A good point about the ongoing reduction in staffing levels - but isn't
this going to reduce our scope for reclassification as well as our
ability to maintain local classification practices?
I also wonder for how much longer we will have the skills in-house to
undertake reclassification. The more we rely upon shelf-ready and/or
linked data to provide subject access, the fewer staff will know how to
apply and exploit classification.
So are we moving from a situation where we had staff who knew a lot
about their subject and a lot about classification (but preferred local
in-house schemes of their own devising) to a situation where we accept
standardised classification but have noone who knows how it works?
-----Original Message-----
From: CIG E-Forum [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of C.J.
Carty
Sent: 27 September 2011 13:34
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [CIG-E-FORUM] Future of reclassification
I think that there will be plenty of reclassification in the future but
perhaps less to do with keeping up with ongoing changes (such as
discussed this morning with DDC) and more with libraries abandoning
their in-house classification schemes or local variants of DDC/LCC etc
in order to use a more standard form. This will enable shelf-ready,
vendor records, will reduce local processing time (for the
classification part but also maintaining local lists etc) and staff
time. I can't see an increase in staffing levels or a reduction in the
need to do more with less in the future so local classification seems
like a luxury few will be able to afford (possibly a more
academic/research library perspective though).
Celine (speaking in a purely personal capacity)
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