Les Hawkins

E-serial Titles That Disappear

Abstract CONSER (Cooperative Online Serials Program) members are currently dealing with the problem of how to catalog electronic journals that over time do not retain their titles on earlier issues. The dilemma for catalogers is whether to use the successive entry rules of AACR2 (Anglo-American Cataloging Rules) for serials or to apply the latest entry approach used for integrating resources. CONSER members are currently working on a discussion paper that will weigh the pros and cons of successive and latest entry to be presented at the CONSER Operations Committee meeting in May 2002. Discussion of the issues will provide the background for a Library of Congress Rule Interpretation. Serials Review 2002; 28:222–224.

Metadata in a Digital Age: New Models of Creation, Discovery, and Use

Metadata is critical to finding content. However, the expansion of digital content, rapid changes in access and use, and transitions in the digital supply chain pose tremendous challenges to the effective organization, description, and management of this information. Seven speakers from different communities in the digital supply chain addressed various aspects of this important topic. Participants in this preconference session gained a valuable overview of and an insight into the many issues associated with creating and distributing metadata in the digital age.

Journal Title Display and Citation Practices

In this tactics session two Library of Congress catalogers and one former Library of Congress cataloger discussed how metadata issues with journal title presentation on provider and publisher websites can be problematic. Through a series of examples, the speakers demonstrated how lack of metadata and citation practices result in users not finding content and libraries not getting access to content for which they paid. Reactions from publishers and attendees were welcomed with the goal of enhancing communication among stakeholders and generating interest to form a collaborative effort in establishing a NISO working group to develop best practices with journal title display and citation practice.

An Interview with Jean Hirons, CONSER Coordinator

Jean Hirons, Cooperative Online Serials (CONSER) Coordinator, retired June 30 from the Library of Congress after a career of over thirty years in libraries. Jean plans to begin a new career as a pastel painter. I spoke to Jean in May 2003 to get her views on CONSERs role in developing standards for cataloging electronic resources. Serials Review 2003; 29:233–236.

Update on the CONSER BIBFRAME Task Group

ABSTRACT This column provides an update on the Cooperative Online Serials Program (CONSER) Bibliographic Framework Initiative (BIBFRAME) Task Group, which was expanded as the Program for Cooperative Cataloging (PCC) BIBFRAME Task Group in 2016.

Updates on Program for Cooperative Cataloging (PCC) Linked Data Task Groups

ABSTRACT The Program for Cooperative Cataloging (PCC) has set up two task groups to work on issues related to making PCC-produced metadata useful in linked data services. The PCC Task Group on URIs in MARC is exploring issues surrounding the addition of machine actionable identifiers to legacy MARC records. The CONSER (Cooperative Online Serials Program) BIBFRAME Task Group is discussing BIBFRAME and other vocabularies in the context of continuing resources. The PCC URI Task Group and the CONSER BIBFRAME Task Group represent efforts by the PCC to lay the groundwork for further developments in providing linked data services with its metadata.

Basic Creation of Name and Title Authorities

The postconference basic creation of name and title authorities provided a comprehensive overview on how to create authorities records in Resource Description and Access. The two half-day workshop consisted of five modules that summarized the concept of authority work and its importance; the principles and standards underlying the idea; and how to describe works, expressions, corporate bodies, and persons. Each module provided examples to supplement the content learned by the participants.

The Future of Serials Cataloging, CONSER and the ISSN: Conversations from the Field

What does the future hold for the shape of serials to come and for cataloging these and other continuing resources? How should cataloging change to cope with still-unknown types of continuing resources? Will there still be a need for cataloging? For CONSER? For ISSN? How can libraries position themselves to partner with nonlibrary metadata creators in a future linked data environment? Four serials experts discuss these and other questions in a free-ranging conversation about the future of serials cataloging.

The Semantic Web and the BIBFRAME Initiative

The implementation of the semantic web based on linked data principles represents a movement toward transforming the World Wide Web into a database of linked resources, where data may be widely reused and shared. Web services can be enhanced by drawing on semantically aware data made available by a variety of providers. The Bibliographic Framework (BIBFRAME) Initiative seeks to expose rich library metadata to the semantic web, configured so that semantic data from other sources can be incorporated in meeting library user needs.

Basic Serials Cataloging Workshop

The Basic Serials Cataloging Workshop provided the general principles of the descriptive cataloging of serials using the standardized tools, Resource Description and Access (RDA) and the MARC (machine-readable cataloging) 21 Format for Bibliographic Data. The workshop focused on applying Cooperative Online Serials (CONSER) RDA core elements for serials. Modules on the following topics were presented: (1) Background, Objectives, Organization; (2) Serial Cataloging; (3) Cataloging Preliminaries; (4) Identifying Manifestations, (5) Describing Carriers and Content; (6) Identifying Works and Expressions; (7) Basics of RDA Relationships for Serials; and (8) When Do I Need a New Description? Each module consisted of lectures, slide presentations, participants’ questions and comments, exercises, and quizzes.