ARLIS/NA
Annual Conference 2004, New York City
Cataloging Problems Discussion Group

• CAC agenda: NH, named buildings, architecture subject heading guidelines, MARBI and CC:DA reports, SAC business beyond named buildings, Cataloging Cultural Objects, CC:DA Task Force on Rules for Early Printed Monographs, exhibition documentation

• Lynda Bunting (MoCA, Los Angeles) and others have worked on a revision of the NH schedule for photography and it will be discussed by CAC and probably published by ARLIS/NA.

• The Subject Analysis Committee Task Force on Named Buildings held its first meeting during ALA Midwinter and a full report by Liz O’Keefe is available at http://artcataloging.net/ala/mw04/sacbldg.html along with a discussion paper on building names and FRBR.

• Classification numbers are being established for the 21st century. The basic numbers in N are N6495 for periodicals, N6497 for general works, and N6498.A-Z for special aspects. Numbers are also available under many countries in Table 5.

• If a person uses a Catalan and Castillian Spanish form of their name about equally, what is one to do? Establish with first use, predominance (if any), give weight to current residence?

• Auction house headings sometimes get “(Firm)” and sometimes don’t. Factors: name connoting corporate body; terms of incorporation in usage; cataloger judgement and personal preference.

• The LCSH scope notes for “Costume” and “Clothing and dress” have been revised to make clearer that the former is for clothing as an artistic object. The scope note now reads “Here are entered works on clothing treated as an artistic object, as well as works on clothing created for the stage, screen, or special events. Works on the utilitarian aspects of clothing, including works on how to dress, are entered under Clothing and dress.” “Clothing” can also be used as a subdivision under names of individual persons and under classes of persons and ethnic groups.

• BIBCO OpCo will be discussing the input of 053s in authority records at its May meeting. Perhaps the most significant use in name authority records is for literary authors. Would it be worthwhile to add them for artists? What about prolific artists like Picasso who worked in many media?

• Volume 28, no. 4 (2003) of Art libraries journal includes an article on “Typologising the artist’s book” by Duncan Chappell that includes a compilation of terms and phrases used to describe artist’s books. Do people routinely give vigorous descriptions of formatting? Do they try to be consistent in terminology? Do they add a genre heading? Coded how?

• The Harvard Fine Arts Library classification scheme is available online and will be demonstrated by Mary Jane Cuneo at a poster session during the conference.

• RLG has introduced its web browser version of RLIN21 for searching at http://rlin21.rlg.org. Logon accounts are the same as before. The look is rather like Eureka. Search costs vary. The tech services client will be introduced in the early summer and will be available in parallel with WinRLIN through the summer. Authorities input/update will be a quick transition without significant (if any) parallel availability. We will have an RLG staff member as guest to give an update on the transition and to answer questions (Pam Dewey and Lorna Corbetta-Noyes will join us at 5 after the exhibit hall closes). Also, RLG will be an exhibitor and it will be possible to take the new system for a test drive. cf. http://www.rlg.org/newtsclient.html

• New “Guidelines for reporting NACO BFM” were issued by LC/PCC in December 2003. As far as I can tell, the change will happen when there is a literal shift from one heading to another, that is, the former preferred form is a 4XX on the revised record. cf. http://www.loc.gov/catdir/pcc/naco/bfmguide.html

• ALA reports may be found at http://artcataloging.net/alagen.html. A summary of some 2004 VRA conference sessions may be found at http://artcataloging.net/vr/conf2004.html