[Sigia-l] integrated catalogues?

[A.F. Cossham]

In some cases, libraries are trying to do, or being pushed to do, things
which others are already doing much better.

(Strictly public libraries for the moment:)
An article in a small town newspaper here in NZ criticised the local public
library for not providing a thorough catalogue record including every actor,
director, producer, writer etc associated with the videos and DVDs held by
the library.

It's incredibly time-consuming cataloguing movies to that level, but the
International Movie Database (www.imdb.com) already does that and much more.
The library does not need to bother, it just needs to provide a link to the
database. (OK, some minor issues over whether the library has the particular
item, once located on the database.)

In the same way, Amazon's "people who bought this also bought ... " is an
excellent place to direct borrowers who want 'more like that'.

I regret the decline of the library as place (and I will *always* collect
books), but I don't regret the increase of usable information from a range
of sources. I've just helped my 13 yr old son locate information about an
author - using Amazon, Amazon UK, British Library, Vivisimo and consequently
the author's websites. The year before he was born I surfed the net for the
first time, and looked at NY medical library's catalogue (as you do). 14
years! such a short time for such a revolution.

However, I do worry about the loss of information as a cultural facet.
Digital information doesn't last forever; artefacts can at least be
read/accessed/used without specialist equipment. I've just read
A splendor of letters : the permanence of books in an impermanent world by
Nicholas A. Basbanes. Fascinating to see what has survived, and how, and
what we know of the past due to written records of all types.

Regards,
Amanda