Minutes
Draft Minutes of the 30th meeting held in the Conference Room, National Library of Australia on Monday 28th August, 1995 at 8.30 am-4.00 pm.
- Welcome and Apologies
- Minutes of the 29th Meeting, 20 April 1995 (ACOC/402min)
- Business Arising from the Minutes (ACOC/402)
- Revision of Agenda
- ACLIS Report
- ALIA Report
- National Library Report
- ABN Standards Committee Report (ACOC/404)
- Review of ACOC
- JSC Matters (ACOC/405)
- Decimal Classification Editorial Policy Committee Report (ACOC/406)
- National Cataloguing Conference & ACOC Pre-Conference Seminar (ACOC/407)
- Australian Thesaurus Issues (ACOC/408-411)
- 1996 Meeting Dates
Present:
Ms Pam Dunlop (NLA) Chair
Ms Susanne Moir (ALIA)
Ms Helen
Hoffmann (ALIA)
Ms Margareta Nicholas (ALIA)
Ms Ann Huthwaite
(ACLIS)
Ms Janet Thorp (ACLIS)
Mr Giles Martin (ACLIS)
Ms Julia
Trainor (National Library of Australia)
Ms Mary Gorman (Minutes)
1. Welcome and Apologies
Pam Dunlop welcomed the Committee members, and apologised for any inconvenience caused by the NLA email problems.
2. Minutes of the 29th Meeting, 20 April 1995 (ACOC/402min)
Pam Dunlop proposed an addition to the minutes of the previous meeting: 'Ms Susanne Moir was welcomed as a new ALIA nominee on the Committee'.
Pam Dunlop proposed a correction to Item 5 of the National Library
report:
'The National Library is developing a way of extracting ISBN
MARC records from Dynix for reporting ISSN data to Paris', should read
'ISSN MARC records'.
3. Business Arising From The Minutes (ACOC/402)
- Item 10. Descriptive Cataloguing (ACOC/399) was referred to the ABN Standards Committee September 1995 meeting.
- Item 7 (ACOC/396) to be discussed with Agenda item 11, Australian Thesaurus issues.
4. Revision of Agenda
Pam Dunlop reported that she had received a minute from Eric Wainwright regarding a proposed review of ACOC and the relationship between ACOC and ABN Standards Committee. She had arranged for Warren Horton to address the meeting at some time during the day when he was available. The Committee discussed the background to the review, which had started with a request to ACOC to review its terms of reference in 1994.
5. ACLIS Report
There were no standards matters to report from ACLIS.
6. ALIA Report
Margareta Nicholas reported that the organisation of the upcoming Cataloguing Conference is on track, and that about 250 registrations are expected. Barbara Tillett will tour WA, SA Vic, Qld and the ACT for ten days after the Conference and will speak to local ALIA groups.
Margareta also reported that the second edition of the List of Australian subject headings (LASH) will be mounted on ALIANET. Julia Trainor will provide a copy on disk to Ivan Trundle at ALIA. The Committee considers it to be the responsibility of ALIA National Cataloguing Committee to drive this forward and to provide an up to date introduction explaining the status of LASH.
7. National Library Report
Pam Dunlop reported various developments occurring in the NLA:
- The NLA WWW server has strong coverage of government information, a useful pointer to Information Management Standards Home pages and a hyperlinked listing of Australian electronic journals.
- The NLA is seeking voluntary deposit of CDROMs.
- ISSNs are being assigned for all journals indexed on OZLINE.
Julia Trainor reported on recent developments with regard to standards:
- NLA will review the need to support AUSMARC in World 1
- Sally McCallum, Chief, Network Development and MARC Standards Office at the Library of Congress, has included the National Library of Australia in the MARBI consultation process. There is improved opportunity for Australia to contribute nationally to the development of the USMARC standard. Giles Martin reminded members of the opportunity for Australians to obtain MARBI proposals and discussion papers from LC MARVEL, and to contribute individually to the USMARC developments via the USMARC discussion list.
- NBD section has drafted guidelines for cataloguing photographic collections on the NBD, following existing standards. The NBD section is also considering the development of guidelines for captioning pictorial materials which are stored as images in computer systems. Further action will be determined in consultation with the DNC Office and the Standards Committee. Helen Hoffmann commented that La Trobe University found, in the course of creating an image database for health sciences, that there are no appropriate standards or guidelines for captioning.
8. ABN Standards Committee Report (ACOC/404)
Ann Huthwaite reported on the ABN Standards Committee meeting of 29-30 March 1995, highlighting the recommendations on authority control in NDIS and Australia's relationship to NACO. Margareta Nicholas reported that the University of South Australia is preparing to implement the Aboriginal Thesaurus in their cataloguing.
9. Review of ACOC
At this point Mr Warren Horton joined the meeting to give the Committee background on the proposed review of ACOC and the relationship between ACOC and ABN Standards Committee.
Mr Horton recollected that the issue was raised by Bill Linklater at an ACLIS/ ALIA executive meeting, in terms of a review of ACOC. However, Mr Horton sees a need for the review to be wider than ACOC, and would like to broaden the review to consider what are the most appropriate mechanisms for delivery of standards advice over the next few years. This broader approach was supported at a joint ACLIS/ALIA executive meeting in June 1995.
Mr Horton apologised for any misunderstanding which may have occurred during the development of these ideas. He explained that the Library is considering the options for governance and advice for the forthcoming World 1 service, and therefore the role of the Network and Standards Committees will also need to be reviewed. The terms of reference for the review of standards advice will need to be developed, and then a Review Committee can be established.
Mr Horton invited comment from ACOC. The Committee felt it would be useful to include relations with Standards Australia Committee IT/19 in the review. Ann Huthwaite raised the issue that the ABN Standards Committee does not represent all Australian libraries. The Committee agreed that other models for developing standards advice, and the international context, should be examined in the review.
10. JSC Matters (ACOC/405)
AACR2 revisions
- Ann Huthwaite highlighted the main issues addressed by the Joint Steering Committee for the Revision of AACR2.
Rule revision
- Helen Hoffmann pointed out an error in an example under rule 24.26A , regarding spelling of Reichskommission.
ALA/19 Illustrations - rule 2.5C2.
- JSC deferred making a decision, pending further discussion. ACOC is happy to support either the British or the Canadian proposal, as both reflect ACOC's wish to liberalise the rule while providing assistance to cataloguers.
ALA/25 Chapter 9
- The revision was adopted by JSC so now there are two approved terms; 'computer disk' for magnetic computer disks and 'computer optical disc' for CDs.
ALA/24 GMD for interactive multimedia - rule 1.1C.
- Library of Congress does not support the GMD 'interactive multimedia' because it takes cataloguers too much time to decide whether a computer file is interactive or not. Janet Swan Hill will express concern to ALA about the guidelines. Giles Martin agreed that many multimedia packages are really just videorecordings, but nevertheless it would be simplistic to say they are all computer files.
JSC' s proposed programme of work
Ann Huthwaite reported on JSC's forward work programme:
- AACR will be published as an SGML electronic text in three versions: an archival version, a working version and a public official version.
- JSC believes the proposal for an International Conference of Cataloguing Experts was favourably received by the Committee of Principals and should take place by the middle of 1997. ACOC should have the chance to nominate some delegates. JSC was keen to avoid the problems of the Multiple Versions Conference where the recommendations have been largely ignored. JSC wants responsibility for carriage of decisions of the conference, and will hold a meeting immediately after the conference.
- The next JSC meeting will be held in Washington, D.C. in May 1996.
11. Decimal Classification Editorial Policy Committee Report (ACOC/406)
Giles Martin tabled his report on the April meeting of the Decimal Classification Editorial Policy Committee (EPC) and highlighted the following points:
Giles is collaborating with Library Association and British Library representatives on the question of literary warrant for Internet resources.
Giles will prepare a paper proposing an expansion of the area tables for Australia. He is waiting for the Australian Bureau of Statistics' 1996 breakdown of Australia before completing the paper. Julia Trainor suggested that he make more general proposal outlining the possible strategies (ABN or local government boundaries) and addressing the general costs and benefits, with a view to obtaining 'in principle' support before he commits resources to a detailed proposal.
Giles is considering the need for more subdivision under Aboriginal languages and groups of people. The literary warrant for DDC subdivision is 25 items.
12. National Cataloguing Conference & Acoc Pre-Conference Seminar (ACOC/407)
The ACOC pre-conference seminar will be held from 1.30 pm to 5 pm on Wednesday 18 October 1995 on the theme 'Rule Revisions: Who Needs Them? ' The programme was reviewed and agreed as follows:
1:30 Julia Trainor Introduction, role & composition of ACOC
1:45 Ann Huthwaite The role of JSC
2.15 A Wells and OCLC & CNI projects for cataloguing Internet
S Moir resources
3.00 Afternoon tea
3.30 Helen Hoffmann Cataloguing of Multimedia using the ALA
guidelines
4.00 G Martin and Main entry: a debate
P Dunlop
5.00 Close
Janet Thorp will confirm availability of resources (overhead projector and Powerpoint) and distribute the revised agenda. The papers will be published in Cataloguing Australia.
13. Australian Thesaurus Issues (ACOC/408-411)
Pam Dunlop reported that funding of $A20 000 had been received from the Working Group on High Priority Cross Sectoral Projects, for a survey of thesaurus usage in Australian libraries. The grant is to be expended by June 1996. The meeting discussed the details of the questionnaire and method of finding a suitable consultant to conduct the survey.
The Committee discussed arrangements for the survey consultancy. It was agreed that ACOC would issue a Request for Proposal to at least three consultants. The consultant would be required to finalise the questionnaire, conduct the survey, ensure a reasonable number of returns, and analyse the results. The consultant should select a reasonable sample of special libraries. Academic libraries should be selected on the basis of the Henty survey into indexing activity, and all State libraries should be surveyed. The Committee suggested the names of a number of possible consultants.
A steering subcommittee comprising one representative from each of the parent bodies will oversee the project: Pam Dunlop (NLA), Margareta Nicholas (ALIA), and Janet Thorp (ACLIS). Julia Trainor undertook to draft the Request for Proposal letter and circulate to ACOC members for comment, so that it is ready for distribution by 6th October when Pam Dunlop returns from leave. The steering committee will evaluate submissions by 6th November.
The consultant should deliver the survey results by March 1996, and the finalised report by early June, with provision for two drafts to be delivered to the steering committee for discussion and comment between March and June.
The Committee proposed several additions and changes to the draft survey form, as follows:
New question:
- If you currently use a local thesaurus, or are planning to develop
one, is this because you consider that:
Existing subject lists do not meet your library's needs: Y/N
Please specify special requirements - Existing lists do not reflect the Australianess of your subject or
collection: Y/N
Please specify subject. - Existing thesaurus do not cater for the specialised format/s of
your collection: Y/N
Please specify format/s.
Addition to question 8:
If based on an existing thesaurus please specify.
Deletion:
In question 10, delete the request to include a copy of the thesaurus used.
Amendments:
- In question 7, include level and include more examples of formats.
- Expand question 5 to include catalogues, indexes and other listings. Acronyms should be spelled out. Ask respondents to specify which thesaurus used for which tool.
- Add to end of Question 13: to ABN and/or other external databases?
New questions:
- Would you use a national thesaurus?
- Would you collaborate with other thesaurus developers in your
subject area/s?
or:
Rate the overall importance to your organisation of developing a national thesaurus. State the benefit to your organisation. Would you collaborate with such a project?
or:
Would you support a national thesaurus in your specific subject area? For your specific collection formats? A general thesaurus?
Addition to questions 17 and 18:
If you are starting out would you prefer to:
- build on a general Australian thesaurus?
- build on an existing overseas thesaurus but Australianise it?
- develop a new thesaurus from scratch?
Further suggestions should be sent to Pam Dunlop (E-mail: pdunlop@nla.gov.au). It was decided that the survey form should not exceed four pages, and that the overall design of the survey was up to the consultant.
The meeting considered a request from Derek Whitehead on behalf of the CASL Collection Management Group, for funding for the development of a national thesaurus based on the State Library of New South Wales' thesaurus. The latter thesaurus was assumed to be the pictorial thesaurus, although this was not explicitly stated in Derek Whitehead's letter. Susanne Moir pointed out that the SLNSW thesaurus is object oriented, and has very little coverage of concepts. ACOC members agreed it would be difficult to build a general thesaurus from the SLNSW thesaurus.
Julia Trainor undertook to contact Derek Whitehead by 15th September to advise him of ACOC's view that the SLNSW thesaurus is more appropriate for pictorial collections than for development into a general thesaurus. She would also point out that thesauri require ongoing maintenance, and it could be futile to fund a special development without provision for ongoing development and maintenance. ACOC members also suggested that support for a specific thesaurus for development of the Australian thesaurus would pre-empt the purpose of the ACOC survey, which was intended to identify the level and nature of thesaurus development activity in Australian libraries, as a basis for consideration of the feasibility of the Australian thesaurus.
14. 1996 Meeting Dates
The following meeting dates for 1996 were agreed:
- Friday 29th March
- Monday 26th August
The March date was selected with a view to holding the ACOC meeting back to back with the Standards Committee meeting, to save travel costs for any members attending both meetings.
There was no other business raised and the meeting closed at 4.00 pm.
Last updated 22 March 1996


