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Working Group Established To Discuss Future of Bibliographic Control

December 8, 2006 - 10:31pm — Blake

Is there anything librarians love more than committees and working groups? Probably not. The LOC Announced a new group. "Advances in search-engine technology, the popularity of the Internet and the influx of electronic information resources have greatly changed the way libraries do their work. To address those changes, the Library of Congress has convened a Working Group on the Future of Bibliographic Control to examine the future of bibliographic description in the 21st century."

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December 10, 2006 - 4:19am — leeb

Embrace technology

Yeah, right. Libraries can have all the working groups and committees to address changes in technology and the way libraries do work, but there is a basic problem with that. Libaries are inherently resistant, if not hostile, to change, especially when it comes to technology. Libraries, instead of embracing it, see technology as a threat to their jobs, and hold sacred current (more outdated than current because no one else uses them) library practices, and are overwhelmingly fearful (or are sceptical) of other alternative methodologies or ideas. Libraries face more internal and pyschological hurdles than external ones.

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December 11, 2006 - 4:45am — MarkLindner

Not exactly in agreement

While I would generally agree with leeb's assessment of libraries and change/technology, in this case I do not.

It seems rather clear that leeb has not been following LC's recent shenanigans and the reach of the Calhoun Report. LC, despite fear of change/technology, is attempting to throw out a hundred plus years of good work to do something vastly different. It seems to be entirely based on a business model of "efficiency," and has little to do with the mission (or with reality, for that matter).

Clearly, there is much change needed in the realm of bibliographic control. In fact, much of it is long overdue! But I would not be one to blindly follow LC down this road to change for change's sake.

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