----------------------------Original message----------------------------
 
In early August, 1993, I asked the following question on the MAPS-L
discussion list:
 
Subject: Cataloging digital data sets (how to?)
 
   "I have a lot of different digital data sets and pointers to data
   sets that I would like to put into an organized database of some
   sort.  Since I'm not a librarian, I don't know the "rules" or
   conventions too well.  I was hoping that someone here could give me a
   pointer or two about how I would go about learning how to do this?"
 
Thanks to all who responded!  I really appreciate your help and
suggestions.
 
Somehow I think this online information wave is rushing in like a
tsunami and there's still no place for it to go.  I'm guessing that the
traditional methods of organizing information are getting pretty
overwhelmed and outdated by new media resources that have never been
seen before.  There are issues about electronic media that have no
parallel to paper media, and until very recently, all our cataloging is
oriented towards paper.  Paper has its place, and in some ways it's
unbeatable, but it's clear that there's a new kid on the block that
won't be ignored.  Those of you who deal with map cataloging are
proabaly among the first to feel the pressure to "go electronic" ...or
at least figure out some way to accomodate it.  So I had to ask y'all
first!
 
Summary of Responses:
 
It seems that there are a lot of different people and organizations
working on this problem all the time.  Apparently there is no
universally accepted "standard" to cataloging digital data, but there
are lots of independent efforts to develop meta-data (data about data)
standards.  Various national and regional governments seem to be the
main force behind these efforts.  (I wish them luck...  it makes me
wonder how bad it is when there are so many standards for the same thing
emerging)!
 
One repsonse indicated that cataloging is so difficult that I should
just go with whatever the OCLC says (whoever they are...  Library of
Congress?)
 
Other answers to this question pointed to commerical cataloging software
designed primarily for indexing maps and images.  GeoIndex, ProCite, and
GEODEX were mentioned.  ProCite got a rave review from one user.
 
The most interesting leads (to me) were the references to MARC (MAchine-
Readable Cataloging (thanks, Linda, for explaining that FLA (not TLA) I
see here all the time)!  This seems to be the closest thing to a
standard that librarians are using already.  I think that's what I was
looking for.
 
If you have access to the CARL (Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries)
network, you can see the MARC record coding under the "Information
Databases" menu by entering //DS1 and then R (to refresh display).
 
For anyone who wants to know how to learn the MARC format, one response
pointed to a package called Mitinet Marc.  The contact person is Jeff
Epstein at 1-800-824-6272.  It is designed to teach the non-expert how
to use Marc.
 
If you would like me to post the full summary of responses just say
so.  If I get 5 or more requests, I'll post it to MAPS-L, otherwise,
I'll just e-mail it to you directly.
 
- Bill Thoen