Re: Thanks & Summary: re: Your thoughts about adding lots of keywords to a record

[Robert Eiffert <beiffert@COMCAST.NET>]

One point that might want to be looked at is whether those adding 'lots of
keywords' are doing so to newer records and books or are looking at
improving older records. If your collection is like mine (Library 20+ yrs
old, automated several years ago), there is a huge variety in the quality of
the cataloging. Many of the responding posts indicated working on bad or
older records.  Records for new books just simply have more access points.
Then there is the case where a fiction book bought before it won an award
will be a bit out of date. Even an older ed. of _The last of the Mohicans_
could have fewer SH than a newer one.

Like Carol Simpson pointed out, there are some standards that should be
followed when adding SH ("(a subject has to be 20% of content before it is
appropriate), ").  A book on drugs may not deserve a SH for mescaline, while
the book on psychedelics would. The catalog should be pointing users to the
best information we can deliver, not necessarily to everything we have. The
kid doing a report on drugs just needs an overview, the kid researching
psychedelics needs the depth of individual drugs.

Robert Eiffert, Librarian
Pacific Middle School
Evergreen SD 114 Vancouver WA
beiffert@egreen.wednet.edu
pac.egreen.wednet.edu/library
robert@crypticmachinery.net

>
> Many thanks to all who responded to my post -- there were
> about 40 responses, on and off the list.
>
> The sentiment was about 2 to 1 in favour of the idea of
> adding keywords; many of those in favour are doing so and are
> pleased with the results. Those opposed all made the valid
> point that university and public libraries don't do it, so
> 'coddling' (my word) students in this way is, in the long
> run, a disservice to them. (There was a sub-text: catalogues
> need to be standardized if they are to be shared and combined.)
>
> My thoughts:
> Adding keywords will make it easier for students to find the
> information they seek -- I think this overrides the
> objections that were made. After all, every time a student
> asks a librarian for help finding information, that student
> is doing an end run around the cataloguing system.
>
> Thanks again,
>
> Robert
>
>
> Robert Hiebert
> Librarian, Golden Secondary School, BC, Canada www.gsslibrary.net
> Fax: 250 344 7116
> library@gsslibrary.net

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