Library Cataloging
So arXive now has trackbacks. I'm wondering what it would take to provide trackbacks in our catalogs. Would links like that to individual bibliographic records be useful? There is Freetag, an open-source tool, that allows tagging in a MySQL database. That should work with Koha. Anyone tried that yet? Even in a test?I'm becoming more convinced that the future of the net is not tools like topic maps and RDF, although they may have important niche parts to play. But rather, the easy one click building of links and the simple automatic ping and RSS distribution of changes and new material. Trackbacks, free tagging, PingGoat, RSS are just so simple and easy. They may not be quality but they have quantity. Long ago I hears someone say that there will be levels of cataloging, I think it was Stuart Wiebel. The most important materials will receive professional treatment, MARC, EAD, FGDC or something like that. Less important or less permanent materials will receive a less complete treatment. Dublin Core qualified or MARC with a minimal level of encoding. Still less important or more ephemeral materials would receive Dublin Core unqualified or HTML meta tags. The vast bulk of the Web would be covered by the search engines. That makes sense from an institutional point of view. However, an individual might find his or her idea of important very different than the memory institutions. The public needs simple easy tools where they can create their own personal information space. Collectively these spaces can reveal what society considers important at the moment. Improved access to the now is very important benefit, one we can leverage without much effort on our part. Just some random thoughts.
Trackbacks
- Crowdsourcing Cataloging At The Bodleian Library
Crowdsourcing cataloging at the Bodleian Library. What's the Score at the Bodleian? is a project which aims to enlist the wider community's help in describing a selection of digitised scores from the Bodleian Library's extensive music collections,...
- Screencasting For Our Users
I've been listening to Paul Pival's presentation for the Sirsi/Dynix Institute, Show and Tell The Easy Way - An Introduction to Screencasting. Excellent introduction.It got me thinking we should have more of these in the context-sensitive help...
- Tagging
I recently finished listening to a podcast about tagging by Talis. Some very good points, well worth listening to.However, I think they did not see beyond the social aspects of tagging. It is true that there has to be a certain mass of tags for them to...
- Changes
Tracking changes is important when content becomes fluid, as it does in digital forms. There have been, for quite some time, Web page watchers that send an e-mail message when a page is updated. WatchThatPage is one example. I use this to keep track on...
- Copyright
There is lots of legislation being proposed to extend the interests of copyright holders. The right to shut down your computer and the ability to decide what electronic devices will be manufactured, for example. The Electronic Freedom Foundation makes...
Library Cataloging
Trackbacks
So arXive now has trackbacks. I'm wondering what it would take to provide trackbacks in our catalogs. Would links like that to individual bibliographic records be useful? There is Freetag, an open-source tool, that allows tagging in a MySQL database. That should work with Koha. Anyone tried that yet? Even in a test?I'm becoming more convinced that the future of the net is not tools like topic maps and RDF, although they may have important niche parts to play. But rather, the easy one click building of links and the simple automatic ping and RSS distribution of changes and new material. Trackbacks, free tagging, PingGoat, RSS are just so simple and easy. They may not be quality but they have quantity. Long ago I hears someone say that there will be levels of cataloging, I think it was Stuart Wiebel. The most important materials will receive professional treatment, MARC, EAD, FGDC or something like that. Less important or less permanent materials will receive a less complete treatment. Dublin Core qualified or MARC with a minimal level of encoding. Still less important or more ephemeral materials would receive Dublin Core unqualified or HTML meta tags. The vast bulk of the Web would be covered by the search engines. That makes sense from an institutional point of view. However, an individual might find his or her idea of important very different than the memory institutions. The public needs simple easy tools where they can create their own personal information space. Collectively these spaces can reveal what society considers important at the moment. Improved access to the now is very important benefit, one we can leverage without much effort on our part. Just some random thoughts.
Trackbacks
- Crowdsourcing Cataloging At The Bodleian Library
Crowdsourcing cataloging at the Bodleian Library. What's the Score at the Bodleian? is a project which aims to enlist the wider community's help in describing a selection of digitised scores from the Bodleian Library's extensive music collections,...
- Screencasting For Our Users
I've been listening to Paul Pival's presentation for the Sirsi/Dynix Institute, Show and Tell The Easy Way - An Introduction to Screencasting. Excellent introduction.It got me thinking we should have more of these in the context-sensitive help...
- Tagging
I recently finished listening to a podcast about tagging by Talis. Some very good points, well worth listening to.However, I think they did not see beyond the social aspects of tagging. It is true that there has to be a certain mass of tags for them to...
- Changes
Tracking changes is important when content becomes fluid, as it does in digital forms. There have been, for quite some time, Web page watchers that send an e-mail message when a page is updated. WatchThatPage is one example. I use this to keep track on...
- Copyright
There is lots of legislation being proposed to extend the interests of copyright holders. The right to shut down your computer and the ability to decide what electronic devices will be manufactured, for example. The Electronic Freedom Foundation makes...