Alev Akman wrote:
Obviously it is not an _easy_ pretty forward thing! Otherwise, the whole thing would be in place by now.
Nobody requested that feature before. And, to be exact, nobody is requesting that feature now. Its just some of us *think* that libraries could use that. As a rule, I'm not putting work into features that maybe nobody will use.
On the other hand, PG database may not be capable of the Z39.50 imports but there are many MANY (if not all!) library cataloging software packages that will do it in a short time. The advantage of importing from the existing catalog entries is that we have our pick of what fits our needs for especially the subject fields. Of course there is always work to edit and customize them for the PG user database.
I don't see why we can't have a commercial software to do most of the work and keep the existing catalog as a backup.
- Does it provide web access for users? - For catalogers? - How much will an unlimited worldwide public access license cost? - Will it run on Linux/Apache? - Will it manage our files? - Will it provide download links for the files? - Do we get the source code to adapt it to our particular needs? I think any commercial library-use-oriented catalog software will fall far short of what we have now. We don't need so much of a catalog system. What we need is a web shop system à la Amazon. But I have my doubts they will give us theirs. The problems with MARC are: - the standard is not free. - the records are not free. - the technology is obsolete I don't know what the copyright status of the LoC MARC records is. They are an US government agency, so they should be free. But do we know? To request a MARC record I have to implement an obscure Z39.50 protocol. And I get back a record full of numeric codes that I have to look up before knowing what they are. Why can't I simply post a HTTP request and get an XML/RDF answer? Which MARC record should we import for a book. If you search thru the LoC catalog you'll find many examples of works that have got different MARC subject classifications for the different copies held by the LoC. LoC class codes have shifted semantically over the years. What was XY in 1970 will not necessarily be XY in 2000. So you'll have to keep the LoC class code, the year the classification was made and the list of class codes that was authoritative in that year. Of course same goes for Dewey etc.
And for the record, I have been involved in the PG cataloging effort for more than six years and anyone who says I am not interested in it any more is clearly not aware of the full facts.
I didn't say that. I said Greg and me wanted to get you as manager of the catalog team but last time I mailed Greg about it he said he got no answer from you. Your last post on this list was on 3/18.
It may be quite disappointing when one's years of volunteer efforts have been deleted with the "new improvements"!
I don't know of any data that has willfully been deleted. Please give an example. -- Marcello Perathoner webmaster@gutenberg.org