The plural of anecdote is not data (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} q_through_t) wrote,@ 2005-12-14 09:42:00 |
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cataloging websites: part 1 of N
I am a believer in cataloging free websites: they are information resources that patrons use and want to know how to find, and they represent part of what the library can offer access to. As far as I'm concerned, these are all the requirements necessary to justify cataloging. However, there are certainly issues: maintainance and quality control being not the least of them. Maintainance is problematic because the details of websites (size, links, etc) can change so rapidly, with little notice, which means that someone has to check up on the site. Quality control is a problem because sites can become good, bad or indifferent equally rapidly -- lightning-fast in library terms.
In the past few days, I've been browsing through catalogs and "e-resource" sites, which have substituted for actual cataloging of websites at many libraries. Taking Wikipedia as a test case, I've found the following, without really trying:
* Wikipedia cataloged with The Free Software Foundation as its publisher (I sent an email about this; I shudder to think of the reaction of either organization)
* Wikipedia listed as being created "by 6000 volunteers"
* Wikipedia listed as "currently working on 166311 articles in the English version."
* Wikipedia listed with "anyone can edit this page" copy that I recognize as having been on the main page several iterations ago
* Although I can't find a record for the site as a whole (so far) in OCLC, fascinatingly (horrifyingly?) there's a library (*cough* the Kansas State Lib *cough*) that's been cataloging individual wikipedia articles and placing them in WorldCat... and listing them as being published by the FSF. Over 900 of them so far, many of the articles for small towns in that library's state. Anyone who knows more about cleaning up OCLC than me is welcome to comment.
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What's the solution for listing such a dynamic resource?
In the meantime, I am going to break out my (extremely limited) cataloging knowledge to create a sample MARC record for 'pedia that libraries could use. Any help with this project would be appreciated.
I am a believer in cataloging free websites: they are information resources that patrons use and want to know how to find, and they represent part of what the library can offer access to. As far as I'm concerned, these are all the requirements necessary to justify cataloging. However, there are certainly issues: maintainance and quality control being not the least of them. Maintainance is problematic because the details of websites (size, links, etc) can change so rapidly, with little notice, which means that someone has to check up on the site. Quality control is a problem because sites can become good, bad or indifferent equally rapidly -- lightning-fast in library terms.
In the past few days, I've been browsing through catalogs and "e-resource" sites, which have substituted for actual cataloging of websites at many libraries. Taking Wikipedia as a test case, I've found the following, without really trying:
* Wikipedia cataloged with The Free Software Foundation as its publisher (I sent an email about this; I shudder to think of the reaction of either organization)
* Wikipedia listed as being created "by 6000 volunteers"
* Wikipedia listed as "currently working on 166311 articles in the English version."
* Wikipedia listed with "anyone can edit this page" copy that I recognize as having been on the main page several iterations ago
* Although I can't find a record for the site as a whole (so far) in OCLC, fascinatingly (horrifyingly?) there's a library (*cough* the Kansas State Lib *cough*) that's been cataloging individual wikipedia articles and placing them in WorldCat... and listing them as being published by the FSF. Over 900 of them so far, many of the articles for small towns in that library's state. Anyone who knows more about cleaning up OCLC than me is welcome to comment.
---
What's the solution for listing such a dynamic resource?
In the meantime, I am going to break out my (extremely limited) cataloging knowledge to create a sample MARC record for 'pedia that libraries could use. Any help with this project would be appreciated.
