----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Debbie,
 
Hurrah for your dedication.  I was almost afraid that no one would have
undertaken such a task.  What others term as "insanity" or "obession"
should only serve as a compliment to your efforts, as well as the efforts
of all catalogers.  If you stop to think about it, catalogers wouldn't be
considered normal (what ever that means) by the general society.  (I
should know; after taking advanced cataloging and working in three
different technical servieces departments, I understand more fully and
intimately how a cataloger's mind works.  "It ain't pretty!!" ;-))
 
Again, my hat's off to you and your library.   Keep up the good work.
 
Sincerely yours,
 
Eric Speas
 
\                         /
 \_______========________/
        V\ \  / /V
          \@  @/
           \  /
            OO
 
          (BEVO)
 
      HOOK 'EM HORNS!!!
 
 
On Fri, 22 Apr 1994, DEBBIE LORDS wrote:
 
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Eric,
>
> You said:
>
> During the age of the card catalog, I doubt any librarian would have wanted
> to undertake such a task.
>
>      Not so.  At U of Utah, we have always cataloged them down to the sheet
> level.  In the manual catalog, we used a form card.  For the OPAC, we use a
> computer program to complete a form record.  We have, for a long time, tried
> to hold to the philosophy that format is not justification for different
> (i.e. less) treatment.  Over time, we have received shaken heads, even light
> criticism from the Map Community for our "insanity".  But our automated
> system of processing federal maps got the "thumbs up" and strong
> commendations in the official report from the Federal Inspector.
>
>      Currently we are working on a publication about that system and its
> future direction.
>
> Debra Lords
> [log in to unmask]
> Marriott Library
> University of Utah
> Salt Lake City,  UT  84112