own review.

         Individual statistics not kept at Met., but total are listed by authorization number under “OCLC Usage Statistics” in monthly, weekly, and daily lists. An overall chart is produced.   

 

 

                                                                                 Amy Schwarz, Cataloging Dept.

                                                                                 Frick Art Reference Library                                                                                                  

 

 

Amy Schwarz   [log in to unmask]

Frick Art Reference Library

10 E. 71st Street, NYC 10021 USA

(212) 547-0659