Hi I am a Librarian with a Masters Degree in Information Technology-Library Major -with over 25 years experience. My field of expertise is the setting up designing and the creating of school libraries in School Colleges Prep to Year 12 from scratch. I love what I do - if I have introduced one student to the world of libraries and the value they give to their successful educational journey- I have succeeded.
To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882); Philosopher, Poet, Author, Essayist
Reflecting on the user experience in week one and two, covering the aspects of clientssearching for information using a database such as a Library catalogue. The key elements here to note were, did we, as information managers give our clients a good user experience? In evaluating the database or catalogue the client used, we gained a better understanding of databases in Libraries in general.
Discussing my own experiences working in different libraries for weeks three and four enabled me to reflect and discuss the comments made by the Teacher Librarian Ann Gillespie in the video interview Howard, Z. (2013). I believe the direction of archives in libraries in the future will be digital for the saving of space. Moving on to resource description in the following weeks. The new cataloguing upgrades such as AACR2 to RDA and the impact this will have on resource description in cataloguing was discussed. While there will be an improvement using a more natural language in cataloguing Subject descriptions, the extra time it will take to add the initial data was also discussed as a possible negative. Key elements here is identifying the various standards, and applying them to catalogue entries. Classification terms that users are familiar with eg: DDC or Dewy Decimal System and LCSH Library of Congress Subject Headings and how these standards will change to accommodate digital metadata.
Interactive and user-friendly social networking in Libraries is becoming the new standards in library catalogues. The idea that uses will have input into the databases, an example of thisis Trove where editing is now done by the people searching and using the database. The pros of this type of system allow for a more user-friendly system, the cons are who then monitors the information added for quality assurance? The key element here is the changing face of Library catalogues as not being the sole domain of Librarians.
My strengths in completing this unit is my ability to draw on my past and current library experience and network effectively with other information managers, drawing on their experiences and knowledge. The challenge for me is not to be overwhelmed with the amountof new information I am learning, and to keep drawing on my lecturer’s experience and participate in class discussion, and keep asking questions.
Australian Bureau of Statistics (2011-13) Profiles of Health, Australia 4338.0 Retrieved from http://abs.gov.au/austats/abs@.nsf/mf/4338.0
Bowler L. & Mattern. E. Design techniques for revealing adolescent memory processes related to information seeking: a preliminary study. Iconference 12 proceedings of the 2012 iconference (1-9)
Edwards, Sylvia L. & Bruce, Christine S. (2006) Panning for gold: understanding students information searching experiences. In Transforming IT Education:Promoting a culture of excellence. Informing Science Press, Santa Rosa, California. http://eprints.qut.edu.au/990/
Gorman. M (2004) The Concise AACR2 (4thed.) Chicago Ill.
American Library Association
Hider, P, & Harvey, R. (2008)Organising knowledge in a global society.
Wagga Wagga NSW Charles Sturt University
Howard, Z. (2013). INN533 Information Organisation: Week 3 Information organisation and the information professional: Katrina McAlpine interview [Supplemental material]. Retrieved from URL http://blackboard.qut.edu.au/courses/1/INN533_13se2/content/_4911358_1/Ann%20Gillespie%20Week%202.mp3
Information
resources in a database such as a library catalogue require a unique
identification system. The DDC or Dewey Decimal system is an enumerative
classification system. The LCSH Library of Congress Subject Headings is used
for identifying the descriptive area the item falls into or the subject area,
and finally the ISBN or International Standard Bibliographic Description is yet
another example of a standard used in catalogues for describing informational
forms of resources. Hider, P (2008). P.39
One example
of classifying items in subject areas includes Exhaustive Subject Indexing used in Library of Congress Subject Headings
- LCSH. In a recent interview with Karen Stone, Manager Descriptive Services Queensland,
personal
communication: http://www.citewrite.qut.edu.au/cite/qutcite.jsp#apa-cmat-comms. I asked Karen the question, “Do they
allocate call numbers to their ebook resources?”While the answer was that they did not
allocate call numbers, they do however allocate several subject headings to every
record provided, to provide numerous access
points. This then would be a good example of exhaustive Subject Indexing as
there is no enumerative classification such as a DDC number. Relying
exclusively on subject areas alone to identify the item.
The negative
side to the use of exhaustive subject headings is a challenge for cataloguers
in libraries today. To know the LCSH more thoroughly and find the time to put
the right subject headings with the topic. However leaving behind the DDC
number is something that is gaining ground. This then poses another question I
faced the other day. When cataloguing a Junior fiction book and at the same
time downloading the audio book that accompanies it. Do you still supply the
DDC number to the audio book? The DDC has been allocated to the print version
of the book, therefore should it also apply to an ebook version for
consistency? Being a pdf or ebook do the same rules apply as used in AACR2 or
RDA with books in print? If the book has not been allocated a Dewey number in
SCIS do we as cataloguers allocate one if other libraries are not doing this?
The standards that cataloguers are familiar with or the rules of cataloguing as
set out in The Concise AACR2 -Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, now the revised
version of RDA –Resource description and Access Gorman, M (2004) is changing.
How these changes will affect standards of cataloguing in all libraries in the
future remain to be seen?
References:
Hider, P,
& Harvey, R. (2008) Organising
knowledge in a global society.
Wagga Wagga NSW Charles
Sturt University
Karen Stone,
Manager Descriptive Services Queensland, personal communication: http://www.citewrite.qut.edu.au/cite/qutcite.jsp#apa-cmat-comms
Gorman. M
(2004) The Concise AACR2 (4th
ed.) Chicago Ill.
I am about to start my Uni studies at QUT, I am completing my Master Of Information Technology
Library and Information Studies. I thought with over 25 years experience working in various Libraries including Westmead Hospital, The University of Western Sydney, The Royal Blind Society, Councils in NSW and QLD and Schools both Private and Public in NSW and QLD. That possibly with my little bit of experience I may be able to contribute to the vast world of ever changing Information research and add solutions to the storage of such information in our Libraries.
Over the past few weeks I have been using Rebelmouse a great new site combining facebook, twitter etc: This is my site https://www.rebelmouse.com/hopsonk/ I like the layout and the concept and could see Libraries making use of a site like this in schools.