Subject: Cataloging of Multimedia E-Journals
Gerry Mckiernan (GMCKIERN@gwgate.lib.iastate.edu)
Date: Wed, 18 Aug 1999 13:21:06 -0500
Message-Id: <s7bab359.048@gwgate.lib.iastate.edu> Date: Wed, 18 Aug 1999 13:21:06 -0500 From: "Gerry Mckiernan" <GMCKIERN@gwgate.lib.iastate.edu> To: arl-ejournal@arl.org Subject: Cataloging of Multimedia E-Journals
_Cataloging of Multimedia E-Journals_
I recently searched the OCLC database for bibliographic records for
each of the titles in my registry of multimedia electronic journals,
M-Bed(sm). M-Bed(sm) is available at:
http://www.public.iastate.edu/~CYBERSTACKS/M-Bed.htm
Of the 41 titles currently listed, 34 had records. Of these, only
five (5) -- less than 15% of those with records -- had a mention of the
availability of a multimedia component in the record!! To say the least
I was surprised and quite perplexed that a major component of such
journals has been completely ignored in a vast majority of cases.
I am further perplexed that while a number of records make note of
the need for the Acrobat plug-in there is no mention of the other
plug-ins required for using the associated multimedia.
From this brief survey, I've concluded that catalogers in general
are not aware of the multimedia dimensions of such journals and that
journals such as these would be difficult to identify due to the lack
of standard and uniform description of the multimedia.
This raises several issues, namely the current status of standard
terminology within the cataloging community for such multimedia, the
appropriate location with the catalog record (the five records which
mentioned multimedia did so in the 516, 520, 538 MARC fields) and the
appropriate General Material Designation (GMD) for such 'publications'
In this case, all had 'Computer file' as the GMD. Would it be more
appropriate to use 'Interactive Media' as the GMD for multimedia
e-journals? [This approach would be an extension of the _Guidelines
for Bibliographic Description of Interactive Media_ published by the
American Library Association in 1994 and authored by the Interactive
Multimedia Guidelines Review Task Force chaired by Laurel Jizba, now
of Portland State University]
I'd very much appreciate my colleagues thoughts and reactions to
my observations and conclusions regarding the cataloging of multimedia
electronic e-journals (or any other issues that this posting may
inspire regarding multimedia e-journals).
As Always, Any and All comments, contributions, questions, queries,
critiques, etc. etc. are Most Welcome!
/Gerry McKiernan
Theoretical Librarian
Iowa State University
Ames IA 50011
gerrymck@iastate.edu
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