Standing Committee on Automation

Task Group on Automated Authorities and Record Delivery

Michael Kaplan, Chair
Head, Database Management & Coordinator for OCLC/RLIN, Harvard College Library
Widener Library 88
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA 02138
voice: 617-496-3794
fax: 617-495-0403
email: mkaplan@fas.harvard.edu

Sherry Kelley
Head, URL Cataloging Department, UCLA Library
URL A1538
Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575
voice: 310-825-2901
fax: 310-206-4974
email: ecz5kel@mvs.oac.ucla.edu

Audrey Novak
Database Administrator
Systems Office
Yale University Library
POBox 208240
New Haven, CT 06520
voice: 203-432-2365
fax:
email: anovak@yalevm.cis.yale.edu

Gary Strawn
Authorities Librarian
Northwestern University Library
Evanston, IL
voice: 708-491-2788
fax: 708-491-8306
email: mrsmith@nwu.edu

David Williamson
Regional and Cooperative Cataloging Division
Library of Congress
Washington, DC 20540-4383
voice: 202-707-5179
fax: 202-707-2824
email: dawi@loc.gov

Mark Wilson
Head, Research and Development
Library Corporation
Research Park
Inwood, WV 25428-9733
voice: 800-624-0559
fax: 304-229-0295
email: mwilson@mail.bibfile.com

This task group will discuss:

1. Design of a data model, preferably local system neutral, for system-mediated (i.e., macro-driven) creation of authority records. [The goal here, or at least *a* goal, should be to design a document describing the type functionality we would like all local systems vendors to develop, and which we could present to the PCC ExecCouncil for approval prior to sending it out to l.s. vendors.]

2. Design of a model for real-time transfer of records from a local system session to a bibliographic utility session. The real value of this for timeliness is for authority records, but it has potential for bibliographic records, as well, should an institution prefer that mode of transfer over batch FTP of bibliographic records. [The issue in part 2 is system-interdependent since transfer between multiple, simultaneous Windows sessions (local and national) involves issues such as record structure (fixed and variable field, field numbering/non- numbering, etc.) and translational handling of special characters (beginning/end-of-field indicators, delimiters, special characters, etc.) and how they will be treated while being moved in and out of the Windows Clipboard. This might be a good place in which to discuss the issue of Clipboard standards for library systems, something that I know Mark Wilson has considered important.]

Robert Bremer of OCLC's Online Database Quality and Control Section has created a macro to derive personal or corporate authority records within OCLC's Passport for Windows based on a completed bibliographic record. It is clever, but not as sophisticated as Gary's (no tool box, no user input, etc.) However, this raises the issue of cataloging venues:

1. create bib locally, create authorities locally ftp or cut/paste into utility window
2. create bib locally ftp or cut/paste into utility window create authorities in utility
3. create bib in utility, create authorities in utility

1 and 3 are the two poles, as far as I can see.

(There might also be the possibility of sending records to LC, though for the moment the PCC documents call for authorities to go to the utilities.)