National Library of Australia

Australian Committee on Cataloguing

Teleconference 27 January 2000

The first ACOC teleconference for 2000 was held on 27th January with as many ACOC members as could be present at that time. Taking part were Pam Dunlop (chair), Peter Haddad, Ann Huthwaite, Sue Moir, Chris Taylor, Julia Trainor. An apology was received from Helen Hoffmann.

ACOC discussed the nomination of an Australian representative on the Editorial Policy Committee of the Dewey Decimal Classification to fill the place left vacant by Giles Martin when he resigned to take up a position with Forest Press. Following a call for expressions of interest five impressive applications had been received. The Committee chose as its nominee for Australian representative Anne M. Robertson, Manager, Technical Services Branch, State Library of Queensland. The nomination has been forwarded to Joan S. Mitchell, Executive Director & Editor in Chief, Forest Press.

Ann Huthwaite briefed members on the recent meeting of the Joint Steering Committee for Revision of AACR which had met in Brisbane 18-20 October 1999.

ACOC members then looked at a number of outstanding JSC papers with a view to advising Ann on the Australian preferences. These included proposals on revision of 1.4C3 (Place of publication, distribution, etc.), Definition of “Main entry” in AACR glossary, Subordinate conference headings (24.7 etc.), “Work” in music uniform titles (25.35 etc.) and recommendations concerning revision of rule 0.24.

Examination of the last agenda item led to a discussion on the CC:DA report “Overview and Recommendations concerning Revision of Rule 0.24” and the format variation problem (earlier discussions referred to it as the “multiple versions” problem). ACOC members agreed that there was a need for the rules to be revised, as cataloguers were coping with the current print and electronic publishing situation by implementing solutions based on the work rather than the individual bibliographic manifestation of the work. ACOC noted that a change in the rules to deal with format variations in the way proposed in the CC:DA report would have far-reaching consequences for library systems and shared cataloguing. Members advised on the desirability of JSC publicising the direction they were pursuing, and the reasons, as early as possible. Interaction with vendors of systems to alert them to possible changes in catalogue record structures was also thought to be highly desirable.