The ABCs of TS

All professions have their acronyms, initialisms and abbreviations and libraries are no different.

Here are some that you are likely to see as you read through library literature with a focus on Technical Services.

AACR2 – Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules – 2nd edition. Published in 1978 by the American Library Association, the Canadian Library Association, and the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (in the UK), AACR2 contains the guidelines for cataloging (or cataloguing) library materials.
RDA – Resource Description and Access. Built on foundations established by the AACR, RDA is being developed as a new standard for resource description and access designed for the digital world.
FRBR – Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records. A conceptual entity-relationship model developed by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) that relates user tasks of retrieval and access in online library catalogues and bibliographic databases from a user’s perspective.

Okay, I’ll bet those were easy. You probably see them a lot. Now, how about these?
OLAC – Online Audiovisual Catalogers. An organization for media catalogers.
CAPC – OLAC’s Cataloging Policy Committee. CAPC represents the concerns of AV catalogers in matters relating to the formation, interpretation and implementation of national and international cataloging standards and related matters.
ALCTS – Association for Library Collections & Technical Services. Pronounced (uh-lex), ALCTS is a division of ALA (American Library Association) that specifically addresses Technical Services issues.
CC:DA – Committee on Cataloging: Description & Access. The body within the American Library Association responsible for developing official ALA positions on additions to and revisions of the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules.
MARBI - Machine Readable Bibliographic Information. A committee within the American Library Association responsible for developing official ALA positions on standards for the representation in machine-readable form of bibliographic information. MARBI focuses its attention on the development of the MARC format.

If you encounter an acronym (in any field) and want to find out what it stands for, a handy source is a specialized online dictionary called Acronym finder.

The Library of Congress has a long list of acronyms. I'll save them for a separate post.

“Introduction to Library Digitization” - All the Details

If you haven't yet registered for this day-long conference, this is your chance. It looks like a great combination of speakers and topics. There's even a registration form at the end.


MLA Technical Services Section proudly presents “Introduction to Library Digitization”, a one day program on Tuesday October 28th, 2008, at the Worcester Public Library. This program will cover what libraries need to consider before starting a digitization project.

The speakers will be Massachusetts librarians who have successfully implemented digitization projects at their libraries.

The sessions will be:
Virtual Archives: Preparing to Create a Digital Collection Speaker: Gregor Trinkaus-Randall, M.A.L.S., C.A., F.S.A. Scot Preservation Specialist, Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners 9:15 a.m.- 10:30 a.m.

Digitizing Dissertations at UMass Worcester Speakers, Mary Piorun, MLS, AHIP Associate Director for Technology Initiatives and Resource Management, Lamar Soutter Library, University of Massachusetts, Worcester
Lisa Palmer, MLS Catalog Librarian, Lamar Soutter Library, University of Massachusetts, Worcester 10:30 a.m.-11:45 a.m.

Digital Copyright in the 21st Century Speaker: Andrew D. Epstein, J.D. Barker, Epstein & Loscocco Copyright and Trademark Law; General Civil Litigation; Photography and Visual Art Law; Publishing and Licensing Agreements; General Business, Corporate and Real Estate Law
1:00 p.m. -2:15 p.m.

Panel Discussion: The day will end with a panel discussion with Massachusetts & Connecticut librarians on: * How libraries actually began their digitization project * The issues faced by librarians doing real projects * Project planning and management * Hardware needs * Copyright considerations * Metadata Standards used for data creation 2:30 p.m.-4:00 p.m.

Panel Members:
Dodie Gaudet, Consultant for Bibliographic & Technical Services, Central Mass. Regional Library System; Kristi Chadwick, Access Services Supervisor, C/WMARS; Jeffrey Monseau, Archivist, Springfield College speaking on Central Mass Memory Project to increase the holdings of Digital Treasures (http://dlib.cwmars.org/)

Kathy Foulke, Connecticut History Online project director.

Leone E. Cole, Library Director, Watertown Free Public Library on Watertown’s Online Image Collection.

Date/time: October 28. 9:00a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Location: Worcester Public Library, Saxe Room 3 Salem Sq Worcester, MA 01608
(508) 799-1655
Map and directions: http://www.worcpublib.org/about/main.html
Metered parking at 50 cents per hour.
Cost: Early bird registration: (before Oct 1st) $40.00 per person $30.00 for MLA members
After October 1st: $45.00 per person $35.00 for MLA members

Deadline to register: October 14, 2008 Early bird deadline is October 1, 2008

Catering by: by Eric's LaPatisserie Café ____________________________________________________________________
To register:
1. Please send your check made payable to the Massachusetts Library Association to:
Lois Bacon Attn: MLA-TSS program 29 Harding Rd Needham MA 02492

Or register online at http://www.masslib.org/tss/Fall08DigitizationProgram.htm

2. Please fill out the information below and send it with your check

Full name: _______________________
Address: _______________________
_______________________
_______________________
If you would like a vegetarian meal, please check here ___
For registration questions, please contact: LBacon@EBSCO.COM

TechKNOW

The Technical Services Division of the Ohio Library Council publishes a quarterly newsletter for Technical Services Librarians called TechKNOW. The August edition has just been released.

It includes practical information on OCLC’s Enhance Program, the imminent obsolescence of the 440 tag, the report of the Working Group on the Future of Bibliographic Control, and the review of two books that Tech Services Librarians will want to know about and might want to purchase.

Some of the articles apply only to Ohio librarians, but I like to know what’s going on outside of New England. Who know what good ideas I might be able to "borrow"?

TechKNOW is freely available at Kent State University Libraries and Media Services. Check it out!