MLA MW, Louisville, KYOct. 16, 2015

Wendy SistrunkUniversity of Missouri—Kansas City

He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Student Assistant: Using the Skills of Students for Library Projects

• Initial searching in OCLC: record selection, adding of 7xx access points, and other bibliographic niceties

• Using student assistants from “front desk” to search for and download “acceptable” copy from the web version of OCLC Connexion, adding item record information, but otherwise without much other editing

• Aurally audition unpublished sound recordings for their contents (e.g., transcription discs, instantaneous-cut discs, other)

• Search the Web for information about a recording• Language skills to translate/transliterate various

Student Projects in Music Cataloging

Initial Searching/Editing in OCLC

• Student searches OCLC for “best” match • Adds additional access points based on

local practice (titles, names, other analytics)• Adds item record information from template• Exports to local catalog

Pros/Cons

• Pros• Plow through backlogs• Relieving others of having to add these benefits• Time savings• Piquing interest of budding catalogers!

• Cons• Time needed for full training• Requires detail-oriented student with some understanding of music

Search for and Download “Acceptable” Copy

• Student logs on to Connexion via the web

• Searches for acceptable copy• Adds item record information

from template• Exports record into local catalog

Pros/Cons

• Pros• Quickly move through gift backlogs• Faster availability of materials to patrons

• Cons• Correct record selection (CD/LP, foreign language, fullest)• After initial training, no planned direct supervision• No concrete sense of production and/or project goals met• Easily “distracted” by desk duties

Aurally Audition Unpublished Sound Recordings

Photo courtesy of Sandy Rodriguez

Slide courtesy of Sandy Rodriguez

Pros/Cons

• Pros• Huge help• Time savings!• Piquing interest of budding catalogers!

• Cons• High level of skill required

• Need good listening skills and awareness of musical genres and instrumentation

• Careful training• Minimal noise distractions

Search the Web

http://www.pdmusic.org/1800s/05aw.txthttp:

"All's Well" (1805) Duett. Words by Thomas John Didbin Music by John Braham from "The English Fleet in 1342" [Source: 08/126@Levy]

Pros/Cons

• Pros• Much unique and esoteric information discoverable on the Web• Some very good sites available for free to the researcher

• Cons• Must vet information for its accuracy and reliability• Need to have a well-structured search strategy• Can spend too much time “surfing”

Language Skills

Pros/Cons

• Pros• Tremendous help in transliteration• With this help, many times can “sound out” syllables to arrive at words

• Cons• Some transliteration requires much precision (e.g., Russian and

Ukranian transliteration totally different)• Must trust the expertise of the translator

Other

Thank you!

Wendy SistrunkHead, Special Formats Metadata & Cataloging

University of Missouri—Kansas Citysistrunkw@umkc.edu