Re: REASONS TO AUTOMATE

["Rita Kaikow (Oceanside High School)" <K12OCKZR@VAXC.HOFSTRA.EDU>]

>From:  IN%"CAROLAN@IDS.NET" 29-JAN-1994 07:42:25.42
>Hello, again--I am putting this question under this heading as it is from
>Monica's message about automating.  She mentions the variety of subject
>headings.  There is also a variety of author's names in all of our
>cautomated catalogs.  But aren't there some electronic means of curing
>this problem...electronic authority control and global editing?  Can
>anyone speak to that issue?  Thanks.


The answer to this question depends on the sophistication of your automated
catalog.  I am sure that programs can be configured to enable searches to
automatically look for versions of a particular name.  But my system does not.
To combat this problem we have several approaches:  one is to create USE [as in
See Also or See] references; and the other is to do global editing.  The former
is problematic because the USE reference may not appear immediately and users
may never see it.  The latter is problematic because it would result in
changing all names spelled a certain way.  In the case of unique individuals
this would present no problem.  BUT in cases where last or first names were for
different people, it might, e.g. Do you spell it Jeffrey or Geoffrey?  Klein or
Kline? Better yet - How will the patron spell it when they are doing their
search?  I would hope that someone can suggest an easy solution.  Isn't
technology supposed to help make it so? :-)

I manage the Mandarin Users' Group List.  I will pass this message on to them
and see if anyone has any helpful hints.

-Rita

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