Cataloging Futures

New FRBR book

I'll be reading this one in the New Year: Implementing FRBR in Libraries: Key Issues and Future Directions? by Yin Zhang and Athena Salaba.

Whether you pronounce it "FRBR" or "F-R-B-R" this conceptual model remains a hot topic and I would argue is now a full-fledged library standard. There are now several books written about FRBR. My go-to source is still the original text itself. (Yes, I'm an unapologetic cataloging/metadata geek.)

h/t The FRBR Blog

Slow reading: "print is the next big thing"

John Miedema, IT guy and former true believer that "print, books and libraries were on the way out," has written a book titled, Slow Reading:

In the 1990s, society witnessed the mainstream integration of personal computers and the Web. For a time, it seemed likely that print, books and libraries would disappear, and perhaps literacy along with them. A generation later, we have some evidence by which to assess the reality. The analysis that follows shows that there is a close relationship between the media we use to read – books or digital technology – and the way we read and think. This is not to say that reading on screens spells the end of reading. Digital technology is often preferable for searching and scanning short snippets. However, print has endured because it is still the superior technology for reading anything of length, quality or substance. While digital technology lends itself to discovering and remixing ideas in novel ways, slow reading of books is still essential for nurturing literacy and the capacity for extended linear thought. [emphasis mine]

Check out the free chapter.

Via Aggie Librarian

New metadata book and companion website

You might want to check out this new book: Metadata by Marcia Lei Zeng and Jian Qin. One of the interesting things about it is the publisher, Neal-Schuman, has a free companion website with readings, quizzes, and exercises. So, if you currently don't have an opportunity to work with metadata, this website would be a great help. Just download an XML editor and give it a try!

In this new, authoritative textbook, internationally recognized metadata experts Zeng and Qin have created a comprehensive primer for advanced undergraduate, graduate, or continuing education courses in information organization, information technology, cataloging, digital libraries, electronic archives, and, of course, metadata. Instructors seeking a text that covers the theory as well as the how-to's of application design, implementation, and evaluation will find it here. An outcome-based approach lets learners with different orientations adapt their new knowledge and skills to any domain. Examples and practice problems focus on tasks typical to all metadata application projects. Other useful features include sample problems with solutions, quizzes, hands-on tutorials, and a recommended reading list at the end of each chapter. A companion digital library on CD-ROM for instructors includes quizzes, answer keys, and additional exercises. An ideal classroom tool, this book works equally well for self-guided study. Individual modules can stand alone, for reference on an as-needed basis, when transitioning from traditional cataloging to compilations of metadata for locally created resources and websites, for example. Or you can study metadata systematically, module by module. Regardless of your approach, this book is the ideal guide to metadata for both students and working information professionals.