Gleanings from SAC July 2024 meetings
ALA - Core - Metadata and Collections Section - Subject Analysis Committee
The "Annual" meetings of the Subject Analysis Committee were held virtually on 15-17 July 2024. The agenda and reports are available on the SAC Public Space:
https://connect.ala.org/core/communities/community-home?CommunityKey=f0f2a3bc-328d-47ac-a0db-8cc40d7fef1f
* OCLC is considering adding LCC and Dewey numbers to FAST authority records in order to expedite assignment of classification. A significant issue is the specificity of the class number; OCLC is investigating the feasibility (and desirability?) of adding base numbers.
* A specialist in subject headings for indigenous peoples (Sarah Kostelecky) has been hired in a three-year position at the Library of Congress.
* LCSH Editorial meetings will now be held quarterly rather than monthly. These are open meetings. The Tentative Lists of proposed headings (new and revised) will continue to be issued monthly.
* LC is working on their next library system, known as LCAP (Library Collections Access Platform), based on FOLIO. Financial matters will be arranged by the start of the new fiscal year in October 2024. The projected release of the new catalog is June 2025. Greater emphasis will be placed on original scripts and less on romanization. SACO will continue on Classweb and the Minaret platform.
* LC plans to do a rolling implementation of Official RDA, relating to the completion and implementation of documentation. RDA workshops and other materials will be available on the Catalogers Learning Workshop site. https://www.loc.gov/catworkshop
* The LC Children's and Young Adults' Cataloging Program (CYAC, pronounced kayak) is now adding LCDGT in bib records. New manual memos are underway for Fiction and Songs.
* The July 2024 release of Homosaurus is delayed as they work on their website. The Spanish version is not a simple translation but includes terminology that is specific to Spanish subject usage.
* The MARC Advisory Committee considered Discussion Paper 2024-DP09 that would add $i and $4 for relationship information to 368, 376, and 381. While there was significant support of the proposal from members, there were also concerns. For example, 368 is more of a label or attribute than a relationship. SAC will probably set up a working group to look at the expected proposal for the next MAC meetings. (See also comments on the CAC Commons page. If you don't have access to that page, let me know and I'll send them to you.)
* The National Library of Medicine now describes "indexing" as "curation." The basic record is generated by large language modeling (aka artificial intelligence, aka automation). The curator (indexer) reviews the generated results. The theme at NLM is "connect / curate / connect."
* Dewey has developed an alternate scheme for the 200s (religion) that gives more space for religions beyond Christianity. They are considering making the alternate the standard version. They are also considering dropping the standard subdivision for computer applications since the ubiquity of computers makes the subdivision rather meaningless. I think of this as the "analog" issue: you didn't need to say "vinyl record" or "LP record" when that was all we had; see also manual transmission and acoustic guitar. Here, it's the reverse: if everything is computers, you don't need to say computer.
* Both Dewey and LC have made significant revisions in their classification numbers for Ukraine that had been just classified as a part of the Soviet Union. LC is looking at the classification schedules for other former Soviet republics.
* OCLC has made changes to WorldShare Record Manager to expedite the addition of linked data. Some of the functionality is dependent on a Meridian subscription.
* The ACRL RBMS Controlled Vocabularies Editorial Group (CVEG, pronounced see-vedge) is working on the "new normal" following implementation of the consolidated version of their vocabularies and their work on prejudicial materials. The old pages with the separate vocabularies will be taken down. CVEG has added a term proposal form on the site at id.loc.gov. The Prejudicial Materials WG will issue its final report soon. CVEG will start a project to review western bias in the terminology. (CAC: I noted our simple proposal form to the RBMS rep, Rebecca Flore, and she replied that they had had long discussions about how much information to ask for and, based on my question, said she'd work with her group to make it clear and explicit that replying to all of the detailed questions is optional.)
* The installer for 650/655/385 in the OCLC Music Toolkit has been updated.
* CC:DA met in person in San Diego during ALA Annual. They heard from James Hennelly about the July 2024 release of RDA and from Renate Behrens about RDA as a flexible international standard with specialized application profiles. The report of the Extent TF is being reviewed this summer. Kathy Glennan is back as chair of CC:DA and Karl Pettit is the new vice chair.
* SAC voted to endorse the open letter to the Library of Congress about the shift of LCSH Editorial Meetings from monthly to quarterly.
* Comments from SAC in regard to Tentative Lists should be sent to the SAC Public Space (or both Public Space and committee space).
* SAC has established a Question Review Working Group. They will look at LCSH headings with the word "question," e.g., Alsace-Lorraine question, Armenian question, Chinese reunification question (1949- ), Currency question, Eastern question (Balkan), Language question in the church. Some are just ambiguous or outdated but a few are now problematic. At least one ARLIS/NA cataloger (Chloe Misorski) is on the working group.
Notes compiled by Sherman Clarke
ARLIS/NA liaison to SAC
sherman.clarke@gmail.com
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