I decided to take a break from reading the How-To-Do-It Manual and read some of the other assignments. In "Subject Access to Fiction: A Case Study Based on the Works of Pat Mora" author Elaine Yontz discusses the importance of improving catalog and MARC records to improve access. In this case study incomplete MARC records resulted in poor search results and many items would not have been retrieved in a normal search.
The finding that library records fail to provide access to a major demographic is troubling, but not surprising. Although there are many reasons for the lack of access points, two main causes stand out. The first is the English and western-Caucasian history of libraries and the library catalog. It is only a fairly recent development for librarians to consider other (non-western, non-white) viewpoints.
The other main culprit for poor MARC records (and the one addressed in this article) is the lack of local control with the development of copy cataloging. Consistency is vital to providing access, and this consistency can often only be accomplished on a local level. The article makes the suggestion that the local cataloger needs to determine which access points will be used, which MARC fields will be created, and what terminology will be utilized. Then using these local standards they need to ensure that ALL records are created and updated to reflect these standards.
The finding that library records fail to provide access to a major demographic is troubling, but not surprising. Although there are many reasons for the lack of access points, two main causes stand out. The first is the English and western-Caucasian history of libraries and the library catalog. It is only a fairly recent development for librarians to consider other (non-western, non-white) viewpoints.
The other main culprit for poor MARC records (and the one addressed in this article) is the lack of local control with the development of copy cataloging. Consistency is vital to providing access, and this consistency can often only be accomplished on a local level. The article makes the suggestion that the local cataloger needs to determine which access points will be used, which MARC fields will be created, and what terminology will be utilized. Then using these local standards they need to ensure that ALL records are created and updated to reflect these standards.
An easy read, this article makes a convincing argument for local cataloging. "...Having a consistent access point... will insure that... patrons can locate these items quickly" (p. 134). After all, isn't this one of the primary goals of library science: to provide access to all patrons in the quickest way possible.
This article is a great support of the importance of improving not just programming, but access for Latino patrons. Looking at the list of items the Biblioteca Publica wants help with, it looks like they are hoping to really improve their local catalog to better meet the needs of their patrons. This class and service learning experience will be a great opportunity to put what we are learning into practice.
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