BCC00/SAS/3

ALCTS CCS SUBJECT ANALYSIS COMMITTEE REPORT
2000 ALA ANNUAL MEETING

July 9 and 10, 2000

The following report represents selected coverage of topics from the SAC meetings in Chicago on July 9 and 10, 2000.

1. Report of MARBI Liaison (Bonnie Dede)

This report included mention of Discussion Paper #199 Seriality and MARC 21, which includes definitions for serials, continuing resources and integrating resources. The latter would include items that are loose-leaf for updating and web sites. For further information on this paper see http://lcweb.loc.gov/marc/marbi/dp/dp119.html or the report of the MLA MARBI liaison.

2. LC report (Lynn El-Hoshy)

An update was given on LC's Integrated Library System. The system currently does not display full MARC 21 name and subject authority records. The five million name and subject authority records are expected to be available in the LC OPAC by the end of calendar year 2000. At that point users should be able to download all authority records in full MARC 21 format; the authority records will also be available via Z39.50. Additional information on the LC ILS is available at http://lcweb.loc.gov/ils

As of October 1, libraries across the country will begin to romanize Chinese according to new pinyin guidelines. Further information maybe found at http:/lcweb.loc.gov/catdir/pinyin

LC implemented the 1998 revision of AACR2 on March 17, 2000.

LC implemented the change making first indicator value 2 (multiple surname) invalid in x00 fields on January 1, 2000. Existing bibliographic records are only being changed as encountered in regular cataloging. Changes are being made to the authority records and at this point nearly half of the estimated 227,000 name authority records have been changed.

LC is implementing most of the changes recommended in the report of the SAC Task Force on LCSH Revision Relating to Poor People's Policy. The text of this report can be found at http://www.ala.org/alcts/organization/ccs/sac/pptfreport.html

LC has decided to change the dated subject heading AFRO-AMERICANS and headings of the type AFRO-AMERICAN ¼ to AFRICAN AMERICANS and AFRICAN AMERICAN ¼ Changes will be made to the subject authority records this fall and changes to bibliographic records will begin in 2001.

4. Report of the SAC Subcommittee on Metadata and Subject Analysis

Lois Mai Chan will present this subcommittee's report at IFLA in Jerusalem in August. Many of the papers at that conference will be mounted at http://www.ifla.org/

Becky Culbertson led a discussion of the paper Comparison of Subject Treatment of Several Metadata Standards at the subcommittee's open meeting. Topics included crosswalks and the importance of keywords in most metadata schemes. This paper may be found at http://library.ucsd.edu/~becky/metadata.htm The subcommittee is also working on a program for the ALA annual meeting in San Francisco in 2001.

5. Report of the SAC Subcommittee to Promote Subject Relationships/Reference Structures

This subcommittee has drafted a letter to Winston Tabb, Associate Librarian for Library Services at the Library of Congress, urging LC to make a thesaurus-style display of LSCH widely available on the web. This letter was referred to the ALCTS board for their approval.

Having accomplished their charge, this subcommittee was thanked and dismissed. A new subcommittee will likely be appointed to address further issues raised in the work of this subcommittee.

7. Report of the SAC Subcommittee on Authority Records for GSAFD Headings

A survey conducted by this subcommittee determined that there was interest in an electronic file of MARC 21 records derived from the printed second edition of Guidelines for Subject Access to Individual Works of Fiction, Drama, Etc. Their recommendation in making this file available will be sent forward to ALA Publications.

Submitted by Michael Colby


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Last updated August 18, 2000