I was reading through the bibframe listserv, as I do,
because I lurk, and I kept kind of muttering at my computer screen “what? But
you’re not the user!” or “catalogers feel better when there are guidelines?”
And then I happened across this from Karen Coyle:
“I'm convinced that we cannot "model our universe of
data" as a metadata model that covers everything anyone would ever want to
catalog, or how they want to catalog it. This is why I am highly skeptical of
FRBR -- because it tries to fix one view of bibliographic data, as if the world
isn't undergoing constant change. While there may well be a convenient core of
elements, beyond that the main qualification, IMO, is re-usability -- give
catalogers a whole host of elements that they can use wherever they want, even
if no one has used that combination before. The instance data then becomes the
picture of the bibliographic universe, not a pre-defined structure. In other
words, create the tinker toys (or Legos for those not old enough to remember
tinker toys) and let the catalogers make things with them.”
Now, I agree with her very much, but only in certain cases.
The certain case that I am thinking of is the one where you have a very
experienced cataloger who can make educated guesses about the thing they are
cataloging. Nate Trail, from LC, responded and argued that some catalogers do
like the structure offered by distinct elements for distinct classes of
material. And I agree with him, too, but only in the case of an apprentice
cataloger, or maybe someone who has not before been let off their cataloging
leash.
I am convinced that we need to put more trust in catalogers,
not because they necessarily deserve to be let loose on the wilds of
cataloging, but because if we don’t create standards that allow people some
free reign, they will *never* learn how to catalog creatively. And we need
creative cataloging more than ever. I just heard about a book that had an ipad
with it, with an app that added dimension to the book. There is no possible way
to predict what the things that come into our library will look in even five
years, and to try to create snuggly blankets of rules for carrier types and
pre-built cataloging structures is probably going to end up making catalogers
more confused and less experienced in the long run. I think we learn better
when we’re a little scared.
