-------- Original Message --------
Subject:        RE: WorldCat records for digital versions of print materials
Date:   Fri, 4 Apr 2008 14:56:28 -0500
From:   McEathron, Scott R <[log in to unmask]>
To:     <[log in to unmask]>



Seems like this is something somebody somewhere has already figured out.  I am no longer a cataloger, but my opinion is that a digital version is not a new work (it is the same intellectual content), just a different manifestation of the same work.  One thing that is important to have a stable url (purl?).  I am not sure if the 856 field is repeatable--but that seems like a possible solution.   Local catalogers could determine which urls they wanted to keep in the local record.


-----Original Message-----
From: Maps, Air Photo & Geospatial Systems Forum [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Maps-L Moderator
Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2008 3:36 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: WorldCat records for digital versions of print materials

Hi All,

Questions being considered:

Is it valuable to add a WorldCat/OCLC record for digital copies of maps?

Is it valuable to create separate, unique WorldCat/OCLC records for these digital copies or is it more valuable to add url information to existing records indicating - as LC does - that the item is also available via the internet?

What are the implications of adding url / 856 fields to WorldCat/OCLC records created by an institution other than your own and that support multiple holdings?

What if 20 institutions hold the same hard copy map, all 20 institutions scan the same map and then all add their unique url for the digital version of that map to that one existing WorldCat/OCLC record?

What if all 20 institutions create separate WorldCat/OCLC records for their individual digital version of the exact same map?

I've seen records out there handled multiple ways. Rumsey catalogs the digital version. LC, Princeton and a few others catalog the hardcopy and add information in the same record about the digital version. USGS handles things both ways.

I ask you - the map professionals, the library professionals, the decision makers of the now and beyond - what are we do do??


-Angie

Angie Cope, Senior Academic Librarian
American Geographical Society Library
UW Milwaukee Libraries
2311 E. Hartford Avenue
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201

http://www.uwm.edu/Libraries/AGSL/index.html
Hours: M-F 8:00am-4:30pm
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