Re: Donating Debian CDs to libraries
Howdy.
On Sat, Jul 19, 2003 at 09:02:48AM -0700, Gordon Huff wrote:
> I've just had a discussion like this with my local librarian. Reviewing the
> following e-mail leads me to believe I have claimed too much.
Well, I hope I can clarify.
> >>Is there any cataloguing information for the Debian CD collections
> >>(past or present) available?
> >
> >Yes. The cds themselves have the needed information in (or on)
> >them. What other information is needed can be easily found at the Debian
> >wesite. To make the gathering of this information easier on the
> >cataloguer, I highly recommend donating to the library an official Debian
> >cdrom set (http://www.debian.org/CD/vendors/). In addition to making the
> >cataloguer's job a little easier, the sight of official cds should help
> >ease fears the librarians may have of adding (what we know but they
> >probably don't know isn't) bootlegged software to their collection.
>
> Coupla flaws here: It is not clear to me where this catalog information is
> on the CDs or what it looks like. A more specific pointer would be
> appreciated.
I don't have my debian woody cds here (gave them to my little brother
just today), but I can tell you that anything physically written on the
disk (in part why I advocate donating an official set), as well as any
README, COPYRIGHT, and similar files found among the data on the cd would
be the most likely sources for the bibliographic information for cataloguing
the cd set. Whatever information the cataloger needs but cannot find
in those files can easily be found at the debian website.
Mind you, I am talking about very basic elements of bibliographic
information here. Things like title (Debian GNU/Linux 3.0r1), statement
of responsibility (Debian Project), copyright (2003 Software in the
Public Interest), and so on. This is all stuff generally found on the
title page verso (the 'copyright page') of a book, the software
equivalent of which are the README file, COPYRIGHT file, EULA, splash
screens, etc. The description of medium and system requirements would
really be the only elements specific to computer files I can think of.
There probably is more, but they aren't coming to mind, my copies of
AACR are across the room and I am too lazy to look in them, and I am
thankful my cataloging professors aren't reading this as they would 'tsk
tsk' and wag a scolding finger my way.
> >>How does one go about generating that sort of
> >>information, or do libraries do the job themselves?
> >
> >In a good chunk of the English-speaking world the Anglo-American
> >Cataloguing Rules (read its exciting history
> >here: http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/jsc/history.html) governs the gathering and
> >presenting of this information. It is a rather detailed process, and
> >there are heaps of librarians (the above mentioned cataloguers) who
> >specialize in it.
>
> This pointer has expired and there is no obvious place on the National
> Library of Canada web page to start looking.
Try searching google with "anglo american cataloging rules":
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=anglo+american+cataloging+rules&btnG=Google+Search
That yields many a descriptive hit.
This page give a brief overview of basic monograph cataloging, including
MARC tagging:
http://130.15.161.74/techserv/cat/Sect02/c02a2.html
You can find more than you've ever wanted to know about MARC over here:
http://www.loc.gov/marc/
While at the LOC, why not check out their cataloging resources:
http://lcweb.loc.gov/catdir/
There also is the ALA bookstore's page on AACR:
http://www.alastore.ala.org/SiteSolution.taf?_sn=catalog2&_pn=product_detail&_op=1140
Seriously, unless you are REALLY interested in cataloguing, looking at
AACR and MARC will render you slackjawed and drooling.
> Is there a librarian on this list who has cataloged a CD?
Yes, I have. Do you have any questions about the process? It's always
fun to talk shop.
I say just go adhead and donate the cds. The library should have the
ability to deal with them. Seems a bit to me that you are doing their
work by worrying about how to get the cd set into their catalog. If
they are worried about things like copyright infringement, encourage
them to check out the debian website. The description of the social
contract and the 'about' page should ease any copyright concerns.
Hope this helps. Be certain to pass any other questions along, and cc
me when replying to the list.
cheers
-aaron
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