#authority files

[listenandlook]

Article from the new issue of Code4Lib Journal on linking library authority data with Wikipedia. 

"The positive reception to the project at Wikipedia affirms the strength of libraries in performing authority control and proves the utility of this work in the era of linked data. The project offers a blueprint for similar efforts to integrate library data with Wikipedia and, perhaps even more importantly, has built good will for the library community with Wikipedia. At a time when many libraries worry about keeping up with information in a digital world, collaborations like this one offer an exciting glimpse of what libraries can still do to help connection their users with high-quality information resources." --Maximilian Klein and Alex Kyrios

[listenandlook]

Today in interesting authority files...

[okiearchivist-blog]

October 6, 2010

Moving update: the GF Coll. is safely in the corner and the OHEHS Coll. is now 1/3 in its' new location. *whew* Today I move yearbooks, hooray. 

I did some subject heading clean up on Cuadra today and proceeded to play around with the print copy of Sears subject headings that was unearthed from a retiree's office. It was the 17th edition, only 3 editions away from the current 20th edition. While I naively assumed the "biggies" would not have changed that much over the 3 editions, I found the term for Native Americans to be- Native Americans- while the Library of Congress has moved on to -Indians of North America- for a few years now. So I trashed that old Sears.  I thought it might work better for classifying manuscripts, since the subject headings will not be as broad as the LCSH entails, alas I must wade through the scientific headings and many things I'll never use because I can only trust the classification gods at LC. 

I also procured a lovely copy of the new SAA glossary of Archival & Records Terminology yesterday from my friend down the way @ ODL.  I enjoyed the inclusion of terms such as Disneyfication with references to how that applies to archival work.  Yay team America! Glossing over uncomfortable historical situations for the mundane satisfaction of the few and maintaining the blissful ignorance of the many. 

ok- off to lug around heavy volumes of college glory years. May their pages be dust free because my sinuses can't handle another day of warehouse dust.