Marcum Letter May 5 2006
Big changes are on the way. The series authority records are but the first step in refocusing the Library of Congress to take advantage of the promises of technology, to focus on actual needs of information seekers, and to build a 21st century library that is as effective in the digital age as the traditional library has been in the world of print.
ALA Executive Board Statement on LC Decision
The cataloging performed by the Library of Congress and made available to the nation's libraries is one of the most critical national functions of the Library of Congress. Any diminution of the quality or quantity of cataloging provided by the Library of Congress has an enormous financial impact on all of the nation's libraries, as the work that the Library of Congress had previously performed must either be taken up by individual libraries, often doing work in duplicate, or it must be abandoned altogether.
International Dimensions of Digital Science and Scholarship
BigHeads Statement on Bibliographic Control
On June 1, 2006, the Library of Congress will implement its decision not to create/update series authority records and not to provide controlled series access points in its bibliographic records for resources in series. With the exception of those categories listed below, LC will create bibliographic records for all resources in series and assign "classed separately" call numbers (i.e., a specific call number appropriate to the topic of each resource).
Letter from ARL to D. Marcum
Because many of our member institutions are also engaged in rethinking the provision of bibliographic services in an increasingly digital environment, ARL supports the Library of Congress' efforts to redesign its services in order to focus better on the needs of the end-user-the individual researcher-and to streamline processes in order to make information accessible more conveniently and more quickly.
PCC Statement on LC Series Authority Record Change
PCC series policy remains unchanged. Member libraries that believe value is derived from series authority control are encouraged to continue this work in accordance with established guidelines and procedures.
Press Release: ALCTS Statement on LC Decision
We are writing to express our concerns over the recent decision that Library of Congress (LC) made, regarding ceasing the creation of series authority records (SARs) and treating all series only via transcription in bibliographic records. LC's decisions regarding bibliographic records have a broad impact within the library community.
ARLIS Statement on Bibliographic Control
The CAC believes LC's decision demonstrates a disregard for the principles expressed in IFLA's Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR), by ignoring the user tasks of find, identify, and select. Any collocation of series into work, expression or manifestation clusters would be more difficult without uniform access to series headings. At the most basic level, it will hinder the ability of users to find known items.
ALA Testimony at LC Oversight Committee
The cataloguing performed by the Library and made available to the nation's libraries is one of the most critical national functions of the Library of Congress. A substantial part of the Library's funding by Congress is to enable them to perform these functions on behalf of the nation's libraries, of which there are a number in every Congressional district.