Karen Coyle said:
>- what are users trying to do?
Find, identify, select, and obtain an item; is one way of putting it.
>- what is the best way to help them do it?
Accurately transcribe the item as it presents itself: including title,
gmd is relevant, other title information, statement of responsibility,
edition, and imprint; plus carrier (aka smd) and extent. (Sounds like
ISBD doesn't it?)
Provide access to it by standard number(s), creator(s), topic(s), and
placing it in a classification context.
Our clients what to know what the item has as title; who or what body
the item *claims* created it; and where, by whom and when it was
published; as minimum information for identifying and selecting the
item. If any of these elements are missing, the record is returned
for completion.
For example, they consider thesis to be published, and insist on
imprint. CONSER records lacking 260$c are not acceptable. (They
refuse to display 362 since patrons see it as a holdings statement.)
I can just picture a law librarian and lawyer reaction to the record
for a law text lacking place of publication.
They also want local needs met; e.g., some clients want to know the
titles and authors of all papers contained in a symposia, as well as
where and when the symposia was held. If a firm member gave one of
those papers, they was access by that firm member's name.
In short, they want *more* not *less* information.
On the other hand, we've never had a client want the production
company of a motion picture or the commercial publisher of a book as
access points, nor any missed MARC fixed field other than date one for
anything.
__ __ J. McRee (Mac) Elrod ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
{__ | / Special Libraries Cataloguing HTTP://www.slc.bc.ca/
___} |__ \__________________________________________________________
