For the attention of cataloguing managers of art materials. We posted this
survey in June 2004, and received some very interesting replies, but am
sending again in the hope of receiving more at this time of year.
Dear colleagues,
Since July 2000 the ARLIS Cataloguing & Classification Committee (ARLIS C&C)
has been considering the benefits to UK art libraries of establishing a "UK
ArtNACO funnel". A funnel project is essentially "a group of libraries (or
cataloguers from various libraries) that have joined together to contribute
authority records to the national authority file". An ArtNACO funnel would
be concerned with name headings in the art subject area.("Frequently asked
questions about funnel projects" available via the link at:
http://www.loc.gov/catdir/pcc/naco/funnelfaq.html.)
[A note on terminology may be helpful at this point, as UK librarians may
know of the existing authority file that we refer to by different names. The
current authority file is known as the Anglo-American Authority File (AAAF),
the NACO file, the Library of Congress authority files (LCAF) or US Name
Authority File (US NAF), and these names have recently been reviewed, see
http://www.loc.gov/catdir/pcc/tgauthfile_namerec1.pdf For the
purpose of this survey we have used LCAF throughout.]
Funnel projects can be regionally based, or focused on one particular
subject area. In the subject area of fine art there is already an ArtNACO
funnel, but this is based in the United States. The main impetus for
considering a UK-based funnel for the subject area of fine art arose from a
perception that for many cataloguing in art libraries in Great Britain, the
name headings commonly required in bibliographic records were not
established in the LCAF. For libraries not participating in NACO (the name
authority component of the Program for Cooperative Cataloguing (PCC)), these
headings must be established locally.
Necessarily, such locally-established headings with their see and see also
references cannot be shared by other libraries. ARLIS C&C have discussed how
a funnel project could benefit the UK art library community by instigating
or increasing the contribution of specialized name entries (series
authorities are presently not being considered) to the LCAF. Art cataloguers
can thereby have a stronger input into the types and numbers of art-related
headings available internationally via the LCAF. As well as contributing
headings, they may also via a funnel project revise existing headings in the
LCAF. A funnel project may allow smaller cataloguing operations (ranging in
size from one to six cataloguers) to input into the LCAF when individually
they would not have had the volume of records or regular flow of authority
record creation to sustain NACO participation.
ARLIS C&C would now welcome the initial views of UK art libraries on a UK
ArtNACO funnel project. We would be most grateful if as many libraries as
possible with an interest in this subject could complete our survey
questionnaire and return it to Jacqueline Cooke, Chair, ARLIS C&C via e-mail
(e-mail address: [log in to unmask]) by 31st July 2004. Your replies will
be treated in confidence. While the benefits and very considerable
associated tasks have been, and continue to be, discussed by ARLIS C&C, we
are most keen to learn the views of those with first-hand experience of
interacting with the LCAF in UK art libraries. If you have any questions
relating to the survey, then please contact the ARLIS C&C via the Chair for
further information.
A plain text version follows. If you would like a Word or PDF format
version, please e-mail Jacqueline Cooke at Goldsmiths College Library,
[log in to unmask]
best wishes,
Jacqueline Cooke
Assistant Librarian, Arts & Humanities,
Goldsmiths College, University of London
(Chair, ARLIS Cataloguing & Classification Committee)
Survey of UK art libraries to establish need for a UK ArtNACO funnel(Replies
to all numbered questions are optional, all information given will be
helpful)
Contact details:
Name and position
Library / Institution address
1. Do you presently use name headings from the Library of Congress
authority file (LCAF) in your library’s catalogue?
IF YOUR ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION IS NO, PLEASE GO TO 6.
If your answer to 1. is yes, do you:
A. Download headings
B. Copy manually
C. Upload headings
2. Please comment on the types of name heading you commonly deal with
(personal names; corporate body names; names of projects, etc.)
3. Do you find the LCAF has established headings for the names you
encounter in bibliographic cataloguing? If not, what types of name headings
do you find are lacking? (e.g. identifiable groups of artists, names of
contemporary British artists; names of UK art galleries, collectives,
projects, etc.)
4. If no US NAF heading is found when cataloguing, do you create a local
authority record for the name? If so, is this authority created in a record
conforming to the MARC 21 Format for Authority Data? If so, when creating
name authorities originally, does you library apply the Library of Congress
Rule Interpretations (LCRIs) (i.e., in addition to AACR2 ch. 21-26)?
5. Please provide a rough estimate of the quantity of headings for which no
LCAF heading is found and which you would then potentially be channelling
via a UK ArtNACO funnel, per annum.
6. If you do not presently derive name headings from the US NAF, do you
have any plans to do so?
7. Do you anticipate that your library would be interested in participating
in a UK ArtNACO funnel? (Your answer to this question will not be taken to
imply any commitment to such a scheme, should one be established)
8. Does your library have access to the OCLC or RLG databases? (These
utilities could potentially be used to submit headings).
9. Please provide here any further comments you may wish to make on any
other aspects of the proposed UK ArtNACO funnel, or questions that you have
