Comments on: Uncontrolled Vocabulary #10 – A good time to talk about timid librarians http://uncontrolledvocabulary.com/2007/08/31/uncontrolled-vocabulary-10-a-good-time-to-talk-about-timid-librarians/ A weekly live interactive roundtable discussion of all things library, every Wednesday at 10 PM Eastern Fri, 14 Aug 2009 01:00:13 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Daniel http://uncontrolledvocabulary.com/2007/08/31/uncontrolled-vocabulary-10-a-good-time-to-talk-about-timid-librarians/comment-page-1/#comment-31 Daniel Sat, 08 Sep 2007 23:16:00 +0000 http://uncontrolledvocabulary.com/2007/08/31/uncontrolled-vocabulary-10-a-good-time-to-talk-about-timid-librarians/#comment-31 Ten was a great show. Can't wait to hear 11 and hope to get back into participation soon.<br/><br/>I have one small nitpick. During the self-immolation segment, I felt like searching was being portrayed as a choice between keyword searching (which works) and controlled vocabulary searching, i.e. LCSH (which doesn't work).<br/><br/>I think they work together. I will often do a keyword search to either find a known item or at least one book on a new topic. Once I have that item record, finding MANY related items (whether on the same subject, author, and so on) by using the controlled vocabulary subject headings, usually available as hyperlinks. <br/><br/>Everyone on the show is definitely right that setting up a catalog to default to LCSH searching would be a special brand of madness. But if we tossed out traditional cataloging, then we would lose an important discovery tool. Ten was a great show. Can’t wait to hear 11 and hope to get back into participation soon.

I have one small nitpick. During the self-immolation segment, I felt like searching was being portrayed as a choice between keyword searching (which works) and controlled vocabulary searching, i.e. LCSH (which doesn’t work).

I think they work together. I will often do a keyword search to either find a known item or at least one book on a new topic. Once I have that item record, finding MANY related items (whether on the same subject, author, and so on) by using the controlled vocabulary subject headings, usually available as hyperlinks.

Everyone on the show is definitely right that setting up a catalog to default to LCSH searching would be a special brand of madness. But if we tossed out traditional cataloging, then we would lose an important discovery tool.

]]> By: Stephen Francoeur http://uncontrolledvocabulary.com/2007/08/31/uncontrolled-vocabulary-10-a-good-time-to-talk-about-timid-librarians/comment-page-1/#comment-28 Stephen Francoeur Wed, 05 Sep 2007 14:44:00 +0000 http://uncontrolledvocabulary.com/2007/08/31/uncontrolled-vocabulary-10-a-good-time-to-talk-about-timid-librarians/#comment-28 Greg, you pronounced my name better than I do! Thanks for including my comments from the last session on this one. Wish I could participate, but at 10 am, I'm either just going to bed or running to get my 6 month old back to sleep after an early awakening. I'll keep listening via MP3s, though. Keep up the great work. Greg, you pronounced my name better than I do! Thanks for including my comments from the last session on this one. Wish I could participate, but at 10 am, I’m either just going to bed or running to get my 6 month old back to sleep after an early awakening. I’ll keep listening via MP3s, though. Keep up the great work.

]]> By: SMKVT http://uncontrolledvocabulary.com/2007/08/31/uncontrolled-vocabulary-10-a-good-time-to-talk-about-timid-librarians/comment-page-1/#comment-27 SMKVT Fri, 31 Aug 2007 20:45:00 +0000 http://uncontrolledvocabulary.com/2007/08/31/uncontrolled-vocabulary-10-a-good-time-to-talk-about-timid-librarians/#comment-27 Finally catching up on UnVocab #10 after live participation passed me by again.<br/><br/>Since I did submit the BookSwim link, I'll offer the comment that the take that I had on it was not really about the competition for libraries.<br/><br/>I am much more intrigued by the fact that there are libraries that are using their own NetFlix accounts to supply things to patrons that they could not possibly justify purchasing for their collection. I had been spinning out thoughts on how a similar sort of thing might work with BookSwim. As far as I know it would be a lot less expensive than the rental/lease collections that libraries use for best sellers. I was also wondering how it might be a way to start (on the cheap) something like the 1stReads Book Donation program: http://www.booksite.com/texis/scripts/community?sid=5906<br/><br/>Rather than trying to adopt the NetFlix model, some libraries are just figuring out how to make it work for them.<br/><br/>I keep trying to show up for broadcast, but life keeps intervening.<br/><br/>Sheila Kearns Finally catching up on UnVocab #10 after live participation passed me by again.

Since I did submit the BookSwim link, I’ll offer the comment that the take that I had on it was not really about the competition for libraries.

I am much more intrigued by the fact that there are libraries that are using their own NetFlix accounts to supply things to patrons that they could not possibly justify purchasing for their collection. I had been spinning out thoughts on how a similar sort of thing might work with BookSwim. As far as I know it would be a lot less expensive than the rental/lease collections that libraries use for best sellers. I was also wondering how it might be a way to start (on the cheap) something like the 1stReads Book Donation program: http://www.booksite.com/texis/scripts/community?sid=5906

Rather than trying to adopt the NetFlix model, some libraries are just figuring out how to make it work for them.

I keep trying to show up for broadcast, but life keeps intervening.

Sheila Kearns

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